The Tartan Noir Show

It’s the finale of TTNS season 2...and we have a treat in store for you! Theresa Talbot chats to number-one bestselling author, Jeffery Deaver. His books adorn bookshelves in 150 countries in 25 languages. As we find out, Jeffery has a strict discipline when it comes to his writing, telling Theresa that his is a craftsman’s approach to getting the words on the page. And it’s paid off as he’s sold more than 50 million copies of his books. The former journalist and law attorney believes that readers are the gods who guide his stories - so no pressure on all of us! As well as hearing about his latest books and plans for both the Lincoln Rhyme and Colter Shaw series, Jeffery talks about the thrill of hearing his words spoken by Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie in the film version of The Bone Collector. His recommended book is The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.  Jeffery Deaver - https://www.jefferydeaver.com Theresa Talbot -  https://www.facebook.com/theresa.talbot.50 For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Multi award-winning writer, Craig Russell, joins Theresa Talbot this week to talk about what it’s like to have your books translated into 25 languages, how to immerse yourself in the world you are writing about and how having really great headphones can change your life! The Devil Aspect - Craig’s stand alone Gothic novel set in 1935 Czechoslovakia - will be coming to the big screens. His latest book, Hyde, will be on the book shelves in early 2021. Five of his Fabel novels have been made into movies with Craig making a cameo appearance as a detective. The Lennox novels are being developed into a returning TV series by BAFTA award-winning Synchronicity Films. Ira Levin’s first novel - A Kiss before Dying - is Craig’s book recommendation.  Craig Russell - https://craigrussell.com/ Ira Levin - http://www.iralevin.org Theresa Talbot -  https://www.facebook.com/theresa.talbot.50 For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week, Theresa Talbot catches up with the author of eight crime thriller novels set in Spain, Scotland and the US. The latest Morgan Cry book is Thirty-One Bones - the owner of a small Spanish bar drops dead. But it’s not straight forward, as the bar is frequented by a group of ex-pat misfits. There’s lots of chat about writers marketing their books and how Gordon approaches writing. He gets up very very early in the morning! Gordon is also one of the founding directors of the Bloody Scotland Festival. This year he was involved in ‘persuading’ the debut writers to collaborate on the Glencairn short story, One With The Glass, which was recorded for this episode of The Tartan Noir Show. So get yourself comfy with a glass of something or a big cup of tea.   Gordon Brown - https://gordonjbrown.com/ Bloody Scotland; One With The Glass - https://bloodyscotland.com/announcements/one-with-the-glass/ Glencairn Crystal - https://glencairn.co.uk/ Stephen O’Rourke - https://sandstonepress.com/books/the-crown-agent Deborah Masson - @deborah_masson Marion Todd - https://www.mariontodd.com/ Francine Toon - https://www.francinetoon.com/ Four Blokes in searching of a plot - https://fourblokessearching.com/ Theresa Talbot - https://www.facebook.com/theresa.talbot.50 The Big Light - https://www.thebiglight.com/ For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Nuclear physics, music journalism, music and writing - there’s no end to Doug Johnstone’s talents. He chats to Theresa about all these very different aspects of his life. We also hear about the stroke he had at the beginning of lockdown and how he finished the first draft of a new novel while recovering. This is the final part of the Skelf family saga. We first met the Skelf women in A Dark Matter (2019) where, after a sudden death, three generations of women from the Skelf clan took over the family funeral and private investigation business. The book was shortlisted for this year’s McIlvanney Prize. The Big Chill (2020), the second book in the trilogy, is out now. With 12 novels under his belt, Doug has been described as ‘a master of the page-turning, heart-gripping, plot-driven tale’. His recommended book is Helen Fitzgerald’s Worst Case Scenario. Doug Johnstone - https://dougjohnstone.com/about/ Helen Fitzgerald - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_FitzGerald Great Scot Podcast - https://www.thebiglight.com/greatscot Professor Dame Sue Black - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sue_Black_(anthropologist) Theresa Talbot -  https://www.facebook.com/theresa.talbot.50 For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Graeme caught the attention of the world in 2016 when his second novel, His Bloody Project, was shorted-listed for the Booker Prize. He may not have carried off the award that year, but his book sold more than those of the other five finalists combined! It’s the week before the Booker Prize is announced, and with another Scottish author in the running, Theresa hears about the glitz and glamour of Graeme’s experience at London’s Guildhall (it will be a more modest affair this year, with no grub and booze). Graeme’s book recommendation is John Le Carre’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. This leads to an intriguing discussion on how Theresa could be a great asset for British Intelligence! Graeme’s fourth novel, Case Study (Saraband), is out next October - we’ll hear what it’s about. And if you happen upon Graeme somewhere reading old copies of the Women’s Weekly...it’s research - honest!  