MY KIND OF CRIME – OSCAR DE MURIEL
WITH a missing digit, a love of the occult, outrageous dress sense and a volatile temper, Inspector Adolphous ‘Nine Nails’ McGray and the prim Inspector Ian Percival Frey make an unlikely crime fighting duo - especially when placed in the criminal underworld of Victorian Edinburgh.
The characters, who take centre place in a series of seven novels, are the creation of Mexican crime writer Oscar De Muriel, who fell in love with Edinburgh and its history during his many visits to the city. Here he shares his kind of crime…
First crime novel ever read…
My mum, back in Mexico, had a huge collection of Agatha Christie’s books, and I just picked them up and read them. It might have been Death in the Clouds. I remember the vintage cover with the airplane and the giant bee really piqued my curiosity. Or it might have been a Sherlock abridged story. I remember reading those very young. Either case, they were both huge influences.
Favourite crime writer and why…
Curiously, Isaac Asimov. He wrote a series of space mysteries (featuring David Starr and his sidekick Bigman) and a bunch of short stories called The Black Widowers. His twists are always very cerebral, and his book The Rings of Saturn has my favourite denouement ever - I remember finishing it for the first time and jumping back straight to the beginning to look for all the missed clues.
If you could re-read only one crime novel, what would it be?
The Woman in White, by Wilkie Collins. It’s one of those books you can read slowly and really savour each page, and yet it has passages that feel like a modern-day thriller.
What three ingredients does every crime novel need?
First, a satisfying conclusion, whether it’s a whodunnit or not. Nothing worse than getting to the end of a book and the baddie quite conveniently ‘falls down the stairs’. Atmosphere is very important too. I like books where you almost feel that you are physically there. And interesting characters are always a must.
What makes a good crime writer?
Perseverance. Hard work. Reading as much as you can on all topics. And a good dose of luck. That’s what my favourite authors always say at interviews - it is the not so good ones that say you shouldn’t read too much.
Agatha Christie or Ngaio Marsh?
It has to be Agatha Christie. Her books and the movies from the 70s really take me back.
Favourite TV cop show?
Life on Mars, hands down.
If you could meet one fictional detective in real life, which one would it be?
CJ Sansom’s Shardlake. He’s very human and compassionate, which I think is one of the main reasons he became so popular. We would have a great time eating mutton pie and gossiping about Henry VIII.
Describe each of your novels in three words…
Strings of Murder – Devilish, haunted violins.
A Fever of the Blood – Fugitive and witches.
A Mask of Shadows – Shakespeare, Dracula, banshees.
Loch of the Dead – Highlands’ dark wine.
The Darker Arts – Ghostly courtroom drama.
The Dance of the Serpents – Queen Vic’s revenge.
The Sign of the Devil – All ties in.
Who would play Frey and McGray in the TV adaptation of your books?
I honestly have no clue. I have a very vivid picture of them in my head and can’t think of anyone who looks/acts like them. Stuart Martin from Miss Scarlett and the Duke is very close to Nine-Nails, I must say. And I would LOVE to see Joanna Lumley play my character Lady Glass – she can definitely play a drunken landlady.
Where are you novels available from?
Any bookshop or online retailer. There is also an awesome set of audiobooks, which I’ve really enjoyed listening with a wee dram. Andy Secombe (aka Watto from Star Wars) does an incredible job with all the Scottish/English/exotic accents in the story.
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