 |
| Far From True is Almost Here |
The clock is ticking!
There were a great many unanswered questions at the end of
Broken Promise, the kickoff book to the
Promise Falls trilogy. Who really killed Rosemary Gaynor and Olivia Fisher? How are the mysterious events linking the number "23" connected? What the heck is going on in this town?
Far From True, the second book of the trilogy, will be released in North America on March 8th, and in the UK on April 21st and is available now for pre-order.
It opens with a bang. On what is to be its final night, the Constellation drive-in theatre screen collapses. Four people are killed. Detective Cal Weaver is hired to check the home of one of the dead, where there has been an apparent break-in. Cal is stunned not by what's missing, but by what he finds. Meanwhile,
Promise Falls police detective Barry Duckworth continues his investigation into the "23" incidents, the disappearance of a professor's wife, and the murders of two women.
Publishers Weekly has already weighed in on
Far From True with a
Starred Review: "In this excellent sequel to 2015's
Broken Promise, bestseller Barclay's knack for realistic characterizations makes each person, even the nasty ones, stand out."
The first book in the trilogy,
Broken Promise, will be released in paperback. UK readers will see that edition on February 25th, and March 1st is the date for the North American release.
Many people have asked how long they'll have to wait for the conclusion. The answer: not very.
The Twenty-Three will be out in September in the UK, and November in the United States and Canada.
The best news of all is that the books are all finished. All that remains to be done for book three is proofreading the pages. Not that that necessarily means there'll be nothing left to do. In the past I've seen that stage of the process as the one where I catch a few typos and misplaced commas. But I recall reading one of my novels at that late stage and discovering a plot hole. I had to make major revisions on several pages to patch it over.
|
|
|
While you are waiting for
Far From True, there's an eBook novella,
Final Assignment for you to enjoy. Shortly before the events of
Broken Promise begin, Promise Falls private investigator Cal Weaver finds himself trying to solve the murder of a high school student that is disturbingly similar to his best friend's short story assignment.
The ebook novella, Final Assignment, which brings back characters from other Promise Falls novels, introduces someone who will play a large part in the trilogy.
|
| The Far From True Canadian Tour |
We're still firming things up, but I'm going to be in British Columbia (Victoria and Vancouver), Alberta (Calgary for sure), and Ontario (Toronto, Ottawa, Picton, Uxbridge, Meaford).
Here are some of the dates, and websites to check for future details:
- March 9: I'll be with Gail Bowen at Bolen Books in Victoria, 7 p.m.
Details here.
- March 11-12: I'm thrilled to be taking part in the new Cuffed International Crime Writers Festival in Vancouver. Exact timing of events is still being worked out, but for developments check my Facebook and Twitter updates and the festival website.
- March 14: Owl's Nest Books, Calgary, 7 p.m.
Details here.
- March 22: North York Central Library, Toronto, 7 p.m.
Details here.
- March 23: Meaford Hall, Meaford, Ontario, 7 p.m.
Details here.
- April 16: Prince Edward County Authors Festival, Picton, Ontario. I don't yet know when I am appearing, but here's the website.
|
|
Harrogate, England and More on the Road Plans
|
I'll be making my second trip to the
Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in July. This is one of the best crime fiction festivals in the world. Also headlining this year are Tess Gerritsen, Peter James, Neil Cross and Gerald Seymour.
The festival runs from July 21-24, and as of this writing I am scheduled for early in the day of July 22. But keep an eye on the
festival
website
for updates.
|
|
The Accident Coming to TV in France
|
|
There may be subtitles in my future. My novel
The Accident is currently being turned into a six-part television series in France, called, not surprisingly,
L'accident. It stars noted French actor Bruno Solo, and filming is now underway in Saint-Brieuc and Pléneuf-Val-André. The shoot is expected to go until the end of March, and the series will end near the end of 2016.
I've had a lot of readers asking whether the series will be shown in English markets with subtitles, and I honestly don't know at this point. Fingers crossed. I'd love to see it come to Netflix!
|
The biggest news of the month is that I was a quiz show question. The show was "The Chase," which those of you from the UK will know about. I've never seen it and don't know how it works. But anyway, the question was: "Author Linwood Barclay is known for writing fiction novels in which genre? A: science fiction B: crime C: romance.
But apparently I am less known that the question-writer expected. The answer given was: "Romance."
|
Those who received an
earlier newsletter
may recall the video of my model railway. One of the biggest manufacturers of model trains is a Canadian company called Rapido Trains, run by Jason Shron. He invited my son Spencer and me over to his house the other day to see the train he has in his basement. Have a look:
|
I may appear to be sitting in a Canadian VIA rail passenger coach, but I'm actually sitting in an exact replica of a section of the car. This masterpiece Jason has built is accurate right down to the rivets (you can
see how it was built here). Jason, by the way, is now making trains for the UK market. I've been thinking, at some point, about writing a thriller that takes place, in part, aboard a passenger train. If and when I do, Jason will be the guy I go to to get the details right.
|
|
|
- Still a bit behind in movies, but my favourite so far from 2015? Brooklyn. It's a beautiful film, based on the Colm Tóibín novel, adapted for screenplay by one of my favourite writers, Nick Hornby. As for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, saw it, liked it, never have to see it again.
- I hear Happy Valley, that terrific crime series with Sarah Lancashire, is coming back for a second season. This is one of the best cop shows I have ever seen.
- Donald Trump says he could shoot a guy on Fifth Avenue and still not lose any voter support. Does that include the guy he shot?
- For several years, Eric McCormack, who played Will in Will & Grace, tried to make my novel No Time for Goodbye into a movie. He even wrote the screenplay. It didn't come together, but I dealt with Eric enough to realize he's a heck of a nice guy. He did a one-night-only, one-man (well, with a band) show in Toronto the other night called The Concert I Never Gave (except for, like 2,000 times in my bedroom), with proceeds going to breast cancer research. Who knew he could sing so well? If there was a message, it was this: let young people pursue their creative dreams. It resonated. He should take this show on the road.
|
|
|
|
Neetha and Eric McCormack
|
|
The manuscript of my book for young readers is now being read by various publishers. If I hear anything, I'll let you know. I might even tell you what it's about.
'Til next time . . .
Linwood
|
|
|
|
|
|
