You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
The first Scottish Crime Book of the Year award has been presented to Charles Cumming for his novel A Foreign Country, with the announcement made yesterday at crime writing festival Bloody Scotland, in Stirling.
Cumming wins £3,000 prize money, with his novel concerning the disappearance of the first female head of MI6. The prize seeks to reward the best in Scottish crime writing.
Cumming said: "It's such a huge honour to win such a prestigious award in the first year of this fantastic festival. My thanks to the judges, to Mazars and to all the organisers."
Chair of the judging panel Sheena McDonald said: "A Foreign Country by Charles Cumming
. . . spans the complexity of the practices of crime and counter-crime in the modern world, from savage to subtle. The characters entirely convince us: we know - and sometimes avoid! - these people. We believe this credible evocation of what happens when crime threatens personal and state security. This book is exciting, imaginative and well-written. It doesn’t simply tick the crime-fiction boxes - it’s simply an outstanding novel."
Next year's Bloody Scotland festival will be held between 13th and 15th September.