Satisfying a Mott and Noir addiction
Andrew Field is publishing two contrasting books this Autumn celebrating two of his addictions, rock group Mott the Hoople and writing noir crime fiction.
You Are One of Us, a tribute to Mott the Hoople, one of the most influential rock bands of the 1970s, is published on 12 September 2025.
Edited and compiled by a group of UK fans including Andrew Whalley, Colin Powell, David Crisfield, Keith Hollinshed and Simon Rowberry, You Are One of Us is a unique collection of personal reflections, memories, and images that capture both the magic and the enduring legacy of Mott the Hoople.
Written by devoted fans, writers and musicians from around the globe, the book takes an intimate look at Mott the Hoople’s impact on their lives, and includes an in-depth introduction from music journalist Kris Needs, the foremost authority on the band. Kris traces the origins of the band as its earlier fan and most knowledgable champion.
According to author Andrew Field, the book, published to coincide with a festival dedicated to Mott The Hoople in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire on 3-5 October 2025, is essentially a 240-page love-letter from fans to the band.
‘The often very emotional stories showcase why Mott the Hoople was much more than a band — more like an extended global family caring for each other,’ says, Field, who has been a fan of the band since his early teens.
‘Mott The Hoople really did provide the soundtrack to my youth and beyond. The bands song sound as fresh now as they did back in the day. This is my chance to thank them on the record, alongside numerous other devoted fans. Mott the Hoople kept me sane at military boarding school, as did reading the noir fiction of great writers like Elmore Leonard, Jim Thompson and the north’s own Ted Lewis, who wrote Jack’s Return Home, better known by its the movie title, Get Carter.’
Andrew J Field’s latest noir novel — Accidents Will Happen — will be published on 5 December. The book opens with a simple premise. Did a talented classical violist jump or slip off a cliff? An inquest delivers an accidental death verdict, but two friends believe Lisa Wright leapt and want somebody to blame other than themselves. Mike Nicholls, a scarred ex-marine, and Sally Palmer, a conflicted nurse, confront the dark secrets of abuse, manipulation, and the moral complexities of revenge as they seek answers.
Accidents Will Happen marks a departure for the Berwick writer whose previous novels, All Down the Line and After the Bridge, were based in Manchester where he used to live and work. In Accidents, Rainy City’s urban underworld is replaced by Northumberland’s rugged cliffs and windswept coastal landscapes, although Field’s grim noir DNA runs throughout the taut gritty novel.
‘I’ve only lived in Northumberland for six years, but I’ve noticed there is a unique sense of space, community, and resilience that I’ve tried to capture in Accidents Will Happen. The town is every bit as fascinating and glorious as Manchester was to me but in very different ways.’
‘Settings, such as the rugged cliffs of Northumberland (Accidents Will Happen) or the urban decay of Manchester (All Down the Line and After the Bridge), are integral to my storytelling. These environments amplify the tension and reflect the emotional states of my characters, creating a sense of foreboding and isolation,’ says Field.
‘The antithesis of plot-driven suspense and resolution thrillers, Accidents is a noir exploration of guilt, bereavement and injustice,’ says Field. ‘We like to think we’re in control of our destinies, but we’re not. Not even close. Everything can change in an instant, individually and collectively.’
‘Although my books are rooted in classic noir traditions, modern elements such as contemporary settings, social issues, and psychological realism are important to me personally and as a writer because my fiction inevitably mirrors real life,’ says Field.
‘Stylish, witty and sharply defined. Accidents compressed tautness is just right for its length, barely a scene too long, the prose honed, intense and penetrating, with smart, attention-grabbing one liners,’ says the book’s editor, Martin Fletcher.
You Are One of Us will be published in paperback (ISBN: 9781068574795) and hardback (ISBN: 9781068574788) on 12 September 2025. Accidents Will Happen is published in paperback (ISBN: 9781919164724), pocket paperback (ISBN: 9781919164717 )and hardback (ISBN: 9781919164700) on 5 December 2025. Both books can be pre-ordered from Hit the North’s website, Amazon, and globally from over 40,000 book retailers.
