The fictional headlines scream for the blood of an ex-Glasgow tabloid journalist turned author: Orkney-born journalist assassinates The Queen. Terry Houston is the guilty party. A tanned and besuited fiftysomething, the ''seditious'' author appears unperturbed by the stooshie his debut novel, The Wounded Stone has created. He's more concerned with finding his dog - and ''personal trainer'' - Bonnie a bowl of water in this Edinburgh Royal Mile cafe.
Dog attended to, Houston leans back and explains his fictional assassination that has sent some quarters spluttering. ''I knew from the start of the book I was going to kill the Queen,'' he offers, a wry smile spreading across the face. ''I needed a cataclysmic and appalling event to trigger off the ensuing actions in the book.'' He succeeded royally.
This is a doorstopper of an action-packed Braveheart of a novel imbued with romance, fact, and personal vision. A timely rollercoaster ride of a contemporary tale with a cast the size of Scotland rampaging through the streets of Edinburgh and through the glens. Historic Scotland, royalists, and Tommy Sheridan will no doubt have their own opinions. Terry Houston, you stand accused not only of assassinating The Queen, but peddling staunch, pro-independence views. How do you plead? The previously sanguine gent transforms into a man of fervour. ''I absolutely support independence for Scotland. This book is a reaction to the whole idea of independence for Scotland being riddled with the fear factor. Think back to when The Great Debates were taking place and we had Donald Dewar comparing an independent Scotland to Bangladesh and Ian Lang talking about Albania.
''When the men at the top don't believe in us why should we believe in ourselves?'' Though Houston's imaginative Scotland deploys Semtex and Mon's Meg to achieve independence, the author feels a more diplomatic end will be reached in real life. ''I don't advocate violence. I think in a few years time we'll have that self confidence that will gradually see us move away from Westminster,'' he says.
Houston is equally unabashed with observations that The Wounded Stone hooks into the emotionalism of Braveheart. ''That film struck a chord with people in the same way that the theft of the Stone of Destiny also touched the population.''
His next novel is apparently a funny psychological thriller called Sweet Molly Maguire. ''I'm a one-subject writer,'' he says. ''I like freshness so this is a completely different novel altogether.'' The plot centres around Two Coats Mulligan, a tabloid journalist in seventies Glasgow who becomes embroiled in a mystery after finding a woman, raped at his party, has committed suicide.
After 30 years at the reporting front - including a stint on the Evening Times in the 1970s and 1980s - does he miss the tabloid life? ''I miss the crack,'' he says. ''The reporter's job is one of great privilege. Very few jobs allow you to tap someone on the shoulder and say 'take me into your life'. Houston no doubt hopes a nation of readers will do just that with The Wounded Stone.
n The Wounded Stone by Terry Houston (Argyll #7.99).
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