That’s such a difficult question. I’ll probably go for Lord of the Rings as it’s such a scholarly work as well as a triumph of the imagination. It is a story comprised of the same bedrock that all stories spring from: good versus Evil; free will versus destiny; corruption versus love. It’s also a hefty tome so plenty of reading.
Following the success of Whirligig, my publisher wanted another story featuring DI Corstophine and his small Highland police team. The Devil’s Cut was written during lockdown, and I used my imagination to take me into the mountains at a time when we were all being asked to stay very much at home. It is unsurprising therefor that elements of mental illness are explored within the story, and an autumnal setting with the action taking place over Halloween plays its own part in inspiring the action.
When a distillery owner’s body is discovered on top of a remote Scottish mountain, forensics confirm that he died of natural causes. DI Corstophine’s concerns are raised however, when the dead’s man eccentric sister receives a message, apparently from the beyond the grave. The police are dismissive until it appears the devil himself is intent on attacking other family members. Why is his daughter kept locked and sedated in her room in the baronial mansion? Who or what is stalking his son as he scatters his father’s ashes on lonely summits? And what insanity is behind the horrific attacks in their small Highland town? DI Corstophine and his team don’t know what they’re facing until it’s too late. Following on from the success of Whirligig, The Devil’s Cut is a story about what constitutes sanity and how delicate that state really is; how such a perfect emotion as love can completely destroy a man.
3. Are you a plan, plan, plan writer or do you sit down and see where the words take you?
1. Tell us a little about The Devil’s Cut.
6. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life which book would it be?
5. What do you do when you aren’t writing? What do you do to relax and get away from it all?
7. I like to end my Q&As with the same question so here we go. During all the Q&As and interviews you’ve done what question have you not been asked that you wish had been asked – and what’s the answer?
Why do you write? For the same reason as musicians play music, or artists paint, or actors act or dancers dance. There are stories wanting to be told, and I have little choice in the matter. If people enjoy my work and pay me to continue then so much the better, but that’s not what drives me.
I still run my audio-visual business part-time, enjoy exploring Scotland, visiting bookshops and researching for my current work in progress which currently is a modern re-interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Kidnapped. I also strum a guitar and massacre some songs.
2. What inspired the book?
4. Having been through the publishing process, is there anything about the process of creating a novel that surprised you?
About the Book
I am very much a blank sheet of paper and see what happens kind of guy. By the time I’m 40k words in I usually have a fairly good idea of what’s going on – but, like the reader, I’m never entirely sure until the end.
There’s an awful lot of work involved in writing a novel, and the characters and plot take up residence in my mind for months on end. When I’m writing I tend to see the story unfolding as a film reel, and it’s the last thing I see at night before taking it on again the next day. I guess I hadn’t appreciated how much actual effort goes into a book when they are so easy to read!
Andrew kindly answered a few of my questions.
When a distillery owner’s body is discovered on top of a remote Scottish mountain, forensics confirm that he died of natural causes. DI Corstophine’s concerns are raised, however when the dead man’s eccentric sister receives a message, apparently from beyond the grave. The police are dismissive until it appears the devil itself is intent on attacking other family members. Why is his daughter kept locked and sedated in her room in the baronial mansion? Who or what is stalking his son as he scatters his father’s ashes on lonely summits? And what insanity is behind the horrific attacks in their small Highland town? DI Corstophine and his team don’t know what they’re really facing until it’s too late. The Devil’s Cut is an exploration of what constitutes sanity and how delicate that state really is; how such a perfect emotion as love can completely destroy a man.
The Devil’s Cut by Andrew James Greig was published by Fledgling Press on 28 October 2021.
