Crime writing fans have spent the last 12 weeks casting thousands of votes to select The Torment of Others (HarperCollins) by Val McDermid as the winner of the 2006 Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.

The announcement was made at the Old Swan Hotel, Harrogate – famed for the discovery of Agatha Christie following her mysterious disappearance 80 years ago.

Val beat off strong competition to claim the coveted prize from fellow short listed authors. She pipped to the post a host of other leading names in crime writing including, Lindsay Ashford for her novel Strange Blood (Honno Press), up and coming crime author Stephen Booth for One Last Breath (HarperCollins), Coffin Trail by Martin Edwards (A&B), Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill (Random House) and Fleshmarket Close by Ian Rankin (Orion).

Of her win, Val said, “I’m absolutely delighted to win this award is a particular delight for me because it comes from this Festival.

“I was Programming Chair for the first three years of the Festival when it was just a twinkle in our eyes. I’ve been involved with the Festival from the very beginning and it feels very special to be honoured here because of the closeness of my involvement with it.”

The Festival is the most respected in Europe. Publishers are now using the occasion to tie in book launches. This year features PD James, Ian Rankin, Martina Cole and George Pelecanos.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” Val added. “The first year the committee press-ganged people into coming because they had no idea it was so new. Publishers and authors are clamouring to get in now, the audiences must be four or five times bigger than the first year and it’s fantastic to be part of something where the atmosphere is so warm and friendly and generally great fun. Crime writers know how to party and so it turns out do crime readers.”

As the winner, Val received £3,000 and a handmade, oak beer cask made by Theakston’s cooper, Jonathan Mamby, at the opening ceremony of the Theakston’s Old Peculier Harrogate Crime Writing Festival presented by T&R Theakston’s Executive Director, Simon Theakston.

“It gives me great pleasure to be title sponsor of Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. We offer our congratulations to Val and her novel. The competition has been very strong again this year and I am delighted that interest from the public continues to grow from year to year” said Simon Theakston.

The original long-list of 20 novels was made up of British authors published for the first time in paperback in 2005. Sponsored by Theakston’s Old Peculier and promoted throughout the UK in Ottakar’s Bookstores, the thousands of votes were cast at Ottakar’s 141 stores nationwide and also online at www.ottakars.co.uk and at www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime.

The Theakston’s Old Peculier Harrogate Crime Writing Festival, a celebration of crime and detective literature, is now in its fourth year and attracts a large and enthusiastic audience from around the world.

Festival Director William Culver-Dodds said: “We are thrilled for Val, particularly because of her support and hard work for the Festival over the years.”