May 2026 – An Inspiring Story

Many authors discuss the book or books that inspired them to take up writing, or perhaps shape they way in which they choose to write their own novels. Often it was a book they discovered at school that has lived with them for their whole life and one that is re-read often.

Although I enjoyed elements of my English classes when I was at school, I didn’t ever have that moment of euphoria reading a book or novel. Often I struggled to get through the books I was made to study and, with the exception of one or two, they didn’t really stay with me. It was, however, a short story that affected me, and influenced my writing, to this day. I discussed my love of the shorter format stories in a recent blog, the link to which is noted below.

Feb 2026 – For The Love of the Short Format

It will not come as a surprise that the short story in question was a crime/mystery one. What may come as a surprise, especially for those only aware of one element of his writing, is the author. The story is called Lamb to the Slaughter, written by Roald Dahl, who is better known for his children’s novels.

The story was written in 1953, and actually rejected initially which I personally find astounding. If you are not aware of the story, I would recommend seeking it out. I won’t place any spoilers here, but I found the story shocking, fascinating and brilliantly written when I first read it as a teenager in the late 1980s. I re-read the story again today, for the purpose of this blog, and it still holds up.

The story has also been dramatised twice, once in 1958 for Alfred Hitchcock presents and again in 1979 for Dahl’s own TV series, Tales of the Unexpected. I have seen the latter, which includes the wonderful Brian Blessed.

The idea for the story was actually given to Dahl by his friend, and James Bond creator, Ian Fleming, during a meal together. The story is only around 10 pages long, but I find it a perfect template to a short crime/mystery story. The story packs a punch and I was reminded of it when I received some positive feedback on one of the first short stories I ever had published.

‘In Hiding’ was included in the Dark Scotland anthology, which is sadly now out of print. I had the idea for the story when watching an episode of Poirot, which I actually reference in the story. It was a throwaway comment that is made by one of the characters that got me thinking about a particular twist in the story. I received great feedback from two authors, one stating that ending came like a knockout and another who said that they wanted to immediately re-read the story upon the reveal at the end.

So proud of this story as I am, I have decided to re-publish it for others to enjoy. In the coming month, I will be publishing a new, standalone, novella to raise money for charity. I have decided to include In Hiding as well as some other short stories that have been previously published, as well as a further unpublished short story. More information on this will be released in the coming weeks, so please keep an eye on my socials and subscribe to these blogs, if you have not already done so, to ensure you don’t miss out.

Hopefully you may enjoy some of these stories as much as I enjoyed Lamb to the Slaughter when I first came across it all those years ago…

Thanks again for reading this blog. I am hopeful that this will be a busy publishing period, with the charity book being published soon and my collaboration novel due out in the coming months also. Remember you can check out my current work within the Books tab of this website, or read a selection of short stories at that tab in the meantime.

Apr 2026 – Fantasy Writer’s Dinner Party

There is a famous bookish podcast that asks a question to the authors appearing on each episode; which three writers they would invite, living or dead, to a fantasy dinner party. I thought I would steal that idea for this month’s blog, but greedily choose four.

1 – Dame Agatha Christie

I don’t this will come as a surprise to anyone, given I named the main character in my crime series after her. She famously enjoyed drinking cream at the dinner table, but I’m sure that if she was to share how she came up with so many clever plots, this can be excused. I would be intrigued to discover how she planned her novels and what her writing routine was like.

2 – William Boyd

Many people are surprised that my favourite living author is not actually a crime writer, although he has dipped his toe in thriller type novels, including his excellent James Bond novel, Solo. I’ve heard him speak often about his approach to writing and his number one tip is to know how a novel will end before you begin to write it. What I would most like to learn from him over the meal, is how he develops his characters. The characterisation of his novels is astounding, and I doubt there are many better at this than him.

