SE Asia Finally Has Its Home Grown Own Crime Fiction Publishing House

Somewhat off topic again this month as let’s face it legal publishing and talking about it an be rather dull to say the least. So let’s talk about Crime Wave Press Asia who have published 6 online titles since launching September 2012 and we do so love their tag line..”Crime Wave Press – It’s always too late for someone.

In the summer of 2012 two veterans of the publishing industry. Hong Kong based publisher Hans Kemp and Bangkok based writer Tom Vater got together and decided the time was ripe for a new publishing house, dedicated to crime fiction set in Asia.

Their venture was duly named Crime Wave Press and was officially launched at the Ubud Readers and Writers Festival in Bali in October last year.

Since then Crime Wave Press have already published six titles ranging from whodunits to Noir, from stories set in the Philippines and Japan to Thailand, Cambodia and even as far afield as Nepal.

Several titles are already available as paperbacks, including The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu, Gaijin Cowgirl and the Father Ananda Mysteries.

They also say that Crime Wave Press is currently signing new authors and expanding their catalogue:.” We are looking for high quality crime novels with an Asian angle and we now also accept Asia based True Crime manuscripts and crime fiction novellas from 10.000 words upwards”. For special promotions, industry news and new titles, follow Crime Wave Press on Facebook or on Twitter at @crimewavepress or check out their website for the latest titles.

Here’s what they’ve published so far with notes about each title from the publisher:

The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu

The response to Asia’s first crime fiction imprint has been quite incredible. All of our titles have been reviewed on popular crime blogs. We’ve had a couple of fantastic foreign rights sales. The first CWP novel The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu was published in Spanish as Kathmandu, camino al infierno by Xplora Editorial in January. Check out the excellent book trailer on Vimeo.

The Cambodian Book of the Dead

The second CWP novel The Cambodian Book of the Dead will be out with hot new British crime publisher Exhibit A in July. Its author, Tom Vater has been signed for a follow-up, The Man with the Golden Mind, slated for early 2014.

Dead Sea

Dead Sea by Sam Lopez, the story of down and out Luke and high-class Tara running away to the Philippines to escape their sordid pasts has been reviewed on Crime Fiction Lover and is hailed as a rare novel featuring the Southeast Asian archipelago.

Mindfulness and Murder and Sister Suicide

Late last year Crime Wave Press acquired the rights to the Father Ananda Mysteries by Nick Wilgus, a series of whodunits following the exploits of a Buddhist monk turned sleuth in Thailand. So far we have published the first two titles Mindfulness and Murder and Sister Suicide.

The latter has now been downloaded more than a thousand times and a third Father Ananda Mystery, Killer Karma, will be out in late May.

Mindfulness and Murder, the Movie

A fourth, brand new title featuring the popular clerical detective is in the works and slated for late summer. Incredibly, a Thai feature movie of Mindfulness and Murder has also been released and is currently playing international film festivals. Check out the movie’s trailer.

Gaijin Cowgirl

Our newest title, Gaijin Cowgirl by Jame DiBiasio is a riveting pageturner that follows intrepid American Val Benson from seedy Japanese hostess bars into the Burmese jungles in search of World War II treasure with yakuza, crooked cops, rogue CIA and her Congressman father hot on her trail.

From the end of May till the end of June Jame DiBiasio will take Gaijin Cowgirl on a virtual book tour, with reviews, interviews and book giveaways at various blog stops along the way. Follow our Facebook page for the latest updates.