Marion Todd on being inspired to write crime fiction by Kate Atkinson, why she always recommends Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, and her best three books of the year.
The first book I remember reading:
The Little Red Hen – a Ladybird book. I still have my dog-eared copy and it’s like an old friend. As a child I was given my share of household chores to do and I completely identified with the hen who ploughs on regardless when the other animals in the farm yard refuse to help her sow and grow the wheat for a loaf of bread. Her revenge is delicious, both figuratively and literally. The others have done no work so they cannot share the bread. I like her style.
A book I recommend to everyone:
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. In contrast to the title, Eleanor is anything but fine. She is a creature of habit who functions thanks to the armour of routine she has created for herself; but a chink in that armour begins the gradual unravelling of Eleanor’s carefully crafted life. There is sadness underpinning the narrative like a black edge round a condolences card; yet there are laugh out loud moments. It’s a book I thought about long after reading the final page.
The best three books I have read in the last year:
I loved The Fall by Gilly Macmillan, the story of lottery winner Tom Booth found dead in his swimming pool. Layers of secrets are teased out so satisfyingly. The Stranger in my Home by Adele Parks is guaranteed to make any parent’s blood run cold. Fifteen years after giving birth to her daughter, Alison discovers she brought the wrong baby home from the hospital. What would you do? We Are Bellingcat by Eliot Higgins is a non-fiction account of the work of an organisation gathering information to investigate state-sponsored crime at the highest levels. It’s both terrifying and reassuring.
A book I didn’t finish:
I could not finish Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I do feel guilty about this because it’s regarded as a classic but it’s so entirely miserable. None of the characters is sympathetic. I just didn’t care what happened to them. When I read I like to escape to another world but no power on earth would induce me to step into that world. Give me a witty Jane Austen any day.
An author who has inspired me:
Kate Atkinson. Her Edinburgh crime novel, One Good Turn, made me want to write crime fiction. It’s so cleverly plotted but it’s the different characters and the way their stories gradually knit together that makes this one of my favourite books. The opening scene, a road rage incident, includes several characters who seem unconnected but every single one matters to the plot. It’s stunningly good writing.
My favourite place to read:
There’s a chair in my hall that sits near the wood burner and it’s a wonderfully cosy corner for those dark winter nights. Add the dog snoozing at my feet and a mug of tea or glass of wine at my side and it really is the perfect spot. I dream of having a window seat with great views and lots of cushions but my house isn’t built that way so this is the next best thing. 
Marion, who grew up in Dundee, turned her hand to crime fiction and in 2020 was shortlisted for the prestigious Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year award with her novel See Them Run, the first in the DI Clare Mackay crime series. Her latest book, Bridges to Burn can be bought here.
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