3 – Anthony Horowitz

I feel that I could learn so much about the craft from Anthony, including how I could develop into screenwriting. In my opinion, Foyle’s War is one for the greatest crime TV series ever created. Add to that, his screenplays for the early Midsomer Murders, the numerous Poirot episodes he developed, and his record speaks for itself. As for his novels, I loved his three James Bond books, his Magpie Murder trilogy, but I would love to talk to him about the exceptional Hawthorn series that he continues to write. His ‘breadcrumbs’ (which is what I call the little clues a crime writer leaves for the reader to let them try and work out the solution for themselves) in the series are so clever. I may need a big notebook for a conversation with him.

4 – Sir Billy Connolly

Yes, I know this is a bit of a cheat, however, he has written a number of books and any excuse to have Billy Connolly, in his prime, at a dinner party could not be resisted. I think he would be the spark that would bring everyone in attendance out of their shell. From a writing point of view, I think he could help me develop the humour in my books. I tend to use DS Mike Lyle for this within the Christie series and I love when an idea pops into my head about something funny for him to say, so it would be good to hear how the best in the business does this. If there was ever a lull in the conversation, I’m sure Billy would be able to share some of his brilliant stories with us…

Thanks again for reading my blog. Don’t forget to subscribe to these blogs to get notified when one gets posted. I would like to do some subscriber exclusive posts in the future, once the number reaches a certain level. In the meantime, check out the Books tab in the menu to see what I’ve released so far.

Mar 2026 – A Novel like a Richard Linklater Movie – Coming Soon…

As I have mentioned before, I am currently undertaking the final edit of a novel that I co-wrote with my long time writing brother Craig ‘Brodie’ Simpson. I remember writing a blog previously about this novel, however, I was shocked to realise that I wrote that over 5 years ago. If you want to read it, I’ve left a link to it below –

Introducing ‘Alexander Simpson’

As the blog discussed, Craig and I came up with a rough idea for a plot and created three main characters each. We would then take it in turns to write a chapter, introducing our characters and creating the narrative of the plot. I can’t remember exactly when we started writing, but I would guess it would be round about 2014. Move on 12 years later, I am now completing the final edit and the book will be finally getting published in the coming months under the pseudonym of ‘Alexander Simpson’.

Throughout our friendship, Craig has introduced me to many books and authors, and his other passion is cinema. As such, we would also occasionally head out to see a film together and one such outing happening in 2014, around the time we had started to write the book, when we went to see ‘Boyhood’, the Richard Linklater movie starring Patricia Arquette and Ethan Hawke. It’s not lost on me that that movie took around 12 years to create, the same approximate time that this book has taken from concept to publication.

When I wrote that blog 5 years ago, I expected the book to be published soon afterwards. A mixture of other projects, changes in our lives which would see me start a new job, move home and Craig move overseas, meant that it was once more placed on the back burner. We have maintained regular contact and discussed it often, but finally made a solid commitment last year to prioritise it for a 2026 release.

I don’t want to give too much away at this stage, however, the story begins at the funeral of a Professor of English from the University of Edinburgh. The event reunites 6 students who have not been in contact for over 20 years. As the six old friends start to get reacquainted, an event happens that shakes up all their lives. It was great fun to write and every time I go back to it, I get to appreciate the writing journey that we have both travelled over the years.

A journey I am sure that we will continue to enjoy, wherever that particular path leads us…

Thanks again for reading this short blog. The novel should be available in the coming months and you can keep up to date by subscribing to my monthly blog or following me on the socials. In the meantime, you can check out my current collection of short stories, novellas and novels and the tabs at the top of this website.

Feb 2026 – For The Love of the Short Format

I’ve often spoken of my love for short stories, both writing and reading them. As I have continued on my writing journey, I’ve discovered a love for writing novellas and short books also. It is a love of these formats that have shaped the start of my year.

As discussed in my last blog, I published a novella called This is Not the Athens Train, a spy thriller type story that I had a lot of fun writing. What started as a bit of a fun project, will develop into something grander as the initial feedback that I have received has taken me aback. I certainly had fun writing it and I thought the characters were appealing, but the overall sense from the early readers is that there needs to be more.

One of the advantages of writing it in the novella format is that I could maintain the tension throughout the story. I’ll admit that I questioned if I would be able to do this in a full novel length story, hence I decided early on that it would be a novella. The outcome is that I will definitely write more stories with these characters and I think it would make a good series of novellas, for the reason I have stated.

