Murray, Colin 1949-

PERSONAL:

Born 1949, in London, England; married Lisa Tuttle (a writer).

ADDRESSES:

Home—Tarbert, Argylshire, Scotland.

CAREER:

Writer and editor. Has worked as an editor for various publishing companies.

WRITINGS:

After a Dead Dog (novel), Constable (London, England), 2007.

SIDELIGHTS:

A longtime editor who has worked for several publishing companies, Colin Murray noted in an article he wrote for the Writers Services Web site that his experience in the publishing world should have made him aware of the difficulty of getting a novel published. In the article, the author wrote that he has seen "the excitement and enthusiasm bleed from the young and talented as disappointments and rejections follow hard upon each other." Nevertheless, the London-born Murray decided to write a novel after marrying Lisa Tuttle, a science fiction writer, and moving to Scotland only to find that his days were less than full because of the sporadic nature of his new work as a freelancer. "So, finding myself with time on my hands and hearing that another company was looking to find some new crime writers, I gave it a try," wrote Murray.

The result is his crime novel After a Dead Dog. A Publishers Weekly contributor called the novel a "promising debut" and went on to write in the same review that the author "delivers pounding suspense with a violent … conclusion." The story revolves around Iain Lewis, a pugnacious poet who makes an excellent living by writing hackneyed television scripts. Living on the coast of Scotland, Lewis finds that he is still in love with his former girlfriend, Carole, after she moves back to the area. Unfortunately, Carole is married. When the two meet at the funeral of Carole's mother, Iain learns that Carole's marriage to Duncan Ferguson, who is now running her family's fishing business, is not a happy one. Furthermore, Carole's mother died under mysterious circumstances, as did her father, and there is suspicion among the locals that her brother, Martin, may know something about their deaths. When someone breaks into Iain's house, they steal nothing but leave behind a briefcase containing cocaine, cash, and a gun. Iain quickly suspects that he is being set up and soon learns that many people want the contents of the suitcase, perhaps even Duncan's mob-connected family.

As the story continues, Iain eventually learns from Carole that her mother actually killed her father many years ago. Then, as it becomes more and more obvious that Carole still has feelings for Iain, Duncan starts plotting Iain's downfall and starts by spiking his drinks, causing Iain to get pulled over for drunk driving. Iain eventually confides in Dougie Henderson, his drinking pal and a crime reporter in Glasgow, to ask for advice in helping him solve the mysterious happenings, which soon include the death of a local alcoholic named Danny McGovern. Before long, Iain begins to suspect that he may be next and that the list of suspects may even include his beloved Carole. Iain's investigation ultimately takes him from his isolated home in a remote part of Scotland to the seamier sections of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Referring to After a Dead Dog as "a strong debut," Barbara Bibel went on to write in her Booklist review that Murray has created "full-bodied characters, an intriguing plot, and lots of Scottish atmosphere." A Kirkus Reviews contributor called the novel "an elaborately written debut with atmosphere aplenty."

Despite the difficulty of getting After a Dead Dog published, which underwent numerous revisions, the author noted in his Writers Services Web site article that he is pleased with the results. The author commented: "This one may not turn out to be a best-seller but some people have read it and they weren't disappointed! What more can you realistically hope for?" Murray also noted in his article: "No matter how jaded and cynical one pretends to be, there is nothing like holding a copy of your first book."