Time-Traveling Detective Novelist Finally Wins Prestigious Crime Award

Author Elly Croft has secured a prestigious crime writing award, a triumph that comes after eight previous nominations. This year, her novel, "The Frozen People," earned her the £3,000 prize and a handcrafted beer cask, distinguishing her from a competitive field that included celebrated authors.

Her victory was achieved by shifting from her established and successful Norfolk-set thrillers featuring forensic archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway. This "risky" move to launch a new series centered on a time-traveling detective proved successful in capturing the judges' attention and the coveted award.

Croft had harbored a desire to write a time travel story, inspired by beloved children's books. The concept of a "time-travelling detective" was a long-held ambition, initially met with gentle redirection from her editor towards more Ruth Galloway novels. The explanation for the time travel in her book is described as "elegantly vague" to avoid complex scientific details.

"The Frozen People" delves into the 1850s and Victorian London, a period Croft researched extensively, drawing from her Master's in 19th-century literature. The novel features "The Collectors," a secretive group inspired by her husband's archaeological insights into museum collections with dubious provenance.

Following "The Frozen People," Croft released a sequel, "The Killing Time," set during The Great Exhibition, and a novella, "The Case of the Christmas Card," featuring Charles Dickens, with another Ali Dawson novel set during the 1940 London Blitz scheduled for release next year.

At the same festival, US author David Baldacci, recipient of the Outstanding Contribution Award, spoke about his legal battle against AI in the United States, joining other prominent authors in a lawsuit against AI developers for alleged copyright infringement.