Graeme Macrae Burnet - https://graememacraeburnet.com/ John Le Carre - https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/best-le-carre-novel Fyodor Dostoevsky: The Brothers Karamazov - https://www.thelondonmagazine.org/essay-reflections-on-the-brothers-karamazov-by-patrick-maxwell/  The Mitchell Library - https://www.scotsmagazine.com/articles/glasgow-mitchell-library/ Theresa Talbot -  https://www.facebook.com/theresa.talbot.50 For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week’s Tartan Noir Show brings together Francine Toon and Deborah Masson. Theresa Talbot caught up with them as they were draining their glasses of fizz - after Bloody Scotland 2020. Francine won the McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year with her novel, Pine. She was also on the short list for the Debut Crime Book of the Year along with Deborah, whose first novel, Hold Your Tongue, introducing DI Eve Hunter, took that award. They chat about writing their first books and, having won these prestigious prizes, what’s next?    Francine Toon: https://www.francinetoon.com/ Deborah Masson: https://twitter.com/deborah_masson?lang=en Bloody Scotland - McIlvanney Prize 2020: https://bloodyscotland.com/take-part/the-mcilvanney-prize/ Bloody Scotland - Debut Writer Prize 2020: https://bloodyscotland.com/prizes/debut-prize-shortlist-2020/ Double Scotch Podcast with guest Ian Rankin: https://www.thebiglight.com/doublescotch Theresa Talbot: https://twitter.com/Theresa_Talbot?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Tartan Noir Show returns for its second series and we are delighted to be joined by one of the UK’s best loved crime writers - Ann Cleeves. She’s written more than 30 novels and created the characters Jimmy Perez (played by Douglas Henshall in the hit TV series Shetland) and Vera Stanhope (played by Brenda Blethyn in TV’s Vera). Ann also chats to Theresa about her support for libraries, her love for Shetland and Fair Isle - even without amenities - and why, when she starts to write a novel, she never knows what will happen at the end. Her recommended book is Caz Frear’s - Shed no Tears, the third in her Cat Kinsella series.  Ann Cleeves - https://anncleeves.com/ Brenda Blethyn reads the first Chapter of The Darkest Evening - https://www.facebook.com/anncleeves/videos/the-darkest-evening-opening-chapter/357559225608492/ Shetland - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01s711r Vera - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1693592/ Maigret Georges Simenon - https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n11/john-lanchester/maigret-s-room Caz Frear - https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/authors/caz-frear Theresa Talbot - http://www.theresatalbot.com/about For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Six months ago, Theresa Talbot talked to Bob McDevitt - Festival Director of The Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival. Back then, following the news that the annual event held in Stirling had been cancelled, there was hope it could happen in some other way online. Well, it is happening and to kick off TTNS season 2 we have a sneak preview of what’s coming up. There’s also a special feature with the festival founders Lin Anderson and Alex Gray talking about how it all began with wonderful music from Brian McAlpine.  Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: https://www.patreon.com/ttns TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow Bloody Scotland Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com Linn Anderson: https://lin-anderson.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html Alex Gray: https://www.alexgrayauthor.co.uk Brian McAlpine: http://www.brianmcalpine.com/B/home.html Theresa Talbot: https://twitter.com/Theresa_Talbot?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor Sunday Post (our partner in crime): https://www.sundaypost.com For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When she’s not designing vaccine clinical trials and studying the stats, Susi spends the rest of her time writing. She has seven novels, under her belt, the latest The Last Resort comes out in December - Seven strangers. Seven secrets. One perfect crime. Susi’s books are all very different, from police procedurals, supernatural to psychological thrillers. And as Theresa finds out the next two are science based. She had a pretty impressive start to her writing career - on the Trans Siberian Railway. There’s also a strange conversation about what books keep her and Theresa awake at night. Her book recommendation is Senseless by Ed James.  Susi Holliday - http://www.susiholliday.com/ Ed James - https://edjamesauthor.co.uk/ Theresa Talbot -  https://www.facebook.com/theresa.talbot.50 For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With his new crime novel, A Song of Isolation, hitting the bookshelves, Michael joins Theresa Talbot on The Tartan Noir Show to talk about his latest book. They also chat about his move from prize winning poetry to crime. And - oh yeah - his short spell as a scribe in residence at a Scottish sex shop! His recommended book is Alex Knight’s, Hunted - described as a ‘well-crafted, tightly-plotted thriller that races from the streets of San Francisco to the coast without pausing for breath’.   Michael J Malone: http://orendabooks.co.uk/michael-j-malone/ Alex Knight: http://alexknightauthor.com/ Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this final episode of the first series, we take you on a quick trip to the South of France with a brief dalliance in Minnesota. Critically acclaimed, international best seller, Peter May, joins Theresa Talbot from his home in France. He talks about his brand new book, Lockdown, written 15 years ago about a global pandemic which closes London down. Peter talks about digging deep in writing, the importance of research, and you’ll hear about his best-selling Lewis Trilogy, The China Thrillers and Enzo Files - there could be a new 7th book in the series coming next. Peter’s book recommendation is Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - he predicts that it will be recognised as an American classic one day (remember, you heard it here first). And we have a great extract from the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival last year - Helen Fitzgerald, Louise Candlish and Catherine Steadman are interviewed by Russel McLean in the session, Till Death Do Us part.  Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: https://www.patreon.com/ttns TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow Peter May: http://www.petermay.co.uk/  @authorpetermay  William Kent Krueger: https://williamkentkrueger.com/  @WmKentKrueger Helen Fitzgerald: https://helenfitzgerald.wordpress.com/  @fitzhelen  Louise Candlish: http://www.louisecandlish.com/  @louise_candlish Catherine Steadman: https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/authors/Catherine-Steadman/2141499785  @CatSteadman Russel McLean: http://www.russeldmcleanbooks.com/  @RusseldMcLean Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about  @Theresa_Talbot Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com @BloodyScotland For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We get a bit distracted this week with discussions on embracing the grey and best hair products! But there's also plenty of chat about representation of the working class in crime fiction, Edgar Allan Poe who went to school in Ayrshire and the appeal of true crime, amongst many other topics. Denise picks New York Times best-selling writer Brian McGilloway’s first standalone novel, The Last Crossing, as her book recommendation. The New York Times best selling author is famous for his DS Lucy Black Thrillers and Inspector Devlin mysteries.  And there’s a great extract from last year’s Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival session, Women in Gangland, with Dr Jacky Collins, Mandasue Heller, Marnie Riches and Anna Smith. Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: https://www.patreon.com/ttns TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow Denise Mina: http://www.denisemina.com/ @DameDeniseMina Brian McGilloway: http://www.brianmcgilloway.com/  @BrianMcGilloway Dr Jacky Collins: @CollinsJacky Anna Smith: http://www.annasmithscotland.com/Biography.html @annasmithauthor Mandasue Heller: http://www.mandasueheller.com/  @MandasueHeller  Marnie Riches: https://marnieriches.com/  @Marnie_Riches Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about  @Theresa_Talbot Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com  @BloodyScotland For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We discover how it’s possible to break out of a career in accountancy to become an award-winning crime writer! Abir Mukherjee has recently been nominated for the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year for his third Sam Wyndham novel, Smoke and Ashes, set in the Raj era of India. It has also been chosen by the Sunday Times as one of the top 100 crime and thriller novels since 1945. Abir talks about the connections between Scottish and Indian culture, and how the term Masala Noir is making its mark! His book recommendation is Philip Kerr’s posthumously published book in the Bernie Gunther series, Metropolis, set in Nazi Germany.  We also drop in on a session at last year’s Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival, held at the Golden Lion Hotel in Stirling - Abir joined Caro Ramsay and Craig Robertson under the guidance of Jonathan Whitelaw for Desert Island Crooks to pick books they would take into isolation.   Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: https://www.patreon.com/ttns TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow Abir Mukherjee: https://abirmukherjee.com/ @radiomukhers Philip Kerr: http://philipkerr.org/news-and-events/ Caro Ramsay: https://www.caroramsay.com/ @CaroRamsayBooks Craig Robertson: http://craigrobertsonbooks.co.uk/ @CraigRobertson_ Jonathan Whitelaw: https://www.scottishbooktrust.com/authors/jonathan-whitelaw @JDWhitelaw13 Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about  @Theresa_Talbot Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com @BloodyScotland For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We love the description of Helen on her website. She’s just recently been nominated for the Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the year (for the second time). The former social worker, who worked with sex offenders, admits to drawing on her experience to form some of her characters and stories. In this episode, we find out more about growing up in rural Australia, in a neighbourhood of troubled males, and how this influenced some of her career choices. We also get a peak behind the curtains of how her critically acclaimed novel, The Cry, became a riveting mini-series on the BBC. Helen’s book recommendation is Doug Johnstone’s A Dark Matter. We also hear David Wilson, Scottish Professor of Criminology, in conversation with author Lin Anderson at last year’s Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival in Stirling.     Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: https://www.patreon.com/ttns TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow Helen FitzGerald: https://helenfitzgerald.wordpress.com @fitzhelen Doug Johnstone: https://dougjohnstone.com @doug_johnstone Lin Anderson: http://www.lin-anderson.com/about.htm @Lin_Anderson David Wilson: https://www.professorwilson.co.uk @ProfDavidWilson Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about  @Theresa_Talbot Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com @BloodyScotland For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We made a discovery this week - the term ‘Cops’ may well have originated in Scotland and crossed the Atlantic to America! So says our guest this week - Scottish best-selling writer Denzil Meyrick, the creator of the DCI Jim Daley series. Jerimah’s Bell is the 8th in the DCI Daley series (released: June 2020). Denzil tells Theresa about his setting of rural Kinloch, the old name for Campbeltown in Kintyre where he grew up, and where he sets many of his books. Denzil recommends Neil Lancaster’s new book, Going Rogue. Neil, like Denzel, was previously a ‘cop’. We also hear from the American superstar of crime writing, David Baldacci, talking about his novel, One Good Deed, and his long writing career. David opened the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival last year.   