Press

Some press coverage of my first three books, from publications like The Times, the Herald, the Scotsman, and fellow authors like Ian Rankin, Peter May and others.

Bloody January Cover

Bloody January

“1970s Glasgow hewn from flesh and drawn in blood”
— Peter May

“Bloody and brilliant. This smasher from Alan Parks is a reminder of how dark Glasgow used to be”
— Louise Welsh

“An old-school cop novel written with wit and economy … Think McIlvanney or Get Carter”
— Ian Rankin

“The latest star of Tartan noir — perhaps even a successor to the late, great William McIlvanney … Gripping, utterly authentic and nerve-jangling, this novel announces a fine new voice in crime writing”
— Daily Mail

“A potent tale of death … Alan Parks’s excellent first novel propels him into the top class of Scottish noir authors … Detective Harry McCoy … is so noir that he makes most other Scottish cops seem light grey”
— The Times, Book Of The Month

February’s Son Cover

February’s Son

“A riveting journey through the grim and gritty dark side of 1970s Glasgow … A powerful slab of tartan noir”
— Herald

“Pitch-black tartan noir, set in Seventies Glasgow … Compelling … With an emotional heart that’s hard to ignore”
— Daily Mail

“Excellent … Full of surprises, streaked with compassion – that highlights the art of tartan noir. McCoy and Cooper … make one hell of a damaged duo. Their fascinating relationship provides the real intrigue”
— Evening Standard

“[An] engaging tartan noir page turner”
— Scotsman

“Parks’ writing style is to the point … The plot zips along … McCoy is a man many will enjoy spending time with. Casting agents will already be weighing which actor should pull on his raincoat”
— Inews

Bobby March Will Live Forever Cover

Bobby March Will Live Forever

“Even better than its predecessors … Its plot twists and turns, provoking laughter and tears … Fascinating and dangerous … Parks has clearly studied the masters of tartan noir but has his own voice. He shows how, among the welter of violence, a spontaneous act of kindness can have just as great an impact”
— The Times, Book Of The Month

“Draws the reader in with equal parts of twist and grit … It’s McCoy, though, who makes this series something special – he’s multi-layered and three-dimensional, with his own idiosyncratic work ethic … With this third instalment of the McCoy books, Parks has continued to build a series that no crime fan should miss: dangerous, thrilling, but with a kind voice to cut through the darkness”
— Scotsman

“Alan Parks has swiftly established himself as an exciting new voice in the world of tartan noir … Parks knows the city intimately, and this comes across effortlessly on the page”
— Scotland On Sunday

“Parks captures the feel of a city long vanished in a breathless and tense retro crime caper”
— The Sun

“This piece of tartan noir, with its twisting, turning plot, is full of fun period detail”
— The Times, Best Books Of 2020

Features

A selection of Alan's press features - various articles he's written and interviews he's given, for titles like The Herald, Dead Good Books, CrimeReads, and more.