Loss Interview - Tom Maxwell Interviews Tony Black

TOM MAXWELL: How close is the Edinburgh of the Gus Dury books to the real city?

TONY BLACK: I'd like to think it's pretty close, I mean, it's the city as I see it really... I try to portray it warts 'n' all; I'm not looking for sponsorship from VisitScotland here. Ultimately though, it's not for me to judge, it's for those who live here, those who know the place. I'm always chuffed to bits when I get e-mails from people telling me they really recognise Gus's Edinburgh, though... I've had a few from people, even ex-Edinburghers on the other side of the world, who have said it rings true and it's a huge compliment.

What are the main similarities and differences?

Well, it's not all sunny days in the Gus Dury books for a kick off: it's generally coming down in stair rods. The latest one, Loss, is set in the depths of winter - heavy snow with not a gritter in sight... sound familiar? Gus always feels a bit uncomfortable in the sunshine, he's a cynical ex-hack and tends to focus on the negative so a lot of his observations are about the city's flaws - bins overflowing at Festival time; Geordie hen parties in pink cowboy hats chucking up in the Cowgate... that kinda thing. He's not immune to the sheer beauty of Edinburgh though - the buildings and the history are contrasted quite starkly with the rough stuff... it's because Gus loves the place so much that he's appalled by its flaws.

From other crime writers who have set books in Edinburgh (please give examples), how does their vision of the city compare to your own?

Well, no two writers' visions will be the same - everyone looks at the place through their own eyes and records what they think are the salient features. With Edinburgh being such a schizophrenic city though, it's hard not to overlap to some extent. In the Gus Dury novels, for example, there are a few of Muriel Spark's Morningside ladies and more than a few of Irvine Welsh's Begbies.

How would you describe Gus? He has a lot of gripes about the city and about modern life in general - how many of these gripes are yours?

I'd describe Gus Dury as a bit of miserable git! He's a glass-half-empty kind of guy; but then if you look at the life he's led then you might understand why he's like that. He was brought up in a family headed by an alcoholic footballer who battered them all senseless, he lost his job, his wife and has hit the bottle himself. In Loss he's upped the ante and started on amphetamines, just to make matters worse. It's really common to confuse a writer with his protagonist but I'm not Gus - would love to have the nerve to nut a politician though!

Do you take as dim a view of the city and modern life as Gus?

There's a lot of aspects of the city that drive me nuts - like everyone else who lives here I think the roads are a nightmare, it's almost pointless having a car. But, my gripes are minor compared to Gus's; I love Edinburgh to bits, think it's a great city - one of the world's great cities - and really enjoy living here.

The narrative is quite distinctive - who are your biggest influences and why?

I tend to read quite widely, I'm a big fan of American writers, the greats like Hemingway and Steinbeck but also some of the old noir masters like David Goodis and Jim Thompson. I love Scottish writers like Irvine Welsh and Alan Warner as well, and in the crime genre for me the man is Ken Bruen - he's a genius.

Did you experience any "difficult third album" syndrome with Loss?

No, not really. This one actually wrote itself; I think the further down the track you get with it the easier the craft of novel writing gets. There is the problem with a series character though... it gets harder and harder to put him in believable situations, you stretch the reader's disbelief if it goes on too long I think.

We're seeing something that we never thought possible in the first two books: Gus not drinking. How do you think this is affecting the character?

Well, it's driving him nuts. Gus is an alcoholic, and he's seriously addicted to alcohol, but he thinks he can give it up to keep his wife back in his life. I don't think he can... which is why he's substituted his drug of choice for amphetamine in this book.

How long has passed since the events of Gutted?

Probably about a year. I think between all the book's there's been about a year - or by Gus's count, 365 bottles of Grouse...

Gus is now back with Debs - would you say she's a glutton for punishment or does she see qualities in Gus? If so, what do you think these are?

She probably is a glutton for punishment, why else would she take him back? I think she does see that Gus is essentially a good bloke, his heart's in the right place and he does try to to the right thing in most situations, but he has this self-destructive character that gets in his way.

Loss features illegal immigrant workforces. Is this something you've been reading up on in the news?

There was a time there when illegal immigrant workforces was never far away from the headlines - I did catch one story on the six o'clock news about a brutal gang and I thought there's something in that I could use; it's quite often the way, with Gutted I was reading a lot about illegal dog fighting and it seeped into the book.

Gus is often angry about the way Edinburgh is being run. How do you think he would feel about some of the bizarre new things councillors are dreaming up to waste money: namely the possibility of Gaelic road signs in the city centre?

He's likely to have a good rant at that! I can honestly say he's not a fan of most politicians - the first book opens with him nutting one and kind of goes downhill from there.

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  Loss - Tony Black - Hardback
  Gus Dury is a changed man. He is off the Edinburgh streets & back with estranged wife, Debs. He has promised her that he won't get involved in any more dodgy cases. Above all, he's off the drink. Then his brother, Michael, is found dead with a bullet in his heart and Gus' life begins to unravel all over again.