There are times when short story competitions pop up on my social media timeline and I manage to resist many of them. Having failed to resist the challenge of writing a crime story with a cat it (and the added warmth of raising some money for a cat charity), I succummed once more to temptation of submitting another. To be fair, there was a very good reason for dropping my current writing plans, as this is connected to the best crime writing festival in my country, so I felt I had to at least put myself in the mix. I’m happy with the end result, and my test reader also gave it the thumbs up, so it’s been submitted for consideration. As with other stories I have submitted, I will find a way of sharing it, if it is not chosen.

Another reason why I have been thinking a lot about the shorter format is because of the editing process I am currently undertaking. The much mentioned co-authored novel is now going through a final edit before publication later this year. This book has been around ten years in the making and comes in at around 100,000 words. Unless a massive chunk is cut out (unlikely), it will be the longest book that I have published. I hope, however, that it will be worth both the wait and commitment to read it.

As well as the short stories and novellas that I have written, there has also been a reduction in the length of the Christie novels. The early ones came in at around 70,000 words, whereas the last two have been closer to 50,000. There are a couple of reasons for this, firstly (like the aforementioned novella) it allows me to keep the story going and maintain the tension throughout. I am not one to pad out a story or add unnecessary fluff as this is something I neither enjoy writing or reading. Secondly, it allows me to publish quicker which helps maintain an interest in the stories. As I am not fortunate enough to do this as a full time job, a shorter novel will help me to publish more regularly and (hopefully) keep my readership happy.

I understand why the publishing world focuses on novels and stories of a certain length and size, although I wish that we could celebrate the joy of the shorter format more. I for one, will continue to share my love of it and write stories in these wonderful packages…

Thanks again for reading my blog. ‘This is Not the Athens Train’ is available now in eBook and paperback novella. Some of my short stories are available on this website to read for free. The Alexander Simpson novel will be published later this year, so please subscribe to this blog if you want to keep up to date with what’s happening and when.

Jan 2026 – Year Ahead, Athens Train and 1001 Songs

I’m not planning on setting many in the way of writing goals this year, having seen previous attempts falling by the wayside too often. I do, however, have a number of projects being worked on, including a novella that has just been published, which I will discuss in a moment. Beyond the novella, I have just finished writing a short crime story (that involves a cat) for a competition and to raise money for charity, then I have to do a final edit on my collaboration novel for publication later in the year.

After that, I will be working on the first in a new crime series which will be sent to agents and publishers initially rather than self-publishing like the Christie novels. I will also be looking to publish a football related crime novella (again for charity), which may include some additional stories with the publication. If time permits, I will re-visit DI Christie at the end of the year, either for a short story, novella or to work on book 6.

As I said, I have just published a novella called ‘This is Not the Athens Train’, a spy-thriller type story set in Greece. The title comes from a family joke when we were visiting friends/family in Thessaloniki and getting a train back to Athens to fly home. When a heavily graffitied train pulled up to the station, I assumed that it was a local train. I said the now immortal words and they have stuck ever since. I even received a Penguin Books print of the words, so I had to write the story.

The genre is a little different to my usual crime thriller style, but I enjoyed writing this and it is something I may come back to in the future. I certainly had fun creating the characters and their back story, so I know there are more stories to be shared with these people. Growing up watching the James Bond films, I suppose the novella is a love letter to both that style of drama as well as Northern Greece which I have visited many times to see our Greek family.

A while back, I came across the book 1001 Songs to Listen to Before You Die. It’s one is a series that also includes subjects like books, films and albums. I think the songs version is the most achievable and I have a list from c2015 (they tend to update the list from time to time). I decided at the start of the year to start this challenge, by listening to all 1001 songs this year (even ones I have heard before). Breaking it down to 3 songs a day makes it more achievable and I am doing the list in chronological order. I’m currently well ahead of schedule (165 at time of writing), so I’m confident that I can keep this up. It has been relatively easy so far, as most songs from the early period of recordings were between 2 and 3 minutes long.

