Christopher Brookmyre (born 6 September 1968) is a Scottish novelist whose novels, generally in a crime or police procedural frame, mix comedy, politics, social comment and action with a strong narrative. He has been referred to as a
Tartan Noir author. His
debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
was ''
Quite Ugly One Morning
''Quite Ugly One Morning'' is Christopher Brookmyre's first novel which introduces Jack Parlabane, the writer's most used character. It was published to popular and critical acclaim, winning the inaugural First Blood Award for the best first cri ...
''; subsequent works have included ''
All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye'' (2005), ''Black Widow'' (2016) and ''Bedlam'' (2013), which was written in parallel with the development of a first-person shooter videogame, also called
Bedlam. He also writes historical fiction with his wife, Dr Marisa Haetzman, under the pseudonym Ambrose Parry.
Biography
Brookmyre was born in
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
and raised and schooled in
Barrhead
Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268.
History
Barrhead was formed when ...
, attending St. Mark's Primary School and
St. Luke's High School, before attending the
University of Glasgow
, image = UofG Coat of Arms.png
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms
Flag
, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
, ...
.
Brookmyre is married to Dr. Marisa Haetzman, an anaesthetist, with whom he has a son, and supports
St Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club is a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire, that competes in the Scottish Premiership after winning the 2017–18 Scottish Championship. Founded in 1877, the team has two nicknames, ''the ...
, references to Scottish
football ('fitba') frequently featuring in his books. Brookmyre is a member of the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers, a cover band also comprising crime novelists
Mark Billingham
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Fin ...
,
Doug Johnstone,
Val McDermid
Valarie "Val" McDermid, (born 4 June 1955) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of novels featuring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill in a grim sub-genre that McDermid and others have identified as Tartan Noir.
Biography
...
,
Stuart Neville and Luca Veste. Between April 2008 and December 2015, he was the President of
Humanist Society Scotland
Humanist Society Scotland is a Scottish registered charity that promotes humanist views and offers humanist wedding, funeral, and baby-naming ceremonies. It is a member of the European Humanist Federation and Humanists International.
In the ...
.
Novels
Jack Parlabane
Eight of Brookmyre's novels (''
Quite Ugly One Morning
''Quite Ugly One Morning'' is Christopher Brookmyre's first novel which introduces Jack Parlabane, the writer's most used character. It was published to popular and critical acclaim, winning the inaugural First Blood Award for the best first cri ...
'', ''
Country of the Blind'', ''
Boiling a Frog'', ''
Be My Enemy'', ''
Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks'', ''
Dead Girl Walking'', ''Black Widow'' and ''Want You Gone'') centre on the
investigative journalist
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crimes, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years rese ...
Jack Parlabane. Parlabane also stars in the short stories ''Bampot Central'', ''Place B.'' and ''The Last Day of Christmas'' with the latter serving as a short prelude to ''Dead Girl Walking''. Parlabane also appears in ''Fallen Angel''
Angelique de Xavia
Three of Brookmyre's novels feature the character of counterterrorism officer Angelique de Xavia: ''
A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away'', ''
The Sacred Art of Stealing'', and ''
A Snowball in Hell''. ''A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away'' and ''A Snowball in Hell'' pit Xavia against international terrorist-for-hire Simon Darcourt. ''A Snowball in Hell'' was originally due to be titled ''The Great Grease-Tailed Shaven Pig Hunt''.
Jasmine Sharp and Catherine McLeod
Three of Brookmyre's novels feature the characters Jasmine Sharp, a private detective, and Catherine McLeod, a senior police detective: ''
Where the Bodies Are Buried'', ''
When the Devil Drives'', and ''
Flesh Wounds''. McLeod also features in the short story ''Siege Mentality'', and ''The Last Siege of Bothwell Castle'', and has minor roles in ''
Dead Girl Walking'' and ''Black Widow'', and a minor reference in ''Fallen Angel''.
Bedlam
''Bedlam'' was released in 2013. The book has been turned into a video game, also written by Brookmyre.
Ambrose Parry
In 2018, Brookmyre wrote ''The Way of All Flesh'' with his wife, Dr. Marisa Haetzman. It was published under the pseudonym Ambrose Parry. In 2020, the team followed up with ''The Art of Dying'', and in 2021, ''A Corruption of Blood''.
