The fat crime writer squeezes into The Skinny

Mes Amis

I do like my dinner, so I was as surprised as anyone when I was told I had been mentioned in a magazine called Skinny.

Aha, but mes amis, I soon realised they meant The Skinny and understood that the title is a reference to a zine that gives you the lowdown, the scoop, the inside track. This grand music/culture zine that covers most of Scotland had an excellent Bookish Christmas Gift Guide in its latest issue, and guess which not-that-skinny crime writer got a lovely mention for his second novel?

place of high violence and low morals on the part of both criminals and police officers. Who knew Dundee could be so interesting?

Oh, we'll let that gentle dig at the city fly for now and not only because they go on to call the book a ...

snappily written heart thumper

before going on to say that

This is only McLean’s second novel, and he’s a young writer. The older crime writers should be looking over their shoulders at him and taking note.

You lovely folks at The Skinny, These Aye Mean Streets salute you!

(check out the whole Book Christmas Gift Guide here)

Au revoir

Russel

Now is the Winter... and well, he seems quite contented actually...*

Mes Amis

Quiet round here, I know, as I do various terrible things for various terrible people, but poking my head up to let you know that the wonderful Jim Winter at January Magazine has weighed in on the upcoming (Dec 8th!) release of THE GOOD SON in the US by St Martin's Press and he has the following to say:

Not as violent or coarse as fellow authors Ken Bruen and Ray Banks, McLean nonetheless skillfully mines the same ground for a bleak and desperate literary landscape.

Oh, yes. I like that. Bleak and desolate is good, although my mum might disagree about the coarseness...

But the jewel in the crown is coming:

Whatever comes next promises to be ever bit as hopeless and violent as The Good Son. And that’s a good thing. McLean has scored in his first novel.

Oh, yes. You want to check everything Jim has to say? Clickety-click my friends.

Whaddaya mean you want more?

Oh, okay, howsabout this interview that I apparently totally failed to link to before that concerns the UK release of THE LOST SISTER?

And then check out 7 quick questions from a man named Weeb** over at Writing Raw.

Has that sated your appetite? I certainly hope so. But have no fear, mes amis, I'll be back soon.

And yes, I don't know if that's a threat or a promise either.

Au revoir

Russel

*With big ol' apologies to Bill Shakespeare. Mind you this isn't half as good as the perhaps apocryphal Ad campaign run by an outdoors shop in Edinburgh many years ago that allegedly displayed a sign outside proclaiming "Now is the discount of our winter tents".

**Which incidentally was the name of the rought draft of Johnny Cash's eventual hit that became "A Boy Named Sue".

Rants and reviews

Mes Amis

Watch me get righteous about writing (well, rant about my personal pet peeve which is those who talk about writing but never actually do it) when Sandra Ruttan asks me what advice I would give would be writers over at the new issue of Spinetingler. Sandra is a grand interviewer, and a lot of these questions gave me stuff to chew over. But trust me when I say I know next to nothing about how you get on in this business except for that one nugget that is so damn important, I think it bears repeating on this 'ere blog:

write.
the.
damn.
book.

You can't do anything else without doing that.

While I'm here, I'll also shout out to a grand review that appeared on the Inpress site for THE GOOD SON from some fellow called David Brimage. Its reviews like that which make this gig worthwhile. Along with the lovely folks who came up to me after my recent lit fest appearance to mention how caught up they were in the book's narrative. Knowing you've got a couple of honest to God readers who've got the book is what makes it worthwhile. Because when we write, its not for our peers or to impress the professional reviewers so much as it is to impress the readers. They are the ones that matter in the end. They are the ones shelling out the bucks for a book, and we need to remember that its their experience that counts, that ensures repeat sales. Of course, I still love adoration from my writing peers (and betters!) and you beautiful professional reviewers.... Its all good, in fact.

Anyway, in other news I just turned twenty nine. Not that I'm complaining. But its very odd because in my heart of hearts, I still feel only about twenty one. I'm not ready to behave maturely quite yet.

Au revoir

Russel

"an ex-cop with demons in his past, enemies in the police and clients whom he can't trust."

Mes Amis

The discerning Mat Coward casts his critical eye over The Good Son at The Morning Star.

Want to know what he has to say? Then check it out here along with novels by PJ Brooke and Brian Freeman.

Au revoir

Russel