As part of this years National Crime Reading Month we are welcoming members of the Murder Squad, a collective of Northern crime writers, to our libraries. On Thursday the 5th June at 2pm join us to meet Kate Ellis, Martin Edwards and Margaret Murphy at Halifax Central Library to hear about their writing and inspiration and pick up a signed copy of their newest books! Kate Ellis: Born and brought up in Liverpool, Kate studied drama in Manchester, then worked in a variety of jobs, none of which she particularly enjoyed, before discovering that writing crime fiction was what shed wanted to do all along! Described by The Times as a beguiling author who interweaves past and present she has written twenty eight novels featuring archaeology graduate, DI Wesley Peterson and five crime novels with a supernatural twist featuring DI Joe Plantagenet. She has also written a trilogy set in the aftermath of the First World War featuring Scotland Yard detective DI Albert Lincoln. Her latest Wesley Peterson novel, Coffin Island, was published in August 2024. Kate has been twice shortlisted for the CWA Short Story Dagger and she was awarded the CWA Dagger in the Library in 2019. Martin Edwards:Author of the Rachel Savernake books, which have been nominated for four awards; the most recent title is Hemlock Bay. He has also written eight books featuring Liverpool lawyer Harry Devlin, and eight Lake District Mysteries, including The Coffin Trail, which was shortlisted for the Theakstons Prize for best crime novel. His award-winning non-fiction includes The Golden Age of Murder and The Life of Crime. He has received three Daggers from the Crime Writers Association (including the CWA Diamond Dagger, the genres highest honour) and two Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America, as well as four lifetime achievement awards in the UK and US: for his fiction, non-fiction, short stories, and scholarship. He is founder of the British Crime Writing Archives, consultant to the British Librarys Crime Classics, and President of the Detection Club, the worlds oldest social network of crime writers. Margaret Murphy:Aka M.K. Murphy, Ashley Dyer and AD Garrett! A past Chair of the Crime Writers Association and the Founder of Murder Squad. Her books have been shortlisted for the First Blood critics award and the CWA Dagger in the Library and shes an HRF Keating, Red Herring, and Short Story Dagger winner. She has written twelve psychological suspense novels under her own name, three forensic thrillers as A.D. Garrett, and a duology of serial killer thrillers as Ashley Dyer. Her novels have been translated into eleven languages and optioned for TV multiple times. Although most of her novels are set in north west England, she is currently writing London-based thrillers as M.K. Murphy, featuring DS Rick Turner, and Sam, an underworld genius and occasional hitman. This series has also been optioned for TV adaptation and Margaret is (still) anxiously waiting to hear if the project will go ahead!