Bibliography
* ''
Quite Ugly One Morning
''Quite Ugly One Morning'' is Christopher Brookmyre's first novel which introduces Jack Parlabane, the writer's most used character. It was published to popular and critical acclaim, winning the inaugural First Blood Award for the best first cri ...
'', 1996
* ''
Country of the Blind'', 1997
* ''
Not the End of the World'', 1998
* ''
One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night'', 1999
* ''
Boiling a Frog'', 2000
* ''
A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away'', 2001
* ''
The Sacred Art of Stealing'', 2003
* ''
Be My Enemy'', 2004
* ''
All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye'', 2005
* ''
A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil'', 2006
* ''
The Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks'', 2007
* ''
A Snowball in Hell'', 2008
* ''
Pandaemonium'', 2009
* ''
Where the Bodies Are Buried'', 2011
* ''
When the Devil Drives'', 2012
* ''
Jaggy Splinters'' (ebook only), 2012
* ''
Bedlam'', 2013
* ''Flesh Wounds'', 2013 (published in the U.S. as ''Bred In the Bone'')
* ''The Last Day of Christmas'', 2014 (ebook only - short story)
* ''
Dead Girl Walking'', 2015
* ''Black Widow'', 2016
* ''Want You Gone'', 2017 (published in the U.S. as ''The Last Hack'')
* ''Siege Mentality'', 2017 (ebook only - short story. Originally published as ''The Last Siege of Bothwell Castle'' in the Bloody Scotland anthology)
* ''Places in the Darkness'' (starting with this novel, the author's byline is given as Chris Brookmyre), 2017
* ''The Way of All Flesh'', 2018 (with Dr. Marisa Haetzman, published as by Ambrose Parry)
* ''Fallen Angel'', 2019
* ''The Art of Dying'', 2020 (with Dr. Marisa Haetzman, published as by Ambrose Parry)
* ''The Cut'', 2021
* ''A Corruption of Blood'', 2021 (with Dr. Marisa Haetzman, published as by Ambrose Parry)
* ''The Cliff House'', 2022
Influences
Brookmyre has said that the inspiration for Jack Parlabane was
Ford Prefect
The Ford Prefect is a line of British cars which was produced by Ford UK between 1938 and 1961 as an upmarket version of the Ford Popular and Ford Anglia small family cars. It was introduced in October 1938 and remained in production until 19 ...
from
Douglas Adams
Douglas Noel Adams (11 March 1952 – 11 May 2001) was an English author and screenwriter, best known for ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. Originally a 1978 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (radio series), BBC radio comedy, ''The H ...
' ''
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally a 1978 radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4, it ...
'' series; he said "I always adored the idea of a character who cheerfully wanders into enormously dangerous situations and effortlessly makes them much worse." The name Parlabane is taken from the works of
Robertson Davies
William Robertson Davies (28 August 1913 – 2 December 1995) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, critic, journalist, and professor. He was one of Canada's best known and most popular authors and one of its most distinguished " men of letters" ...
as are the names of several other characters in Brookmyre's works, indicating another of the author's influences.
Music is heavily featured in several books.
Quite Ugly One Morning
''Quite Ugly One Morning'' is Christopher Brookmyre's first novel which introduces Jack Parlabane, the writer's most used character. It was published to popular and critical acclaim, winning the inaugural First Blood Award for the best first cri ...
is taken from
Warren Zevon's album
Mr. Bad Example - the last chapter title continues the song's chorus.
Zevon and
Bruce Springsteen feature in the second novel,
Country of the Blind. The band 'Savage Earth Heart' in
Dead Girl Walking share their name with a song by
The Waterboys
The Waterboys are a folk rock band formed in Edinburgh in 1983 by Scottish musician Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Mike Scott has remained ...
.
