Louise Fairbairn

It was the blog's birthday yesterday, which reminded me you may not have seen my annual books of the year feature - and a lot of those titles would be great for your summer holiday reading... #BookSky 📚💙 crimebookgirl.com/2026/01/02/f...

Reading a short story collection from a favourite author is always interesting, to see where else their imagination goes. And for an excellent collection on a theme, I always recommend the Bloody Scotland collection from a few years back - so varied and such a great Tartan Noir showcase.

Reflecting on the fourth Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival The fourth Edinburgh Women's Fiction Festival took place on Saturday 24th October. On a stormy day, it was wonderful to spend the day cosy and warm inside listening to ten amazing authors talking about their books. This year I was a…

Protest. Get organised. Do the hard grind of democracy. I really hope this is the new start that people have voted for.

I love this series - thanks to @scotlandchris1.bsky.social for nagging me to read it (and then literally putting a book in my hand to guilt trip me into it 😊) #BookSky 📚💙

You'll regret not saying it when it's too late. And when it's too late you'll regret people not saying it out loud even if you have a suspicion that's what they felt. So: My friends, you have propped me up all year and I can't thank you enough for your quiet love and strength 💕💕

Anyone else thinking of Sandy and the polar bears?

@pictcon.bsky.social is now half way to breaking even for 2027. Do you live in Scotland or near enough that a one day science fiction and fantasy convention (with an optional dinner the night before, for early arrivals) appeals? Just £30/£20!- we just need to sell 26 more tickets to be on target!

We're excited to share the brilliant charity drive #BooksThatGive is taking place this week, supported by Vick Hope. Buy any book on bookshop.org between 22-25 October, and they will donate 10% of every sale to #BookBanks – helping them bring books to food banks. buff.ly/Y3ejY2p 📚

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We are pleased to announce that the #PetronaAward26 winner of the Best Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year is INTO THIN AIR by @orjankarlsson.bsky.social translated by @iangiles.bsky.social and published by @orendabooks.bsky.social ravencrimereads.wordpress.com/2026/10/22/p...

How do you withdraw from something you created??? I do hope this badly worded headline means the SoA has withdrawn its dog's breakfast omnishambles of an AI charter to listen to what its members want - otherwise I suspect it'll soon have a lot fewer members...

The Society of Authors is surveying members about their so-called AI charter: 1) Rip it up and start again 2) Include explicit red lines where AI use is UNETHICAL with examples. i.e. No use in generating ideas or plot. No AI-written text. I don't care if you use it for spellcheck or voice-typing.

On the blog today a review of #TheMurderTree book 5 in @caroramsay.bsky.social DCI Christine Caplan series published by @severnhouse.bsky.social Accidental deaths, wealth and a will, all the ingredients for a gripping crime thriller. peterturnsthepage.wordpress.com/2026/10/19/t...

The Man with the Golden Compass (Q Mysteries #2) by Vaseem Khan @VaseemKhanUK @ZaffreBooks @BonnierBooks_UK Source: Review copyPublication: 22 October 2026 from ZaffrePP: 352ISBN-13: 978-1804188699 My thanks to Zaffre for an advance copy for review Dismissed from MI6's Q Branch, where he developed…

Sometimes it's incredibly satisfying to be a newspaper sub - I imagine the tea mugs were raised in salute to whoever came up with this absolutely perfect line

Nailed it

A year of expert analysis and it's still a mystery why these bones were in that place. If it doesn't turn up in a crime novel in the next few years I'll be amazed, it absolutely begs for a writer to turn their imagination to it. #BookSky 📚💙

@scotlandchris1.bsky.social @portybelle.bsky.social that weekly took a while! I played squaredle.com/p/weekly 10/12 (Special Weekly Puzzle): 90/90 words (+14 bonus words) 🎯 In the top 17% by accuracy

#KindleDailyDeal Want to read Oceans Eleven meets Mission Impossible in Renaissance Venice? I have just the book for you! CARNIVAL OF LIES is only 99p on kindle UK today (Thursday 15th October) www.amazon.co.uk/Carnival-Lie...

Some organisations get it...

An introduction to Reading Scotland Month 2026 #ReadingScotland26 I am very excited to be introducing you to Reading Scotland Month 2026 hosted by yours truly! When I mentioned this idea earlier this year, it seemed like quite a few people would be interested in taking part so here we go. The idea…

On poison and ancient terrors We like to do things differently at Venice Noir. Yes, there are plenty of sessions discussing crime and thriller fiction with some top authors. But we also want to delve beneath the surface and investigate some of the things that set the world of dark fiction ticking…

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Darkland Tales: Crafting Scottish Fiction from Historical Fact 10 Dec, Edinburgh, & online. Free. Join acclaimed writers from Polygon’s Darkland Tales series for a thought-provoking panel discussion on historical reimagining #Booksky #HistoricalFiction 💙📚 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/darkland-t...

