Tartan Noir Reading Group

Welcome to 'The Mysterious Affair At Topping & Co.'!

Meeting on the last Friday of every month, 'The Mysterious Affair At Topping & Co.' will discuss Scottish crime fiction across the decades.

Join us for an evening of murder, mystery, and a glass of wine. We will be tracking 'A Century of Scottish Crime Fiction', reading and discussing a range of crime novels set in Scotland and written by (mostly) Scottish authors.

We will examine how Scotland’s crime fiction has evolved over the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly the varying depictions of Scotland as a literary setting. How is the landscape of Scotland used to create the perfect atmosphere for a crime novel? Why do so many crime writers keep returning to this country in their crime fiction? Whether you enjoy thrillers, classic whodunits, or the ever popular tartan noir, come along to discover new authors, and to share your own expertise with other fans of the genre.

This group is hosted by Benjamin, who is writing his PhD on 20th century crime fiction.

July's book is: Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L Sayers

Lord Peter Wimsey’s fishing holiday is interrupted in Dorothy L Sayers’ classic crime novel, introduced by writer and reviewer Barry Forshaw - a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Margery Allingham’s Campion Mysteries.

Lord Peter Wimsey could imagine the artist stepping back, the stagger, the fall, down to where the pointed rocks grinned like teeth.

But was it an accident - or murder? Six members of the close-knit Galloway artists’ colony do not regret Campbell’s death.

Five of them are red herrings.

Reading Group Structure

Ticketing: Each place is £5, which can be redeemed against a copy of a reading group book.

Frequency: Each reading group will meet once a month, on a set day of the week. You do not need to commit to one group, or every meeting! Just book for those you're interested in each month, and we hope to entice you back for another one.