It was announced on Friday that two William Heinemann titles have made the 6-strong shortlist for the CWA Non-fiction Award!  

Killing Time: The Race to Stop an Execution is the haunting yet gripping memoir by David R. Dow, a death-row attorney based in Texas. Praised by John Grisham as ‘riveting and compelling’ and the New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin as ‘extraordinary’, it’s the story of the author’s fight for justice. His life is thrown upside down when he becomes convinced that one of his clients, who is facing execution in a matter of weeks, is innocent.

Major Farran’s Hat: Murder, Scandal and Britain’s War Against Jewish Terrorism 1945- 1948 is the gripping true story of the murder, in Palestine in 1947, of a Jewish activist by a British counter-terrorist officer and the subsequent cover-up. A controversial untold story of Britain’s role in shaping the Middle East by David Cesarani, an author described by the Sunday Times as ‘masterful’, this was sure to cause a stir.

The other great bit of news from Crimefest was that Josh Bazell’s awesome Beat the Reaper picked up the e-dunnit award for best crime e-book. Congratulations Josh!

The winner of the CWA award will be announced in June… fingers crossed!