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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 11-01-2016, 14:53
montehampster
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One name not mentioned so far is Denzil Meyrick who is three books into a series featuring DCI Daley. Can't wait for the next instalment!

Being set in a rural location there is always the incredulity that so much crime can be found in such as a small place (as one poster wrote about the T F Muir books, which incidentally I'd also recommend) but that never stopped Colin Dexter and Morse in Oxford!
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Old 12-01-2016, 20:44
Hildaonpluto
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Hope you enjoy it! I've moved straight onto the sequel, that's how good I thought it was.

My OP should obviously read that its a corker and not a crocker
One name not mentioned so far is Denzil Meyrick who is three books into a series featuring DCI Daley. Can't wait for the next instalment!

Being set in a rural location there is always the incredulity that so much crime can be found in such as a small place (as one poster wrote about the T F Muir books, which incidentally I'd also recommend) but that never stopped Colin Dexter and Morse in Oxford!
Thanks both of you for the heads up! Tartan noir certainly does seem to be awash with great choice!

Lin Anderson is another good name I've discovered in recent months. Really has a great gift for creating paced atmospherics.
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Old 27-01-2016, 17:25
Hildaonpluto
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Let's not let the tartan noir flame die on here folks!! 😘
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Old 30-01-2016, 09:39
Eddie Badger
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Let's not let the tartan noir flame die on here folks!! 😘
We won't do that. I'm currently working my way backwards through the Rebus books. I'm at Naming The Dead now.

I've also just finished Stuart MacBride's 22 Dead Little Bodies. It's a collection of shorter stories about Aberdeen's finest - violent, dark and very funny including one story in which long suffering DS Logan McRae really suffers - waking up with a hangover, stark naked and tied to an equally naked DCI Steele! Poor bloke.
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Old 30-01-2016, 10:15
mimik1uk
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We won't do that. I'm currently working my way backwards through the Rebus books. I'm at Naming The Dead now.

I've also just finished Stuart MacBride's 22 Dead Little Bodies. It's a collection of shorter stories about Aberdeen's finest - violent, dark and very funny including one story in which long suffering DS Logan McRae really suffers - waking up with a hangover, stark naked and tied to an equally naked DCI Steele! Poor bloke.
i'll have to look out for that

i'm back to james oswald and almost finished his second book "book of souls"

kinda liking the little supernatural twists he incorporates in his books and having lived in edinburgh since i was 18, knowing the city really well i find adds something to the books as opposed to reading about somewhere you either dont know at all or at least not very well
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Old 01-02-2016, 13:15
Hildaonpluto
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i'll have to look out for that

i'm back to james oswald and almost finished his second book "book of souls"

kinda liking the little supernatural twists he incorporates in his books and having lived in edinburgh since i was 18, knowing the city really well i find adds something to the books as opposed to reading about somewhere you either dont know at all or at least not very well
Arr I'm a massive fan of James Oswald -I've recently bought his third novel I think which I haven't read yet.

I know Edinburgh and Glasgow but Glasgow much better. Never visited Aberdeen but get a very vivid portrayal of it from Stuart Macbrides novels.
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Old 01-02-2016, 16:18
newda898
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i'll have to look out for that

i'm back to james oswald and almost finished his second book "book of souls"

kinda liking the little supernatural twists he incorporates in his books and having lived in edinburgh since i was 18, knowing the city really well i find adds something to the books as opposed to reading about somewhere you either dont know at all or at least not very well
Arr I'm a massive fan of James Oswald -I've recently bought his third novel I think which I haven't read yet.

I know Edinburgh and Glasgow but Glasgow much better. Never visited Aberdeen but get a very vivid portrayal of it from Stuart Macbrides novels.
Yes, I've ordered up the 5th one from my library to read now!

