It’s been three years now since Natural Causes came out in its lovely Penguin paperback edition. That little book has sold over 150,000 copies, been the Richard and Judy Summer Read, got me short-listed for the National Book Awards Newcomer of the Year and narrowly beaten at the Audible Crime Fiction awards by none other than J K Rowling (masquerading as Robert Galbraith). It’s been joined on the shelves by five other Tony McLean novels – something which if you’d suggested to me might happen five years ago I would have laughed in your face. Or at the very least smiled knowingly and dismissed the fantasy world in which you were living.
But here we are, three years on, half a million books in total sold in the UK alone, and perhaps most flatteringly a plethora of other great crime fiction titles out there with remarkably similar designs to their covers.
There’s something about the stark photography, the brooding, dark clouds and jagged text that immediately says you’re in for a treat if hard-hitting crime is your thing. But we don’t keep ahead by sitting still, and so my brilliant design team at Penguin have come up with a new look. You’ve already seen a snippet of it with the hardback edition of The Damage Done, but not content with that splendid effort, they’ve gone back and redesigned all the other books. And so with much joy and a little trumpet of fanfare, this week I will be showcasing the new covers. Starting at the beginning, here’s Natural Causes –
And here’s The Book of Souls –
Nice, aren’t they?
Dear mr. Oswald,
I will get my copy of your latest book next month. The first five were a fine treat, I expect that no.6 will also give me the satisfiction that the real thing can supply. Looks will change, quality will linger on. Be careful with mr. MacLean, he’s one of the best. At bol.com I’ve tried to give you the compliments you deserve.
Regards from Holland and stay wih us in Europe!
Gert-Jan H. Bennink
Loving the new covers:) have thoroughly enjoyed every one of these books and as always ,wondering what to do while waiting for next one.
You deserve every award, I have listened to each book twice now and re-enjoyed everyone.
The characters have lives, you feel like you know them and love the interaction between them all.
Hope everything is going well up on the farm, I am now back down in Cambridgeshire having sold in fife:) and enjoying having family around again:) .
You get a feeling of what the characters are up to while waiting to be written about again:), I just like to think they are having a nice holiday and getting on with their daily lives and enjoying work.
Cannot wait to see what follows on from last ending !!!!
I love all your stories,including the Benfro ones,but each Inspector McLean story has a frisson to it that keeps me gripped to the end.Good versus evil or right versus wrong whatever ! There is a lot to think about in each novel and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.Thank you!
Moody and eye catching…will spark up the shelves. Have read the entire series so far…recommend you to every crime addict I know. Excellent work! But such murderous long waits in between…must you have a real life outside of writing? Sigh…
I read Natural Causes when it first came out as a freebie on Kindle. I then couldn’t wait to read each of the other books as they came out. Their covers helped me locate them on the bookshop shelves. I do like the new covers, very enticing!
it’s not new cover I want but book seven. I do not take long to read covers,
I’m working as fast as I can!