Meet some of the writers ...

 ... who will be joining me at the Shetland Noir literary festival in June ...

My post on April 18th announced the lit fest in Lerwick.  I was stoked to have been invited, and I still am.  If you missed that particular post, you can read it by clicking the link Here

The festival runs from June 15th to 18th and begins with a reception on Thursday evening at the Mareel in Lerwick.  There will be a welcome by Ann Cleeves, and following that, there will be music, too.

Friday - the first full day of the festival -  is brimming with all kinds of events and kicks off with Speed Dating Crime Writer Style!  This is a chance for you to briefly meet attending writers.  There will be conversations with Martin Edwards, Val McDermid and Carole Johnstone, along with a writing workshop, a talk and two author panels.  Saturday follows in the same vane with conversations with Elly Griffiths and Richard Osman, interspersed by workshops and panels.

But Sunday is the day I want to feature.  Following a conversation with Dr James Greive, a forensic pathologist, comes a panel entitled 'Not So Noir.'  Today, I am pleased to be able to introduce you to my fellow panellists.  Read on ...

Merrilee Robson’s short stories have appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, the People’s Friend, Mystery Magazine, and many other magazines and anthologies.  Her traditional mystery, Murder is Uncooperative, is set in a non-profit housing co-op.  Merrilee is a former vice president of Sisters in Crime – Canada West and a former director of Crime Writers of Canada.  She has served three years on the Vancouver Police Board, which provides civilian oversight to the Vancouver Police Department.  She lives in Vancouver and spends a lot of time with at least one cat on her lap.

You can follow Merrilee on her Website on Twitter and you can get her books on Amazon

I'm Jonathan Whitelaw and I write cosy crime novels set in the Lake District.  I started my career as a media officer in the Scottish Parliament before becoming a full-time journalist.  For 12 years I covered everything from breaking news, sports, music, the arts and culture and even the Olympics of Radioactive Waste (it's a long story).  My debut novel was released in 2015 and I"ve not looked back since.  My family and I moved to Alberta in 2022 but I'm still back and forth across The Pond.  My latest novel - The Village Hall Vendetta - is the follow-up to The Bingo Hall Detectives. It follows a mother and son-in-law amateur detective duo who solve scurrilous murders and mayhem in and around Penrith. 

You can follow Jonathan on Facebook Twitter and on Instagram and you can get his books on Amazon

The 'Not So Noir' panel will be managed by Dr Jacky Collins (Dr Noir), who describes herself as a film-loving, crime-reading adventurer.  It will be Jacky who makes sure our discussion keeps on subject.  

The rest of the day will include a conversation with Shona Maclean, workshops and more author panels.  I am so looking forward to being a minuscule part of this awfully big adventure!

Full details and tickets are available Here