Art Alexakis of the band
Everclear has been thanked by Brookmyre inside the front cover of two of his books - ''
Be My Enemy'' and ''
The Sacred Art Of Stealing''. Brookmyre has said that ''Sacred Art'' was inspired by the Everclear song 'Unemployed Boyfriend' from the album ''
Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile''. This is the song which the lead character, Zal Innez, discusses with Angelique De Xavia. De Xavia is stated by her brother to spend her evenings alone "drinking supermarket merlot and listening to that depressing
Mogwai
Mogwai () are a Scottish post-rock band, formed in 1995 in Glasgow. The band consists of Stuart Braithwaite (guitar, vocals), Barry Burns (guitar, piano, synthesizer, vocals), Dominic Aitchison (bass guitar), and Martin Bulloch (drums). Mog ...
rubbish" in ''
The Sacred Art of Stealing''. The first name for Innez, as well as the inspiration for the costumes worn by his gang of bank robbers, are taken from
Zal Cleminson
Alistair Macdonald "Zal" Cleminson (born 4 May 1949) is a Scottish guitarist, best known for his role in The Sensational Alex Harvey Band between 1972 and 1978. In 2017, he put together a new rock band - /sin'dogs/, which recorded and released ...
, guitarist for
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band were a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1972. Fronted by Alex Harvey accompanied by Zal Cleminson on guitar, bassist Chris Glen, keyboard player Hugh McKenna (1949–2019) and drummer Ted McKenna, thei ...
, who always wore
Pierrot
Pierrot ( , , ) is a stock character of pantomime and '' commedia dell'arte'', whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a diminutive of ''Pi ...
makeup on stage. Parlabane is a fan of
Skids and
Big Country
Big Country are a Scottish rock band formed in Dunfermline, Fife, in 1981.
The height of the band's popularity was in the early to mid 1980s, although it has retained a cult following for many years since. The band's music incorporated Scott ...
and Jasmine Sharp goes to see
Twin Atlantic
Twin Atlantic are a Scottish alternative rock band from Glasgow, Scotland. The group currently consists of Sam McTrusty (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ross McNae (bass) and Joe Lazarus (drums). Lead guitarist Barry McKenna departed from the b ...
perform live in one of her books.
The character Jane Fleming in
All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye visits
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, also known as King Tut's, is a live music venue and bar on St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Scotland. It is owned and managed by Glasgow-based gig promoters DF Concerts.
The Glasgow live music venue takes its name from a ...
in Glasgow, witnessing a performance by
Afghan Whigs frontman
Greg Dulli
Greg Dulli (born May 11, 1965) is an American musician from Hamilton, Ohio. Debuting as a member of the rock band the Afghan Whigs in 1986, Dulli has been a member of the Twilight Singers, Gutter Twins, and in 2020 released his debut solo albu ...
's side-project
The Twilight Singers
The Twilight Singers are an American indie rock band. The group was formed in 1997 by Greg Dulli as a side project during a hiatus from his group The Afghan Whigs. After the Afghan Whigs disbanded, Dulli used The Twilight Singers as his own arti ...
which references lines from the Twilight Singers' song "Teenage Wristband". Dulli is also the rock-star on whose NME-emblazoned face Matt Black signs an autograph in
One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night.
In other media
In 2003, ''Quite Ugly One Morning'' was dramatised in two parts by
ITV, with the lead played by Irish actor
James Nesbitt
William James Nesbitt (born 15 January 1965) is an actor from Northern Ireland.
From 1987, Nesbitt spent seven years performing in plays that varied from the musical '' Up on the Roof'' (1987, 1989) to the political drama ''Paddywack'' (1994) ...
. None of Brookmyre's other novels have been adapted for television, but his short story ''
Bampot Central'' was rewritten as a
radio play
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine t ...
by the author for
BBC Radio 3.
In 2004, actor
David Tennant
David John Tennant (''né'' McDonald; born 18 April 1971) is a Scottish actor. He rose to fame for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor (2005–2010 and 2013) in the BBC science-fiction TV show ''Doctor Who'', reprising the rol ...
narrated the audiobook of ''Quite Ugly One Morning''.
In 2007, actor
Billy Boyd narrated the audiobook of ''Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks''.
Recurring characters
With the possible exceptions of ''Pandaemonium'' and ''Bedlam'', Brookmyre's books are all set in the same "universe" and contain a number of recurring characters, especially the appearance or mention of major characters (such as Parlabane) in incidental roles in other stories. Some of the recurring characters are listed below:
* Jack Parlabane, an investigative journalist with an attitude towards the laws covering trespass and burglary best described as flexible. Parlabane was the protagonist of Brookmyre's debut ''Quite Ugly One Morning'' and is, to date, the most frequently appearing character. He also appears in ''Country of the Blind'', ''Boiling a Frog'', ''Be My Enemy'', ''The Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks'', ''Dead Girl Walking'', ''Black Widow'', ''Want You Gone'' ' as a major character, and is referenced in ''Not the End of the World'' and ''Fallen Angel''.
