A DIVINE FURY - a finalist for the 2024 McIlvanney Prize!
The fourth Cesare Aldo novel A DIVINE FURY was a finalist for the 2024 McIlvanney Prize, an award for the novel judged the year’s best Scottish Crime book, organised by the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival.
The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre was announced as the winner in Stirling on Friday 13th September 2024. The other finalists were Past Lying by Val McDermid, Hunted by Abir Mukherjee, and A Spy Like Me by Kim Sherwood.
The McIlvanney Prize judges described A DIVINE FURY as a “pungent and complex slice of intrigue set 16th-century Florence. A brilliant historical novel which feels strangely contemporary and a worthy addition to this series.”
‘Being a finalist for this prize was such an honour’ says D. V. Bishop, ‘especially alongside such amazing books and acclaimed authors, RITUAL OF FIRE was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize in 2023, so to make the final five this year was an unexpected delight. Grazie mille to the prize judges, and all the readers who sifted the entries.’
RITUAL OF FIRE wins the 2024 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel !
The third Cesare Aldo novel RITUAL OF FIRE has won the 2024 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel, a prize that celebrates excellence in New Zealand crime, mystery, and thriller writing.
The award was announced at the WORD Festival in Christchurch on August 28th. The Best Debut Award went to Dice by Claire Bayliss, while the Award for Best Kids-YA Book went to Miracle by Jennifer Lane.
‘I’m stoked, chuffed and delighted to win this award,’ says D. V. Bishop. ‘The books on the longlist were amazing, including one by a past Booker Prize winner, so to make the final seven was brilliant. But to win the Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel? Incredible. Still pinching myself.’
RITUAL OF FIRE was chosen by an international judging panel of experts. The other finalists were: Dice by Claire Bayliss, The Caretaker by Gabriel Bergmoser, Pet by Catherine Chidgey, Devil’s Breath by Jill Johnson, Going Zero by Anthony McCarten, and Expectant by Vanda Symon.
This was the first time a Cesare Aldo novel has won a Ngaio Marsh Award, following on from longlistings for City of Vengeance in 2022 and The Darkest Sin in 2023. You can read more about the 2024 Ngaio Marsh awards here.
The six novels shortlisted for the 2024 Book of the Year by the Bookmark Book Festival
RITUAL OF FIRE shortlisted for 2024 Book of the Year by the Bookmark Book Festival
The third Cesare Aldo novel RITUAL OF FIRE was shortlisted as 2024 Book of the Year by the Bookmark Book Festival in Blairgowrie, Scotland. This award focuses on ideal books for book group discussions. with past winners including novels by Rachel Joyce, Andrew Greig and Karen Campbell.
RITUAL OF FIRE was shortlisted alongside Clear by Carys Davies, Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie, Columba's Bones by David Greig, All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker, and The Square of Sevens by Laura Shepherd-Robinson. The winner - Clear by Carys Davies - was announced at the festival on October 6th, 2024. Read more about the 2024 Bookmark Festival here.
RITUAL OF FIRE shortlisted for the 2024 NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction
The third Cesare Aldo novel RITUAL OF FIRE has been shortlisted the 2024 NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction, an annual prize celebrating the best books published by authors born in New Zealand or living in that country. RITUAL OF FIRE was chosen alongside seven other novels on the shortlist. You can read more about the 2024 NZ Booklovers Awards here.
The judges said: ‘In Renaissance Florence, under a sweltering summer sun, a series of brutal murders are unfolding. A wealthy merchant is hanged and set on fire in the main city square. Bishop seamlessly blends a tense thriller with a wealth of historical details. The central duo of Aldo and Strocchi, helped and hindered by various investigating constables, must put aside their differences and work together to solve crimes that span both the city and the surrounding countryside. The sort of mystery that keeps you gripped right to the end.’
This is the third year in succession that a Cesare Aldo novel has made the shortlist for the NZ Booklovers Award. CITY OF VENGEANCE won the Best Adult Fiction category in 2022. The winner of the 2024 prize will be announced later this year.
RITUAL OF FIRE is now available in paperback, audiobook and ebook.
THE DARKEST SIN wins the 2023 CWA Historical Dagger Award!
D. V. Bishop has won the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) 2023 Historical Dagger Awards for his second Cesare Aldo novel THE DARKEST SIN, published by Pan Macmillan. The CWA Daggers are among the oldest awards in the genre, with the winners announced at a gala dinner at the Leonardo City Hotel in London on 6th July.
The judges praised THE DARKEST SIN set in Renaissance Florence as "an atmospheric historical thriller" that was “well-researched” and “gripping to the end.” The award is for the best historical crime novel set in any period up to 50 years in the past. Previous winners include bestselling authors Andrew Taylor, S. G. MacLean, Abir Mukherjee, Sarah Waters, C. J. Sansom and Vaseem Khan.
D. V. Bishop said he was surprised and delighted to win the award, following in the footsteps of such acclaimed and brilliant writers. “This is a wonderful shock, and a real boost for my Cesare Aldo novels. I was chuffed simply to be on the longlist, let alone the shortlist. Actually winning the Historical Dagger was beyond anything I could have expected. Grazie mille!”
THE DARKEST SIN longlisted for 2023 Ngaio Marsh Best Novel Award!
The second Cesare Aldo novel THE DARKEST SIN has been longlisted for the 2023 Ngaio Marsh Award for best novel prize, celebrating excellence in New Zealand crime, mystery, and thriller writing.
It is one of fourteen books chosen by an international judging panel of experts from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. THE DARKEST SIN appears alongside novels by previous winners of the prize including Paul Cleave and Fiona Sussman.
