- Clair Lamb
August 2022
Dear Folks,
I know, it seems like only yesterday that I was last in touch with you, and I don’t like bothering you more than is necessary, but dang it, I can’t quit you. (I mean, I’m not a stalker or anything, although I should point out that your bins are a disgrace, and you’re out of milk.)
The confirmation of event dates for THE FURIES, which weren’t available when the last newsletter went out, requires me to get in touch once more.
Also, I care. Here, have a hug…
THE FURIES
Do good things, in fact, come to those who wait? If you live in Ireland or the United Kingdom, and you have been waiting for THE FURIES, relief is now yours, along with – if you’ve preordered, or have found one of the participating stores – a fetching Fulci Brothers Security Company tote bag, with all proceeds going to a charity of the brothers’ choice. Obviously, we haven’t asked for confirmation of what that charity might be, but we’re sure it’s nothing illegal. Well, pretty sure. Fifty per cent, give or take.
THE FURIES, as you may recall, is the 20th Charlie Parker book, and is actually two books in one: “The Sisters Strange,” a revised and extended version of the serial I published at the beginning of the pandemic, and “The Furies,” a story set in Portland just as the pandemic was beginning. The book has gotten kind reviews — most recently from Kirkus Reviews, which praised its “deft touches of dark humor”, and Publishers Weekly, where it was described as “exceptional”, thereby proving that my mother was right about me all along. In your face, playground doubters.
The opinion that matters most, of course, is yours. You can read an excerpt here (click the button that says “Read an Excerpt”), or listen to an excerpt here.
THE FURIES officially goes on sale in the UK on Thursday, August 4, while it’s already on shelves in Ireland. Thanks to all who came to Tuesday’s launch at The Gutter Bookshop. I'm sending this newsletter out a couple of days early because two more Irish events are happening on Thursday, July 28 — informal signings at O’Mahony’s in Limerick at 1:00 p.m. and at Dubray in Galway at 5:00 p.m. that same day. Totes will be available. I’ll also be dropping by to sign stock at The Ennis Bookshop and Easons in Ennis, should those stores be nearer your stomping ground.
Thanks, too, to the lovely people at the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, which was the first public signing for THE FURIES, courtesy of the nice folks at Waterstones. (Waterstones also has signed copies for sale, which you can order here.)
As you open this email, I am already back in Great Britain, about to start six jam-packed days of events. Please join me if you can, to save me from the mortification of having to entertain booksellers all by myself while I sign a pile of books.
The first event is a virtual one. On Monday, August 1 at 7:30 p.m. BST, I will be a guest of the Staffordshire Libraries Book Chat, for a conversation that will stream online here for anyone who’d like to listen in. (You can also stream the chat through their Facebook page.)
The graphic above lists the other in-person events, but here’s a list with website links:
Tuesday, August 2 at 1:00 p.m. — PENARTH
9A Windsor Road
Penarth
029 2070 6455
Tuesday, August 2 at 6:30 p.m. — SWANSEA
The Old Carlton Cinema
17 Oxford Street
Swansea, Wales
01792 463567
Tickets £3
Wednesday, August 3 at 11:00 a.m. — CRICKHOWELL
18 High Street
Crickhowell
01873 811256
Wednesday, August 3 at 1:00 p.m. — OSWESTRY
26-28 Church Street
Oswestry, Shropshire
01691 662244
Thursday, August 4 at 1:00 p.m. — CHESTER
14 Eastgate Street
Chester
01244 345066
Thursday, August 4 at 6:30 p.m. — LIVERPOOL
12 College Lane
Liverpool
0151 709 9820
Tickets £5.00, or £4.00 for Waterstones cardholders
Friday, August 5 at 12:30 p.m. — LYTHAM
87C Clifton Street
Lytham St Annes
01253 796 958
Saturday, August 6 at 1:00 p.m. — CHORLEYWOOD
Chorleywood Bookshop
7 New Parade
Chorleywood, Rickmansworth
01923 283566
These stores might be able to take your order for a personalized copy, if you call before the event, and should all have signed copies after the fact. If you don’t live anywhere near these stores, but would like to order a signed copy, you can do that from these fine stores:
Bookstation
Bridge Books
Easons
Goldsboro Books
Alan Hanna's Bookshop
Kennys
No Alibis Bookstore
THE FURIES will be on sale in Australia and New Zealand on August 9. The American edition, published by Atria/Emily Bestler Books, will be out on September 27, as will the US edition of SHADOW VOICES. In between those dates, the US paperback edition of THE NAMELESS ONES will be published on August 16. I shall bother you again on or about September 1 with additional plans for the US launch, and we’ll post updates as we have them to the events page of my website.
David O’Brien, who performs as Envoy, has composed a suite of music to accompany THE FURIES, which you can listen to and/or download on Bandcamp, here. The music is free of charge, but all funds collected will support treatment for David’s daughter, Odette, who lives with cerebral palsy.
And one last thing . . .
I should also remind you that the mighty Mark Billingham and I will be discussing books and other things at the first Spike Island Literary Festival, in Cork Harbor, on Saturday, September 3, and less than two weeks later — on Friday, September 16 — I’ll be in Stirling for my first visit to Bloody Scotland. Finally, the US paperback edition of THE NAMELESS ONES will be published on …
These missives are never quite as short as I intend them to be, so I will leave it there for now. Follow me on Twitter for exciting photos of my glamorous life on tour, and keep up with the latest news on Facebook, where the faithful Clair posts updates. If you prefer an aural experience, you can listen to episodes of my weekly radio show, ABC to XTC, on RTÉ Gold on Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. Dublin time, or via the playback feature for a few weeks after that.
Thanks, as always, for your support. I hope to see many of you soon.
Best wishes,
John