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Frederic Lindsay
Frederic Lindsay
Frederic Lindsay
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Frederic Lindsay (12 August 1933 – 31 May 2013)[1] was a Scottish crime writer, who was born in Glasgow and lived in Edinburgh. He was a full-time writer from 1979 and previously worked as a lecturer, teacher and library assistant. He was active in a number of literary organisations including the Society of Authors, International PEN (a worldwide writers' association promoting freedom of expression) and the Scottish Arts Council. In addition to novels he also wrote for TV, radio and the theatre. Two of his novels have been made into films.

DI Jim Meldrum series

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Meldrum was one of those men defined by their job. Assuming he had a private life at all, it was hard to imagine what it might be. A glance to the side gave... a glimpse of the raw-boned profile, big nose, long chin, thin mouth, giving nothing away. The hands surrounding the steering wheel were thick-fingered, old scars white on the back of the nearer, hands shaped by grasping tools, a workman’s hands.

— The Endings Man, 2005

Lindsay wrote eight novels over the course of eleven years featuring Detective Inspector Jim Meldrum, an officer with Lothian and Borders Police, as their main protagonist. He was originally intended as a one-off study into the fate of a whistleblower and the personal cost of integrity. But Lindsay's publishers at the time, Hodder and Stoughton, commissioned further works and so the series was born.

The Meldrum books are classic police procedurals, dark in tone, which sometimes exploit the convention of having the identity of the perpetrator known to the reader before it becomes clear to the detectives. They feature considerable insights into the character and mental processes of the protagonist and into the effect that his work as a detective has on his personal life; this is another key feature of this genre. They also project a strong sense of place through the use of locations in Edinburgh and around Scotland and through the inclusion of distinctively Scottish speech and cultural references. These are all characteristics that make the Meldrum novels comparable to the highly regarded Italian-based Aurelio Zen series by fellow crime writer Michael Dibdin.

In a 2002 article for the Association for Scottish Literary Studies Lindsay described his work on the Meldrum books as a challenge in developing a complex, rounded and psychologically interesting character within the form and conventions of the detective genre.

Other works

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Lindsay described his novels as "differ[ing] markedly in tone and subject matter." They have themes including coming of age and sexual discovery (My Life as a Man), the death of a sibling (Jill Rips) and psychosis (After the Stranger Came).

In 2005, his 1983 novel Brond was nominated in a List Magazine/Scottish Book Trust list of the 100 best Scottish books of all time.

Involvement in television and films

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In 1987, Brond was made into a three-part television series for Channel 4 directed by fellow Scotsman Michael Caton-Jones and featuring the actors Stratford Johns, John Hannah and James Cosmo.[2]

One of Lindsay's works has been made into a film: in 1999 Jill Rips was made into an independent Hollywood film (also known in the United States as Jill the Ripper for its video release and Tied Up for its TV debut) directed by Anthony Hickox and starring Dolph Lundgren.

Bibliography

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References

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Frederic Lindsay

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Frederic Lindsay is a Scottish novelist known for his crime fiction and literary works that blend thriller elements with social and political commentary. His debut novel Brond (1983) gained critical acclaim for its Kafkaesque tension and was adapted into a three-part Channel 4 television series in 1987. Lindsay also authored the long-running Detective Inspector Jim Meldrum series set in Edinburgh, which earned praise for its gripping narratives and character depth. Born on 12 August 1933 in Glasgow, Lindsay was educated at North Kelvinside Secondary School and earned a first-class degree in English from the University of Glasgow. He worked as a library assistant at the Mitchell Library, taught at Annan Academy, and served as an English lecturer at Hamilton College of Education before leaving teaching in 1978 to become a full-time writer. He published poetry early in his career and later wrote for radio, television, theatre, and film, while remaining active in organizations such as the Scottish Arts Council’s literature panel, Scottish PEN, and the Society of Authors. Lindsay's novels span standalone works like Jill Rips (1987), A Charm Against Drowning (1988), After the Stranger Came (1992), and My Life as a Man (2006), as well as the eight-book Meldrum series from Kissing Judas (1997) to The Stranger from Home (2008). He married Shirley, a primary school teacher, in his early twenties; they had four children and eight grandchildren. Lindsay died on 31 May 2013 in Edinburgh at the age of 79.

Early life and education

Birth and family background

Frederic Lindsay was born on 12 August 1933 in Maryhill, Glasgow, Scotland. He was known to family and friends as Eric rather than Frederic. He was the son of a plumber father and a teacher mother.

Education and early influences

After attending North Kelvinside Secondary School, Lindsay worked as a library assistant at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow. A teacher recruitment scheme enabled him to study English literature at the University of Glasgow, where he excelled, winning prizes and graduating with first-class honours in English Literature and Language.

Pre-writing career

Library and teaching positions

Frederic Lindsay began his professional career as a library assistant at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow after leaving North Kelvinside Secondary School. He subsequently taught for several years at Annan Academy in Dumfries and Galloway. In 1966 he joined the staff of Hamilton College in Lanarkshire, where he worked as an English lecturer. Lindsay remained at Hamilton College until 1978, when he resigned to pursue a full-time writing career from 1979 onward.

