Tartan Noir 9 authors
Tartan Noir authors and complete series reading orders. Scottish crime fiction from Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, and the tradition they define.
Tartan Noir is Scottish crime fiction in the tradition established by Ian Rankin and Val McDermid — atmospheric, socially aware, and unflinching about the darker currents beneath Scotland's landscapes and communities. The term was coined to describe a specific tone and setting that has since become one of the most distinctive traditions in crime fiction. We track 9 Tartan Noir authors here.
Tracking 9 authors and 79 series in Tartan Noir.
Popular Tartan Noir Authors — Series in Reading Order
All Tartan Noir Authors — Complete Series in Order
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Tartan Noir?
- Tartan Noir is Scottish crime fiction — dark, socially conscious, and rooted in Scottish landscape, history, and community. The term was first applied to the work of Ian Rankin and Val McDermid in the 1990s and has since expanded to include Denzil Meyrick's DCI Daley series (set on the Kintyre peninsula) and many others.
- Which Tartan Noir series should I start with?
- Ian Rankin's Rebus series (Knots and Crosses) and Val McDermid's Tony Hill series (The Mermaids Singing) are the foundational texts. Denzil Meyrick's The Ruin is an excellent contemporary entry point with a distinctive west coast Scottish setting.