THE Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith will host the London launch of Hi Love, You Dropped Your Glove, the latest novel from Northern Irish crime writer Paul Charles.
The event, on Thursday, April 16, will see Charles in conversation with bestselling author Mark Billingham, one of the UK’s most respected crime novelists.
The evening will feature a wide-ranging discussion on crime fiction, the craft of writing, and the inspiration behind the newest instalment in Charles’s McCusker Mysteries series. A book signing will follow.
Set in Portrush, Co. Antrim, Hi Love, You Dropped Your Glove is the third book in the McCusker Mysteries.
The story opens in 1976, when three teenage boys — Thomas Barry, Lefty Kelly and Brendy McCusker — are roaming the seaside town.
After literally bumping into Isabella Scott, Barry delivers the line that gives the novel its memorable title.
More than 40 years later, in July 2019, Barry’s remains are discovered at the foot of the Pilgrim’s Steps in Portrush Harbour.
The town is already thronged with visitors as The Open Championship returns, bringing global golf stars including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Detective Brendy McCusker and DI Lily O’Carroll are drafted in from the Police Service of Northern Ireland in Belfast to assist local officers.
As the investigation unfolds, long-buried secrets emerge involving Barry, his wife Isabella, her sister Colette, and a network of property deals, family ties and local intrigue.
Set against the backdrop of a seaside town hosting one of the biggest events in world golf, the novel explores ambition, loyalty and the complex relationships within a close-knit community.
Copies of the book will be available to purchase on the night. It is published by Level Best Books, an independent publisher specialising in award-winning mysteries and thrillers.
Paul Charles, who grew up in Northern Ireland, is also known for his Detective Inspector Christy Kennedy series set in Camden Town and Primrose Hill, as well as his Inspector Starrett Mysteries based in Co. Donegal.
Alongside his fiction, he has had a long career in the music industry and is a regular contributor to Hot Press.
Mark Billingham, a former actor and stand-up comedian, is best known for his D.I. Tom Thorne series.
His work has won multiple awards, including Crime Novel of the Year, and his novels are regular fixtures in the Sunday Times bestseller list.
Paul Charles will be at the Irish Cultural Centre in Hammersmith on April 16, 020 8563 8232. or click here.
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