#ThreeTwoOne quickfire questions with Roz Preston #author of In Repair I'm delighted to be joined by debut novelist Roz Preston today. Roz is a local author and her debut novel In Repair was published by Stonebook Press Edinburgh in March. It is available in paperback and digital editions: buying…

Thought this dahlia Cafe Au Lait was never going to flower but it's got round to it...

Take 10 to Read 📚🛋️📖 Tomorrow (8 October), the National Literacy Trust and the British Council will aim to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most people reading online in 12 hours. Anyone can take part! Find out more and register here👇 literacytrust.org.uk/events/take-...

Bit early, Edinburgh, I'm pretty sure the festive season doesn't start til 1 December...

FFS...

New @ianrankin1.bsky.social in da house... Arrived a fraction before release day, safe in the knowledge I won't get round to reading it for, oh, at least two months 😁 #BookSky 📚💙

Hometown gig! Dangerously close to the Oxford Bar! Less than two weeks away…

To the person noting there is not enough money in the world to license every piece of intellectual property stolen for "AI" training: you're sooooo close to the point, friend, keep going, you'll get there if you try

@scotlandchris1.bsky.social @portybelle.bsky.social ticked off the weekly early for once I played squaredle.com/p/weekly 10/05 (Special Weekly Puzzle): 77/77 words (+5 bonus words) 🎯 In the top 8% by accuracy

The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen trs by David Hackston @anttituomainen @orendabooks @countertenorist @RandomTTours Source: Review copyPublication: 24 September 2026 from Orenda Books (paperback)PP: 300ISBN-13: 978-1917764346 My thanks to Orenda Books for a review copy Sofas, secrets and a…

Big Ed James news… A print deal??? Just wanted to drop some news I’ve been sitting on for the last few months. I’ve signed a traditional publishing deal with Atlantic Books’ Corvus imprint to publish new editions of the first… https://edjamesauthor.co.uk/2026/10/04/big-ed-james-news-a-print-deal/

Great thread. Just because a genre isn't one you care about doesn't make it worthless; a lot of people enjoy seeing new takes on old tropes in all kinds of genres - series is the privilege of genre fiction and the whole point of series is the mix of new and familiar. #BookSky 📚💙

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@scotlandchris1.bsky.social @portybelle.bsky.social Finally got the weekly nailed I played squaredle.com/p/weekly 09/28 (Special Weekly Puzzle): 88/88 words (+10 bonus words) 🎯 In the top 15% by accuracy

Tomorrow / Sunday 4th I’m at Portobello Book Festival with this luscious gang. Tickets are free and can be scooped up from Porty Library. There are only a few left so seek them out and come thrum our way. 💛🖤🩵💙💜

Dear America, please vote more sanely in November...

I've been playing a lot of my music at book events recently, so I thought it was worth reminding you that you can stream or download everything from my Bandcamp site. What's more, Bandcamp regularly waive their commission on Fridays, including today! dougjohnstone.bandcamp.com/album/crow-h...

I'm not free to go to this 😭 but if you are you should go! #BookSky 📚💙

What Miranda says... I wonder why no publishers have spoken publicly about this, whether they would/not use it? Hmm! More theft, and despite the UK having clear and firm copyright laws, no-one is doing anything. Time for a class action lawsuit?? #BookSky 📚💙

This farmer's daughter is always as interested in the farming notes as the books info, the rewilding stuff is interesting - sometimes farmers know what works for the land better than ministers &the civil service... Books info plus coo pictures, who could ask for more from a newsletter 😁 #BookSky 📚💙

We're now open for Diamond Dagger nominations from CWA members! 💎⚔️ The Diamond Dagger recognises authors whose crime writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre. buff.ly/X9x8FNV

We're now open for Dagger in the Library nominations! 📚 ⚔️ This Dagger is for a body of work by a crime writer who has long been popular with borrowers, and regularly supports libraries through taking part in events. buff.ly/FPwUGgw

My September wrap up is LIVE. If you’re one of my thousands of followers here why not jump over to the other side to see what I’ve been reading. www.instagram.com/reel/Dd9WcYF...