We Interrupt Your Regular Scottish Blog Posts...

...to announce a new independent crime publisher. And, since I love independent crime publishers, and this one looks like a cracker (their first book sounds brilliant, and the marvellous J T Lindroos is involved) here is their press release (with apologies for no Scottish content other than a blurb from Allan Guthrie which, let's face it, is quite enough reason):

Here's the score. The Outfit has the handle on tough guys and even tougher girls. Even the book business needs its own plunder squad.

Formed by Prime Books head-honcho, award-winning editor Sean Wallace, and the Point Blank Press co-founder J.T. Lindroos, The Outfit has their plans, artillery and blueprints ready for the big takeover.

Their breakout title is the award-winning Australian hardboiled debut PEEPSHOW by the criminally under-appreciated Leigh Redhead. The Weekend Australian called it the 'best new [crime] novel of the year'. The follow-up featuring our smart and sexy stripper slash private investigator Simone Kirsch, CHERRY PIE, is scheduled for 2010. Redhead -- yes, really -- has not worked as a private investigator, but she has been a cook on a prawn trawler from Cairns to Cape York, stripped at the Crazy Horse and Club X Bar in Melbourne, written five novels, and currently teaches English in Vietnam.

"I couldn't believe this series had not been picked up for US publication," says Lindroos. "It's entertaining, smart and tough, and Leigh obviously knows what she's writing about. There's a lot of outstanding downunder crime fiction that just isn't getting the exposure it deserves and we're planning give it some."

The Outfit will chase the inaugural title with a long-lost novel by Edgar Award winning author Frank McAuliffe. SHOOT THE PRESIDENT, ARE YOU MAD? is the final book to be published in McAuliffe's series featuring the rapscallion Augustus Mandrell. The reason for the long delay in getting the book published? McAuliffe submitted the manuscript to his publisher just prior to death of JFK, and the book was cancelled. The Outfit is about to correct that mistake.

"We'll handle four to six titles a year, making sure all the books are smart and entertaining. Don't expect a 500-page tome. We like short and sharp. Like an icepick. Every book we publish will be a really good read."

PEEPSHOW is available now.

The Outfit
www.outfitcrime.com
info@outfitcrime.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1607011506?ie=UTF8&tag=bjbayley-20


“Australian author Redhead puts her past as a stripper and table dancer to effective use in her debut, the first in a crime series to feature aspiring PI Simone Kirsch … Redhead has made an unlikely premise convincing. ” —Publishers Weekly

“PEEPSHOW introduces us to a hugely entertaining and engaging new voice. Stripper-cum-private investigator Simone Kirsch is a terrific new character and Peepshow is a great read.” —Allan Guthrie, author of SLAMMER.

“PEEPSHOW [is] a wonderful private eye novel … Simone is a great character, a little out of her depth and she knows it, not all that admirable but not the least bit apologetic for her background, and ultimately smart and likable enough that the reader can’t help but root for her.” —James Reasoner, author of DUST DEVILS