The Open University (free) forensic psychology course follows two fictional detectives as they try to solve the crime and also explores how well the techniques familiar from crime dramas compare to reality.
This week they will be holding a live online Facebook chat event with Lin Anderson, the award winning author of the ‘Rhona Macleod’ series of crime thrillers, and one of the founders of the ‘Bloody Scotland’ crime writing festival.
On Thursday 17 September between 12:00 and 2:00 (UK time) course participants can talk to Lin about her experience of writing crime fiction, and how she uses forensic psychology and science to create her investigations.
Later in the course, there will be similar events with leading researchers in forensic psychology,
This free MOOC (massive open online courseI in forensic psychology started on 14th September, but you can still join (and take part in the chat event with Lin).
Bloody Scotland 2015 closed on Sunday evening in Stirling, in a flurry of social media induced smiles and laughter, with a happy Linwood Barclay photographing his closing-event Albert Hall audience from the stage, to prove to his wife that people did in fact come to see him ...
Scotland's crime-writing festival has come a long way since Alex Gray and I went to the 2009 Crime Writers Association conference in Lincoln, drank some Prosecco, and pondered deep questions like "why were Scottish-based crime writers always having to travel to England (or further) to attend crime book festivals?"
Fast-forward six years, and the culmination of the efforts of dozens of talented and hard-working writers, readers, staff, helpers, and sponsors before and since Bloody Scotland first kicked-off in Septermber 2012, was scenes like these last weekend:-
In a low-scoring game, Scottish crime-writers (captained by Ian Rankin)
drew 5-5 on Sunday (at football, allegedly) with the English crime-writers
Crime-writing Ninjas Caro Ramsay, Lin Anderson, and Alex Sokoloff
'guard' the trophy during the crime-writers football match
The Bloody Scotland 'Slice Girls',
ready to perform at 'Crime at the Coo'
Hardeep Singh Kohli – with audience help – forces crime writers Chris
Brookmyre, Kevin Wignall, and Caro Ramsay to improvise a crime novel,
using a wheel of fortune, a football and a copy of Katie Price’s autobiography.
But it wasn't all comedy ...
Bloody Scotland is about selling Scottish crimewriting to the world, and inviting the world to come to visit us.
Thus the festival promotes promotes new writers in the genre, offers an
opportunity for established writers to extend their audience, and brings
the biggest international stars to Scotland:-
Ian Rankin and Arne Dahl
Jeffrey Siger, Steve Cavanagh, Neil White and Craig Sisterson
Historic Stirling again became the 'Graveheart' of Scotland yesterday as the fourth Bloody Scotland crime-writing festival opened, and got off to a great community-engagement start with the opening ceremony (pictures above).
Since then it has been a delight to watch or be involved in a terrific series of events and to meet so many old and new friends from the expanding universe of crime writing and reading.
It is wonderful that so many writers and readers have come from outwith Scotland, and it's great to see the reactions to the scenery, town, and venues from those who haven't visited Stirling before.
So the best of luck to everyone on the shortlist (all great books), and there is always the possibility later of either celebrating or drowning sorrows afterwards if the doors aren't locked to crime writers for the later stages of 'Crime at the Coo'.
Although locked doors shouldn't really present much of a problem to crime writers ...
Book
9 in Lin Anderson's Rhona MacLeod forensic scientist series (shortlisted for Bloody Scotland Scottish
Crime book of the Year 2015):- Paths of the Dead #UK ► amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LB89QU0/ Paths of the Dead #US ► amazon.com/dp/B00LB89QU0/
It's always good to start off things in a pub, and it was great to get Bloody Scotland 2015 action underway today from the Curly Coo pub in Stirling. The 'Coo' will be the venue tomorrow night for a special Bloody Scotland night of song and storytelling! (sold out, but check other events here).
