Scottish crime fiction, aka Tartan Noir, is very popular, with names like Ian Rankin and Quintin Jardine known worldwide. 

Edinburgh is often the favourite backdrop for the activities of countless detectives. Denise Mina bases her stories in Glasgow and Stuart McBride in Aberdeen.

A ‘Bloody Scotland’ festival takes place each year, celebrating the best of Scottish and international crime writing. And the University of Otago offers a paper on Tartan Noir: Scottish Crime Fiction, which looks back at novels of Walter Scott through to contemporary writers.

The following is a list of suggested titles, but by no means a comprehensive list:

When the Devil Drives. Christopher Brookmyre

Jasmine Sharp is a private investigator, tracing a woman’s long-lost sister. What starts out as a simple investigation turns increasingly malevolent with many people trying to keep their secrets buried. Meanwhile, Det. Supt. Catherine McLeod is investigating the murder of actor Hamish Queen at Cragruthes Castle in Argyll.

In the Cold Dark Ground. Stuart MacBride

Book number 10 in the Logan McRae series. A missing person investigation turns into a murder enquiry when a body is found in the woods. The Serious Crime Unit arrives from Aberdeen with Logan’s ex-boss, DCI Steel, in charge. Wee Hamish Mowat, head of Aberdeen’s criminal underbelly dies and bequeaths his empire to Logan, which puts Logan’s life in danger.

Out of Bounds. Val McDermid

For DCI Karen Pirie, leading the Cold Case Unit, a routine blood sample taken after a horrific car crash sets in motion the re-opening of a 20-year-old case. A plane crash at around the same time killed all four passengers, and there is a familial link between the two cases. Meanwhile Karen is drawn to another case which may involve terrorism.

The Blackhouse. Peter May

In the first of a trilogy, Detective Fin MacLeod is sent to the Isle of Lewis to investigate a murder with striking similarities to a case he is investigating in Edinburgh. As Fin was born and raised on Lewis, the investigation also represents a journey home and into his past. Lewis Island provides a stark background to the story, where Calvinist traditions provide a way of life which challenge Fin.

The Red Road. Denise Mina

In 1997 a double murder occurs in a seedy part of Glasgow. The assailant is a 14-year-old prostitute, who immediately surrenders to police. The girl’s lawyer visits her in prison and eventually invites her into his home as nanny to his grandchildren. In the present day, DI Alex Morrow is investigating arms dealers and murderers, finding there are links going back to the events of 1997.

Rather be the devil. Ian Rankin

Rebus is now in ‘retirement’ but when dining at the Caledonian Hotel with Deborah Quant, he is reminded of an unsolved murder which took place there 40 years earlier. With the help of a former colleague, Rebus delves into the cold case files. Meanwhile there are ructions in the Edinburgh underbelly, with a vicious attack on the city’s ‘Mr Big’, who is suspected of money laundering.

SEE ALSO

Easy Kill. Lin Anderson

Sleep Like the Dead. Alex Gray

Hour of Darkness. Quintin Jardine

Laidlaw. William McIlvanney

The Comfort of Saturdays. Alexander McCall Smith

The Night Hunter. Caro Ramsay

The Long Glasgow Kiss. Craig Russell

Naming the Bones. Louise Welsh