Latest News

November 2005

THE CRIME NOVELS

The paperback of THE VARIOUS HAUNTS OF MEN has now sold over 120,000 copies and is number 3 on Waterstone's best selling crime novels.

It has also done incredibly well in Germany, for some strange reason – I`ve never sold much there before ! It is also being published in Holland, France, Sweden, and Spain.

I have now got my head down for the winter writing book four, THE COURTS OF JUSTICE.

I am also trying to finish a module on PAUL'S EPISTLES for my Masters degree in Theology !

NEW CRIME SERIES

I have signed up to write 3 books about a very different detective. His name is RIC BRADSHAW, he is a DC with the MET, and a bit of a maverick. The first book is called CORRUPTION and will be published late in 2006.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

Is on the last lap of another very successful tour of the UK. The actors who have performed in this then take over in the West End which has done staggeringly good business during the last few months. We all feared that after July 7th people would stop going to the theatre but the reverse has been the case –Londoners really are showing that they will NOT allow terrorists to stop them going about their daily lives or interfere with their enjoyment, and the theatre has been packed every night.

THE AUDIO BOOK OF THE WOMAN IN BLACK

This has just come out, terrifyingly read by the excellent young actor PAUL ANSDELL who is fresh from appearing in the West End run of THE DRESSER, directed by Peter Hall.
The audio book is on CD only and makes a great Christmas present.
There is a special offer to members of this mailing list. The retail price of the set is £12.99 but members can buy it POST FREE for only £11. Send a cheque to
LONG BARN BOOKS, EBRINGTON, CHIPPING CAMPDEN GL55 6NW

You can also buy on line using a credit card. Go to www.nochex.com. Click on Send money. E-mail address is susan@susan-hill.com. Pay and in the information box put what the payment is for and make sure you have entered your full name, address and postcode. You do not need to have an account.

LONG BARN LEARNING

Two new study guides are in preparation. The first, by POLLY ATKIN will be for GCSE students of I`M THE KING OF THE CASTLE. The next will be for A Level students of STRANGE MEETING. This is being written by Jonathan Noakes. Both will be available in 2006 and will be authorized and contain an essay about the writing of the novels and an author-interview. They should prove to be the very best on the market as some of the existing study guides leave a lot to be desired, especially at GCSE level.

LONG BARN BOOKS

Next May, Susan`s small publishing company is bringing out a novel after 8 years of publishing only non-fiction. This won the competition to find the best first novel and is a brilliant and very very funny book called THE EXTRA LARGE MEDIUM by HELEN SLAVIN. It is going straight into paperback. Publication May 9th. There is already a great buzz about this book so watch out for reviews and etc. It is really excellent and the hunt is now on for a novel as good to publish in 2007.

A RECOMMENDED READ

THE HIGHEST TIDE (available to buy from Amazon) by JIM LYNCH (BLOOMSBURY £6.59) This is the most wonderful novel. It came to me for review in THE SPECTATOR and I told everyone to go and buy it. I don`t know Jim Lynch or much about him, I just know he has written a magical novel about a boy growing up and obsessed with the sea creatures that live in and around the Sound – the descriptions of his midnight rips in a little boat to look for them are wonderful. This is one of the best novels about growing up I have ever read… do try it.

LAST BUT ABSOLUTELY NOT LEAST..

HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR CHRISTMAS PUDDING YET ? Of course not. Then look no further. Go to www.crisispud.org. There you will find the website for a brilliant idea. The charity CRISIS – used to be called CRISIS AT CHRISTMAS – provides shelter, warmth, food, drink, hospitality, entertainment, medical and personal care, counselling and advice for a large number of HOMELESS people over the holiday – and in its Day Centres throughout the year. You can support their fantastic work by buying a HARRODS super Christmas pudding – it costs 35.00 and a whole £25 of that goes straight to CRISIS.. So you`re getting a superb pudding delivered to you for only a tenner and really making a difference to CRISIS`s work with the homeless. PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE WEBSITE AND BUY A PUDDING AND TELL OTHER PEOPLE ABOUT IT.

E-MAILS TO SUSAN

I promise that I do try to respond to every single one. But many students in particular seem to think I will do their work for them and write their essays for them. Many of them do so because they don`t quite understand that it is THEIR work that matters not mine, but others are being lazy !! So before you send off a missive, first of all check the FAQs on the website, secondly think whether it is a fair e-mail to send to me and thirdly, post your questions on the MESSAGE BOARD. You may well get far better answers than I can give you!