Tell me about your latest book and why we should read it?
My most recent book is ‘Tag – You’re Dead’, the second Dominic Queste thriller, in which he finds himself stalked by a serial killer with a penchant for playing psychological games. Although it’s not a comic novel it is – hopefully – funny and ideal if you’re looking for something light but maybe a wee bit scary.
If someone was to write your life story what would the title be?
The Trying Game.
What’s the strangest fan question or request you’ve received?
It wasn’t a fan question but being asked during a quiz to mime the opening scene of Christopher Brookmyre’s ‘Quite Ugly One Morning’ (with the author on the opposing team) was somewhat challenging. Anyone who has read the book will know it’s the one with the unmentionable object on the mantelpiece.
If you could co-write with anyone in the world (alive or dead) who would it be?
Ed McBain, but he’d end up doing most of the writing because I’d so awe-struck.
Tell me something nobody else knows about you (yet!).
I once acted as a minder for Mark ‘Taggart’ McManus during a charity event in Glasgow and had to ward off a particularly forceful and creepy fan armed with a spec script.
Finally please recommend 3 books that you have recently read and tell me why you’ve chosen these.
I’ve been reading a lot of New Zealand true crime as a judge for the Ngaio Marsh awards but won’t mention any of them yet! I’ve got so many books sitting to be read, including new titles by a lot of fellow Scots authors. However, Steph Broadribb’s ‘Deep Down Dead‘ was a superb, pacy read, Dennis Lehane’s ‘World Gone By’ was his usual highly readable excellence and John Connolly’s ‘A Time of Torment’ was, quite simply, jaw-droppingly good.
Who is Douglas Skelton? Douglas Skelton has published 11 books on true crime and history. He has been a bank clerk, tax officer, shelf stacker, meat porter, taxi driver (for two days), wine waiter (for two hours), reporter, investigator and editor.
His first thriller BLOOD CITY was published by Luath Press in 2013.
The gritty thriller was the first in a quartet set on the tough streets of Glasgow from 1980 onwards. It was followed by CROW BAIT, DEVIL’S KNOCK and finally OPEN WOUNDS, which was longlisted for the first McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year.
The first Dominic Queste thriller, THE DEAD DON’T BOOGIE, is now available from Contraband. The second, TAG – YOU’RE DEAD, was published in April 2017.
