This year was another corker in terms of crime fiction, which continues to provide readers with some of the most exciting reads around. We have picked ten of the best to be published in 2024 to give you just a taste of what's happening in Scottish crime fiction right now. They touch on the historical, the supernatural, science-fiction, whisky, famous figures (literary and non) with settings at home and abroad (and in the past, present, and future).
I was lucky enough to talk to some of the writers whose books feature, which you'll find below along with highlighted links to the novels and where to buy them.
Val McDermid's entry into Polygon Books' Darkland Tales series was Queen Macbeth - a visceral and insightful novella which touches on a part of Scotland's history which is still known by too few of us. Val McDermid was also one of the five finalists for this year's Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for the Scottish Crime book of the year, (alongside D.V. Bishop, Kim Sherwood, Abir Mukherjee and eventual winner Chris Brookmyre), nominated for the latest Karen Pirie novel Past Lying. In September we spoke to all five finalists about their novels and much more.
Robert J Harris is perhaps best known for his Sherlock Holmes' series of novels, which include A Study In Crimson and The Devil's Blaze, but this year he returned to John Buchan's hero Richard Hannay in Redfalcon where Hannay is reunited with his allies the Gorbals Diehards to thwart a Nazi plan to conquer Malta. We spoke to Robert to learn more about Redfalcon, and his other work.
Many of the novels on this list are part of an ongoing series, and Philip Miller's The Hollow Tree was the second in the Shona Sandison series of novels, following on from the critically acclaimed The Goldenacre. I spoke to Philip about the challenges of writing a sequel and so much more, including the current situation in terms of the arts in Scotland, and its coverage in the media.
Michael J. Malone's The Murmurs introduced readers to the Annie Jackson series and this year's The Torments followed that up in style, mixing crime thriller with the supernatural. We spoke to Michael about the tradition of gothic thrillers, the importance of understanding place, blending genres and getting the balance right, why horror has an enduring appeal, and a whole lot more.
One of the best crime debuts of the year was Martin Stewart's Double Proof which was among many great Glasgow set novels this year, but one which both embraces and subverts genre stereotypes and expectations to create something fresh and exciting. We spoke to Martin about how he views the novel, the pressures he initially felt in setting it in Glasgow, the importance of comedy in his writing, the healthy state, and diverse nature, of Scottish crime fiction, the writers who inspired him, taking the author out of the book and so much more.
Doug Johnstone is one of the most prolific writers around, with his critically acclaimed The Enceladons Trilogy (the final novel The Transcendent Tide coming in 2025) doing something new and relatable with speculative fiction and the science fiction genre. His other current series is the much loved Skelf family books. The latest was Living Is A Problem (the sixth in the series) but back in 2021 we spoke to Doug about the third, The Great Silence.
Increasingly crime fiction is crossing genres and producing new stories which subvert all preconceptions of the genre, and one of the best examples was Maud Woolf's debut Thirteen Ways To Kill Lulabelle Rock. In February we spoke to Maud about that arresting title, why she wanted to write this story, the road to being published and her experiences along the way, how the novel works on a number of levels, and the philosophies which drive it.
A new novel from Louise Welsh in always a reason for cheer, and her latest novel To The Dogs was simply another excellent example. In May we spoke to Louise about the complex issue of class, the hold of the past, the setting of Glasgow, the central character of Jim Brennan, the parallels between gangland life and academia, the changing politics of university life, building towards a dramatic conclusion, and so much more.
The Cracked Mirror is one of the finest novels of the year, one which plays with the genre in the most unexpected, interesting and inventive ways. In an attempt to avoid all spoilers, Ali asked Chris to take the responsibility of describing the book, before talking about how he approached writing it, the specific inspirations behind it, the importance of respecting genres, creating his central characters, having a quote from Afghan Whig's song 'Debonair' as the epigraph (and the one that got away), the importance of place, and the inspirational tweet that began it all.
Douglas Skelton has been running two superb crime series over recent years, the Rebecca Connolly thrillers set in and around Inverness (mostly) and A Company of Rogues which has the swashbuckling Jonas Flynt as its heart. This year he had published one from each, The Hollow Mountain (where Rebecca Connolly relocates to Glasgow) and A Grave for A Thief and we spoke to Douglas about both, and more.
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