Scottish crime fiction

The Second Cut by Louise Welsh

By Paul Burke

2 February, 2022

Louise Welsh’s The Cutting Room was a sensation when it was published in 1999. It was a brilliant debut from a provocative new voice in British crime fiction, infusing a Gaelic vibe with a creepy gothic air. Tartan noir credentials firmly established, there was a…

Features

The Doctor will see you now... James Oswald

By DeathBecomesHer

31 January, 2022

Our first ‘The Doctor will see you now’ video interview of 2022 sees Dr Jacky Collins having a cosy chat with James Oswald, who has made a name for himself in both the crime and fantasy genres. Based in Scotland, James Oswald is a working…

Kindle Print Reviews

Find Her First by Emma Christie

By Vicki Weisfeld

18 January, 2022

Former newspaper journalist Emma Christie is a crime author whose reputation is growing. Her first novel, The Silent Daughter, was close to winning a number of awards in 2021 and her second, Find Her First, is another wonderful read. It can be described as a…

Features

Watch Dark Travellers – Publishing Scotland's film about Tartan noir

By crimefictionlover

21 October, 2021

Crime Fiction Lover is pleased to bring you Dark Travellers, a 22-minute film that’s perfect if you love your Scottish crime fiction. It’s been a huge year for crime writing in Scotland, thanks in no small part to the publication of The Dark Remains from…

Book Club

The Dark Remains by Ian Rankin and William McIlvanney

By Paul Burke

19 October, 2021

This novel was one of the publishing events of 2021. Ian Rankin has completed William McIlvanney’s unfinished manuscript of a prequel to the Laidlaw trilogy – the series credited with establishing the Tartan noir subgenre. (If you’re new to Laidlaw, you can read more about…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

The Dark Remains by William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin

By Paul Burke

3 September, 2021

Laidlaw’s first big case. When William McIlvanney died in 2015, the importance of his Laidlaw novels to Scottish crime fiction was just beginning to be properly recognised. He’s now rightly seen as the godfather of Tartan noir. Intriguingly, McIlvanney left behind a half-written manuscript for…

Features

William McIlvanney's Laidlaw and the Tartan noir revolution

By Paul Burke

31 August, 2021

Ian Rankin is among the elite of contemporary crime writers, his character John Rebus one of the most loved and enduring in detective fiction. Good as he is, there must have been a little tremor in his hand and possibly a frisson of excitement as…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

A Rattle of Bones by Douglas Skelton

By DeathBecomesHer

13 August, 2021

There’s a neat juxtaposition of ancient history and more recent goings-on as A Rattle of Bones begins. The title harks back to old misdoings – the execution in 1752 of clan leader James Stewart, known as James of the Glen, for crimes he almost certainly…

Crime Fiction Lover

The Second Cut by Louise Welsh

The Doctor will see you now... James Oswald

Find Her First by Emma Christie

Watch Dark Travellers – Publishing Scotland's film about Tartan noir

The Dark Remains by Ian Rankin and William McIlvanney

The Dark Remains by William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin

William McIlvanney's Laidlaw and the Tartan noir revolution

A Rattle of Bones by Douglas Skelton

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