news
My new novel, A Poisoned Mind, has been published in the UK by Simon & Schuster to fabulous reviews. My perennial nervousness about seeing one of my novels being sent out into the world had been much eased by a wonderful comment from New York Times bestseller Laura Lippman:
"A POISONED MIND is simply gorgeous -- a smart, complex, grown-up entertainment that rewards the reader on every page. Intricate in plotting, deft in characterization, it is one of the best legal thrillers I have ever read."
--Laura Lippman--
Her enthusiasm has been echoed by the UK newspapers. The Guardian said: 'A precise and unsentimental exploration of two sorts of sabotage - industrial and emotional - A Poisoned Mind is a well-paced and thought-provoking read, and a welcome addition to a series that grows more impressive with each book.
And the Sunday Telegraph said: 'This series has been consistently entertaining, with meticulously researched plots and lively characters, including the engaging heroine. This story is one of the best.'
And the Express: 'The gloves are really off in Natasha Cooper's latest offering. Earlier outings for her committed but vulnerable barrister Trish Maguire have had their disturbing undercurrents but this is one of her darkest....But however rigorously she explores grim territory, the humanity of the sharply characterised Trish Maguire anchors the narrative in place, offering hope that order can be wrought out of chaos.'
And the Times Literary Supplement: 'Cooper is penetrating and amusing on the hierarchies of the legal world. She produces credible, contemporary plots and she cleverly notes current trends.... Her more subtle achievement, however, is to show how personal relationships affect organizations, businesses and professional groups as well as families. Several families are at the heart of this complex, enjoyable novel..... The vulnerability of the two teenagers and the weaknesses of all the adults are nicely caught. Anger in all its forms is shown as corrosive in this acute and rewarding thriller.'
And so on...
I hope you agree with the critics!
Both A Poisoned Mind and the latest paperback, A Greater Evil, have stunning new covers created by Simon & Schuster. Technological difficulties mean I can't reproduce them here, although the website is due a major overhaul next year, but you can see them on Amazon.
A Poisoned Mind is due to be published in the States by St Martin's Press in the summer.
I've updated the diary below, although some details still remain to be finalised. More events are in the pipeline and will appear in the diary soon.
STOP PRESS
I have done video clips for six of my novels on the terrific Meet the Author website. The links are:
http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1562.html
http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1563.html
http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1564.html
http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1565.html
http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1566.html
http://www.meettheauthor.co.uk/bookbites/1567.html
You can also download an audio discussion between me and Paul Blezard, who generously invited me to use it here. You can find the link on my welcome page. I hope you enjoy it.
There are hazards to this business of travelling to talk to readers, much as I enjoy it. Laura Wilson, Martyn Waites and I were on our way to Cheltenham to meet readers at Waterstone's there. Martyn offered to give us both a lift. All started well. We whizzed round the M25 in much less time than I'd imagined we would, got on to the M40 and just short of High Wycombe alarms went off, red lights flashed and steam/smoke poured from the bonnet.
Over to the hard shoulder. Martyn's bottle of water and Laura's went into the boiling water tank and we tried again. Happened again. Tried once more. Happened again. Martyn phoned the AA.
It was a freezing day, with a bitter wind. Knowing how dangerous it is to sit in a car on the hard shoulder, we obediently shivered outside, trying to contact our hosts for the evening to explain that we might be a little late. (Pause for hollow laughter here, as you'll see.)
While we were waiting for the AA, a Highway Patrol stopped, thank goodness, and knotted us into gold and silver foil survivial blankets. We waited on that freezing hard shoulder for an hour and a half, with the kites and buzzards circling ever closer to us, rather like vultures in the Serengetti as the poor wounded dehydrated travellers come ever closer to death.
Then a knight on a white horse, aka an AA man with a lovely warm cab, loaded the car on to the back and us into the cab and drove us to an equally warm but slightly strange pub. Lots of tattoos in sight, and an enormous Rottweiler. More than an hour after that an AA mechanic appeared. The gasket had blown (or something) and oil and water mixed. Couldn't be repaired. We must wait for a second tow-truck. Mad system! It would be with us within the hour. Well it wasn't. So we ate and drank and gossiped in the pub. I got home ELEVEN hours, to the minute, after I'd left.
Still, there must be some good copy in there somewhere.
diary dates
19 September I shall be taking part in a panel at The Throckmorton Literary Festival at Coughton Court at 2 pm.
The panel, which will be chaired by Jessic Mann, is called 'Murder for Fun and Profit' and also features Laura Wilson and Andrew Taylor.
Box Office: 01789 766324
20 September I shall be teaching a crime writing workshop at Northcote Road Library as part of the SW11 Literary Festival from 10 am until 12 noon. More information from Spread the Word on 020 7735 3111.
27 September I shall be chairing a session called 'Ask the Editor' as part of CrimeScene 2008 at Waterstone's, Piccadilly at 2.00pm
The editors in question will be Suzanne Baboneau of Simon & Schuser, Nic Cheetham of Quercus, Selina Walker of Transworld and Walter Donohue of Faber & Faber. Booking line: 020 7851 2400
9-12 October 2008 Bouchercon, Baltimore, USA. More details to follow.
More information at www.charmedtodeath.com
15 October 2008 Totleigh Barton
I shall be guest reader at an Arvon crime writing course tutored by Louise Welch and Allan Guthrie.
22 October Guildford Book Festival
I shall be visiting HMP Send during the afternoon and discussing my work with the reading group there
22 October Guildford Book Festival
The Electric Theatre 9 pm
I shall be taking part in 'Foul Play', Simon Brett's live version of his Radio 4 panel game. The other participants are Stella Duffy, Martyn Waites and Michael Ridpath.
Box office: 01438 444 789
23 October I shall be giving a talk about my work to members of the Tours of Discovery group.
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Trish's London from the Embankment to the Wheel
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