As we meet and greet arriving crime readers and writers in Stirling in the run-up to this evening's opening event with ValMcDermid & Peter May, feel free to have a reminder of last year's Bloody Scotland festival by having a listen to this audio recording of the Lin Anderson and R2S (Return to Scene) forensics event:-
Book
9 in Lin Anderson's Rhona MacLeod forensic scientist series (shortlisted for Scottish
Crime book of 2015):- Paths of the Dead #UK ► amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LB89QU0/ Paths of the Dead #US ► amazon.com/dp/B00LB89QU0/
Although the UK publication of my latest Patrick de Courvoisier mystery The Case of the Missing Madonna wasn't due until 28th September, a limited number of hardback copies have been made available for sale later this week at Bloody Scotland (with some also in stock at Amazon UK).
The full Bloody Scotland 2015 (11-13th September) programme, with events still available shown, can be seen here.
Hopefully Bob the Minion will make it OK to Bloody Scotland. He might even find what he's looking for if he gets a ticket for my event with Val McDermid.
Book 10 in Lin Anderson's Rhona MacLeod series available in bookshops and at online booksellers:-
Book 2 in Lin Anderson's Patrick de Courvoisier series now available in hardback:- The Case of the Missing Madonna #UK ► amazon.co.uk/dp/0727885456/ The Case of the Missing Madonna #US ► amazon.com/dp/0727885456/ (for pre-order)
It's hard to believe that this week sees the 4th Bloody Scotland crime writing festival. It seems like only yesterday we were gathering in Stirling in 2012 for the first one ...
2012 : Ian Rankin, Alex Gray, & Lin Anderson
2012 : William McIllvanney
2012 : Fascinating forensics
There are still tickets available for many of the events this year (11-13th September 2015 in Stirling) with details and prices here, so don't miss out on what is going to be another wonderful weekend!
Hopefully there will be no hitches in Bob the Minion's travel plans ...
Book 10 in Lin Anderson's Rhona MacLeod series available in bookshops and at online booksellers:-
Book 9 in Lin Anderson's Rhona MacLeod series is shortlisted for Scottish Crime book of the year 2015 (with the winner to be announced at Bloody Scotland):- Paths of the Dead #UK ► amazon.co.uk/dp/B00LB89QU0/ Paths of the Dead #US ► amazon.com/dp/B00LB89QU0/
Less than a week to go until Blood Scotland starts! There is a brilliant preview of this year's crime writing festival in today's Daily Record Bookclub page with Shari Low ...
Behind the Wall is a great venue, and hosted sessions when The Mod was held in Falkirk. There was a very relaxed atmosphere for my event, and this led to some great questions and fun e.g. discussions on Rhona MacLeod's love life, and Shari confessing to taking a fancy to Sean (she had better join the queue!).
There was a discussion of the witches/Wiccan aspect to The Special Dead, and I had an opportunity to tell the story behind why the coven of witches is located in Edinburgh, rather than in Glasgow.
In terms of special 'dead' locations, I always like visiting Falkirk and its Old Parish Church yard.
Just a few steps off the bustling High Street silence descends, and you are very much in world of 'if you are reading this then I am dead' ...
My thanks to Alex Gray & Waterstones Newton Mearns for respectively chairing and arranging a very enjoyable The Special Dead event yesterday evening.
As good friends, who came up with the idea of starting the Bloody Scotland festival all those years ago, over too many glasses of Prosecco, it was a great opportunity for Alex and I to discuss The Special Dead and my current writing, and also the wider UK and international crime-writing scene.
Topic covered included Wicca, University of Glasgow's Ferguson Collection of books and manuscripts on alchemy and the occult, and the studies of the paranormal conducted by my old Professor, the late Archie Roy.
Some of the audience confirmed that they had come to Bloody Scotland previously, and Alex and I encouraged everyone to come along this year (11-13th September), discussing highlights from past years, and covering some of the must-see events for 2015.
Spookily, the Primovera Bistro, where last night's event was held, seemed to already know about the special powers of Prosecco ...
