Wonderfully, the first Silver Blackthorn novel, Reckoning, was released in the UK yesterday. It is available from all of the usual places online, plus in-store at Tesco (see right); WH Smith and, from June 5, Asda.

• Available as an ebook in the UK via: UK Kindle – Google Play – iBookstore – Kobo – WH Smith
• Available as a paperback in the UK via: Amazon – Book Depository – Guardian Bookshop – Mail Bookshop – Pan Macmillan – Telegraph Bookshop – Waterstones – WH Smith

SIGNING DATE

I am gong to be signing copies of Reckoning (and anything Jessica-related if people want) on SATURDAY, JUNE 7 from 11am until 1pm at Waterstones, Altrincham, Cheshire. It is in the Stamford Quarter shopping centre. Come along and say hi.

THE NEXT JESSICA DANIEL BOOK

Crossing The Line is out on September 11, 2014. The spangly cover is on the right.

Here is the synopsis: Long before Jessica Daniel became a police officer, Manchester was once a ghost city after dark. Fear ruled as people were afraid to be out by themselves, the notorious Stretford Slasher terrorising its inhabitants.

Twenty-five years on and the media are feeling nostalgic over the milestone but Jessica has a new panic to worry about. Apparent strangers are being targeted in daylight, the attacker unworried about being caught. If only she and her team could find him…

It’s the coldest spring in memory and Jessica has old friends to look out for, plus secrets – so many secrets – that should have long been buried.

REVIEWS & NEWS ROUND-UP

Reckoning has been very kindly received so far, which is marvellous.

– There’s a lovely set of comments from adults and young people alike on Love Reading 4 Kids
– I wrote a blog post about my favourite fantasy novels for One More Page. There is also a review here.
– I wrote another for Fiction Fascination about exams.
– I did a Q&A for Liz Loves Books, who also reviewed Reckoning on the same page.
– I wrote about the future for My Kinda Book.
– I put together a piece about binge-reading for Tor UK.
– There’s another Q&A on Much Loved Books, as well as a review
– Plus a review on A Bit Behind On Books; another on The Book Nook; and this on The Reading Room.
– There are also many more reviews on Goodreads
– If that’s not enough, Publisher’s Weekly say Reckoning has a “strong voice and an intricate endgame“, plus Kirkus says there’s “true joy“.

Whew.