An Interview with Author JM Dalgliesh
JM Dalgliesh is an author who perhaps needs no introduction. Having recently published the seventh book in his bestselling series, The Misty Isle, we caught up with him to discuss all things writing, and all things Scotland.
Listed in the top 10 most-read authors of the last decade on Amazon UK, he has written more than 30 novels and has sold more than 4.6 million copies worldwide. The Misty Isle is a fast-paced Scottish crime thriller and police procedural story. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Isle of Skye, follow Detective Inspector Duncan McAdam as he investigates murders hidden within these rural communities.
The Missing Dead is the seventh book in The Misty Isle series. Where do you get your continued inspiration from?
My approach to storytelling has always been rooted in the characters’ relationships, be they the recurring figures surrounding the main protagonist or those who come into each book as suspects, witnesses or even victims. Whatever genre we, as authors, are writing in, it is the interactions between people who shape the story. The genre of crime, romance or fantasy is simply the backdrop to these interactions. My plots are about life, therefore it isn’t very difficult to find the continued inspiration. As life passes, we meet people who we fall in love with, spend time with, like or dislike as well as those, dare I say it, we hate. My characters, my plots, the story arcs, are all relatable for this reason. Choosing such wonderful locations to write about certainly doesn’t hurt either.
Your novels contain lots of dark and mysterious themes. What initially drew you to murder mystery writing?
I read history in my youth and I always had the desire to write a book or two, and thought it would be historical fiction where I would end up. However, while I was fostering that particular desire to revisit writing in what I playfully refer to as my first mid-life crisis, I happened to pick up a book called Faceless Killers whilst I was bumbling around a book shop one day. It is the first Wallander book written by Henning Mankell. I wouldn’t say it was a particularly twisty crime thriller. It didn’t stand out to me as a reinvention of the police procedural genre. However, it had me hooked from the first chapter to the conclusion. An often over-used phrase springs to mind, ‘I couldn’t put it down’ but, in my case, it was true. The writing, the characterization, the use of the landscape and the way the author pulled the reader through the story captivated me. Perhaps, at the time optimistically, I thought I wouldn’t mind having a crack at that myself. From that moment, my thought process shifted and ultimately produced Divided House, my first novel.
How are you able to unwind after long days of writing, especially after working on more dark and tense chapters?
I have a tendency to be hyper-focused when I am writing a book, so much so that my better half often cites these periods as evidence that I prefer to be alone in my own mind rather than with the family. Perhaps harsh, but I do receive phone calls by seven o’clock in the evening suggesting that I might want to finish for the day. This is to say that my job is very much my passion, and I am at my calmest when I am writing.
When it comes to how I cope with the darker, tense side of the process, I would be lying if I said it didn’t affect me. How I choose to approach the emotional side to these passages is to place myself in the character’s head. How would I feel if this was me? When it comes to loss or pain, I only need to imagine my loved ones in those situations, and it can feel very real indeed. If I can imagine someone I dislike, then it becomes much easier, possibly even cathartic.
Twenty years ago, I would probably head out to the pub for a pint or two but, these days, I am more likely to take the dog out for a long walk. I am blessed to live in a beautiful, rural location where we can venture out and barely see a soul. Feeling the earth beneath your feet and the wind – also often, rain – in your face brings me safely back to reality.
How does writing the first book in a series compare to writing the seventh?
This is where writing in series comes to the fore. Writing a standalone book means each character has to be introduced, fleshed out and completed within the one story. I have done this with psychological thrillers, and it is a challenge. The beauty of writing in series means that you have the time and the scope to flesh out these people, to develop them as their lives evolve around them. I’m sure the vast majority of people when looking at themselves will admit that they are very different people to who they were two, four or ten years ago. The recurring characters in my books are no different. The balancing act becomes blending these elements of series development with the particular story the characters presently feature in. If a character is so far removed in book six from who they are in book one, then you are presenting a problem for readers who pick up a later book rather than the first in series. Moreover, each book has to have a standalone story that reaches a conclusion, unless you are planning to write a soap opera style serial – spoiler, I am not – but also satisfies character development to maintain progression and keep it fresh for the reader. If you do not manage to do so, then the series becomes stale, the books dull and readers abandon it. Therefore, the question around constraint is less of a problem, but is replaced by maintaining the enthusiasm and passion of the readers for years to come.
What is your personal history with Scotland? Where are your favourite places to visit?
