News 12 September 2003

We have had our first offer for North American rights for Mr Nasty by Cameron White. Cameron White is the man who juggled a career as a successful agent with a shady life as a drugs dealer. His story spans the globe taking place in London, New York, Los Angeles, Thailand and Australia. It will be published in the UK in Spring 2004.

A Mainstream author, Duncan MacLaughlin, has been the recipient of the most column inches in the British press this week. His latest book, DEAD LUCKY, claims that Lord Lucan was alive and well on the hippy trail in Goa until his death in 1996. DEAD LUCKY is published by Blake, his previous book THE FILTH was published by Mainstream in October 2002. It revealed the stark truth about life in the force. SAS-trained for special missions, Duncan MacLaughlin was an expert in surveillance and undercover work that could have got him killed. The dangerous tightrope he walked included cases involving master criminal Kenneth Noye, kidnap victim Julie Dart and the slaying of PC Keith Blakelock. Told with black humour and fascinating investigative detail, THE FILTH is a riveting insight into the world of serious crime.

FRAMED by Tod Volpe which was sold to ECW Press after the London Book Fair is taking North America by storm. The latest is a superb review in Publishers Weekly:

"Even in a world of endless high-flying corporate scandals, with the "perp walks" of accused miscreants a beloved staple of TV news, the systemic chicanery of the art and antiques business can still inspire jaw-dropping awe. This self-told tale from Volpe, a kid from Yonkers who rises from mortuary college to the mansions and ateliers of Hollywood and subsequently descends to the concrete cubicle of a medium-security prison, is compelling and cautionary reading... But whether describing his part in the virtual invention of "Mission" as a collectible category or delivering a dozen rocking chairs for Harvey Keitel to choose from, Volpe's enthusiasm is infectious. While greed, vanity and larcenous ambition play their part in his story, Volpe's delight in the trappings of success and the company of the rich and famous are conveyed with such unembarrassed exuberance that one is inclined to forgive. The law didn't, and despite stalwart support from friends like Jack Nicholson, Volpe ended up going to prison for fraud. Emerging bloodied but unbowed, Volpe offers both a detailed look at the art world and a celebrity-studded gossip fest that should be a Hamptons bookstore staple."

HOMELAND, recently sold to Routledge in the US, remains topical. The BNP (British National Party) recently gained more seats (their 17th, and nearly an 18th) in the UK, and an ever-greater conservative battle is developing in the USA. In New Zealand, a new govt-backed campaign has been launched, against signs of increasinly violent racism against Asian migrants.

In Australia, Pauline Hanson, leader of the One Nation party who is mentioned in HOMELAND, has been jailed for three years. She was convicted of electoral fraud. In Russia, 12 skinheads have been on trial for beating three people (Muslims) to death, in an unprovoked attack. Russia's Interior Ministry estimates there are around 5,000 skinheads in Moscow, and organised far right groups - both violent and political - are most definitely on a worrying rise in the country (which is becoming hardline nationalist). In Germany, tensions over the far right, and immigrants, remain high. Customer reviews have been excellent:

"I had to let you know this book is a tour-de-force. Not only is it grippingly written, the breadth of it is astonishing.

"Homeland is one of the most bleak and powerful books of this year."

And Finally...

The launch of Les McKeown's autobiography, SHANG A LANG has been confirmed for October 8th at Acanthus in Edinburgh. It will be sponsored by Ottakars and Plymouth Gin. If you are going to be in Edinburgh and would like to 'run with the gang' please e-mail sharon.atherton@mainstreampublishing.com