Scotland and the Scottish Diaspora
"It's part of me, Scotland. I'm still immersed in it even though I am not there." -- Irvine Welsh (1958 - ), Scots novelist, short story writer, playwright, author of Trainspotting among many other works).
All my life I have been interested in the history of Scotland and the profound consequences of the Scottish diaspora throughout the world. Scotland and the Scots are appealing in so many ways -- the beauty of the land- and seascapes, the food and drink, the extraordinarily resourceful and creative people, the dramatic history from antiquity to the present, the great literature and history and philosophy and religion. The subjects are themselves enough to inspire writing, but there is great satisfaction in the fact that the Scots have lived up to the subjects on their own writ.
Over many years I have researched the history of Cumberland Valley, and I have often talked about the Scots, the Scots-Irish, and the settlement of this part of the New World by these willing and not-so-willing exiles. In recognition of the history and significance of the Scots to our area, I fly the Saltire and carry these books and cds. I am always on the lookout for more.
P.S. Due to listing limitations, I have moved Ian Rankin and Denise Mina, two fine writers of the Scots Noir movement, over to our International Mystery page.
Strange Loyalties (Laidlaw)
Strange Loyalties (Laidlaw)
Book Three in William McIlvanney's Laidlaw Trilogy
From William McIlvanney, “the father of 'Tartan Noir’,” comes the third book in the groundbreaking Laidlaw series, one that explores “the ruin of the body, the corruption of the soul and the shattering of society” (Wall Street Journal).
This third book in the series begins with Jack Laidlaw’s despair and anger at his brother’s death in a banal road accident. But his nagging doubts about the dynamics of his brother’s death lead to larger questions about the nature of pain and injustice and the greater meaning of his own life. He becomes convinced there is more to his brother's death. His investigations will lead to a confrontation with his own past and a harrowing journey into the dark Glasgow underworld.
The Laidlaw books are widely considered to be among the greatest achievements of Scottish crime writing and the founding novels of what has since become known as the school of Tartan Noir, whcih includes autors like Val McDermid, Denise Mina, and Ian Rankin.