The countdown is on to the release of my latest thriller, Never Look Away. By the first week of March it will be in bookstores in North America, Australia and New Zealand. The book will be out in the UK in the fall of 2010.

If the number of twists is any criteria, Never Look Away is my best thriller to date. The twists come early, and they don’t stop until the end. It’s the story of small-town reporter David Harwood who’s about to find out that the people with the darkest secrets can be the ones closest to you.

After being released in hardcover to terrific reviews in North America last August, Fear the Worst is coming out in paperback in February. And that same month, readers in the UK get their first chance to enjoy Fear the Worst, which comes out in hardcover on the 18th.

Here are just a few things people have had to say about it:

“Readers will find themselves desperate to finish just one more page before putting the book down... a page-turning thriller that’s intense, compelling, and for the most part, expertly paced.”
— Kirkus

“Barclay earns a solid A for his page-turning plot.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Barclay's pacing is impeccable... an uncomfortably plausible tale... a page-turner that keeps the reader guessing until the end.”
— Denver Post

“Gripping... Unfold[s] with mounting tension and suspense... believable and scary for being rooted in human-sized characters and laced with saving humor.”
— Wall Street Journal

“Barclay sets the stage for several shocking plot twists, not to mention one helluva dramatic climax. Previous Barclay fans should enjoy this fast-paced outing. And if you’ve been hiding under a rock like me, time to crawl out and discover a great new author.”
— Lisa Gardner, author of Say Goodbye.

“Pushes the envelope of suspense to the edge and beyond.”
— Steve Berry, author of The Paris Vendetta.
Toronto, Ontario – February 11, 2010
I will be one of dozens of authors appearing at The Book Lover's Ball, held at the Fairmont Royal York. For information about this very splashy event, go to www.bookloversball.ca.

Oakville, Ontario – March 2 – 7pm
I'll be at the Oakville Public Library talking about Fear the Worst, and Never Look Away, which just happens to be officially released that day.

Uxbridge, Ontario – March 7 – 11am
Blue Heron Books, in Uxbridge has invited me for one of their Books and Brunch events. It will be held at the Wyndance Golf Club, and tickets are $20 per person. For details call the store at 905-852-4282

Toronto, Ontario – March 17 – 7:30pm
Authors at Harbourfront presents an evening with two thriller writers: Jo Nesbo, author of the upcoming The Snowman, and me. The event is at the Lakeside Terrace, York Quay Centre, 235 Queens Quay West. Tickets are $8. For details, go to www.readings.org.

Too Close to Home wins the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel

Too Close to Home has taken first place in the Best Novel category of the Arthur Ellis Awards, the top prize in Canada for crime fiction.

Here's a terrific TV ad for Too Close to Home that ran when the book came out in the UK in February:



No Time for Goodbye is the bestselling novel in the UK for 2008

 The London Sunday Times reported in its year-end bestseller list that No Time for Goodbye led the paperback and hardcover fiction list (the non-fiction paperback and hardcover lists, too, for that matter) with sales of 636,105 copies.

I want to thank all the UK book-buyers who took a chance on an author they'd never heard of before. Hats off also to everyone at Orion Publishing, the Richard and Judy show, producer Amanda Ross, Helen Heller, and everyone at the Paul Marsh Agency in London.


February 8, 2009

My publisher in Poland is using a graphic-novel approach to promote the release of No Time for Goodbye in that country. This video is a brilliant interpretation of the first part of the book. I love it.