Stuart MacBride

Infobox Writer
name = Stuart MacBride


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birthplace = Dumbarton, Scotland
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occupation = Novelist
nationality = Scottish
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genre = Crime fiction
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notableworks = Logan McRae series
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website = http://www.stuartmacbride.com
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Stuart MacBride is a Scottish writer of crime thrillers, which are set in the "Granite City" of Aberdeen all the places described in the book are real and can be found somewhere within Aberdeen. As of 2007, he has had three books published, all featuring Detective Sergeant Logan McRae, and starting with "Cold Granite" in 2005.

Biography

Stuart MacBride was born in Dumbarton, Scotland and moved to Aberdeen when he was two. He went to Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh to study architecture, and then held various jobs, from scrubbing toilets offshore to working as a graphic designer. He spent some time in web design and IT/computer programming. [cite web |url=http://www.collins-crime.co.uk/authors/default.aspx?id=6830 |title =Collins Crime
accessdate=2007-08-25, cite web |url=http://www.themysteryreader.com/nf-macbride.html |title = The Mystery Reader |accessdate=2007-08-25]

He now lives in north-east Scotland with his wife, Fiona and their cat Grendel. He is a big fan of the "Frost" crime books by the late R. D. Wingfield and is also reputed to be a passionate potato grower. [cite web |url=http://www.lovereading.co.uk/author/796 |title = Love Reading |accessdate=2007-08-25]

Bibliography

"Cold Granite" (2005)

The first Logan McRae book finds the detective returning from a year of sick leave to investigate a serial killer who is loose in Aberdeen and preying on children. He has to use all his abilities to track down the culprit.

"Dying Light" (2006)

The second Logan McRae book opens when a naked prostitute, Rosie William, is found murdered down by the Aberdeen docks. D.S. Logan has been recently sent to the squad where all losers end up, headed by D.I. Steel a grouchy, chainsmoker with a passion for sleeping on the job and white pudding suppers. Logan has to investigate not just this, but also an arsonist who’s idea of fun is to burn some squatters to death.

"Broken Skin" (2007)

Published in America as "Bloodshot", as publishers deemed "Broken Skin" too gory for the American audience. [http://www.stuartmacbride.com/en/index.cfm?PT=news]

In the third Logan McRae book, a serial rapist is at large in the Granite City and its Logan’s job to track him down. Worst still his own girlfriend, is being used as bait to catch the culprit. On top of this, a murder victim is dumped at the local hospital and turns out to feature in a stash of explicit films. So Logan is dragged into the seedy world of pornography in an attempt to find the killer.

"Flesh House" (2008)

The fourth book was released in mid-2008. [ [http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0007244541 Amazon Product Page] ] . According to MacBride's blog, it is his favourite, although was 'annoying' to write and edit! [ [http://halfhead.blogspot.com/ Official Blog] ] On his website, MacBride warns readers to "expect cannibalism". [ [http://stuartmacbride.com/ Official Website] ] Readers have been known to comment that they have experienced nightmares as a result of reading this book.

"Blind Eye" (2009)

Book Number The Fifth is currently being redrafted and will be published in mid-2009.

"Book Number The Sixth" (2010)

Due out in 2010, this is the last confirmed Logan McRae novel.

Other Works

"Sawbones" (2008)

Macbride's first published work that does not concern the Logan McRae universe. Set in America, it follows a roadtrip undertaken by gangsters. According to thrillerbook.com, Sawbones contains “optional scenes of shootouts, dismemberments and castration”. [ [http://thrillerbook.com/2007/10/view-from-the-trenches-british-1.html Thrillerbook.com Article] ]

"Halfhead" (2009)

Macbride's first sci-fi novel is due to be published in 2009. The book, tentativley titled "Halfhead" (the name of the author's blog) was written before the Logan McRae series but is only now set to see the light of day. [ [http://halfhead.blogspot.com] ]

Characters

The main characters in the Logan McRae series:

*Detective Sergeant Logan McRae: The main character in Stuart MacBride's books. A detective sergeant based at Police Headquarters (FHQ) in Queen Street, Aberdeen. Logan is employed by Grampian Police a real police force responsible for the policing of the North East of Scotland. He is a dedicated CID Officer who works on instinct and is dogged in pursuing the truth. We learn in the first book that he has just returned from a years sick leave after being stabbed.

*WPC "Jackie" Watson: Affectionately known as "ball breaker", she is Logan’s new girlfriend. We find out later in the books that she has some sinister qualities.

*Dr. Isobel MacAlister: Logan’s ex-girlfriend and the Chief Pathologist. A cold aloof woman nicknamed the ‘Ice Queen’. She started seeing Colin Miller during the first book, "Cold Granite" before they moved in together and had a baby in "Broken Skin". She is occasionally prone to showing a more human and compassionate side although this happens very rarely.

*Colin Miller: A glaswegian hotshot Journalist who moves to Aberdeen in the first book. Working for the Press and Journal he is very well connected. He is living with Isobel MacAlister and, as of the end of "Broken Skin", they have had a baby together. His relationship with Logan began as a friendship in book one which ended when Colin loses his fingers due to a mistake of Logan's. By the end of book three they are reconciled though.

*Detective Inspector Insch: D.S Logan’s first boss. A man who does not suffer fools gladly. He is also very overweight possibly as a result of his addicion to sweets. Insch is also an aspiring director and actor and throughout the books, he is involved in something to do with the theatre such as a pantomime or operetta.

*Detective Inspector Steel: Logan’s chain-smoking boss when he is sent to the "screw up" squad in "Dying Light". She is a self-confessed lesbian with a habit of making rather inappropriate comments at inappropriate times.

Awards

*Won, ITV3 Crime Thriller Award for Breakthrough Author of the Year, 2008 (for "Broken Skin"). [cite web|author= Allen, Katie|title= Rankin and P D James pick up ITV3 awards|url= http://www.thebookseller.com/news/68347-rankin-and-p-d-james-pick-up-itv3-awards.html|work= theBookseller.com|date= 2008-10-06|accessdate= 2008-10-06]

References

External links

* [http://www.stuartmacbride.com/en/ Stuart MacBride website]