Daynote - Thu 4 Jun 2026 - Solitary Agents is out now!

The day has arrived! My second novel, SOLITARY AGENTS, is out now. I'm so delighted that I get to do this again and put another book out in the world, and that I'm doing it alongside the fantastic folks from Headline Books, my amazing agent Harry Illingworth from DHH Literary and with the many writing and reading friends I've made over the past few years. It's a genuine privilege.

Where can you get it? Pretty much anywhere! SOLITARY AGENTS is out in hardback in the UK today, as well as eBook and audiobook globally. It's available from all major retailers and many independent bookshops as well. If you fancy doing me a huge favour as a writer, ordering it this week, from your local independent bookshop is the absolute best way to do so (for a bunch of reasons both logistical and practical), but please do pick it up in the way that suits you best. Any and all sales are deeply, deeply appreciated.

ON DECK: I'm starting the day early with a trip to Stirling, where I'll be doing an interview with the fantastic In My Good Books podcast, then attending the Bloody Scotland programme launch at the Golden Lion Hotel. I have, unfortunately, timed my trains in such a way that I haven't had a chance to have any caffeine yet, so that will be the first order of business once I get to Stirling. I decided to take the train rather than drive because I have a tonne of writing and reading to do today.

I'm really looking forward to the Bloody Scotland programme launch, and especially looking forward to meeting this year's Debut Prize shortlisters. I was in their shoes a year ago today, and it's absolutely wild to think about how much has happened since.

After that I'm heading home to get myself together before tonight's launch event in Edinburgh, at Waterstones West End. There's still some tickets, so if you'd like to come along please do get yourself one and I'll see you there!

LISTENING: If you'll allow me a tiny bit of self-promotion today, my 'Coffee Break' podcast episode with Nadine Matheson went live this morning and it's a great conversation. It's been really great the past few days to return to podcasts I was a guest on for the first book and get the chance to reflect on how different things are now.

WATCHING: Watched a couple more episodes of THE BOYS while prepping for today (mostly messing around in Canva). My summary of the season so far is basically 'squelch, squelch, pop, squelch'. Deeply silly.

READING: Still working on THE LAST CONTRACT OF ISAKO by Fonda Lee (Bookshop, Waterstones, Amazon), which is one of the reasons I'm on the train rather than driving. It has most definitely and definitively kicked off, plot-wise. Rolling into the final quarter of the book.

LINK: Sorry, I'm going to be obnoxiously self-promoting. It's launch day, you get it. Here's a whole bunch of links through which you can pick up a copy of the book:

• Order from your local independent bookshop via Bookshop.org (affiliate link)
• Order from Waterstones (affiliate link)
• Order from Blackwell's (free international shipping)
• Order from Amazon UK - hardback (affiliate link)
• Order from Amazon UK - eBook (affiliate link)
• Order from Apple Books
• Order from Kobo UK
• Add on Goodreads

UP NEXT: Phew - the day is finally here. When you spend so much time working up to something, it can sometimes feel a bit anti-climactic and strange when it finally arrives. Thankfully I have plenty to keep me occupied today, and then tomorrow I'm heading to the first day of Cymera, which I absolutely can't wait for.

My first event is a live recording of Narrative Damage, where I'll be roleplaying as a hollow-eyed student trying to survive an eldritch infestation in Victorian Edinburgh. It's a free event, so come along if you fancy hearing me making stuff up in real time (along with Marco Rinaldi, Annabel Campbell, Ben Anning, Ian Green and Nick Binge).

Right, twenty minutes until I pull in at Stirling and can get my hands on a coffee.

Onward!