I’m absolutely delighted to announce my second novel, PAPERBOY, has been longlisted for this year’s McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year.

My debut, Squeaky Clean, won this prestigious honour when it was published in 2023, in what has been the most surreal moment of my writing career so far.

It’s lovely to have been nominated once more – and this year’s list is absolutely stacked!

Living legends Ian Rankin and Lin Anderson are on it.

Denise Mina, Liam McIlvanney and Alan Parks – all previous winners – are on it along with four authors previously nominated for the Best Debut Prize – my pals Heather Critchlow, Daniel Aubrey, Tariq Ashkanani and Allan Gaw (the latter two won the Debut Award in their years).

Multi-nominated historical crime authors DV Bishop, Ambrose Parry and Douglas Skelton round it off. Formidable company to say the least.

The prize will be awarded at Bloody Scotland crime writing festival this September. Good luck to the judges trying to pick a winner from this lot!