Solitary Agents longlisted for the 2026 McIlvanney Prize
A huge honour and an amazing list.
I'm very, very happy to announce that my second novel, SOLITARY AGENTS, has been longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book Of The Year!
This is an incredible honour (the longlist is absolutely packed with amazing books and authors) and a personal reassurance that my second book has found as appreciative an audience as my first. And it's the second time I've been recognised by the readers and judges at Bloody Scotland, after winning the Debut Prize last year.
My writing career to date has been closely intertwined with Bloody Scotland (I've been for the last four years, did Crime In The Spotlight in '24, won the Debut in '25 and now have a McIlvanney nod in '26), so this means a huge amount to me, and I'm really looking forward to September.
The full list is a who's who of both established and up-and-coming talent, including four authors who are also on the Debut Prize shortlist. And for me, personally, to be sharing the list with peers, friends and people I've been reading since my teens feels absolutely incredible. Huge congratulations to all of my fellow longlisters!
The longlist in full:
- THE HOLLOW BOYS by Tariq Ashkanani
- 138 MAIN STREET by Gavin Bell
- QUITE UGLY ONE EVENING by Chris Brookmyre
- A BAD, BAD PLACE by Frances Crawford
- UNKNOWN by Heather Critchlow
- SOLITARY AGENTS by David Goodman (hey, that's me!)
- WE KNOW WHAT YOU DID by Kirsty Lockwood
- RAT RACE by Callum McSorley
- THE DIARY OF LIES by Philip Miller
- THE PINNACLE by Abir Mukherjee
- THE VANISHING PLACE by Zoe Rankin
- LIAR THIEF by May Rinaldi
Particular congratulations to the winner last year, my friend Tariq Ashkanani, who shared a very surreal walk down King Street in Stirling with me, clutching our awards. Absolutely delighted for you mate.
See you in Stirling in September!