Inverness Crazy Golf and his owner to feature in new book The Night Watch by Black-Isle based crime writer Neil Lancaster
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A LOCAL fun spot in Inverness is going to feature in a new crime novel by a former Met policeman.
A sneak peek into The Night Watch, a new crime fiction novel by Black Isle-based writer Neil Lancaster has revealed that the Inverness Crazy Golf (ICG) near Bught Park has been included in the narrative of the book, which will be released in September.
Gus MacDonald, owner of ICG, said he didn't expect for his character to have an important role in the book.
"We really like to show a genuine interest with everyone that comes here so we do get to know many of our customers well.
"Neil always comes down to take his son to the skate park and we started chatting. One day I remember asking him what he did for a living, and he said he was a retired policeman turned writer, and that he was writing his next book, so I cheekily asked him if I could be in, and he said yes!
"I thought he was just going to mention us for a bit of fun but apparently there is a character named Gus and it has a slightly bigger role in the book than I have thought, so
"I had a couple of bits from Neil telling me what kind of character I would be in the book so...it will be interesting to see it in print!
"It was quite funny, I had actually bought his book and a couple of times I brought it down and pretended to read it when I saw him coming in so it was quite a nice moment. He's a very nice guy.
"It's certainly nice to think that this might put us on the map, we shall have to wait and see!"
Neil Lancaster, who is gaining growing recognition with his Max Craigie series , said:"I got to know Gus during frequent visits to his coffee and tea stall at Inverness Crazy Golf whilst my son Ollie was skateboarding at the park next door. We got chatting and when he learned I was a crime writer he bought my books and said nice things about them. When he suggested using the Golf Course in one of my future books, I was so taken by the idea that I decided to use it as a setting for a couple of important scenes in the book I was writing, The Night Watch which is out in September.
"Then I decided that as he’s such a lively person that I should probably mention him, as there may be a funny bit of dialogue to be had. Once I’d introduced Gus into the book, his importance to the plot suddenly, (and unexpectedly) grew and his cameo role became an integral character. It was huge fun to write, and we’ve laughed about it many times since. I even managed to get Gus’s mum, Bet into the book for a quick scene.
"It's been a real bonus to the story, and has added some extra tension and conflict. No plot spoilers, but the “Gus” I created has some similarities with the “real” Gus, but he also has more differences. I can promise you all that any of the more “dodgy” character traits I’ve given to the one in the book are all just a product of my overactive imagination!"
In an interview for Highland News and Media's Northern Bibliosphere podcast, Mr Lancaster told of how he enjoys using places that are recognisable by the local community in his books.
You can listen to the full episode on the player below:
