Don Winslow has delayed the publication of his next novel because of the Covid-19 pandemic, publisher William Morrow announced.

Winslow’s City on Fire, the first book in a planned trilogy, had been scheduled for publication in September but will now be released in 2022, his publisher said.

“I’ve been writing City on Fire and my new trilogy for decades,” Winslow said in a statement. “One of the great joys of publishing a new book is interacting with readers on tour, a hallmark of each of my publications.  In light of rising Covid case numbers across the U.S., I’ve decided to postpone the publication of City on Fire until 2022 when I can tour at full capacity, meet with readers in signing lines, and shake the hands of the people I value so much.”

The delay is reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic, in which scores of books were delayed and tours canceled. With the delta variant reaching a fever pitch across the world, it remains to be seen whether any authors will follow suit and delay their books.

City on Fire follows two feuding crime syndicates in 1980s and ’90s New England. In a starred review, a critic for Kirkus called the book “a blistering novel filled with anger and bite.”

Winslow, a frequent critic of Republican leadership during the pandemic, confirmed the book’s delay on Twitter, writing, “I can’t talk the talk and not walk the walk. Obviously cancelling a 21 city tour (and dozens of media commitments) is no small thing but it is the right thing to do and that is why I am doing it.”

Michael Schaub is a Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.