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Cal Jackson has just been released from prison. Now all he wants is a quiet life.
But when his sister marries into the family of corrupt businessman Francis McArthur, Cal finds himself caught in the middle of an ongoing war between his new family and the police.
When a childhood friend, the mysterious and enchanting Elise Moreau, disappears, Cal’s got his work cut out to find her and discover what links her to McArthur.
And that’s before the first dead body turns up.
As a heat wave grips Glasgow’s mean streets and vibrant night life, Cal is reluctantly forced to act, before he finds himself either back in prison, or buried in the ground.
Full Sun by Iain Kelly was published on 28 November 2024 by The Book Guild. As part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour I am delighted to welcome the author here today. He's talking about the books that are special to him in My Life In Books.
My Life in Books - Iain Kelly
I am delighted to be feature for this guest post on the Random Things Through My Letterbox blog.
Being asked to think about the books that have inspired me and left an impression has been a rewarding task, a chance to reflect on my own reading and writing journey so far and to think about where it might take me in the future.
I have also cheated a little, as I soon realised there are so many books that have left a mark on my life in one way or another, that it was difficult to narrow it down to only ten – so for each featured book, I’ve listed other similar books that very nearly made the list.
My high school English teacher was in some ways responsible for my love of reading, or at least from graduating from children’s book to more grown-up reading. It was Mr Stewart who encouraged us to enter the Discworld of Terry Pratchett, and Small Gods was the first one in the series that I read. While the genre of Fantasy is not one I choose often, the satire, humour and the all-to-human relatability of the characters and situations in these books always made them a treat to read – and taught me that no matter what the genre or scenario, it’s all about character when it comes to writing. The publication of a new Pratchett each year was always a highlight – and is sadly missed since his untimely passing.
Other early reading books that are embedded in my memory from early years: Peace At Last – Jill Murphy; The Secret Seven – Enid Blyton
There are many reasons I love James Bond – from watching the early films on TV with my Dad, to early memories of being old enough to see the films at the cinema. I came to the original books later on. Although they have dated a little – and are quite different to the films - they still have the mix of exotic locations, tension, action and sex, villains and glamour. And at the centre of it all, the most fascinating charismatic, enigmatic heroes that literature has ever seen – and still going strong almost 70 years later.
Following on from Fleming’s Bond, I have always enjoyed spy stories – both real and fictional. There’s something about the mix of danger, lies, betrayal and double crossing that lends itself to great literature. le Carre is the master of it, blending the literary and the thrilling and grounded in a real-world weariness. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is my favourite, with George Smiley hunting a mole in the British Secret Service. Honourable mention to Len Deighton and more recently Mick Herron’s Slow Horses series – which adds a layer of black humour to the mix.
I’ve picked this one from all the Classics I’ve read with loads of honourable mentions for the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Three Musketeers. Monte Cristo stands out for me as a masterful work of epic plotting, with adventure, romance, revenge and thrills, and one that rewards every time it’s read.
Cosy crime has only one master, often replicated but never beaten. This is the first novel to feature the Belgian detective Poirot and sets up a lot of the elements that recur throughout the 40 novels that follow. – and have been imitated by authors ever since. And again – the films and especially the UK television series which followed were a big favourite. Another honourable mention to Georges Simenon (the Belgian writer) and his 75 Maigret novels, that are more literary, but equally engaging.
Scottish crime fiction, or Tartan Noir as it has come to be known, has obviously been a huge influence on my reading and writing, and my recent novel Full Sun fits into that rich history. William McIllvaney is credited with kickstarting the genre with his Laidlaw trilogy, which are fantastic – but my favourite of his books is Doherty – the story of a working-class boy growing up in a mining community – gritty, real and powerful, it stays with you long after the book is finished.
Iain Banks is my favourite modern Scottish writer. I was fortunate enough (as part of my day job as a television editor) to edit the final television interview with Kirsty Wark, which he gave weeks before his untimely passing. He faced his terminal cancer with the same wit, bravery and style that pervades his books. The Wasp Factory was his first novel, but everyone of his books was fascinating – and what drew me to them especially was the representation of everyday Scottish urban life that wasn’t represented anywhere else.
American literature was something I studied at university as part of my English degree, and that introduced me to the works of F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Steinbeck and others. The one who had the most impact on me was Hemingway, and particularly For Whom The Bell Tolls. Having re-read it recently, it’s remarkable that the first half of the book feels quite slow-paced and plodding – but the reward comes in the second half, which is the most beautiful and heart-breaking story. He may not be to everyone’s taste – both as a man and as a writer, and some of his other work can be testing, but the distinctive style with which he writes is something that has always fascinated me.
Another divisive American author that I love is James Ellroy. Never has a writer revelled in the grubby, foul-mouthed, sex-obsessed criminal underworld of American history. American Tabloid is Ellroy’s retelling of the assassination of JFK, mixing real world figures and facts with speculative fiction in a dizzying display of story-telling. Like Hemingway, Ellroy’s sparse, abrupt style will not be to everyone’s taste, but I find it compelling. Special mention to Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy, which does a similar job in the court of Henry VIII, and she too has her own unique style.
I wanted to include a representative book from the true crime or investigative journalism genres. There were a few contenders – The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, and All The President’s Men by Woodward and Bernstein – but I settled on Redden Keefe’s tale of The Troubles in Ireland. The meticulous research, spun into a compelling story and made all the more powerful because it actually happened. Sometimes stories of real-life struggles and survival are better than fiction.
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His latest book 'Full Sun' was released in November 2024, published by The Book Guild Ltd.
He is married with two children and works in the media industry as a television editor.
When he is not creating stories through sound and vision, he is writing them.
'A Justified State,' published in 2018, was his first novel. It was followed by a sequel, 'State Of Denial' in September 2019 and 'State Of War' in 2020, which concluded 'The State' trilogy.
In 2022, he partnered with The Book Guild to publish the mystery/coming-of-age saga, 'The Barra Boy', followed by the historical thriller 'All We Cannot Leave Behind in 2024.
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