You might think a “superband” made up of crime writers would murder any of the songs they tackled – but Chris Brookmyre is happy to prove you wrong.
“When we first start playing people are usually quite surprised. We used to joke that’s what we should put on the posters – ‘it’s better than you think it’s going to be’,” said the acclaimed author who provides vocals and guitar with the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers.
So he’s looking forward to gigging at the opening night of Granite Noir, Aberdeen’s crime writing festival, on Thursday February 23 at the Lemon Tree with his bandmates.
They just happen to be the cream of the country’s crime writers, Stuart Neville, Mark Billingham, Doug Johnstone, Val McDermid and Luca Veste.
Murder-themed cover numbers for Granite Noir music gig in Aberdeen
“The gigs are always fun, the more fun we can make it the better we can distract audiences from our actual playing,” joked Chris, adding the band performs murder and crime-themed covers.
Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers started when Stuart and Doug were “coerced” into doing acoustic numbers at a convention in New Orleans in 2016. Word got back to the Edinburgh Book Festival and they were asked to do a show.
“They had to add members and add to their repertoire because at that point they had three members and three songs,” said Chris, who learned to play the guitar after being invited to join the band on vocals.
“We thought it would be a one-off novelty, but it has grown and grown and we are approaching about 35 or 36 shows now.”
However, Chris isn’t at Granite Noir just to play with the band.
He will also be joining fellow writers Denzil Meyrick and Doug Johnstone to discuss new Scottish crime writing and the direction of travel for Tartan Noir in one of the many events during the four-day festival.
Scottish crime writing is ‘healthier than ever’ says Chris Brookmyre
“I would say Scottish crime writing is healthier than ever and it seems to keep getting stronger and stronger,” said Chris, citing fresh talent such as Callum McSorley, author of Squeaky Clean, and Tariq Ashkanani, who won the Scottish crime debut of the year award at Bloody Scotland last year.
“I think there’s a snowball effect in that if a particular area, such as Scotland, keeps developing strong crime fiction, people who are in Scotland and have literary ambitions, that’s the genre they are going to be influenced by.
“We are seeing a great width and variety of subgenres and voices in Scottish crime fiction.”
Chris – whose hugely successful latest thriller The Cliff House is due for a paperback release in May – believes Scotland punches above its weight in the genre, in part thanks to Granite Noir.
“Scotland has certainly got a very healthy and high profile internationally as a place associated with crime fiction and part of that comes from crime fiction festivals that are showcasing it, such as the likes of Bloody Scotland and indeed Granite Noir.”
Chris and his wife Marisa have new Ambrose Parry novel on the way
Chris is very much part of that Scottish success, not only in his own right as one of our most acclaimed and award-winning writers, but also in partnership with his wife, Marisa Haetzman.
Writing under the pseudonym of Ambrose Parry, the pair have authored a hugely popular series of evocative historical crime novels set in 19th-century Edinburgh.
A fourth, Voices Of The Dead, will see Dr Will Raven and Sara Fisher reunited this summer for grisly goings-on in the fog-swept Victorian streets of the capital with the burgeoning medical advances of the day as a backdrop.
Ambrose Parry came about when Marisa took a break from working as a consultant anaesthetist to do a Master’s degree. Her dissertation was on James Young Simpson, the groundbreaking Victorian obstetrician who pioneered chloroform as an anaesthetic in Edinburgh.
“That led to a lot of discussions and thinking that Simpson’s story and that period in Edinburgh, when it was leading the world in medical education and medical innovation, hadn’t been exploited much for drama and fiction.
“I didn’t feel confident about writing it myself and Marisa didn’t feel confident about writing it herself, so we decided we combine forces for what we thought would be one story. As we started writing it we realised there was so much material we could keep going, so this will be book number four.”
Chris Brookmyre’s solo book project is ‘top secret’ says Granite Noir star
Chris added the duo take turns about to write chapters, depending on whose area of interest is most suited to that section. So does he do the gruesome murders while Marisa focuses on the medical side?
“Actually, the most gruesome stuff in the books tends to be the medical stuff and she writes that,” he said.
Chris is also planning a new solo novel – but he’s keeping what it is about tightly under wraps.
“It’s a very complex concept and it’s top secret. I don’t want to tell anyone about it just now, so no one can steal the idea,” he said, laughing.
While Chris is looking forward to Granite Noir he is no stranger to Aberdeen. The couple lived in the city around 20 years ago, when Marisa was a consultant anaesthetist at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
Aberdeen has ‘forgiven but not forgotten’ Chris’s old jibe at city
Chris found himself at the centre of a stooshie when in his 2001 novel A Big Boy Did It And Ran Away, he described the Granite City and its people in less than flattering terms – “greedy, humourless, ungrateful, conceited and whinging” being among them.
“I’ve been back a few times and they’ve always made me feel very welcome in Aberdeen – although they have always brought up my previous remarks. I think they’ve forgiven but not forgotten,” said Chris.
Chris Brookmyre will play with Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers at the Lemon Tree on Thursday February 23. He will discuss new Scottish crime with Denzil Meyrick and Doug Johnstone at the Lemon Tree on Friday February 24.
For information and tickets for these and all Granite Noir events visit granitenoir.com