The Verdict selected as one of the "Best Books of 2015" by Publishers Weekly.

THE VERDICT has been selected as one of the "Best Books of the Year 2015" by Publishers Weekly. 

THE VERDICT will be published in the US on December 7th.  

http://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2015/mystery#book/book-8

Mr Clarinet & King of Swords optioned for US TV

Saville Productions has acquired the bestselling thriller novels The King Of Swords and Mr Clarinet by Nick Stone, with plans to develop them as a dramatic series for cable or digital platforms.

Set in Miami during the city’s cocaine cowboys heyday of the 80s and 90s, the novels follow ex-Miami cop and P.I. Max Mingus, navigating the complexities of international corruption and crime. Mr. Clarinet sees Mingus searching for a missing 3-year-old boy in Haiti only to come up against a notorious criminal he put away nearly 20 years earlier. King Of Swords serves as a prequel, taking place during Mingus’ 1980s police detective days as he and his partner investigate a bizarre murder in a primate park.

The deal comes as part of Saville’s transition over the last few years from a strictly commercial advertising production outfit to a hybrid operation focused mainly on creative. That transition has been a natural evolution, as Saville already has several high profile advertising campaigns from prominent directors under its belt, including Adidas’ 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign “All In Or Nothing” (directed by Fernando Meirelles), and the texting safety campaign for AT&T, “From One Second to the Next” (directed by Werner Herzog).

However, in the era of DVR and ala carte viewing, the nature of advertising on television itself is in flux, with advertisers experimenting with different ways of reaching audiences who now can skip commercials outright. Greater product placement in shows, viral marketing and the like are all part of that process, and as Saville head Rupert Maconick told Deadline, the future may see a return to sponsored television common decades ago. “Think Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” he says, though perhaps on a larger scale. What kind of arrangement will be part of the development of Mr. Clarinet and The King Of Swords remains to be seen, though the eventual home of the series may play a role.

The deal was negotiated by Jane Gregory of Gregory & Company in London and her LA-based co-agent Alan Nevins of Renaissance Literary & Talent on Nick Stone’s behalf, and by Eric Feig on behalf of Saville Productions. Saville is currently in talks with directors to bring the project forward.

http://deadline.com/2015/10/thriller-novels-mr-clarinet-the-king-of-swords-acquired-by-saville-1201585183/

Cuba Libre (Voodoo Eyes) nominated for the 2014 Balai d'Or

Cuba Libre (the French edition of Voodoo Eyes - the final part of the Max Mingus trilogy)  has been nominated for the Prix du Balai d'Or.  

http://www.concierge-masque.com/2014/09/01/balai-dor-2014-les-finalistes/

The Verdict - Documentary

Last December, I filmed a twenty minute documentary about The Verdict for the Buena Vista Book Club .

The film focuses on some of the parts of London I wrote about in the book, as well as some of my dodgier observations on writing, boxing, gentrification, the London riots of 2011 and why traditional pubs beat chains every time.

http://www.buenavistabookclub.com/#!nick-stone/cihc


Thanks to Stuart, Alix and Sofia.

The Verdict - Paperback Out Now

The Verdict is out in paperback today.  

There are a few minor differences between the hardback and paperback editions.   Most of these are corrections, including fixing an absolute howler where I called the capital of Trinidad Spanish Town, when it is of course Port of Spain.  (Spanish Town is in Jamaica)  

I also reinstated a cut paragraph in the Wellington Arch chapter.  At the time, I edited it for pacing purposes, but decided to put it back in its rightful place because it is completely relevant to what follows:

"London will always make tourists and fools of its natives ... "

And, finally, for those of you wondering 'whatever next' ...

Terry Flynt will return.  

CWA Gold Dagger

Delighted to announce that The Verdict has been longlisted for the 2014 CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger.

Great blurb about the book on the CWA's site:

An extraordinary departure from the award-winning thriller writer of ‘Mr Clarinet’; where old hostilities resurface in a tense court-room drama. The vivid characterizations, assured story-telling and cork-screw narrative makes one question the reliability of past history, and how its tendrils can ensnare the future, because how can your team credibly defend in court, a person who you once hated with a passion that stings?


http://thecwa.co.uk/the-daggers/categories/goldsboro-gold/

The Verdict - Paperback

Here's the cover of the paperback edition of The Verdict.  Out on July 31st.