The twists that are put in are just enough to be a bit "oooh" as opposed to completely baffling Sci-Fi.
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Old 02-02-2016, 13:22
wildhollie
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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
I am having a massive re-read of the Logan McRae series...i'm just on book 9 at the moment.....i absolutely love these books, DI Steele (wrinkly old hag lol) and Logan have such a great partnership.....although i am finding this book a little all over the place at the moment.....
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Old 03-02-2016, 18:46
Hildaonpluto
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Yes, I've ordered up the 5th one from my library to read now!

The twists that are put in are just enough to be a bit "oooh" as opposed to completely baffling Sci-Fi.
I know James Oswalds next novel is out in hardback in a few months I think. I'm tempted to buy it in hardback to "show support"
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Old 03-02-2016, 18:47
Hildaonpluto
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We won't do that. I'm currently working my way backwards through the Rebus books. I'm at Naming The Dead now.

I've also just finished Stuart MacBride's 22 Dead Little Bodies. It's a collection of shorter stories about Aberdeen's finest - violent, dark and very funny including one story in which long suffering DS Logan McRae really suffers - waking up with a hangover, stark naked and tied to an equally naked DCI Steele! Poor bloke.
Have you read Ian Rankins latest novel that came out a month or 2 before Christmas in hardback?
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Old 04-02-2016, 18:34
Eddie Badger
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Have you read Ian Rankins latest novel that came out a month or 2 before Christmas in hardback?
Yes, it was an early Christmas present. Really enjoyed it too.
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Old 08-02-2016, 11:40
Hildaonpluto
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Yes, it was an early Christmas present. Really enjoyed it too.

Have you read Val McDermids latest" Splinter the silence"?Got a lot of decent press.
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Old 12-02-2016, 18:30
Eddie Badger
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Have you read Val McDermids latest" Splinter the silence"?Got a lot of decent press.
Haven't read much of Val - just Killing the Shadows and Skeleton Road so far. Wasn't too impressed with Killing the Shadows, I found the dialogue a bit wearing - the characters didn't talk to each other, they lectured each other. Skeleton Road was better. And I would thoroughly recommend her non-fiction book Forensics: The Anatomy of Crime, a very interesting read which covers the history of forensic science.
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Old 13-02-2016, 14:02
clm2071
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Ive just picked up the first couple of James Oswald books this morning, I'll be starting them in the next day or so
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Old 13-02-2016, 14:24
mimik1uk
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Ive just picked up the first couple of James Oswald books this morning, I'll be starting them in the next day or so
hope you enjoy them

i'm onto his 3rd now and got "attached" to the main characters now
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Old 13-02-2016, 14:44
clm2071
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hope you enjoy them

i'm onto his 3rd now and got "attached" to the main characters now
Thanks! I've been on the look out for a new series of books to follow for a while now so we'll see how we go.

I was a massive Rebus fan but think his post retirement books have taken a marked downturn. Rankin has run out of ideas IMHO.
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Old 29-02-2016, 21:31
newda898
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Just finished Oswald's Prayer for the Dead...got to the end and thought...oh, is that it?
Gripping, but I do like it when all the loose ends are tied up and things explained.
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Old 01-03-2016, 01:30
mimik1uk
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Just finished Oswald's Prayer for the Dead...got to the end and thought...oh, is that it?
Gripping, but I do like it when all the loose ends are tied up and things explained.
his books do tend to lead from one to the next a little

i'm only on book 3 atm and had to start reading it straight away after the way book 2 ended
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Old 02-03-2016, 18:58
Eddie Badger
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James Oswald had a pretty narrow escape during the recent bad weather http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/loc...ut-it-1.926743
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Old 07-03-2016, 12:57
Hildaonpluto
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James Oswald had a pretty narrow escape during the recent bad weather http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/loc...ut-it-1.926743
Thanks for posting-Im glad that things didn't turn out worse for him,hes very lucky!Perhaps its an incident that will feed into or influence one of his future novels!