Thanks again for reading my blog. This is Not the Athens Train (or TINTAT for short) is available to buy in eBook and Paperback format (link in the Books tab of this website). Please let me know what you think and if you would like me to revisit these characters in the future.

Dec 2025 – DI Christie Update & the Year That Was

In my final blog of the year, I provide an update to DI Christie and discuss the year that has been.

I Am Mine is the fifth in the DI Joanne Christie series and a bit of a change to other books I have written. Firstly, it is my first attempt at a locked room mystery, which is something that I have been wanting to do for a long time, before I finally wrote one as a short story. As I’ve stated before, this story was shelved following the decision of the publishers not to proceed with the planned anthology it was to be included in. This allowed me to use it as the basis for this novel and add a few extra threads to the story.

Another thing that is different, and without trying to give too many spoilers away, is that it is not so much a whodunnit, rather than how they done it. What I mean by this, is there is not the usual long list of suspects for you to choose from, although there is an element of trying to work things out as is expected in a crime novel. I’ll leave it at that and hope that you go on to read and enjoy this.

On top of the novel, I have also written a short story that is currently under consideration for publication. I should find out around the end of April if it has been selected and, if not, may submit it elsewhere or just publish it on this website. It’s a bit different to other stories that I have written as, although there is a small element of crime involved, that is not that main essence of the story. I enjoyed writing that one, so really hope I can share it soon.

The final thing to state is that I will be taking a, hopefully, short pause with the Christie series. I may do a blog in the new year about my plans for 2026, however, I have 4 separate writing projects to deal with before I go onto book 6 of the series. The first involves completing a novella that I am currently writing and nearing completion. I then have a novel that was co-authored to edit and publish and another novella to edit and publish. Finally, I plan to write the first of a new series which will be queried rather than self-published initially.

As three out of the four projects are already written/nearing completion, I only have 1 full novel to write before I can reacquaint myself with Christie. I have a couple of ideas what happens next and I did leave the last novel with a bit of a cliffhanger, so I won’t be waiting too long before getting started with it.

I wouldn’t do that to those who are excited to find out what’s to come…

Thanks again for reading my blog. Links to DI Christie number 5, and all my other novels, is contained within the Books tab of this website. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for notifications when a new blog is posted (subscribe at the bottom of the Home page) and follow me on your social media of choice (see Links tab of this website for more details). Finally, I hope you have a great 2026.

Nov 2025 – One, Two, Miss a Few and DI Christie Book 5 Update.

Well my plan of monthly blogs has, somewhat, gone out the window over the last few months so I will need to think of some things to share in the coming couple of months to catch up. Sometimes, an idea for a blog just comes to me and other times I just can’t think for the life of me what to say. Fortunately, I have an update on the latest DI Christie novel to share, as I continue to think what else to say in the near future.

‘I Am Mine’ is the name of the fifth instalment of the DI Joanne Christie series based in Edinburgh. The novel derives from a short story that I had written under the same name, which was due to be published in an anthology of stories based in Ireland. Sadly, the publishers decided to close so the anthology didn’t go ahead, but I liked the story and felt it could be used as the basis of the latest Christie novel. Although the story moved from Ireland to Edinburgh, I decided to keep some Irish characters in the plot as a nod to the original story. Another thing I was proud of, was the fact it was my first attempt at a locked room mystery.

I’m a big fan of this sub-genre of crime fiction, Agatha Christie has included a few in her novels and some of the best crime writers have written them over the years. I am also a big fan of the Jonathan Creek TV series, which brings a lot of the magic of these mysteries to life, if you excuse the horrendous pun. On that note, I had the delight of meeting Alan Davies recently in Edinburgh and managed to resist the urge of attending his event in duffle coat and curly wig.

As well as the main plot to the novel, I added a couple of other investigations to the story which allowed some of the regular characters to work on their own cases. I won’t say too much about these as so not to add any spoilers, but I was delighted how all these threads came together.

