Tommy the Bruce

An outstandingly well written, emotionally complex slice of Scottish noir * Mail on Sunday *[A] character-driven thriller, as Yorkston slowly cranks up the pressure, from merely uneasy to positively nail-biting * Herald *Compelling from the start. Told from Tommy’s view, the narrative voice is vivid and rhythmic and full of telling detail. I roared through it * Herald (10 great books to read this January) *

James Yorkston is a singer-songwriter and author from the East Neuk of Fife, Scotland. Since signing to Domino Records in 2001, James has released a steady flow of highly acclaimed, multi-instrument, acoustic based albums. James’ 2021 album The Wide, Wide River was called ‘another fascinating, curious contribution to the Scottish musician’s constantly eddying catalogue’ by the Guardian, ‘a beautiful experience’ by Clash and ‘another career highlight’ by the Scotsman. In 2014 Yorkston began playing with with Yorkston/Thorne/Khan, a trio embracing jazz, traditional folk, krautrock, the poetry of Ivor Cutler and Indian classical music. Their album Navarasa - Nine Emotions was named the Guardian’s ‘Folk Album of the Year’ in 2020. In 2011 James’ debut book It’s Lovely to be Here - The Touring Diaries of a Scottish Gent was published by The Domino Press / Faber, and in 2016 Freight Press published James’ first novel 3 Craws. His second novel, The Book of the Gaels, was published by Oldcastle Books in 2021. James also runs the music and poetry night ‘Tae Sup wi’ a Fifer’, and co-hosts the podcast 46-30, dedicated to ‘Quality Music of No Fixed Abode’.