A box of issues

 Hi - Douglas Skelton in the hotseat again from cold and damp Scotland.

It's a funny old thing, the English language. I mean, there are words that are spelled the same, are pronounced the same but can mean different things.

Let's look at the word "issue", for instance.

It can mean to leave (issue forth). It can relate to publications (in this week's issue). It can refer to progeny, or the lack thereof (he died without issue). And it can describe personal problems (that Skelton fella has issues).

And it can mean the events of the day.

There's a reason why this etymological conundrum has been on my mind. The word in one of its myriad of meanings has been used in relation to one of my books.

My most recent novel came out in the USA last week. I'm sorry if this seems like shameless marketing (Just to be clear, I'm not really sorry. It's called The Blood is Still and it's out in hardback from Arcade CrimeWise).

Anyway, it's had a couple of fabulous reviews in the home of the brave, one a starred review in Publishers' Weekly, but I don't like to brag. (Just to be clear, yes I do).

The other one, in Library Journal, was also very gratifying but I won't go into detail (just to be clear, they said it was 'an intricately plotted thriller ...  lyrical and thoughtful'.)

It said it was an issue-orientated novel.

I thought, whoa - did I do that?

Here's the thing - turns out I did.

It was written in 2019 and came out in the UK in March 2020. It has its themes and variations, of course, but I didn't set out to write about issues, at least not consciously.

Yes, there is a disturbing, always-in-the-news facet to the plotline as well as an examination of the challenges facing local journalism here in Scotland.

In addition, there is a sub-plot concerning right-wing politics.  Perhaps that, in light of recent events, has given what I simply describe as a thriller a bit more relevance.

There is even a riot when supporters of a neo-fascist go on the rampage.

Pointing no fingers, of course.

Did I have the rise of the far right in mind when I wrote it two years ago? Yes, without a doubt, for it has been seen here too.

Does the growth of extremism - left, right, religious - cause me concern? In other words, do I have an issue with it? You bet I do, but was I setting out to make a point, be controversial, form a polemic? Not consciously. My principal aim is always to simply tell a story, to create characters that hopefully step off the page and walk around the room with the reader.

As Sam Goldwyn said, messages are for Western Union.

But I was setting my story against real-world problems, and extremism is very much a hot topic so perhaps on some level I was tackling that issue. 

Everything seems politicised now - from the wearing of a mask during a global epidemic to whether you prefer Sex and the City over The Sopranos. Yes, there was such a debate on Twitty with some people growing quite heated and personal. It became a male/female argument, which is frankly ridiculous but that's where we are these days. Like one, like the other, like both. It's a matter of personal taste.

But one tweet was all it took for it to become an issue.

Political extremism has been on the bubble for some time.

To be honest, I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make here. I am most certainly not arguing against the review (I have no issue with it at all). I am grateful for it and pleased the reviewer enjoyed the book. I am always gratified when people take the time and effort to review. 

Well, maybe not the bad ones.

It was just that it took me aback slightly because, as I said, I did not set out to write an issue-oriented story though, now that it has been pointed out, I see that to an extent it is. 

I'm also amazed that it took a reviewer to make me realise it and that made me wonder if I had done it before. The only other book of mine I could come up with was book 3 of my Davie McCall series which in part dealt with the treatment of veterans in civvy street. It was one character, but it was there. 

Someone once said something along the lines of that if you want to understand the condition of a society at any given time, read its crime fiction. I think there is some truth in that.

As long as we also tell a good story. 

I'm sure no one will take issue with that.

PS - I was asked last time to publish a shot of Tom, the cat. Or He Who Must Be Obeyed. Here he is giving me the kind of look that tells me I've forgotten to do something, I'm about to forget to do something or there is something I have not done which I didn't know I was supposed to do and therefore could not technically forget to do it but I'm going to be punished all the same.