Crime Central at Central Library

Crime Central at Manchester Central Library, Manchester, 16 February 2023, from £2.00 - Book now

There’s murder and mayhem at Central Library as Manchester Libraries’ monthly event Crime Central returns– we’re told – with a bang. Now a regular on our calendars, Crime Central, hosted by Rob Parker, showcases emerging and regional talent alongside blockbuster bestselling authors from around the country, offering audience members a moment inside their minds.

Ackley Bridge co-creator Kevin Erlis says of Sam Tobin’s writing: “You’ll never look at Manchester the same way again.” Eek.

Rob Parker is the author of ten novels including the Thirty Miles Trilogy and the Ben Bracken thrillers, Crook’s Hollow and the Audible bestseller Far From The Tree, and co-host of the For Your Reconsideration film podcast. So far, Rob has welcomed to Crime Central the likes of Lesley Kara, Sunday Times Top Ten author, Russ Thomas, Sunday Times bestselling author of the DS Adam Tyler series, and Costa Book Award-winning Stuart Turton. This month, he welcomes the crime authors Lia Middleton, Elliot Sweeney and Sam Tobin.

Lia Middleton’s debut novel When They Find Her was described as “massive” and her latest – “a shockingly twisty, gripping psychological thriller” – Your Word Or Mine came out in September 2022 with Penguin to more rave reviews. ‘Superb. Assured, elegant and utterly gripping,’ said Will Dean, author of The Last Thing to Burn, while Catherine Cooper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Chalet said: ‘Couldn’t put it down.’ Lia is a barrister who specialises in crime and prison law, and lives with her husband and two young children in Buckinghamshire.

Published in February 2023 through Wildfire/Headline, Elliot Sweeney’s debut novel The Next To Die is the first in an intended series, narrated by misanthropic ex-copper turned private investigator Dylan Kasper. A Londoner born and bred, these days Elliot divides his time between the capital and his adopted home in Lancashire, “where there’s a bit more space to write”. He says he likes to read “the purveyors of the noir tradition, both old and current” and, as a community psychiatric nurse specialising in adolescent mental health and post-traumatic stress when he’s not wielding a pen, he also likes to fuse his professional interests with a love of fast-paced crime writing, saying: “I keep my finger on the pulse of those exploring mental health and wellbeing through original narrative voices.”

Born in Recife, Brazil, Sam Tobin grew up in Manchester and “quickly came to realise he was living in the best city in the world”. He’s lived in Moss Side, Brixton and Hollywood, and been a BAFTA-nominated producer, worked in kebab shops and studied law. His first novel in the “explosive new gangland” Manchester Underworld series, Call The Shots, came out in 2022 and was described as “action-packed, knuckle-whitening”. The series’ second instalment, Pay The Price, was published in January and will be followed later in the year by Wind Up Dead. Perfect for binge-readers! Bestselling author Roberta Kray calls the series “a chilling, fast-paced journey through Manchester’s brutal underworld” and Ackley Bridge co-creator Kevin Erlis says of Sam Tobin’s writing: “You’ll never look at Manchester the same way again.” Eek.

The monthly events also give you the chance to turn sleuth and ask your own questions to the panel of experts; expect insider info, anecdotes and laughs, audience interaction, giveaways and book signings – signed books will be available to purchase after the event.

For more information about libraries in Manchester, check out our guide here.