Well, that’s it – National Crime Reading Month is over for another year.
The month was a joint initiative between the Crime Writer’s Association and the Crime Reader’s Association to promote peace and goodwill. Nah, it was to promote crime reading. Who’da thunk it?
Anyhoo, what did I get up to during the month.
Yes, me, me, me…
Well, June 1 saw me at the vet, so I don’t chase the ladies anymore. Doesn’t matter – I never caught ’em anyway.
June 3 saw the launch of this year’s Bloody Scotland programme in Stirling.
If you’ve just joined us, here’s the story so far…
Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s international crime writing festival. Every September the great, the good and the just plain gorgeous gather in Stirling to talk crime writing. It’s a fabulous weekend and if you haven’t been you really should make the time because it’s a lot of fun.
I’m on during the Sunday, alone with the always terrific Caro Ramsay and someone called Michael J. Malone, who I’ve never heard of. It promises to be a lorra laughs, as Cilla used to say. And may still do for all I know.
I also visited the dentist during June. She said it wouldn’t hurt so I bit her. Guess what? She was wrong.
But my teeth are still squint.
June 18 saw the launch of the third Davie McCall book, DEVIL’S KNOCK.
It’s been talked about elsewhere on the site so suffice it to say that the book is now available and I’d really like you to buy it. Those teeth won’t straighten themselves, you know.
I had an honourable mention during an event in Glasgow on June 23, when Caro Ramsay, Craig Robertson and that fella Michael J. Malone (I really should find out who he is) took to the stage at Oran Mor in Glasgow to talk Crime After Dark. Or Noir at Night. Or something. I’m far too lazy to look it up.
This was another hugely entertaining night and anyone who thinks crime writers can’t be funny should listen to these three.
I settled into the STV Glasgow couch on The Riverside Show the following night to talk about the new book and Macaroni Pies, which have been consigned to the big food bin in the sky. I’ve never had one but now that I can’t I really have a yearning. Life’s funny.
On June 26 I was one of a determined squad of crime writers who invaded Edinburgh. From out of the west we came – and gave those writers from the east a sound thrashing. Okay, there was only two points in it but we won and that’s the main thing. Caro captained our team and the third gladiator was Matt Bendoris.
Doug Johnstone led the beleaguered east coasters – Neil Broadfoot and TF Muir, but we call him Frank. Among other things.
Craig Robertson was question master but also managed to score minus 40, which is quite a feat.
I ended Crime Reading Month with ‘Carry on Sleuthing’, a radio play what I wrote.
I was asked to do this some time ago by Aileen Cowan, the head honcho at the Carnegie Library in Ayr. I wasn’t sure about it at first, to be honest, but finally I put my nose to the grindstone and my shoulder to the wheel. After I had some treatment for a sore back, I started writing.
The result was the comic mystery which we performed in the Library on June 29. Aileen, Samantha and Nan from the library took on all the female parts – apart from one, which I did, complete with red wig. I was also a sea captain and a press baron.
That fella Michael J. Malone played two parts – a gentleman’s gentleman and a police officer. And no, I still don’t know who he is.
It was a success, I think. A capacity audience laughed in all the right places – I think the wine helped with that – and tried to solve the mystery.
So, that’s it. A month of crime fun over. And I never thought I’d put the sword ‘Crime’ along with ‘fun’ until I joined the CWA!
