Mystery author has the write stuff to put Lenzie - and St Andrews - on the map

Frank Muir (62), who publishes under the name T.F Muir, has released ‘Tooth for a Tooth’ – the latest in his series set in St Andrews featuring DCI Andy Gilchrist.

The author was born and brought up in and around Lenzie, where he attended Townhead Primary and Lenzie Academy.

After graduating from Strathclyde University in 1973 he set out on a career which took him around the world, including living in the US for 20 years.

But he’d always nurtured dreams of becoming a novelist, an ambition which came true in 2007 with his first novel ‘Hand for a Hand’. It marked the end of a long journey into print for Frank.

Frank, who writes at his home in Lenzie, explained: “I woke up one day in my mid-30s thinking that I didn’t want to wake up in my mid-70s regretting not giving it a go.

“I bought a computer and a book to teach myself typing and got started writing what I intended to be an international thriller along the lines of Robert Ludlum.

“It took me about two years to write and about two more to edit but it wasn’t published for another 18 years.

“I worked out that all the re-writes added up to about 1.5 million words – enough for 13 books. I stopped counting the rejection letters when they got into the hundreds.”

Since making the breakthrough he hasn’t looked back, publishing follow-up ‘Eye for an Eye’ and his third book in a busy five year period – landing a prestigious new publisher and American agent for his latest volume.

His unusual choice of St Andrews for a location came when he made one of his regular trips to the Fife town with wife Anne.

Frank (pictured) said: “We came out of a pub on a crisp moonlit night. Behind us were the castle ruins and ahead of us an atmospheric cobbled street. I just stopped and said to Anne that it would be a great location for a crime thriller.

“It also has the extra attraction of being known around the world.”

‘Tooth for a Tooth’ will be officially launched at a book signing at Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street branch of Waterstones at 6pm tomorrow (Thursday). All are welcome to attend the free event.

Frank will also be participating in the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in Stirling to be held from September 14-16.

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