“This year’s long list is a wonderful showcase of Kiwi creativity,” said awards founder Craig Sisterson, “with a great range of stories that explore some deep and very important issues in among the page-turning intrigue and thrills.”
This was the second year in succession a Cesare Aldo novel has been nominated for the Ngaio Marsh Award, following on from CITY OF VENGEANCE. The finalists for Best Novel will be revealed in August this year, and the winner gets announced as part of a special event in association with the WORD Festival in Christchurch during September.
RITUAL OF FIRE longlisted for 2023 Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize!
The new Cesare Aldo novel RITUAL OF FIRE is longlisted for the prestigious McIlvanney Prize. It is one of a dozen novels competing for the prize given to Scotland’s best crime novel of the year.
The McIlvanney Prize recognizes excellence in Scottish crime writing, with the shortlist announced at the end of August and the winner revealed at the Bloody Scotland festival in Stirling on September 15.
Among the longlisted novels are books by million-selling authors such as Sir Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, alongside past winners Denise Mina and Craig Russell.
D. V. Bishop is surprised and delighted to be among those longlisted: ‘My first two Cesare Aldo novels were not eligible to be entered, but Bloody Scotland broadened its criteria this year. I couldn’t be more pleased with RITUAL OF FIRE appearing in such esteemed company for this prestigious prize!’
THE DARKEST SIN shortlisted for the 2023 NZ Booklovers Award
The second Cesare Aldo novel THE DARKEST SIN has been shortlisted the 2023 NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction, an annual prize celebrating the best books published by authors born in New Zealand or living in that country. THE DARKEST SIN was chosen alongside six other novels on the shortlist. You can read more about the 2023 NZ Booklovers Awards here.
The judges said: ‘This is the enthralling follow-up to City of Vengeance, which won the NZ Booklovers Fiction Award in 2022. Once again, D.V. Bishop creates a captivating story set in 1500s Florence, with detective-protagonist Cesare Aldo investigating a report of intruders at a convent. The author skilfully brings the dangerous streets of this Renaissance city to life, so much so that the reader feels they are walking the streets alongside Aldo. And what a protagonist! Human, vulnerable but principled. Aldo is on the way to becoming one of the most beloved flawed heroes in the crime thriller canon, like Rebus and Bosch.’
THE DARKEST SIN is now available in paperback, audiobook and ebook.
CITY OF VENGEANCE longlisted for 2022 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel
The first Cesare Aldo historical thriller CITY OF VENGEANCE was one of twelve titles longlisted for the 2022 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel. The awards have celebrated the best New Zealand crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense writing since 2010. The judges said this about CITY OF VENGEANCE: “Storytelling centred on intrigue and betrayal doesn’t come more polished and captivating than this … Cesare Aldo is a redoubtable and humane lead.”
“It’s gratifying to see how our local authors, experienced and new, continue to raise the bar and produce world-class stories,” says awards founder Craig Sisterson. “This year’s longlist is a terrific showcase of exciting and innovative storytelling, with our authors harnessing a diverse array of characters, settings, and styles, challenging tropes, and bringing fresh perspectives to a genre that’s thrilled readers globally for 150-plus years.”
An international judging panel from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand chose the finalists. The winner - Before You Knew My Name, by Jacqueline Bublitz - was revealed at the WORD Christchurch Festival, held from 31 August to 4 September 2022.
CITY OF VENGEANCE longlisted for two 2022 CWA Dagger Awards
The first Cesare Aldo novel was longlisted for two awards by the Crime Writers’ Association of Great Britain. CITY OF VENGEANCE was one of twenty novels up for the prestigious Gold Dagger, alongside works by award-winning authors such as Mark Billingham and Paula Hawkins. The novel was also one of a dozen longlisted for the Historical Dagger, competing with books by such acclaimed authors John Banville and Andrew Taylor.
D. V. Bishop was stunned by the double accolade. “CITY OF VENGEANCE is my first historical thriller, so I had no expectations that this might happen. I hoped it might just sneak on the longlist for the Historical Dagger, but to be longlisted for the Gold Dagger? That was beyond my wildest dreams.”
Maxim Jakubowski, Chair of the Crime Writers’ Association, said: “The CWA Dagger awards are unparalleled for their reputation and longevity. They celebrate the very best of the genre. This year’s longlists showcase authors – established and new – at the top of their game.”
The 2022 CWA Dagger winners were announced in London on 29 June. Sunset Swing by Ray Celestin won the Gold and Historical Dagger awards. You can read more about the Daggers here.
CITY OF VENGEANCE wins the 2022 NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction
The first Cesare Aldo novel won the 2022 NZ Booklovers Award for Best Adult Fiction, one of three annual prizes celebrating the best books published by authors born in New Zealand or living in that country. CITY OF VENGEANCE was chosen ahead of six other excellent novels on the shortlist. You can read more about the 2022 NZ Booklovers Awards here.
The judges said: “A stunning debut novel, D V Bishop's CITY OF VENGEANCE seamlessly blends historical fiction with crime thriller, as detective-protagonist Cesare Aldo investigates a murder in 1536 Florence and uncovers an intra-familial plot (which really happened) against the ruling Duke of Florence, a member of the ultra-powerful de' Medici clan. Storytelling centred on intrigue and betrayal doesn't come more polished and captivating than this, and among the novel's best features are the figure of Aldo, a redoubtable and humane lead; the unflinching depiction of a filthy, dangerous Renaissance city which diverges from the typical romantic portrayals of European sites; and the rejection of the heteronormativity common to almost all historical fiction. Bishop shows this place and era to be as diverse in human desire and commerce as anywhere in the present.”