A brace of corpses. A bone-crunching machine. A new recruit.
Now employed by an Inverness organised crime gang, former petty thief Relic Black is teamed up with hitman Ali McKay, the man he almost killed a few weeks earlier. As the team tidy up the loose ends after the shooting, gang member and bent cop DI McKenzie must investigate the disappearance of two people, knowing Relic and Ali have already disposed of the bodies.
Meanwhile, Rebecca’s unpopular colleague DI Swinney, suspects her of involvement in the shooting. Knowing one of the bodies currently taking up space in the mortuary remains anonymous, he discovers the man’s identity. Can Swinney uncover the truth, dig the dirt on McKenzie and regain his former status with the DCI, or will the gang step in to stop him?
Warning – strong language and adult situations throughout.
Crucial Black is book #2 in the Relic Black Thriller series set in Inverness, Scotland.
NB book #2 is not a standalone – the series must be read in order.
***
***
Q&A
Did, or do you, like to read comic books/graphic novels? Which ones?
Not really. As a kid, I read comics and War Story type series (like DC Thomson’s Commando) as well as MAD, but I never got into graphic novels.
Whom did you inherit your love for books/reading from?
No idea. My parents weren’t great readers but we had a library just round the corner from our house, so I spent a lot of time there, reading series like The Hardy Boys, Just William, The Three Investigators and of course, the Famous Five.
When you need a murder victim or someone you can diagnose with a serious disease or someone who is involved in a fatal accident do you sometimes picture someone nasty you have met in real life and think ‘got you’ LOL?
No. The only time I came close to something like that, was when I dreamed up a gang of yob. They were inspired by a real family of horrible people, had bright red hair and looked like trolls. In The Devil’s Porridge Gang, I had an old lady give them a good talking to, while waving her handbag in a threatening manner.
How do you come up with the names for your characters?
Characters must have names you can live with, so I try not to use people I know, as I don’t want their faces popping into my head every time I write their name. Sometimes I give people nicknames instead of actual names. In the Terry Bell books, I’ve had characters called Bench Face, Joe Spud, and Monkey Boy.
Do you write other things beside books (and shopping lists 😉 )?
I write short stories, poems, and the occasional song. Lately, I’ve turned my hand to limericks. Here’s a recent one:
She tripped on the carpet, they said
While going upstairs to her bed
She fell arse over tit
And bounced, just a bit
Now she lies in her coffin, quite dead.
If a movie or series was made from your books, would you be happy with the ‘based on’ version or would you rather they showed it exactly the way you created it?
These days, there are very few drama series that are accurate to the books they are based on. There are exceptions, but often the programme makers seem to take the main characters and create new stories that have nothing to do with the original ones. (Shetland by Ann Cleeves, is a prime example). Ideally, I’d love someone to recreate the Terry Bell Mysteries, of the Relic Black Thrillers on TV, but I think it’s unlikely, and if they did, I reckon something with my name on it based on, or inspired by, my characters, would be enough to keep my happy.
Who would you like/have liked to interview?
Stephen King. Unfortunately, I’ve seen so many interviews with him, I doubt I could come up with anything original to ask him.
Do you have certain people you contact while doing research to pick their brains? What are they specialized in?
No. There are lots of authors (like Val McDermid and Peter James) who go to great lengths to create realistic scenarios with authentic detail such as police procedures, but all I want to do is create something that is reasonably realistic. For me, it’s the story and the characters that are the most interesting part.
Is there someone you sometimes discuss a dilemma with?
No. If I get stuck on something, I turn to my old pal Google 😉
What is more important to you: a rating in stars with no comments or a reviewer who explains what the comments they give are based on (without spoilers of course)?
Ratings are great, but I’d much rather readers took the time to write about their experiences. Even a couple of lines saying what they enjoyed (or didn’t enjoy) about the book is better than a simple star rating (which, in my opinion, is a bit of a cop out)
Thank you.
***
About the author
Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate.
His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, Word Bohemia, Every Day Fiction, The Grind, A3 Review, 1,000 Words, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. He currently lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.
He also makes rather nice vegan cakes.
***
Author Links
Twitter https://twitter.com/colingarrow
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/colinngarrow/
Website https://colingarrow.co.uk/
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/colingarrowthewriter
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@colingarrowauthor
***
***
Book Links
AMAZON https://geni.us/gXeQFS
SMASHWORDS https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1345380
***
B for Bookreview 