John’s found bliss with his latest chapter in life

feel I’m growing too attached to it. I’ve even got a sign on the door from a jail that was closing down saying, ‘Inmates must be accompanied by an officer in this zone’.”

John’s books have been critically acclaimed as well as being bigsellers and he says more people talk to him about his writing than acting these days.

“It’s taken to the third book to feel more confident in this now.

“I’m a much happier soul as a writer than I ever was as an actor. I enjoy acting when I do it but I really love writing and I’ve already written the chapter for a fourth book.

“Crime is what I like doing – I started this whole thing because I’d

John played Gregory in the hit ’80s movie Gregory’s Girl. never read a crime novel that made me cry – but I’ve also started a children’s book because the girls are too young to read what I do.”

Apart from Edinburgh this week, John is appearing at the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival in early September. But he hasn’t given up on acting. He’s one of the stars of new sitcom Ill Behaviour, which starts on BBC2 next week, and is also in Diana And I, a major BBC1 drama later this month marking the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.

And although it’s more than 35 years since Gregory’s Girl shot him to fame, he’s still big pals with co-star Clare Grogan.

“She’s doing a tour with Midge Ure and we’re going along to the gig in October,” added John.

“She’s staying with us that night and the girls are looking forward to seeing their auntie Clare on stage.”

Walk In Silence by J. G. Sinclair (Faber and Faber) is out now.

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