Daniel Aubrey has been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize with his crime fiction novel, Dark Island.
The first book I remember reading:
It was a book called Time Rope. I must have been about eight or nine at the time, and I was absolutely hooked. It was a trilogy, I think, but my school library only had the first one, so I was desperate to hunt the others down. As the title suggests, it was about a rope swing that allowed people to time travel, but there was so much mystery and intrigue, and the settings and moments in time were so vividly described, it was simply a world I adored being in. That kicked off my love for reading and writing.
A book I recommend to everyone:
The Unwanted Dead by Chris Lloyd. Everyone should read it. I kind of hate Chris for how good it is. It’s the story of Eddie Giral, a cop in Paris on the day the Nazis invade, just trying to do his job as the city around him falls apart. I love stories where the setting comes vividly to life, and Chris really transports you to those surreal, dangerous times with his wonderful writing. It’s never black and white, with the invaders being the bad guys and the Parisians the good guys; it’s incredibly nuanced and totally original.
The best three books I have read in the last year:
Top of the list is Burnt Offerings by Danielle Devlin. Books about the witch trials are huge right now, but none captures the sheer horror of that time like this. An incredible read.
I also loved Squeaky Clean by Callum McSorely, because it’s dark and funny and just bloody brilliant. Both Callum and Danielle were at Bloody Scotland last year, and it’s no surprise he won the McIlvenny Prize.
Shot in the Dark by Anna Britton was a really fresh take on police procedural, with interview transcripts and news articles interspersed between chapters. I was hooked.
A book I didn’t finish:
I won’t name the book or author, I’ll just say as a neurodivergent person it was one I was dying to read. I’d seen an interview where the author said the protagonist, who sees crime scenes in colours and has a remarkable memory, was based on an autistic man he’d read about. But then instead of being autistic, the character has a ‘brain injury’ and just bangs on about wanting to be normal. I nearly threw the book across the room. It inspired me to write Dark Island with an explicitly autistic character though, so some good came of it.
An author who has inspired me:
I started writing crime fiction because of Harlan Coben. Damn, that man can write a plot twist. And then as soon as he hits you with it, there’s another one. Then another. I wrote my first thriller after reading Tell No One – I really wanted to write a crime novel which kept everyone guessing until the end. Hopefully I’ve done that with Dark Island, but now like Harlan, I’ve got to do it again and again. It’s incredible how many brilliant, twisty stories he’s come up with over the years – an amazing writer.
My favourite place to read:
The absolute perfect place would be in my campervan in Orkney, with my dogs, Dylan and Maggie, overlooking a beach with a pot of coffee on the stove. Failing that, the window seat in my office at home is a pretty good place to sit and read too. It’s quiet and comfy with a lovely view – I’m very lucky. Mostly though I end up reading in bed, or when I’m sitting at my desk when I’m meant to be writing. 
The winner of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival will be revealed in Stirling on 13 September. Tickets and further information at www.bloodyscotland.com. Daniel Aubrey’s shortlisted novel is Dark Island, published by HarperNorth. The paperback and ebook are available from Amazon for £9.99 paperback and £4.99 respectively.
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