ARE TIPPED TO BE SCOTLAND’S NEW RANKIN OR McDERMID
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Dabbling in supernatural and horror, I started writing about a murderer who killed by removing his victim’s tongue. It was macabre and out there but something I wanted to explore.”
But life kept getting in the way. Her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, her relationship ended and she moved back to Aberdeen with her children – but she did get to the end of the final draft.
Publishers Transworld bought the UK rights. The reviews were glowing.
She said: “It was described as ‘dark, gritty and graphic’, which surprised me as in real life I’m a big softie.
“But I believe I’ve avoided gratuitous violence, not showing the actual act of murder but describing the aftermath, evoking the senses. I explore the dark, the evil of murder, what these officers face, all with a strong kick of fiction,
One of the best things that has happened to Francine since writing gothic thriller Pine is reconnecting with her best friend from Sutherland, where the book is set.
She said: “I knew her when we were the same age as Lauren, the 10-yearold ol protagonist in Pine. P When she read re the book, her first fir thought was, ‘ThThis is so you,’ which wh was the best bes compliment someonesom could have paid me. I spent part from the safety of my writing desk.
“The one thing I did research was what would happen if your tongue was cut out. I phoned someone at the University of Aberdeen to ask whether you’d bleed to death or choke and how long it would take.
“I ended up having to reassure him I really was writing fiction. But it helped me escape my reality at the time and, for that, I’m grateful.” of my childhood growing up in Sutherland and it never left me, especially its dramatic landscape and the intrigue found in small communities that were a starting point for Pine.
“I heard so many ghost stories there, I wanted to incorporate something of them into the plot, along with the dangers teenage girls can face.”
After 10 years in London, Francine needed a refresher course in the far
When she gave up her full-time job at Dundee
& Angus College,
Marion decided it was time to kill someone.
But being a law-abiding citizen, she decided to use words rather than an actual weapon.
Her first attempt, seeing off a tutor who had pulled her to bits 30 years before, was not a success. But elements of that story stuck and she started writing See Them Run, about a hit-and-run killer on the loose in St Andrews.
Marion said: “I’ve always been a fan of Colin Dexter’s Morse books and the TV series.
“The Oxford fitted in between her day job. She said: “I’m working on another novel, also set in Scotland. I don’t want to say too much about it just yet but I hope it has lots of intrigue, crime and suspense.”
Francine is thrilled that her first book has chimed with
Scottish readers.
She added:
“I wrote Pine primarily for Scottish readers so to be recognised is just wonderful.”
Sunday Mail
atmosphere came through so strongly and it occurred to me that St Andrews too would make a lovely setting for a crime novel.
“As well as the coastal scenery and beautiful buildings, there is the mix of town and gown, plus a huge influx of golfers and tourists all year round.”
Details are vital to Marion. She lives in nearby Wormit on the banks of the Firth of Tay so can visit St Andrews whenever she needs to check a view.
She said: “I like to be as accurate as possible. I had long conversations with a lovely man at Michelin to find a tyre that could help identify a particular vehicle.
“I researched wood carving and even delved into the murky depths of the dark web. I check sunrise and sunset times, university exam dates and I use Google to find out travel time between different locations.
“Back in 2015 I attended a Bloody Scotland crime-writing workshop. In the back of my mind, I wondered if one day I might appear on stage as a successful crime writer.
“Honestly, it’s a dream come true.”
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