I have a long familial association with Scotland through my father’s side of the family, hailing from Dumfries and Galloway. As a family we have a strong association with the military which is why I was born in Portsmouth whilst my father was stationed at the Royal Navy dockyard there. As an adult, I lived and worked in Perthshire and Inverness, the latter being the birthplace of my eldest child who is a proud Scotsman to this day. None of this cut any ice with my Highland colleagues, for they consider the borders to barely be Scottish anyway, and neither did it make up for carrying a Scottish name but speaking with a southern English accent. I was christened Tarquin in the office, and I am forever grateful that the name hasn’t stuck. No offence intended to any Tarquins who may come across this anecdote.
We have had the pleasure of living in Killiekrankie, Perth, Inverness and the village of Foyers in the hills above the south shore of Loch Ness. Sadly, I didn’t see any monsters in the water – at least none that I will mention here – but what I have experienced is the warmth and community that these locations all shared. The more remote, the stronger the ties and willingness to help one another. This is a theme that I return to in many of my books. There is a sense that when things go wrong, the remoteness of the location is a true leveler. It doesn’t matter who you are, what your background is or where you are from, no one is coming to save you any time soon. As a result, the community comes together to make do as best they can. I found this out the first winter we lived in the Highlands, facing the worst snowstorms on record in over fifty years. I admit to being woefully unprepared that year, but everyone looked out for one another. It was just the way things were done and had been for generations. There’s a lot to be admired about that.
If you could recommend your perfect Scottish roadtrip to our readers, where are your must-see areas?
Anyone familiar with or who has researched a trip to Scotland will be well aware of how much there is to see, so I’ll focus on the areas I have been lucky enough to immerse myself in. Perth, The Fair City, is often overlooked as a destination. Located north of the central belt, the area spanning Glasgow in the west to Edinburgh in the east, it is easily bypassed to head north towards the ski resorts of Aviemore and the Highland beyond. I would recommend a stop there. The parklands of the South Inch and North Inch are beautiful on a summer day and the river Tay flowing through the city is stunning. There is a rail bridge that crosses the water linking Perth to Dundee and Edinburgh, but many people don’t realise you can also walk across it to Scone on the other side. The famous Stone of Scone, where the Scottish kings were traditionally crowned is no longer present, stolen many years ago and now replaced with a replica (although a guide will give you a wink when they say so.)
Head north towards Aviemore, well worth a stopover in its own right, but before you get there pull into Birnam and Dunkeld. Two small towns split by the River Tay running between them, they are worth visiting. If you can time it with a visit to The Taybank pub and hotel when they have a traditional folk music band visiting, then all the better. I can heartily recommend the Stovies. Head north again and take a walk through a wooded gorge between Pitlochry and Killiecrankie, visiting the famous soldier’s leap. Here, if the story is to be believed, a red-coated soldier once leapt from rocks to safety on the far side of the River Garry whilst fleeing the rout of government forces at the nearby battle of Killiecrankie. I used to live in a cottage on the estate where the battle took place. I can assure you that many a conversation will follow about whether someone could actually make that jump… Personally, I would say probably not, until you consider the alternative is to face a musket ball or a claymore wielded by an angry Jacobite… arguably motivation in and of itself to attempt it.
Loch Ness is world famous, and you could take a cruise along the twenty-five-mile length of the loch and visit Fort Augustus and the lock gates of the grand canal network. To do so would miss my former home in Foyers on the undeveloped – and therefore not ruined – south side of the loch. In Foyers there is the beach front at the loch side as well as the famous Falls of Foyers in the upper village. For those who fancy a little trek you can walk up the hillside to a viewpoint that not many people know exists. The locals do. It is marked and maintained. The view of Loch Ness from there is incredible.
I could go further north to Orkney, an area I know less well but I am enthusiastically exploring for a new series I am writing based on the islands, coming soon in 2027 with a murder at St Magnus’ Cathedral. However, I would always advise you to head west to the Hebrides. They are an absolute must-see. From the Isle of Skye’s Old Man of Storr rock formation to the seat of the Lords of the Isles at Dunvegan Castle, or seeking out dinosaur footprints on Staffin Beach, Skye has something for hikers, history buffs as well as families. Alternatively, catch a ferry across the Minch to explore miles upon miles of white sandy beaches on the Western Isles. There will be more to see and do than you can possibly manage in one trip. The good news though, is you can always return and see something completely different next time around. In the tourist season, grab a bite to eat at The Hungry Gull in Staffin and wash it down with a trip to the Talisker, Torabhaig or Raasay distilleries (but ensure someone else is driving.)
Lastly, wherever you’re heading in Scotland don’t be deterred by the challenging weather. Get yourself a better coat and live a little. There was an old saying I learned whilst I was living in the Highlands, ‘If you don’t like the weather, just hang on for twenty minutes.’
Congratulations once again to JM Dalgliesh on the publication of the seventh novel in The Misty Isle series.
Immerse yourself in Scottish surroundings and discover the unspoiled, haunting landscapes that have created so much inspiration.
