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I really urge people to try Scottish crime fiction or tartan noir as it's called


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Old 10-07-2015, 21:09
Hildaonpluto
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I've recently started to try this genre and it's amongst the best of crime fiction I've ever read -Scotland seems to be have a real creative oasis of talent in this area

Caro Ramsay,Alex Gray, Denise Mina, Stuart Macbride and Val Mcdermid just among a few of the authors who I'd recommend to a wider audience who may not have taken a peek at this sub genre.
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Old 11-07-2015, 16:54
Hildaonpluto
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http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/22/ar...anted=all&_r=0

Interesting thoughtful article on tartan noir here.
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Old 11-07-2015, 17:22
mimik1uk
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i've recommended christopher brookmyre a few times in this forum

one of my favourite authors
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Old 11-07-2015, 18:28
Hildaonpluto
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http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...r-8816870.html

⏫Thanks to the above poster I will Google that author.

This new(ish) author Malcolm Mackay has also been recommended to me. I tend to prefer female writers in this genre like Alex Gray and the underrated Caro Ramsay but Scotland has quite a few good male crime writers too.
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Old 11-07-2015, 18:49
mimik1uk
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http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-en...r-8816870.html

⏫Thanks to the above poster I will Google that author.

This new(ish) author Malcolm Mackay has also been recommended to me. I tend to prefer female writers in this genre like Alex Gray and the underrated Caro Ramsay but Scotland has quite a few good male crime writers too.
try "quite ugly one morning" was his first book , its not too long and is very funny
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Old 11-07-2015, 18:55
Hildaonpluto
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try "quite ugly one morning" was his first book , its not too long and is very funny

Thanks 👍I also like Ann Cleeves although I'm not sure she's strictly speaking a tartan noir author although some of her titles are set in the Shetlands.
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Old 11-07-2015, 19:16
d0lphin
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I've read some of Denise Mina's books albeit many years ago - they are very good.
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Old 11-07-2015, 19:47
eluf38
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i've recommended christopher brookmyre a few times in this forum

one of my favourite authors
So have I! One of the few authors to make me cry with laughter.
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Old 12-07-2015, 18:41
Jellied Eel
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Caro Ramsay,Alex Gray, Denise Mina, Stuart Macbride and Val Mcdermid just among a few of the authors who I'd recommend to a wider audience who may not have taken a peek at this sub genre.
I'd also add Charles Stross' Halting State and Rule 34.

"Edinburgh Police Inspector Kavanaugh who investigates spammers murdered in gruesome and inventive ways"

What's not to like about that as a plot concept?
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Old 12-07-2015, 20:01
dosanjh1
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I read Stuart McBride, cold granite , but didn't really engage with it. I thought it was a run of the mill procedural.

I know it was the first of a series- does it get better?
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Old 17-07-2015, 11:19
Eddie Badger
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I read Stuart McBride, cold granite , but didn't really engage with it. I thought it was a run of the mill procedural.

I know it was the first of a series- does it get better?
I really enjoy McBride's books, he does develop his characters and I like his dark sense of humour - DI Steele's antics have had me lauging out loud. I did find his non Logan McRae books, Birthdays for the Dead and A Song For the Dying just too bleak.

Another couple of names to look for are James Oswald who writes crime stories set in Edinburgh which have a hint of the supernatural running through them and Russel McLean whose stories feature a private eye based in Dundee - I've met the author many times (he used to work in the local Waterstones) and a very nice chap he is too.
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Old 01-08-2015, 15:09
mimik1uk
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I read Stuart McBride, cold granite , but didn't really engage with it. I thought it was a run of the mill procedural.

I know it was the first of a series- does it get better?
just finished it and thought pretty much the same thing

it was ok , probably good enough for me to give the next in the series a try but nothing special and a bit predictable in alot of ways
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Old 05-08-2015, 14:40
Miss C. DeVille
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I found the Barney Thomson series, by Douglas Lindsay, pretty good.
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Old 10-08-2015, 23:25
SherbetLemon
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And of course, Ian Rankin. Have never read any of his books (shame on me!) but he's a lovely guy in person.
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Old 17-08-2015, 12:15
newda898
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just finished it and thought pretty much the same thing

it was ok , probably good enough for me to give the next in the series a try but nothing special and a bit predictable in alot of ways
I've been re-reading his books lately, so far it's the weakest and yes pretty standard. Personally, I think the best one so far is Broken Skin for the comedy and characters.

