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Novels Judge’s Report 2018

Judge’s Report from Steph Patterson senior editor at Crooked Cat Books

I’m delighted to be judging this year’s Flash 500 Novel Openings Competition. I always enjoy discovering the variety and quality of the novels submitted, and this year did not disappoint at all.

Without exception, I found all submissions interesting in their own way. These included historical fiction, Young Adult, fantasy, contemporary fiction, and crime – both cozy and dark. It was fascinating to see how participating authors have designed whole worlds, made characters come alive, displayed in-depth research (historical and geographical), and created complex, intriguing plots. My compliments go to all shortlisted contestants.

It was yet another hard task to find the winner and runner-up, but my congratulations go to:

Fishermen’s Court: With its wry sense of humour, the beginning hooks you straight away. Daily chores are followed by fast-paced action, as the protagonist finds his life in danger, quite unexpectedly.

Behind Me Lies the Desert: The introductory scene is well-portrayed, and the author’s knowledge of the subject area – life in the Middle East – is apparent. We accompany the protagonist on her journey to the Lebanon.

I wish to thank Lorraine Mace for allowing me to judge the Flash 500 Novel Openings Competition again.

Stephanie Patterson

Senior Editor

Crooked Cat Books

December 2018

 

Short list in alphabetical order

A Little Bit Broken by Caroline Day

A Train on a Beach by Jamie D Stacey

Agency by Stephanie Hutton

Behind Me Lies the Desert by Kevin Gerard Neill

Beyond the Black Gate by Mark Hudson

Fishermen’s Court by Andrew Wolfendon

French Connections by Beth Wellington

How Brave You Must Be by Catherine Browne

Kiss/Kill a Monster by Helen Reynolds

Locusts by Lorna Riley

My Name Is Ten by Colleen MacMahon

The Nameless by Stuart White

The Princess Murders by Alyssa Mackay

The Roses of March by Donna Brown

The Trauma Pool by John Kennedy

 

Long list in alphabetical order

30 Days by Claire Martin

A Charm to Mend Lost Causes by Margaret Davies

A Little Bit Broken by Caroline Day

A River Is Not Enough by Donna L Greenwood

A Thousand Days of Red Sun by Elena Croitoru

A Train on a Beach by Jamie D Stacey

Agency by Stephanie Hutton

And the Sea Darkened by V S Lloyd

Behind Me Lies the Desert by Kevin Gerard Neill

Beyond the Black Gate by Mark Hudson

Catch the Wind by Anna Holmes

Do Not Exceed Sixty by Lindsay Bamfield

Dog by Elspeth Latimer

Fishermen’s Court by Andrew Wolfendon

French Connections by Beth Wellington

Ghosts of Mars by Stuart White

How Brave You Must Be by Catherine Browne

I Don’t Want to Hear It Anymore by Gill Darling

If Books Could Kill by April Kopp

Junk Folk by Sharon Boyle

Kiss/Kill a Monster by Helen Reynolds

Locusts by Lorna Riley

Lottie and Koosha by E. J. Pepper

Metamorphosis by Andrew Bell

My Name Is Ten by Colleen MacMahon

Riding the High Road by Penny Frances

Saint Michael by Angelita Bradney

Separation by Jeremy Timmins

Seven at Odds by John Greville

The Baby in the Box by Anne Hamilton

The Blades of Winter by Kinnier Wilson

The Bundig by Geoff Aird

The Dream Circle by Maire Malone

The Hedonistic Imperative by Andrew Bell

The House at Knockmarran by E. J. Pepper

The Inside Passage Through Time by Nicole McMurray

The Killing Streets by David Hough

The Knight’s Curse by Kristin Meachem

The Last Library by Freya Sampson

The Nameless by Stuart White

The Princess Murders by Alyssa Mackay

The Rending by David Pearson

The Roses of March by Donna Brown

The Shadow Keepers by Marisa Noelle

The Shadow Puppet by David Griffiths

The Shift by Laura Kuhlmann

The Trauma Pool by John Kennedy

The Turkish Citizen by Patricia Donovan

The Uniter Chronicles – Ascendant by Laurence Paul

There Is Always Some Beauty Left by Corie Adjmi

Toby and the Silver Blood Witches by Sally Doherty

Too Close to the Wind by Richard Attree

We Must Give Battle in the End by Sally Craythorne

Where Earth and Sky Meet by Tracey Blezard

Winterland by Amanda  J Evans

Wolf Breath by Beverley Harvey

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