A Taste of Ashes
Tony Black’s second DI Bob Valentine novel is set in the west coast town of Ayr. Valentine is a cop who places himself – literally – at the sharp end, as he is just returning to duty after being stabbed in the heart. He is straight…
NTN: Penance by Theresa Talbot
The Magdalene Laundries and the abuses they concealed left deep psychological and physical scars on their victims not just in Ireland but in the UK, USA and Canada too. It’s little wonder these institutions, where ‘fallen women’ went to have their babies, have become the inspiration for…
Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin
A new Ian Rankin book is always something to celebrate, while one featuring John Rebus deserves extra fanfare. It’s been a while since we last shared a pint down the Oxford, so a catch-up is long overdue. Is retirement suiting the lugubrious former cop? Has…
A Taste of Ashes
The west coast town of Ayr is the backdrop to A Taste of Ashes, the second of Tony Black’s novels featuring DI Bob Valentine. He is a cop who places himself – literally – at the sharp end, as he is just returning to duty…
A Taste of Ashes by Tony Blank
Detective Inspector Bob Valentine has recently returned to work in the West Scotland town of Ayr after being stabbed in the heart on a previous case. A rare night out with his long suffering and concerned family is interrupted by a murder. A man has been discovered…
Interview: Val McDermid
Val McDermid is something of a media personality these days, often popping up on TV and radio. She was even asked about writing an opera recently on BBC Radio 3’s Private Passions. But it is her crime writing that has garnered a legion of fans who snap up…
A gazetteer of British crime: Scotland
A sense of place is one of those vital ingredients which can be crucial in a crime fiction novel. Maigret’s rainy Paris suburbs, Marlowe’s neon-lit LA, Harry Hole’s snowy Oslo streets – the locations are inseparable from the characters. Here in Britain we have our own…
Splinter the Silence by Val McDermid
Trust the high-priestess of crime writing to take a headline-grabbing phenomenon and turn it to her nefarious advantage. Not long ago, the only trolls anyone talked about were in Tolkien books or fairytales. But we live in the 21st century, the internet is king and…