Will have to give some of these other authors a try.
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Old 19-08-2015, 19:24
Eddie Badger
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I've been re-reading his books lately, so far it's the weakest and yes pretty standard. Personally, I think the best one so far is Broken Skin for the comedy and characters.

Will have to give some of these other authors a try.
Yes, DI Steele is on top un-pc form in this one
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Old 22-08-2015, 15:59
Hildaonpluto
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I'm hearing and reading an awful lot of positive buzz about a newish Scottish crime novelist called Malcolm Mackay -think I will be giving him a try! Anybody on here read him?

Not long bought Caro Ramsays "Dark Water " and Alex Grays "The bird that did not sing " two of my favourite tartan noir authors.
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Old 23-08-2015, 04:43
mimik1uk
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I'm hearing and reading an awful lot of positive buzz about a newish Scottish crime novelist called Malcolm Mackay -think I will be giving him a try! Anybody on here read him?

Not long bought Caro Ramsays "Dark Water " and Alex Grays "The bird that did not sing " two of my favourite tartan noir authors.
currently re-reading country of the blind by christopher brookmyre but the malcolm mackay trilogy looks interesting so got it for my kindle , will let you know what i think
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Old 25-08-2015, 09:34
Dragonlady 25
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And of course, Ian Rankin. Have never read any of his books (shame on me!) but he's a lovely guy in person.
I have found his John Rebus books more engaging than the others, but each to their own!!
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Old 26-08-2015, 08:33
mimik1uk
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I'm hearing and reading an awful lot of positive buzz about a newish Scottish crime novelist called Malcolm Mackay -think I will be giving him a try! Anybody on here read him?
finished the first book in the glasgow trilogy , its quite serious got none of the banter of the logan mcrae novels or the black humour of brookmyre, but all in all was pretty good

being the first of a trilogy there is an element of scene setting to it but was worth the read
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Old 27-08-2015, 19:22
Scrabbler
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I've recently started to try this genre and it's amongst the best of crime fiction I've ever read -Scotland seems to be have a real creative oasis of talent in this area

Caro Ramsay,Alex Gray, Denise Mina, Stuart Macbride and Val Mcdermid just among a few of the authors who I'd recommend to a wider audience who may not have taken a peek at this sub genre.
Love Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, I brought the new VM today. I read Stuart Macbrides books and enjoy them but they don't captivate me like Ian and Val do. Not read any from the other three you have mentioned.
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Old 28-08-2015, 16:57
Hildaonpluto
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Love Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, I brought the new VM today. I read Stuart Macbrides books and enjoy them but they don't captivate me like Ian and Val do. Not read any from the other three you have mentioned.
If you like Val Mcdermid then I strongly recommend you try Caro Ramsay. I'm confident that you will like her. 👍
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Old 28-08-2015, 17:00
Hildaonpluto
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finished the first book in the glasgow trilogy , its quite serious got none of the banter of the logan mcrae novels or the black humour of brookmyre, but all in all was pretty good

being the first of a trilogy there is an element of scene setting to it but was worth the read
Thank you very much Indeed! I'm gonna give Malcolm a try! 👍

I would like to recommend James Oswald to you -an Edinburgh detective series , similar ish style to Stuart Macbride but imo better than Stuart.
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Old 29-08-2015, 22:12
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Interesting thread. Have read just about everything Rankin has written but there are a few new names here for me to check out.
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Old 29-08-2015, 22:25
mimik1uk
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Thank you very much Indeed! I'm gonna give Malcolm a try! 👍

I would like to recommend James Oswald to you -an Edinburgh detective series , similar ish style to Stuart Macbride but imo better than Stuart.
you are a bad influence

just added the first 3 inspector mclean novels to my kindle
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