William Shaw

Eden Driscoll 2 is available on a special pre-order deal from bookshop.org. Order by May 17 using the code PREORDER20 and you get 20% AND if you nominate your favourite bookshop they get some ££ too

99p on Kindle. That's all

Kett's Books in Wymondham is a bookshop I talk about all the time. Bookshops don't just sell stuff, the best ones make places. Kett's Books is a great story. Back in 2013, locals in the Norfolk town heard their bookshop was closing. Without it, they knew that a really important part of the town would die, so they formed a Community Interest Company and took over the tiny premises by the car park, turning it into a small but a successful volunteer-run enterprise. Back in 2018 (I think?), they chose my book Deadland as their One Community One Book project and I went along to talk to them and it was clear something amazing was happening in their community of booklovers. So many people came. Fast forward to 2022 and the chance came for them to buy a much more beautiful - and imposing – red-brick building right on the town's ancient market square, putting the bookshop literally at the heart of the town's life. It's now a major operation. Each year they seem to sell more books - over 15,000 last year. They work with schools, they run NINE book groups and they manage a huge and brilliant team of volunteers. It's really fantastic to see and if you're anywhere in the area, worth the trip. On Friday I went to give a talk about The Red Shore and it was a joy to be there again. A packed house and some of the best questions I've ever had. Thanks to Tracy and Em for a really brilliant night, and for my excellent goodie bag. @kettsbooks #wymondham #norfolk

Quiz. Where am I and what terrible event happened at the top of this tower? Clue: CJ Sansom wrote about it.

A few local readers of The Red Shore have asked how I know the place so well. By explanation, these are some drawings of Teignmouth by my aunt, celebrated East German artist Elizabeth Shaw. I'm guessing she did these in the late sixties, early seventies, when she was on a family visit. She was a brilliant artist and anyone who lived in the town in those days would recognise the place from her drawings. My grandmother, Mary, moved to the town in the 1950s. I was born in Newton Abbot in the Sainsbury's Local, which was, back then, the Maternity Hospital. We lived with my gran in Teignmouth until the mid sixties when we moved to a tiny house across the river in Shaldon. The back beach still looks much the same, as does The Ship Inn, which Eden Driscoll drinks in. The drawing of the Riviera Cinema makes me sad. The auditorium is still there; it's not used because the building was turned into luxury flats. Elizabeth published these drawings in a book called Eine Feder am Meerstrand, now long out of print. #teignmouth

Just went to the grandly titled Hatchard's Authors of The Year Party. I go because I like to pretend I am an author of the year, and it's nice to be invited. This was the 60th party and I think my fourth. The guest list from the very first one. Standards have slipped obvs.

Back in the day when my foreign publishing territories included the Galactic Empire #maythe4th

Am so touched to see the wonderful comments about Eden Falls from @radiomukhers @vaseemkhanwriter @orlandomurrinauthor @jocallaghankat @william1shaw @amandapcraigauthor . You work on the books for years and feel@it ’s worth it! @harvillbooks @vintagebooks @lynseypassmore @lauramsherlock @watsonlittleltd @cassiebrowne @miaandthebooks @laetitia_lit

As well as The Red Shore being only 99p at the moment, The Wild Swimmers is going cheap too. Me? I prefer to read physical books, but loads of people discover new writers through e-books, many find e-readers incredibly useful, though it's hard to admit, e-books are in very many ways much better for the environment.

The Red Shore. 99p ebook. Fill thy boots. #kindle

Sometimes I give away books in my email newsletter for readers. I have found, however, that most of the people on my email list already have books. When I gave away a tea towel last year, subscribers went nuts. In that spirit, I'm giving away this box of fudge made by Gilberts of Teignmouth and sold by @refillanddeli on Somerset Place. It caught my eye because the illustration is of the back beach, where Eden lives with Finn – including The Ship Inn, a few doors down from their house. I was in Teignmouth, staying at the shack for a few days when I spotted it. Go to my website to subscribe for a chance of winning the waistline-expanding fudge. williamshaw.com/subscribe #teignmouth #devon #fudge

“Crime fiction at its very best, a knotty mystery” - Elly Griffiths “Terrific… Perhaps his best yet” - Ann Cleeves “A gripping and wonderful thriller” - Nicci French “Expertly paced” - M. W Craven A massive thank you to @william1shaw for popping in and signing some new paperbacks this week! Pop in and pick one up while stock lasts! 😁 #fyp #crimeandthrillerbooks #shoplocal #indiebookshop #dartmouthdevon