Drama & A Christmas No 1 in Paisley!

I’M delighted to say that the second stop on my WHSmith pre-Christmas 2017 tour boasted a 62 books sale signing that has taken me #TopOfThePops in Paisley this winter!

I’ve always done well with my signings there and found that the people of Paisley have a real passion for crime. So it proved again for a second week after my first signing at The Gyle Centre also saw me break the half century with something to spare.

But while I was really pleased with the friendly reaction of the punters at WHSmith, and the fact that so many people took the time to say they were glad to see me again after my last visit back in May, things also took a turn for the dramatic.

I make a habit of putting out tweets, FB posts and Linked-In messages prior to, during and after my signings, based on observations, interactions and things that interest me on the day.

On Saturday, before my signing, I happened to put out a post with a few pics of Paisley town centre in its full festive market glory (the pic below doesn’t do St Mirren’s town justice) and mentioned the superb singing of a busker, who was serenading the Paisley punters with a brilliant version of the Oasis hit ‘Wonderwall’, when I arrived.

Later on at night when I had got home I found a message on my Linked-In page asking if I could describe the busker. Sadly the enquiry was based on the fact that a person who performed in similar circumstances had gone missing and the individual who contacted me was a concerned relative.

Sadly the description I provided confirmed that the busker I was lauding was not the man in question…but it certainly brought home to me just how powerful social media is and has also thrown up some intriguing thoughts in terms of future writing.

I very much hope, particularly at this time of the year, that the family involved will be re-united with their loved one and that he will realise how much he is being missed by them.

Anyway I’m back out on the third stop of my tour with WHSmith at Argyle Street, Glasgow tomorrow and thoroughly looking forward to the trip…not least because a curry and a few beers will be consumed with some ex-comrades-in-blue of mine afterwards!

Glasgow at Christmas time is a great place to be out and about in and the humour and bustle of the people is something that makes any book signing always go quickly.

As ’12-years-a-Glasgow-cop’ it is amazing how many familiar faces I come across at my Glasgow signings and with a bit of luck it will be the same again tomorrow between 11am & 3pm in WHSmith, Argyle Street.

Remember I will have a little present of my own waiting for you, a free taster booklet of my new book ‘The Shadow Of Fear’ is yours when you purchase one of my other titles!

Like crime fiction at its most gritty or need a Christmas present for a book-loving relative or friend…you know where I am!!


Latest News

A Night To Remember

Well ‘The Hammer’ WHSmith Scottish tour is well and truly on and already we are two signings in at hugely contrasting venues. As always I start my tours in my…Read More

Hammer Time – At Last!

IN many ways this is a blog I was beginning to think I would never write but I am delighted to be doing so at last. This Thursday, September 22,…Read More

A Not So Positive Experience!

It is with great frustration that I am having to cancel Saturday’s WHSmith signing at The Gyle Centre, Edinburgh, due to testing positive with COVID. A case of sod’s law…Read More

Glasgow A Go Go!

AFTER a good start to my spring signing tour with WHSmith in Stirling last week it’s on to Glasgow on Saturday with a signing at the retailer’s Argyle Street store.…Read More

At Long Last!

After almost three years I will finally be heading out on book signing duty with WHSmith this weekend as I start a short promotional tour for my new title in…Read More

Hope Springs Eternal

WITH the January blog tour of my first three titles in the DS Thoroughgood series now a distant – but happy – memory the ensuing period has been busy on…Read More