Quintin Jardine's blog

Although it’s been in the shops since just before Christmas, the ‘official’ launch of Blood Red took place last night in Musselburgh Library. In weather that was barely above freezing we drew a full house, and I’d like to thank, and pay tribute to, everyone who resisted the strong temptation to stay in their armchairs, but instead took the trouble to come along and listen to me waffle for an hour or so. Thanks also for the questions; they’re always important to the success of the event . . . which wouldn’t have been possible without the enthusiasm and effort of Trina Gavan and Dorothy Elliott. Any time, ladies, just ask.

To tell you the truth I gave up contemplating Skinner on the box quite some time ago. I had a close call a few years back, and that opened my eyes to the potential damage that can be done to a series by a bad adaptation. Since then I’ve been pretty blasé about the proposition. I hear what you say about the preponderance of American productions, but they’re not all bad. By the same token, not everything British is good. I watched a good chunk of  the recent BBC series Paradox, and I’m still struggling to figure out what the hell it was all about.  On Sunday I sat through a 90-minute episode of Wallander in which only two of the characters mustered a smile, the bad guy when he thought he was getting away with it, and the redeemed ex-cop, just before he died. The rest were miserable as sin, so much that the experience left me profoundly depressed. For your sake I hope it doesn’t make it to Australia.

I hope you get a lot of fun from your Christmas present. Yes, it could be a good way to burn money, but if it suits your lifestyle, go for it. You’ve prompted me to look at my own Kindle listings. As far as I can see all the titles are there, apart from Blood Red, Skinner’s Round and Autographs in the Rain. Enquiries will be made!

That’s nice to know. Since you’re East Lothian based, and on Murmuring the Judges, I’m wondering. Have you ever taken a walk out to inspect the submarine in Aberlady Bay? If you follow the tide out, you can do it.

I can only hope that your 4-year-old wasn’t too hungry by the time you’d finished. Looking at your travel timing, having Skinner 20, ‘A Rush of Blood’ in your luggage, shouldn’t be a problem. Be careful reading in the sun; it melts the glue.

Glad to have hubby’s attention. Let me know if it becomes a problem. The books are listed in order on the website.

That’s the way book retailing is these days. It’s where you have to be if you want to be noticed by new readers. That works to the advantage of the existing fan base as well, so everybody should be happy. Unfortunately the big black cloud hanging over this is the contraction in the number of book stores after years of expansion. Go back thirty years and in Edinburgh you’d find James Thin and John Menzies, a newsagent that sold books. Go back ten years and you’d find the same two, although Menzies had become W H smith by then, plus Ottakars, Waterstone and Borders. Go there now and you’ll find Waterstone and WHS.

What’s happened?  Well, Amazon has, for a start, but everyone sells on-line these days, including me. There’s no doubt that has impacted on the High Street. That wasn’t foreseen in the years of expansion, but neither was the voraciousness of supermarkets, their expansion into areas that are miles away from their core business and their practice of listing only the top-selling titles, often at loss leader prices. It could be argued that every time a book is sold in Tesco  it’s another nail in the coffin of the traditional book trade.

That’s a very good question. Blood Red will be available digitally, soon, and I expect it to be available first in Sony-compatible format, through Waterstones. (I’d love to have my work available in downloadable form on Campbell Read Books, but there are lots of things to be sorted before that can happen.) However, if you own a Kindle reader, it will only process volumes that you buy from Amazon. Once a book is digitised by Headline, it’s available to them for adaptation, but it’s down to them to decide when to add it to their library.

So, the most precise answer I can give you is . . . I don’t know.

I’m assuming, Neil, that you have a Kindle. If so, I’d be interested to know how you’re getting on with it. Amazon has put a lot of development money into its reader, but Sony beat it into the marketplace. Then there’s the rumoured Apple tablet, which will do what they do and more, although there’s an application out already that will let you download books on to an iPhone. Indeed, my editor told me this afternoon that he read Alice in Wonderland on his phone over Christmas. Crazy? Confusing? Undoubtedly, but with that sort of variety on the horizon, I’m not sure that Amazon will be able to make the Kindle pay, long-term, unless they find a very creative way of marketing them.

Thanks for that. It’s an excellent suggestion. If you see the names St John, McFadyen, Pettigrew, McBride or McClair in future books, you can claim credit.

I can understand you being taken aback by the Aussie price: I was. Al and I are pleased that your book arrived so promptly. I hope you enjoy Primavera, and FLW when the paperback is released.

Am I going to write another Skinner? Done it already, Gavin. ‘A Rush of Blood’ will be out next summer, and I’m 3000 words into Skinner 21 which will be the 2011 story. I wouldn’t mind coming back to NZ to promote them. I say this whenever the subject comes up: Christchurch is the most English city  I have ever visited, including any in England. I’ve still to reach Dunedin, to make the comparison with my home country.

Another one bites the dust.

In my younger days, New Year in Gullane tended to go on all night, but it’s been a while since everyone gathered at our house for bacon rolls at 6:30. 2009 went out with something of a bang, though, a party of 20 at the golf club, and a glass of something afterwards, but no seriously late finish.

I gave up making New Year Resolutions a long time ago. Instead, for 2010, I have two wishes. One, may Dom and Frida’s baby arrive safely and on schedule. Two, may all of those with whom we brought in this new year be around to welcome the next, and may our Christmas card list remain unaltered.

To everyone who reads this, may the year bring you all for which you wish, and none of what you fear.

The truth is, the advertised release date of most books is only a guideline. They don’t stay in the warehouse for long. Where are you in France? I have a number of friends there.