Crime book of year revealed at festival

Published on 17/09/2012 00:00

Scotland’s first crime-writing festival has drawn to a close with the announcement of the first Scottish Crime Book of the Year.

A Foreign Country by Charles Cumming was chosen from 40 other entries at the end of the Bloody Scotland event in Stirling.

Fans gathered in the city over the weekend to celebrate what organisers said is the most popular genre amongst book buyers and library users in Scotland.

Cumming, from Ayrshire, won the £3,000 award for his sixth novel, which is about the disappearance of the first female head of MI6. He said: “It’s a huge honour to win such a prestigious award in the first year of this fantastic festival.”