Im currently rereading Scottish author Malcolm Mackays" The Neccesary death of Lewis Winter" The first in a trilogy.What a talent he is,such a natural deft for telling hard stories in an easy manner.

Also not long finished reading Caro Ramsays "The Nighthunter" very dark and some shocking twists in the final chapters but definitely a gem in the tartan noir that was published in 2014.
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Old 07-03-2016, 13:01
mimik1uk
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Im currently rereading Scottish author Malcolm Mackays" The Neccesary death of Lewis Winter" The first in a trilogy.What a talent he is,such a natural deft for telling hard stories in an easy manner.
read that trilogy the end of last year and enjoyed it alot

i finally got around to the rebus series and binge bought the whole series for my kindle at the weekend
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Old 07-03-2016, 13:28
Hildaonpluto
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read that trilogy the end of last year and enjoyed it alot

i finally got around to the rebus series and binge bought the whole series for my kindle at the weekend
Hes absolutely brilliant!
I tend to find I enjoy female tartan noir authors like Denise Mina,Alex Grey,Caro Ramsay,Lin Anderson etc better than male( with the odd exception ) I find that female authors give better fuller detail on characterisation and the emotional inner life of the characters but Malcolm Mackay is definitely one of the exceptions to the rule!I feel like I know and understand all of the lead characters especially Calum very well indeed.

According to social media hes got a new novel out very soon.Ive not read any of his books outside of the trilogy but Im expecting to like them!

Looks like Ian Rankin may have found a firm fan in you!I hope you enjoy them and please post your thoughts once you've read enough to form a decent impression
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Old 07-03-2016, 13:36
mimik1uk
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Hes absolutely brilliant!
I tend to find I enjoy female tartan noir authors like Denise Mina,Alex Grey,Caro Ramsay,Lin Anderson etc better than male( with the odd exception ) I find that female authors give better fuller detail on characterisation and the emotional inner life of the characters but Malcolm Mackay is definitely one of the exceptions to the rule!I feel like I know and understand all of the lead characters especially Calum very well indeed.

According to social media hes got a new novel out very soon.Ive not read any of his books outside of the trilogy but Im expecting to like them!

Looks like Ian Rankin may have found a firm fan in you!I hope you enjoy them and please post your thoughts once you've read enough to form a decent impression
i just bought a new kindle after dropping my old one and its the more modern one thats backlit so its alot more convenient to use imo so i have been reading a bit more recently

what i liked about the malcolm mackay books was the story was from the opposite perspective from most of the other series, ie told from the criminals side, and didn't follow the usual template that alot of the other authors seem to fall into

the hero, the slow but steady sidekick, the love interest, the grumpy bullying boss, the eccentric one etc etc
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Old 07-03-2016, 13:46
Hildaonpluto
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i just bought a new kindle after dropping my old one and its the more modern one thats backlit so its alot more convenient to use imo so i have been reading a bit more recently

what i liked about the malcolm mackay books was the story was from the opposite perspective from most of the other series, ie told from the criminals side, and didn't follow the usual template that alot of the other authors seem to fall into

the hero, the slow but steady sidekick, the love interest, the grumpy bullying boss, the eccentric one etc etc

Ouch breaking your kindle!

Yes that's what I'm enjoying about Malcolm Mackay -the total switch of who's eyes the story is told from makes it feel very refreshing and very clever. Malcolm is born and bread Stornoway so the way he manages to convey Glasgow life and city so well is quite amazing.

If you like stories that aren't told from the usual perspective do try Caro Ramsays The Nighthunter which is a very dark tale told from the perspective of the victims functioning autistic sister. The police officers Anderson and Costello are very much not central characters unusually and it's very well written. Not big on happy endings but big on dark endings! I won't say anymore incase I give it away!
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Old 01-04-2016, 01:49
Hildaonpluto
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Cannot wait to get my hands on the next two books in this Malcolm Mackay Trilogy!

He certainly lives up to the hype in my humble opinion!
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