Fans of Kevin Curtis (also known as The Chain), will be glad to know that he plays a part in the book also. His retrial date has been set, but there are events that will happen in the run up to this that I hope readers will enjoy experiencing.

The eBook and paperback have been submitted for publication, so by the time you read this, you may be able to purchase them. It sometimes takes a few days for everything to pull through so if you can’t see it yet, you are just too keen! I’ll leave a link in the books section in due course.

Thanks again for reading my blog. If you’re a fan of the Christie series, I hope you enjoy the next one. I have different writing plans for next year, but I may drop a Christie novella later in the year as I love these characters I have created over the last ten years or so.

Jul 2025 – Half Way There – Living on a Prayer

This month’s blog provides an update on my writing progress and a few tips for handling the dreaded ‘Writer’s Block’ which was threatening me earlier this year.

I am officially half way through DI Joanne Christie book number 5 and have made a commitment to write a chapter per week so that it will be completed before the end of October and published later in the year. I mentioned on an earlier blog that the novel comes from a short story that I wrote, that was due to be published in an anthology, before the publishers decided to close their business. I was really proud of the story, a locked room mystery set in Ireland and had been thinking of an alternative way of getting it out.

I had considered changing it to a DI Christie short story and publishing it separately, however, when I rediscovered the story, I started to think about other elements that I could add to the story involving the other characters in the DI Christie series. As these thoughts began to evolve, I knew I had the main thread of the 5th book. I’m quite structured in my length planning, so I usually know how long a book will be and how many chapters it will contain before I start. Hence, I know that I am half way there and now starting the descent of the novel writing mountain.

Part of this planning helps my own writing process, which certainly took a bump earlier in the year following a difficult period. Sometimes, other things are more important than writing and it took me a while to get back into this novel. In recent months I have managed that and have set myself a specific goal to aid that. I’m not sure if it was Writer’s Block exactly, but my tried and tested methods helped me get back on track. As such, I wanted to share how I plan a novel to help me get through the process and perhaps help others who are suffering during their own process.

1 – HAVE A GOOD OUTLINE

Before you start, have a good outline for your novel. Some authors take this to the extremes and have tens, if not hundreds of pages of notes. I’ve not always done this as much as I do now. When I wrote Five Against One, I had no idea who the killer was until I was nearly finished. I like to leave some room for creativity, as sometimes the best ideas happen during the process. More often than not nowadays, I know who the killer is at the start, as it helps with planning red herrings and leaving breadcrumbs for the reader.

2 – BREAK THE NOVEL DOWN TO CHAPTERS AND SCENES

As part of the planning process, I know how many chapters I will write and how long each chapter is roughly. With this word count in mind, I know that each chapter is made up of one very long scene, a couple of longer scenes or a series of shorter scenes. When I am writing my novel, I have two sections that I keep at the bottom of the manuscript document. One is ‘Plot Outline’ where I keep notes of the general plot and add to this as the novel progresses and ‘Next Scenes’ where I note what scenes are coming up. I find this second section helps eliminate Writer’s Block as if I’m not sure where a story is going, I just focus on the next scene. For example, I may have written that the autopsy results are due at a certain time or a particular witness or suspect needs to be interviewed. Having a few future scenes planned helps you move the story forward and, as you write these scenes, others will form in your mind or arise through the story.

3 – TAKE A BREAK

Sometimes a scene just will not progress, regardless of how much you try and force it. If you find yourself staring at the flashing cursor for longer than is healthy, then it’s time for a break. Grab yourself a coffee, go for a walk or just leave it until the next time you plan to write. When taking that break, think what you want to achieve in the scene, or how it can link up to the next scene. Alternatively, think of something major that could happen that will shock the reader. Raymond Chandler’s advice was “when in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand”.

4 – HAVE A TEST READER

I’ve spoken often about my writing brother and test reader, Craig ‘Brodie’ Simpson. Since my debut novel, Alive, was being written, I have shared my WIP with him during the writing process. I don’t tend to change my novels much from the first draft and he makes sure the story makes sense. I generally polish the manuscript during revisions, but the main story tends to stay the same (unless I make a major error, which hasn’t happened yet – to my knowledge!). I do this by sending him the manuscript at the end of every second chapter. This also helps in the process for two main reasons. Firstly, he is waiting patiently for the update and secondly, his positive feedback motivates me to press on. Of course, this may backfire if at any time in the future if he thinks what I am writing sucks.

