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Antony Johnston

News from Antony Johnston about books, writing, podcasts, and other things of interest.

Launched 7 years ago

Can You Solve the Murder? Live dates

Gallivanting around the country again

Jun 21, 2026

Hello, everyone. This is just a short newsletter with the final details of where I’ll be hosting Can You Solve the Murder? Live over the next few weeks.

The second book in the series, The Forest of Death will be released in paperback and ebook on July 9, so I’m hosting a number of live interactive murder mystery events to promote it.

Two important points about these events:

  1. THE EVENT DOES NOT SPOIL THE BOOKS. The mystery you have to solve is in the style of the books, naturally, but it’s not the same and doesn’t spoil anything. Which also means that taking part in the event won’t give you an advantage when reading the books! 😉
  2. THIS YEAR IT’S A COMPLETELY NEW MYSTERY. If you came to a CYSTM Live event last year (2025), fear not, you can come along again. The events I’m hosting this year feature an entirely new mystery, which I created specially for 2026.

Can You Solve the Murder? Live is really fun! I’ve now hosted it around 20 times, for more than 1,000 people, and everyone had a great time. It’s something a bit different and engaging, a fun evening out for all.

Previously this year I’ve hosted CYSTM Live at a number of places already, including the Agatha Christie Festival and the Cheltenham Science Festival:

And just this weekend it was the closing event of the Murder in the Library festival at Keighley Library:

Now here are the remaining dates through the end of July:

It’s all rather northern, I know. If you live further south, don’t worry, I’ll be coming down your neck of the woods later in the year (in addition to going back up to Stirling for Bloody Scotland in September).

As always I’ll announce those future events both here and on my social media closer to the time.

I Don’t Know Who I Am Today

In addition to this newsletter, you can follow me on most social media platforms – either search for my username @antonyjohnston, or check the Contact & Follow page of my site for links: https://antonyjohnston.com/contact/

Alpha Spies and Beta Dogs

Half a dozen sales and half a million live events. Or is it the other way around…

May 26, 2026

Fifth Beta

Last week I finished the rough draft of the fifth Dog Sitter Detective book, and sent it to my beta readers.

Riding to Half a Million

My most recent royalty statement from Walker Books, publishers of the Alex Rider graphic novels, was something of a revelation: the series has now passed half a million sales.

The Alex Rider GNs continue to be popular with young readers, and are particularly successful with ‘reluctant readers’ – mostly young boys who don’t want, or find it difficult, to read prose novels. Ever since the first GN was published I regularly hear from teachers, parents, and librarians who tell me about another child who’s devoured the whole series and wants to know when more are coming.

(The answer is always, ‘we’re making them as fast as we can!’ 😉)

The GNs are also popular in libraries. My Public Lending Right statement for 2025 brought the total official loans from UK libraries for the series to almost half a million. So, following this latest statement, I’m expecting the 2026 PLR statement will bump us over one million total combined reads. Amazing.

Can You Solve the Murder? Live events

As I mentioned in the previous newsletter, I have a bunch of CYSTM Live events booked in already, so now it’s time to share some dates.

First, next week on June 4 I’ll be hosting it at the Cheltenham Science Festival. An unusual venue for a murder mystery, you might say! But the festival is hosting some crime-themed events to coincide with the anniversary of 50 years since Agatha Christie’s death, and I was only too happy to take part.

June is National Crime Reading Month, as part of which I’m hosting two library events local to me.

I’m also one of the many authors appearing at this year’s NCRM launch party in York, this Saturday May 30, at All Saints' Church Pavement. See here for details.

You’re Running at a Different Speed