* Sarah Slaughter, anaesthetist and ex-wife of the murder victim in ''Quite Ugly One Morning''. She and Jack are later married after ''Country of the Blind'', and have separated by the time of ''Dead Girl Walking''.
* Jenny Dalziel is an Edinburgh CID officer, part of Hector McGregor's team as a DC in ''Quite Ugly One Morning'', who becomes a close friend of Parlabane and appears or is referenced in most of his books. She is openly gay and in a relationship with a woman called Maggie who has survived breast cancer by the time of ''Dead Girl Walking''.
* CID Officers Catherine McLeod, Anthony "Beano" Thompson and Laura Geddes appear in the three "Jasmine Sharp" novels and also play minor roles in ''Dead Girl Walking''. This provides the first strong link between the "Sharp" and "Parlabane" story arcs. (However, note that whereas Beano is a DC - Detective Constable - in the "Jasmine Sharp" novels, he is described in ''Dead Girl Walking'' as a DI - Detective Inspector - in three locations, and never as a DC. Catherine McLeod is a Detective Superintendent in both environments.) Catherine McLeod is also mentioned in a closing chapter of ''Fallen Angel'', as investigating the death of a character.
* Jenny Dalziel and Catherine McLeod are mentioned in the same breath in ''Want You Gone''.
* Nicole Carrow is a junior solicitor in an Edinburgh law firm in ''Country of the Blind'', and is Thomas 'Tam' McInnes' lawyer. In the same book she becomes mixed up in governmental actions against McInnes and his associates, and is rescued by Jack Parlabane, Sarah Slaughter and Jenny Dalziel. She is also mentioned in ''Boiling a Frog'' as being Jack Parlabane's lawyer, but does not actually appear. She is also mentioned in ''Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks'' as Sarah Slaughter's lawyer.
* Angelique de Xavia, the diminutive but deadly police officer from ''A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away'', ''The Sacred Art of Stealing'' and ''A Snowball in Hell''.
* Tim 'Death's Dark' Vale, the head of security on the Floating Island Paradise Resort in ''One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night'', is revealed as an associate of Jack Parlabane in ''Country of the Blind'' when Sarah accuses Jack of having got his gun from Vale. They then join forces in ''Be My Enemy''. One of the training areas in ''Bedlam'' is also named Death's Dark Vale.
* Simon Darcourt, the Black Spirit, is the "hero" of the short story ''Mellow Doubt'' and ''A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away''. He also features in ''A Snowball in Hell'' (which also re-uses ''Mellow Doubt'' as part of the story).
* Steff Kennedy, the hero of ''Not the End of the World'', is mentioned as the photographer who took the picture of the Arguments for their single sleeve in ''A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away''. He also features in ''Dead Girl Walking'' shooting a major photospread of the female members of the band "Savage Earth Heart" for "Tatler".
* Larry Freeman, who has a cameo in ''Quite Ugly One Morning'' as a friend of Parlabane's, also features in ''Not the End of the World''. In the short-story ''Bampot Central'', Jack Parlabane is attempting to post "Paranoid Tim" to Larry's young son as a birthday present when he becomes embroiled in an armed robbery, "Paranoid Tim" is himself referenced in ''Not the End of the World''. He further has a brief cameo in ''Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks'' in a phone call with Parlabane.
* Former police Inspector Hector McGregor, who investigated the murder of Dr Jeremy Ponsonby in ''Quite Ugly One Morning'', returns to play a part in ''One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night''.
* Zal Innez was one of the main characters in ''The Sacred Art of Stealing'' and was brought back with a similarly central role in ''A Snowball in Hell''.
* Glasgow Gangster Bud Hannigan has a small role in ''A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away'' and is later one of the main villains in ''The Sacred Art of Stealing''. He surfaces again in ''All Fun and Games, Until Someone Loses an Eye'' and is also referenced in ''A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil.'' Hannigan is noted to have died at a point in time between events in ''All Fun And Games, Until Someone Loses An Eye'' and those in ''A Snowball in Hell,'' in which his death is mentioned.
