A former airman from Courier Country is utilising his father’s years of experience with Tayside Police to dish out crime fiction in the deep south of America.
Allan Mann has begun publishing a series of short stories and novels set in Tayside and his protagonist is a retired detective sergeant from the former police force.
The former head boy of Brechin High School moved to Kentucky in 1991 after marrying a US citizen and is now vice-president of an aircraft management company in Cincinnati.
Last week he released Murder in the Sma’ Glen, which takes place in the countryside outside Crieff, having been inspired by the “fantastic tradition” of Scottish crime fiction.
He said: “I grew up in the area and my father is retired from Tayside Police so I know the countryside well and I can get the inside scoop over a phone call back home.
“Living somewhere other than Scotland makes me much more appreciative of my homeland and certainly more patriotic than I probably would have been if I were still living in the UK.
“It would be easier to research a US-based story, since I live here, but it’s more important for me to create a story and develop characters than make sure that the granular details of a crime scene are completely accurate.”
The protagonist, Tom Guthrie, will have his next adventure in Glen Esk and Brechin, and it will be centred on a windfarm.
“Angus will certainly feature as a character in its own right,” the author added.
Allan was awarded the Purdie Sword of Honour as the top Air Training Corps cadet in Scotland.
He joined the Royal Air Force after completing his secondary education and has been in aviation for 23 years.
For more information visit www.allanlmann.com.