Two Contraband titles on The Guardian’s ‘Not the Booker’ longlist

Posted on August 4, 2016

Shelley Day’s The Confession of Stella Moon and Michael J Malone’s Bad Samaritan have both been longlisted for the ‘Not the Booker’ Prize, The Guardian’s alternative to the Man Booker Prize. You can vote for your favourite title(s) here.

Over 100 books have made this year’s list and readers now have until 14 August to vote for the best books of the year.

The Confession of Stella Moon is a dark tale of matricide and the macabre. Set in the north-east of England in the 1970s, it portrays a profoundly disturbing and disturbed young woman with shocking family secrets. Described by AL Kennedy as “a timely and intelligent book”, it was also shortlisted for the Dundee International Book Prize.

Bad Samaritan pushes tortured Glasgow cop to the very edge when he finds himself in the sights of a deranged serial killer. It’s a gripping page-turner shot through with Malone’s trademark dark humour and smart banter. The Sunday Times hailed it as a “deeply satisfying read”.

Contraband has had a stellar two years since its launch in 2014. His Bloody Project, by Graeme Macrae Burnet, has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2016 (the shortlist will be announced on 13 September).

Two more Contraband books have been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Crime Book of the Year (in 2014 and 2015 respectively): Falling Fast by Neil Broadfoot and DM for Murder by Matt Bendoris. Douglas Skelton, who has made the longlist of this year’s McIlvanney Prize for Scottish crime fiction with Open Wounds – has also joined Contraband and we’re publishing his new book, The Dead Don’t Boogie, in September.