Doug Johnstone (born 22 July 1970) is a Scottish crime writer based in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

. His ninth novel ''Fault Lines'' was published by Orenda Books in May 2018. His 2015 book ''The Jump'' (published by Faber & Faber) was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Novel. He published two novels with Penguin, ''Tombstoning'' (2006) and '' The Ossians'' (2008), which received praise from

Irvine Welsh Irvine Welsh (born 27 September 1958) is a Scottish novelist, playwright and short story writer. His 1993 novel '' Trainspotting'' was made into a film of the same name. He has also written plays and screenplays, and directed several short fil ...

Ian Rankin Sir Ian James Rankin (born 28 April 1960) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for his Inspector Rebus novels. Early life Rankin was born in Cardenden, Fife. His father, James, owned a grocery shop, and his mother, Isobel, worked in a sch ...

and

Christopher Brookmyre 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 No ...

. ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until August 2004. Its pare ...

'' described him as "a master of the page-turning, heart-gripping, plot-driven tale." Johnstone is a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow and he was Royal Literary Fund Fellow at Edinburgh's Queen Margaret University from 2014–2016. He was a writer in residence at the

University of Strathclyde The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal chart ...

from 2010-2012 and before that worked as a lecturer in creative writing. He has had several short stories appear in various publications, and since 1999 has worked as a freelance arts journalist, primarily covering music and literature. He is a singer, musician and songwriter in several bands, including Northern Alliance, part of the

Fence Collective Fence Records is a Scottish independent record label based in Anstruther and Crail, Fife, Scotland, founded by musician King Creosote. Fence Records released records by James Yorkston, Rozi Plain, Lone Pigeon, U.N.P.O.C., Kid Canaveral, ea ...

. Northern Alliance have released four albums, as well as recording an album as a fictional band called The Ossians, in parallel with Johnstone's 2008 novel of the same name. He has released two solo EPs - ''Keep It Afloat'' (including the autobiographical track I Used To Drum in a Rock'N'Roll Band), released in 2011, and 2014's ''I Did It Deliberately''. Johnstone has a degree in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...

, a PhD in

nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...

and a diploma in journalism. Before embarking on his literary career, he designed

radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...

and

missile guidance Missile guidance refers to a variety of methods of guiding a missile or a guided bomb to its intended target. The missile's target accuracy is a critical factor for its effectiveness. Guidance systems improve missile accuracy by improving its P ...

systems for military aircraft. He grew up in Arbroath and lives in

Portobello, Edinburgh Portobello is a coastal suburb of Edinburgh in eastern central Scotland. It lies 3 miles (5 km) east of the city centre, facing the Firth of Forth, between the suburbs of Joppa and Craigentinny. Although historically it was a town in it ...

with his wife and two children. Johnstone is also a co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club.

Novels

* ''Tombstoning'' (2006) * ''The Ossians'' (2008) * ''Smokeheads'' (2011) * ''Hit & Run'' (2012) * ''Gone Again'' (2013) * ''The Dead Beat'' (2014) * ''The Jump'' (2015) * ''Crash Land'' (2016) * ''Fault Lines'' (2018) * ''Breakers'' (2019) * ''A Dark Matter'' (2020) * ''The Big Chill'' (2020) * ''The Space Between Us'' (2023)

References

External links

*
Doug Johnstone
profile at Faber and Faber * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnstone, Doug 1970 births Living people Scottish journalists Tartan Noir writers