5 – ENJOY THE PROCESS

Not many of us are fortunate enough to write as their full time jobs. As such, most of us do this for the enjoyment of writing, or that buzz you get when you sell some books, or someone leaves a kind review. For me, just having the opportunity to talk to readers, who have read one of my novels, about the story, gives me a great sense of pride and achievement. If you are struggling, remember you are here to enjoy it. Don’t be afraid to leave a WIP and start something different, or take an extended break from it. Try writing a short story with a different set of characters or even in a different genre. If the story is right, you’ll come back to it – usually with some new and improved ideas.

Thanks again for reading this blog. Hopefully it has been insightful and helpful if you do dabble in the joys of writing. Please remember to subscribe to the blogs, so you get notified each time I post. The DI Christie novels are available via the Books tab as usual.

Jun 2025 – Underrated Christie

Stupidly late for this month’s (or more accurately last month’s) blog, but I’m aiming for ‘averaging’ a blog a month. This month, I wanted to return to Agatha Christie and talk about three of her underrated stories, in my most humble of opinions.

I decided to pick one Poirot, one Marple and one Other for my list, so here we go…

1 – POIROT – Cards on the Table

I do speak a lot about this novel and it is the one that immediately springs to mind when I think of underrated Christie novels (I’ve heard Anthony Horowitz agree with me on a podcast). It has such a simple set up, eight people are invited to play bridge and the host is murdered. One of the players is the murderer and Poirot has to work out who it is. It may be the simplicity of the set up that I love, or it may be that the wonderful Mrs Oliver makes her debut (in a Poirot novel). The characters are gripping and there is the usual twists and turns along the way until we reach a satisfying conclusion. Definitely one worth a read and a good introduction to the Poirot novels, before you consume the more recognisable ones. Of course, the David Suchet adaptation is marvellous.

2 – MARPLE – Nemesis.

Another clever mystery, where Miss Marple is sent on a tour of famous British houses following the death of Jason Rafael. Miss Marple’s inheritance is reliant on the trip and solving of a secret mystery. This is a great and clever story, with a number of shocking incidents along the way and the conclusion is extremely satisfying. I love the Joan Hickson adaptation and the more modern one with Geraldine McEwan was also great, with a fantastic performance from Richard E Grant as Marple’s nephew Raymond West.

3 – OTHER – Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?

Another book that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves and I feel that Bobby Jones and Lady Frances Derwent could have made a great crime fighting duo, but sadly only appear in this novel. A simple premise, a dying man found near a golf course with a cryptic last statement, leads the amateur detectives off in search of answers. I’ve not seen the 1980 adaptation and although I enjoyed the episode that they shoehorned Miss Marple into, Hugh Lawrie’s 2022 adaptation is sensational.

Thanks for reading this quick blog, I’ll aim to get another out shortly to catch up and maintain my monthly blog commitment. Please consider subscribing (for free) to be notified as soon as I release a blog here. Let me know through the socials what your favourite underrated Christie novels are. I’m currently working on DI Christie (named after Dame Agatha) book 5, so if you fancy reading about her, check out the Books tab on this site.

May 2025 – Desert Island Albums

Once again, I’m late for my monthly blog, albeit just a couple of days (should I be able to complete this at the time of writing). I’m returning to my Desert Island series, where I select 8 items from a random topic to discuss. This time, I am looking at some of my favourite albums of all time. For this list, I am referring to studio albums only, I may come back and do a live and/or compilation list at a later date.

With the change in listening habits, I feel that the art of putting together an album may be lost on many. The saving grace appears to be a return to vinyl, which seems to be going through a bit of a purple patch at present, with record shops making a welcome return to many cities, towns and even villages. I was delighted to see one such case in the beautiful village of East Linton, in my county of East Lothian, with the opening of ‘A Love Supreme Records’. It is now becoming my favourite place to visit, with Hometown Coffee and Night Owl Books also located there.

