From the Shadows
Dark Tales & Hidden Stories
The nights are drawing in; it's the perfect time to get cosy with crime fiction and we have an abundance of thrills and spills in this month's BooksfromScotland issue. And as well as championing new crime fiction, we also spotlight new voices in poetry and short fiction, childrens' adventure and histories that illuminate on Scotland's past. So get that cuppa, and get reading!
Dark Travellers charts the rise of crime fiction in Scotland. Taking as its inspiration William McIlvanney’s novel Laidlaw published in the 1970s, the short film, commissioned by Publishing Scotland in partnership with Bloody Scotland, (annual crime writing festival held in Autumn each year), is written and presented by Jamie Crawford and produced and directed by Richard Nicholls of Swift Films. The writers featured are, in order, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre, Marisa Haetzman, Graeme Macrae Burnet, Abir Mukherjee and Ian Rankin.
The film was premiered at the Bloody Scotland festival, Stirling, Scotland, on 17 September 2021.
Here is a selection of the books featured in the film:
Laidlaw, by William McIlvanney
The Dark Remains, by William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin
1979, by Val McDermid
Rizzio, by Denise Mina
The Way of All Flesh, by Ambrose Parry
His Bloody Project, by Graeme Macrae Burnet
The Shadows of Men, by Abir Mukherjee
In a House of Lies, by Ian Rankin
...
Detective Levine knew his transfer was a punishment – but he had no idea just how bad it would get. We journey to Cooper, Nebraska – a town you apparently only stumble into when life has taken a bad turn – and where the detective has found himself, trying to solve a murder when his new partner shoots their prime suspect using Levine’s gun. Read an excerpt below.
Welcome to Cooper By Tariq Ashkanani Published by Thomas and Mercer
They ask me to tell them a story.
Friendly words, spoken by tired men wearing crushed suits, over lukewarm coffee in a p...
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
The Dark Remains: David Robinson Reviews
‘They were passing a knot of middle-aged men, caps fixed tightly to heads, collars up. There were greetings, the intoning of ‘Mickey’ and ‘Spanner’. It felt almost liturgical, these men hungry for a b …
‘Two of the men lay clinging on to life, and both would die in the next few days. One of them was Police Watchman Dugald Campbell, the other a clerk, James Campbell. Dugald was the first police office …
Break in Case of Silence: New Writing Scotland
‘You’re the new and improved You. Sure, you’ve started eating meat again, but don’t tell her that. Just pretend you don’t, and we’ll deal with it after.’
The Puffin Portal: An Interview with Vashti Hardy
‘I like to ground my fantasy worlds with nods to our own world. That way they feel familiar yet other-worldly with their own rules and inventions.’
‘A consequence of this myth is that many Scots, once again, distance themselves from the reality of their country’s involvement with slavery and some claim instead to be fellow victims with the enslav …
Terms of Restitution: An Interview with Denzil Meyrick
‘When you look at Brian Scott, for example, he isn’t a million miles away from Paulie Walnuts.’
‘The wave of pain had the familiar effect of clearing his head. He breathed fast through the nose and bit blood from his lip, trying to stop the explosion from his lungs, but could not stop himself ho …
The Mystery of the Strange Piper
Summer 1989. Teenagers dabbling in the occult. Tragic consequences.
Look Where You Are Going, Not Where You Have Been
‘I should have been pleased, and I was, briefly—my plan to rescue Constance was in early motion. But my tired old skin went cold as I watched myself gather up all of the cards and shuffle them in read …
Sins of the Father: Debut Crime Fiction with Sharon Bairden
‘Thanks to the encouragement of the crime writing community, I finally bit the bullet and decided to write a book, something I’d always wanted to do, but never believed I could.’
Life is Elsewhere, Burn Your Flags
‘She wasn’t laughing. She hasn’t laughed much recently. Not much to laugh about. Even schadenfreude took a hammering this year.’
‘”Never you mind. The world didn’t start when you were born, laddie, and there’s things I remember that are best laid to rest.”‘
‘Facey tips him the wink. Shields nods and slips away. Jack Stirabout turns and warms his bum, but really he’s watching us, hooded eyes, black as printer’s ink, over his leather mug.’
‘However, before she had a chance to use either one, suddenly and inexplicably she found herself unable to breathe.’
ALSO ON BOOKS FROM SCOTLAND
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Pink Camouflage by Gemma Morgan
‘I had to tell this story for the thousands of other women who have been harmed by the toxic culture …
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The Hollow Tree by Philip Miller
‘The man turned around. His hands were dark with blood.
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David Robinson Reviews: All Before Me by Esther Rutter
‘This then is a book about recovery, about regaining self-confidence and rediscovering joy.’
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QuickFire, Slow Burning by Janette Ayachi
‘Things are shed when people listen to poetry.’
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‘But best of all it is dead silent: no sound of greetin’ weans, no shouting staff, no screaming- dru …
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‘If readers enjoy what you’ve written, they’ll keep on coming back for more.’
FEATURED AUTHOR:
Caroline Logan
Caroline Logan is a writer of Young Adult Fantasy. Her debut novel, The Stone of Destiny, is the first in The Four Treasures series. She has since followed that up with The Cauldron of Life, The Sword of Light, and The Spear of Truth. Caroline is a hig …
FEATURED PUBLISHER:
Glasgow Museums
We have a long history of publishing – Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum opened in 1901, and people have been writing about and publishing on the city’s collections ever since. The focus of Glasgow Museums Publishing programme is naturally the one mil …