Val McDermid

Often hailed as the modern Queen of Crime, Scottish author Val McDermid began her career in journalism before turning to playwriting and then fiction.

Often ascribed to the sub-genre of ‘Tartan Noir’ Val McDermid’s work includes several bestselling series, including the Lindsay Gordon, Kate Brannigan, Inspector Karen Pirie series and the Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series, the first of which, The Mermaids Singing, won the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger for Best Crime Novel of the Year. The Hill ⁄Jordan series was adapted for the highly successful television drama; Wire in the Blood.

Her other works comprise a modern adaptation of Northanger Abbey for the Austen Project as well as children’s books and non-fiction including Forensics.