Denzil Meyrick: https://denzilmeyrick.com/ Neil Lancaster: https://neillancastercrime.co.uk/ David Baldacci: https://www.davidbaldacci.com/ James Crawford: https://www.jamescrawford.space/ Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com For more information about the podcast, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It won’t have come as a big surprise to hear that the 2020 Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival has been cancelled. September may seem like a while away, and there was a hope that it might have gone ahead, but it was announced this week that this would not be the case because of the coronavirus pandemic. We got in touch with the Festival Director, Bob McDevitt, for a chat about what the team are plotting... Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Tartan Noir Show goes to rural North-East Fife to meet James Oswald on his farm (the size of quite a number of football pitches). James talks about splitting his time between looking after livestock and writing at night. His 55 Highland cattle keep him busy during the day and Inspector Tony McLean keeps him occupied at night. James recommends 'Thunder Bay' - Douglas Skelton’s first book in the Rebecca Connolly series. We hear quite a lot about detectives this week. James is working on book eleven - he talks about keeping your detective real and the challenge of keeping track of all your characters. We also hear from Peter Robinson, Mari Hannah and MW Craven about their detectives and story locations. They were interviewed by Theresa Talbot at last year’s Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival in Stirling.  Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: https://www.patreon.com/ttns TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow James Oswald: https://jamesoswald.co.uk/ Douglas Skelton: https://www.douglasskelton.com/ Mike Craven: https://www.mwcraven.com/ Peter Robinson: https://inspectorbanks.com/ Mari Hannah: http://www.marihannah.com/ Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Usually, our guest has one book coming out. But not Caro Ramsay - she has six! She explains why. Caro joins us from her home, ‘Spooky Towers’, and we hear about Agnes the ghostly resident who is keen on project managing the builders who are carrying out renovations to the beautiful period building. There’s lots of chat about books, including Caro’s recommendation - No Place To Die by Neil Broadfoot - and a strong focus on forensics. We also spotlight an interview with Professor Angela Gallop who, in her 40 years of forensic science, has solved many cold cases in real life. Angela was interviewed at last year’s Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival in Stirling.  Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: https://www.patreon.com/ttns TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow Caro Ramsay: https://www.caroramsay.com/ Neil Broadfoot: https://www.neilbroadfoot.com/ Angela Gallop: https://www.forensic-access.co.uk/our-people/management/professor-angela-gallop-cbe/ Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com For more information about The Tartan Noir Show, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Douglas Skelton drops by - helped by the power of ‘social distancing remote recording’ - to chat with Theresa Talbot about many things, including: his varied career, his second book in the Rebecca Connolly series, The Blood is Still, and his recommended book, The Devil Aspect, by Craig Russell. We also get to meet Mickey the dug who joins in from another room. And what now for a retired Rebus?! We drop in on Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, interrogating Ian Rankin at the 2019 Bloody Scotland International Crime writing festival in Stirling.  TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow Douglas Skelton: https://www.douglasskelton.com/ Craig Russell: https://craigrussell.com/ Ian Rankin: https://www.ianrankin.net/ Nicola Sturgeon: @NicolaSturgeon  Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/about Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com For more information about the podcast, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow

The Tartan Noir Show takes social distancing to a whole new level by connecting (down under) with award winning Scottish author and academic Liam McIlvanney. Theresa Talbot talks to him about teaching Tartan Noir in New Zealand, how he grew up with books and why Glasgow is a great character in crime fiction. We also hear from Chris Brookmyre and Michael Robotham in conversation with Craig Sisterson at the 2019 Bloody Scotland International Crime writing festival in Stirling.     Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: www.patreon.com/ttns TTNS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheTartanNoirShow Liam McIlvanney: http://liammcilvanney.com @LiamMcIlvanney Bloody Scotland International Crime Festival: https://bloodyscotland.com Alan Parks: https://canongate.co.uk/books/2856-bobby-march-will-live-forever/ (@AlanJParks) Chris Brookmyre: https://www.brookmyre.co.uk/ Michael Robotham: http://www.michaelrobotham.com/ Craig Sisterson: @craigsisterson  Theresa Talbot: http://www.theresatalbot.com/home Join The Tartan Noir Show Club: www.patreon.com/ttns For more information about the podcast, visit: www.thebiglight.com/thetartannoirshow   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.