The Blood Acre

IT’S been a while since my last blog and an awful lot has been going on behind the scenes since that post….believe me!

Back in December I had just completed the final stop of my WHSmith ‘The Shadow of Fear’ Scottish signing tour, notched 1388 sales and by doing so set a new record for a signing tour with the high street retailer over the last decade in Scotland.

Now four months later I am delighted to announce that my next book, The Blood Acre, the fifth in the DS Thoroughgood crime thriller series based loosely on my experiences as a Glasgow Cop, will be published by respected Manchester publisher Matthew James Publishing.

Set in 1990, The Blood Acre, is the direct follow up to the 1989 framed ‘The Shift’, which back in 2017 finished runner up in The People’s Book Prize with 11,000 votes and I’m really excited about it and my collaboration with Matthew James.

Above you can see a picture of the cover of ‘TBA’ which is a bit of a departure from my previous book covers and the title derives from the bible!

Throughout my writing career I have used the ‘good book’ as an inspiration as it is full of drama and unbelievable characters.

So, The Blood Acre comes from Acts Chapter 1, Verse 19:

The Blood Acre: Akeldama in Jewish. Where Judas bought a plot of land with the money earned from his betrayal of Jesus and on doing so “fell forward onto the ground and burst open so that his entrails poured out.”

Like I said dramatic stuff and believe me The Blood Acre is jam-packed full of the same!

Right now I am finalising a four-stop Saturday signing tour with my friends at WHSmith spanning June on which as well as selling my existing titles I will be handing out a three chapter taster booklet from The Blood Acre.

The edit has already been done and the sequence spans the book’s opening three chapters which is like a short story in itself and in essence all about a falling out among thieves…or armed robbers to be precise!

I’m also very much looking forward to introducing you to a new villain known as ‘The Widowmaker’!

As a taster for the action to come it is perfect!

But the good news is that although The Blood Acre will launch in Scotland at the end of August and in Manchester, England in September, you can pre-order your copy by clicking on the link below:

https://www.matthewjamespublishing.com/products/matthew-james-publishing/the-blood-acre

Before I go it’s important to say a big thanks to two very important people without whom this would not have been possible.

Firstly a big shout-out to my agent Susan Mears for brokering my new deal with Matthew James, which will also see the re-release of my first three titles later in the year but also to James Shaw, the CEO of MJ Publishing, for giving Thoroughgood the chance to ride again!

Anyway it’s time for me to saddle up!

Adios!

RJM