Writer Barry Hutchison – or JD Kirk – brings Die Hard to the Eastgate Centre in his latest thriller
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If you plan to pop along to the Inverness signing of Barry Hutchison’s new book in the Eastgate Centre, mind out for any gun-toting Santas…
His new book writing as JD Kirk – the last in his series featuring lead character Bob Hoon – has been inspired by his love of the movie Die Hard.
And his childhood visits from Fort William to the Eastgate Centre at Christmas time have also played their part.
This book features the love him or hate him Robert Hoon, a spin-off character from Barry’s successful crime series featuring Inverness-based DCI Jack Logan and his team.
Barry explained: “There were originally going to be three books in the Hoon series – that was the plan, Northwind, Southpaw and Westward.
“But my son said ‘You can’t NOT have a fourth one. You can’t leave it at three points of the compass!’
“I thought it was a good point, but I couldn’t think of anything – I was racking my brains – ‘What can the East be?’.
“Then I was in Inverness at the Eastgate Centre and even there I was thinking ‘What can East be?’.
“Then I realised I was standing in the Eastgate Centre and that the word ‘Eastgate’ was literally perfect.
“I knew the book was coming out just before Christmas and Die Hard has always been one of my favourite movies of all time, and I thought ‘A Scottish Die Hard with a swearie, foul-mouthed psychotic Scotsman as Bruce Willis? That could be a lot of fun!’."
It seems Barry was right …
He laughed: “It has probably been the most fun I’ve had writing a book. It’s an action movie in book form.”
It also has meant special privileges for Barry as he did his research for the book out now.
“I got a behind the scenes tour – they let me into all the areas people don’t get to see generally. I was counting all the cameras and all that stuff. So if you ever need to hold the Eastgate Centre hostage, I’m your man! I’ve got all the inside info now.”
Book 16 in his original crime series featuring Jack Logan will be out in February, set in Wick. But there is already a plan for a new series to take Hoon’s place in Barry’s busy writing schedule.
“It’s set in the Central Belt and features a character who has popped up in the Logan series a couple of times. Logan used to work with her, a female detective, and that is going to be something completely different again.
“My worry is that I have quite a short attention span, so I like doing other things as well, though people love Logan so I’ll keep doing that for as long as I can.”
And for Hoon fans, there’s a glimmer of hope all may not be over.
“It is the end of his series. But I think it would be a better man than me who would keep Bob Hoon down. So I would say it is probably not the last of him people will see!
“But I also like to challenge myself with different things.”
Such as a tour of JD Kirk book locations…
“We have spoken to a local tour company here in Fort William and we are looking to bring them in for next summer!”
“I get emails all the time from people saying ‘We’re planning on coming to Scotland next year and can I get a signed book?’. So quite often if I’m around, I will pop into the bookshop and meet them in there. So I think a tour is the next logical step really.”
And Barry confesses he does get recognised on the streets of his hometown, which leads to a problem…
“People stop me sometimes. It’s lovely but I’m really bad at taking compliments, I think it’s a Scottish thing – we’re so used to taking the piss out of each other. When someone offers you a sincere compliment, you don’t know what to do!
“In a way, I’d much rather someone said ‘I read your book and it was sh**e…’!”
Barry Hutchison will be signing Eastgate in Waterstones Inverness on Saturday (Dec 10) at noon.
