Bloody Scotland 2025: with Ian Rankin, Natalie Jayne Clark & Gordon Brown

Just very quickly, a reminder that I’d love you to join me for A Kick Up The Arts - live at at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, I’ll be at The Stand, with Still Game's Gavin Mitchell on August 18th, Barbara Dickson on August 20th, Grant Stott on August 21st, and Del Amitri’s Justin Currie on August 23rd - and I’ll be announcing more fab special guests soon…

Before that, the awesome Val McDermid will join me at The Portobello Bookshop on July 9th… There are ticket links to all of those shows via akickupthearts.org…

I’m also delighted to be coming to Edinburgh International Book Festival, and Bute Noir, and I’ll tell you all about those events soon, or sign up for the newsletter for more news - that’s also via akickupthearts.org…

Right now though, we’re in my hometown of Stirling for the launch of the brilliant Crime Writing Festival, Bloody Scotland, which started back in 2012…

I’m just back from the launch, which was great fun as ever… I was in conversation with globally best-selling author Linwood Barclay about his new supernatural thriller, WHISTLE, which is out now, and the event also saw director Bob McDevitt and this year’s guest programmer Sir Ian Rankin chat about what’s on this year’s bill…

As they were discussing the programme, I realised we should do a launch episode for the podcast, so my daughter dropped off my recording equipment, and I cajoled Ian Rankin along with Bloody Scotland founder and author Gordon Brown - aka Morgan Cry - and writer Natalie Jayne Clark, to join me for a flick through this year’s brochure…

Natalie’s terrific novel, The Malt Whisky Murders, is shortlisted for the festival’s 2025 debut novel prize. This year’s McIlvanney Prize for best Scottish book of the year will also be unveiled at Bloody Scotland, which runs in Stirling from the 12th to the 14th of September…

And can I just say now that I’m really looking forward to chairing a very special Rebus event, which you’ll hear about during our chat, and also a conversation with writers Mark Billingham and Laura Lippman who’ve written over 50 best-selling novels between them…

Anyway, here we are - Ian, Natalie, Gordon and me - in a hastily-cobbled together studio in a room at the Golden Lion… Linwood Barclay even joined us…