Writing career

Transition to full-time writing

In 1978, Frederic Lindsay resigned from his teaching post to become a full-time writer, marking a decisive shift from his earlier careers as a library assistant, teacher, and lecturer. This transition, prompted by the threatened closure of Hamilton College of Education, allowed him to dedicate himself entirely to literary pursuits, resulting in the publication of 13 novels that spanned crime fiction and other genres. Alongside his novels, he contributed scripts and material for theatre, radio, television, and film, expanding his output across multiple media. Lindsay remained engaged in the literary community through public service and professional affiliations. He served on the Literature Committee of the Scottish Arts Council, where he supported the development and promotion of Scottish writing. He was also actively involved with the Society of Authors and International PEN, organizations dedicated to writers' rights and freedom of expression.

Non-series novels

Lindsay published five standalone novels separate from his eight-novel DI Jim Meldrum crime series. These works often explored darker, more varied themes beyond genre crime fiction, including political intrigue, personal betrayal, and psychological tension. His debut novel Brond appeared in 1983, a political thriller that drew acclaim for its examination of power dynamics and manipulation. It was adapted into a three-part television drama broadcast in 1987. Lindsay followed with Jill Rips in 1987, which received a cinematic adaptation released in 1999, though Lindsay expressed dissatisfaction with the film version. His subsequent standalone titles included A Charm Against Drowning (1988), After the Stranger Came (1992), and My Life as a Man (2006). These novels demonstrated Lindsay's versatility across non-crime narratives while maintaining his characteristic focus on human frailty and societal disillusionment.

DI Jim Meldrum series

Frederic Lindsay's longest-running and most prominent work is the police procedural series featuring Detective Inspector Jim Meldrum, a brooding Edinburgh detective known for his intense, saturnine personality. The series consists of eight novels published over eleven years, beginning with Kissing Judas (1997) and concluding with The Stranger from Home (2008). The books follow Meldrum as he investigates complex crimes in Scotland, emphasizing psychological depth, moral ambiguity, and the toll of police work. The series opened with Kissing Judas (1997), A Kind of Dying (1998), Idle Hands (1999), Death Knock (2000), and Darkness in My Hand (2001), establishing Meldrum as a distinctive voice in Scottish crime fiction. After a brief hiatus, Lindsay resumed the series with The Endings Man (2005), Tremor of Demons (2007), and The Stranger from Home (2008). The novels received praise for their craftsmanship and character portrayal, including commendation from fellow crime writer Ian Rankin. While the series achieved strong sales, it was partly overshadowed by the dominance of Rankin's Rebus novels during the same period.

Film and television work

Adaptations of his novels

Two of Frederic Lindsay's non-series novels have been adapted for the screen. His 1983 novel Brond was adapted into a three-part television miniseries broadcast on Channel 4 in 1987, directed by Michael Caton-Jones. The drama starred Stratford Johns as the titular character and John Hannah as the student witness drawn into political intrigue in Glasgow. Lindsay's 1987 novel Jill Rips was adapted into a feature film released in 2000, directed by Anthony Hickox and starring Dolph Lundgren, under the titles Jill Rips and Jill the Ripper. The adaptation departed substantially from the original source material. Lindsay hated the resulting film.

Screenwriting and advisory credits

Frederic Lindsay had several direct credits in screenwriting and advisory roles across television and film projects. He wrote three episodes of the 1987 television series Brond, a crime drama adapted from his own novel of the same name. Lindsay also served as script advisor on the 1989 television movie Conquest of the South Pole. Beyond these specific credits, Lindsay contributed writing to theatre, radio, and other television and film work.

Personal life and activism

Family and personal relationships

Frederic Lindsay married Shirley, his wife for nearly 60 years, and their marriage endured until his death in 2013. The couple had four children: Susan, Alison, Robert, and Elspeth. They also had eight grandchildren. Lindsay demonstrated his devotion to his family through his writing, dedicating each of his 13 novels to a family member—one to Shirley, one to each of the four children, and one to each of the eight grandchildren. Those who knew him described Lindsay as a warm, kindly, funny, and sociable person who was deeply devoted to his family life. This personal warmth stood in notable contrast to the darker, more unsettling themes that characterized much of his crime fiction.

Political and professional affiliations

Lindsay was committed to the cause of Scottish independence long before it became a widespread "bandwagon." A recurring minor motif in his novels is the sense of futility pervading Scottish society, where "decisions are things that happen somewhere else." He gave generously of his time and talents to various organisations including PEN International. Freedom of expression was a key issue for him, and he was among the first to sign the writers' protest against the Salman Rushdie fatwa.

Death

Final years and passing

Frederic Lindsay died on 30 May 2013 in Edinburgh, Scotland, at the age of 79, following a stroke. He was working on his fourteenth novel at the time of his death. Lindsay had published 13 novels during his career.
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