* Marius Roth, a shadowy figure with a near mythical reputation, is mentioned in ''All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses an Eye'' as the paymaster and ''A Snowball in Hell'' as a possible employer of the Black Spirit. It is implied, though never confirmed, that he is "Shub", who appears in ''A Big Boy Did it and Ran Away'' as the owner of "the good ship Black and Decker". He is certainly the owner of the yacht which is raided by Bett's Tiger Team in ''All Fun And Games Until Someone Loses An Eye''; a connection confirmed in ''A Snowball in Hell.''
* Raymond Ash, "Larry - the little drummer boy", a major character in ''A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away'' is referenced in both ''The Sacred Art of Stealing'' and ''Mellow Doubt'' and appears briefly in ''A Snowball in Hell''.
* Spammy, one of the suspects in ''Country of the Blind'', reappears towards the end of ''Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks'' and is referenced in ''Boiling a Frog'' and appears again in ''Dead Girl Walking''. Most recently he appears in, and had dialog in, ''Want You Gone'', in which he builds some electronic surveillance devices for Jack Parlabane and also comments on the provenance of blueprints and design documents of other devices.
* Comedian Matt Black who attended the class reunion on the Floating Island Paradise Resort in ''One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night'', is referenced in ''Flesh Wounds.'' He is portrayed as having a similar career path to Billy Connolly, with a background in stand-up before appearing in an American sitcom which is poorly received.
* 'Sammy' Finnegan appears in ''When the Devil Drives'' (Jasmine Sharp 2) and ''Black Widow'' (Jack Parlabane 7). This is therefore another link between these two story arcs. Finnegan also appears in ''The Cliff House''.
* 'Rank Bajin', a strip cartoon character created by Bud Neill, a Glasgow cartoon artist of an earlier generation, is mentioned briefly in "One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night". In "A Big Boy did it and Ran Away" the identification of the Spirit's calling-card symbol as being in fact the image of Rank Bajin is major plot development point.
* Alexis 'Lex', a major character in "All Fun and Games until someone loses an Eye" appears briefly and has a conversation with Jack Parlabane, in "Want You Gone". She appears as a security consultant at a trade fair, working for Solid Bett Security Partners, so is presumably still connected with her fellow characters from "All Fun and Games...."
* Savage Earth Heart, the band in "Dead Girl Walking", is referenced on the last-page-but-one of "Fallen Angel".
Awards
*''Quite Ugly One Morning'' was the winner of the Critics' First Blood Award for Best First Crime Novel of the Year in 1996.
*''Bampot Central'' was shortlisted for the Crime Writers' Association Macallan Short Story Dagger in 1997.
*''Boiling a Frog'' won the Sherlock Award for Best Comic Detective in 2000.
*''All Fun And Games until Someone Loses an Eye'' was the winner of the seventh Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction in 2006.
*''Black Widow'' won the McIlvanney Prize, previously known as the Scottish Crime Book of the year, in 2016.
*Black Widow was the winner of the
Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year
The Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award is one of the UK's top crime-fiction awards, sponsored by Theakston's Old Peculier. It is awarded annually at Harrogate Crime Writing Festival in the UK, held every July, as part of the Ha ...
in 2017.
*Winner of the Crime Writers' Association
Dagger in the Library The Dagger in the Library (Golden Handcuffs in 1992–1994) is an annual award given by the British Crime Writers' Association to a particular "living author who has given the most pleasure to readers". Yearly shortlists are drawn up of the ten auth ...
in 2020.
References
External links
*
*
Radio interview(2008)
*
Quack scienceArticle by Brookmyre in ''
New Humanist
''New Humanist'' is a quarterly magazine, published by the Rationalist Association in the UK, that focuses on culture, news, philosophy, and science from a sceptical perspective.
History
The ''New Humanist'' has been in print for more than 13 ...
'', September/October 2007
Story behind Bedlam - Online Essay by Christopher Brookmyrein ''Upcoming4.me'', January 2014
Rouen University interview with Chris Brookmyre
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brookmyre, Chris
Scottish novelists
Scottish crime fiction writers
1968 births
Living people
People from Barrhead
People educated at St Luke's High School
Scottish humanists
Tartan Noir writers
Scottish male novelists