Anyway, on to my list of eight albums, which in my opinion are what the kids call ‘Non-Skippable albums’, where every song in a ‘Banger’. Personally, I would simply say that these are albums to be enjoyed from start to finish…

1 – Dark Side of The Moon by Pink Floyd

No surprises here, as this is often classed as the greatest album of all time. I discovered Pink Floyd in my late teens, but of all their albums, this is the one I go back to. Controversially, there is an almost skippable track with ‘On the Run’, but that is more down to the lack of guitars for me. That said, I let it run so that I can enjoy the piece as a whole. The added joy of being able to listen to the whole album live, in correct order, via the Pulse album is bliss.

2 – Ten by Pearl Jam

Put a gun to my head and I would confess that this is my favourite album of all time. Purchased on its release in 1991, it is an album that I never tire of listening to. Some feel it is over produced, too radio friendly for the grunge era, but I personally think it is perfect. The band have since released some incredible records, but for me the debut still stands above all else.

3 – Strange Kind of Love by Love & Money

James Grant is probably my favourite singer/songwriter and it is a crime against brilliant songwriting that Love & Money were not given the credit (or success) that they deserved. Their second album was the one that my sister first introduced me to in the late 1980s and I’ve been a massive fan of the band, and James as a solo artist, since. There are so many good tracks on this album and I played this to death upon discovering it as well as wearing out my VHS video tape of their Sounds of Eden concert that was shown on the BBC around this time. It is now available to watch on Youtube and yes, I’ve watched it more than a few times since.

4 – Slippery When Wet by Bon Jovi

When my young ears started to listen to rock music, there were two albums that got me hooked, Def Leppard’s Hysteria and Slippery When Wet, Bon Jovi’s third album. Although I may not have been able to separate them at the time, for me, Slippery has aged better than the former. It was the album that made me want to learn guitar and I spend hours trying to emulate Richie Sambora, often failing miserably due to lack of talent and equipment.

5 – Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette

Another album I became obsessed with after it was released. I played the CD constantly and even went as far as obtaining a Japanise import that had an extra live/acoustic disc. I was there just before her popularity exploded and seen her live at the Glasgow Barrowlands, even meeting the band afterwards at the Cathouse. It’s quite sad that this mainly unknown group of musicians that I met that night, included the late Taylor Hawkins. I’ll be going back to see her later in the year with my daughter, 29 years after that memorable gig.

6 – Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos

The album that inspired Alanis, this is a collection of incredable songs, beautifully sang with outstanding piano playing throughout. If my sister introduced me to some of Scotland’s great bands and my eldest brother introduced me to rock and metal, my other brother brought me some of the great female singer/songwriters. Although I hold Kate Bush in higher regard overall, I don’t think any of her albums are as complete at this one.

7 – Iron Maiden – Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

Where many Maiden fans will no doubt mention Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind or Powerslave as the greatest, for me Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is listening joy. From the moment that the strummed acoustic guitar introduction makes way to Moonchild, to the perfection of Intimate Dreams, this album grabs you from the start and doesn’t let go until the end.

8 – Dirt by Alice in Chains

I could have picked Nirvana’s Nevermind or one of the Soundgarden albums, but I think Dirt may be the better album. I came late to Alice in Chains, being more interested in the other three of the ‘Big Four’, but I was wrong. It seems that AIC are getting more credit now than they did at the time and rightly so. The mix of stunning lead vocals, with perfect harmonies, was missing elsewhere in the genre. Dirt stands the test of time and remains as refreshing now to hear than it did back then.

Thanks for reading my blog. These are, of course, my personal choices and many of the greatest albums of all time are missing, but this list comprises eight albums that I could listen to from start to finish on any long journey and not feel the need to skip, forward or zone out at anytime. Songs from some these albums may appear in the current DI Christie novels, with DS Mike Lyle constantly playing many of the classic rock songs throughout the novels. As always, links are in the Books tab should you want to mix classic rock with good Scottish crime stories…