Isle of Man lawyer has a novel published
Chris Ewan, a solicitor at Cains, won the 2007 Long Barn Books First Novel competition in October 2006, his prize being having his book published in hardback in the United Kingdom. His crime novel is called The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam and has just been released.
Chris said “The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam is my first crime novel and I spent my initial year at Cains writing it in the early mornings, evenings and at weekends. I had previously written three novels, and although I was taken on by an agent, the books were never published, so I guess it was fourth time lucky for me.
I became aware of the competition after seeing an article in The Guardian. The competition was set up by Susan Hill (a well-known author of some 35 novels, including The Woman in Black) and her independent publishing house, Long Barn Books. I sent in the opening chapters of my novel and a short while later I was asked to send through the complete book. In October 2006 I was told that I was on the shortlist for the prize and a week later found out that I’d won. The hardback edition of my novel is on sale from June 2007, with a paperback version due from Simon & Schuster in April 2008.
I am very fortunate because the book has been sold to a number of countries, including Germany and the US, and I have been commissioned to write a second volume in the Good Thief series. Nowadays, many authors only get two or three books to succeed, so I wanted to make the most of the opportunity. Cains have been very supportive and flexible and I now work Tuesday to Thursday and write the rest of the time. I have found writing the second book brings new pressures but I am on schedule. Most importantly it is still fun!”
The Good Thief’s Guide to Amsterdam is a light-hearted crime caper about a mystery writer who doubles as a high-class burglar. The book’s lead character, Charlie Howard, is writing his latest novel in Amsterdam when he is approached by a mysterious American who asks him to steal two apparently worthless monkey figurines. At first Charlie says no. Then he changes his mind. Soon, Charlie finds himself in the frame for a murder and he has to clear his name, all while trying to get away with the haul of a lifetime and solving the plot problems in his latest novel. Chris’s plan is to write a series of Good Thief Guides, with the next novel set in Paris and the third set in the States. More information can be found on the series at www.thegoodthief.co.uk.
Chris will be doing a book signing at Waterstones at 2pm on Saturday 16th June and his novel is available in most bookshops as well as at amazon.co.uk.
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