Crime writer Oscar De Muriel sets his 'Victorian X Files’ in old Edinburgh

Oscar De Muriel and a snowy Edinburgh Castle

The characters - now in their sixth investigation, The Dance of the Serpents, published last week by Orion - are the creation of Mexican crime writer Oscar De Muriel, who fell in love with the Capital and its history during his many visits to the city.

Recalling the genesis of his unlikely protagonists, he explains, “I remember it vividly. I was having pizza with a couple of friends when one of them uttered the phrase, ‘Victorian X Files’. I can’t remember the context (not something that comes up in every-day conversation...) or who said it, (I may be deliberately holding that information in case they ever want to claim royalties...) but I instantly thought it was a great concept.

“After that, McGray came to me pretty much fully formed - a mad Scot who lost a finger during a tragic family feud, hence his nickname Nine-Nails McGray, and who eventually became obsessed with the ‘odd and ghostly’.Frey, his sidekick and the one who narrates the books, actually came second. I thought it would be jolly good fun to have a dandyish Englishman, fallen from grace, having to put up with the whims of a deranged Scottish boss. The English versus Scots banter is now an integral part of the stories.”

The Dance of the Serpents - the latest case for Frey and McGray

Frey and McGray were introduced to readers in the 2015 novel The Strings of Murder, for which the writer drew upon another of his skills, that of a violinist - he is also a chemist. “The first case was mostly inspired by my violin lessons, intermingled with a good dose of my chemistry background - if that qualifies as a pun, I do apologise.”

He continues, “The series is basically a long love letter to Scotland - I will never forget the first time I stepped out of Waverley station, and the very first thing I saw was Castle Rock covered in snow, mind, I am Mexican. I chose the Victorian era very carefully. All the mysteries in my books have a potentially supernatural element, and whether that is real or not is usually the main clash between Frey and McGray - one trying to defend reason while the other attempts to prove his wilder theories.

“I needed a period in history when that debate could be possible. That convergence, when both sides of the argument had an equally strong following, only happened briefly at the end of the 19th century. Conan Doyle is the prime example: coming up with the basis of forensic sciences, while also organising séances at his home.”

Since The Strings of Murder, Oscar has written a book a year with A Fever in the Blood following in 2016, A Mask of Shadows in 2017, Loch of the Dead in 2018, The Darker Arts last year and now The Dance of the Serpents, a sequel to A Fever in the Blood.

“Even before I finished that book I realised that ‘things’ could not simply end there - I’m doing my best to keep this spoiler-free. That case had profound roots in history; there would be ripples and certain embittered characters wouldn’t fade quietly into the night. The whole thing just begged for a follow-up.”

In the sequel, Frey and McGray, who work in the Edinburgh police’s subdivision The Commission for the Elucidation of Unsolved Cases Presumably Related to the Odd and Ghostly, find themselves called into a meeting in the middle of the night with none other than the Prime Minister himself. And he tells them that Queen Victoria - the most powerful woman in the world - wants them both dead.

The writer adds, “It also gave me the chance to plot the latest book around one really intriguing historical anecdote nobody has used in fiction ever before.”

It’s not the only case he would like to revisit in future novels Oscar reveals. “Bram Stoker plays a significant role in book three, A Mask of Shadows, and while researching I found not one but two rather shadowy episodes in his life I just couldn’t use for that plot line. Tantalising.”

Edinburgh has “just the right vibe” for his brand of crime novel with a supernatural twist, insists the 37-year-old. “The gloomy weather, the dramatic geography, the rich, dark history... the narrow, cobbled alleys where you can almost feel somebody breathing on your neck and about to stab you in the back... in a good way. In the first book there is a very spooky action sequence set in Calton Hill’s cemetery. I did have a walk there at night while researching - and that was all the inspiration I needed.

“The old lunatics’ asylum in Morningside, which, very fittingly, is nowadays the faculty of psychiatry, also features frequently in the series and I still enjoy walking around when I can. I’m very fond of the Leith’s Shore and its seafood restaurants, and I can’t come to Edinburgh without having a dram or two at the Ensign Ewart, which is also McGray’s favourite pub.”

Writing the first book, Oscar had high hopes for his characters, who are now known internationally, but admits he also had a Plan B, just in case.

“I always wanted it to be a series, but I also had a three-book emergency plan so I could wrap things up in case things didn’t fly. I could only pray I’d get the chance to tell all the stories I had in mind. Now we are on book six and have audio books, fan art and German, Spanish, Japanese and, very soon, Russian translations. I am truly, truly grateful that people keep reading and asking for more cases, and that even the first book keeps selling well after more than five years.”

The fan art is one aspect of the novels’ success that took Oscar by surprise. “It is just lovely. And something I never expected people would do. These guys are incredibly talented and they produce lots of really intricate work. Most of it I would have never imagined myself. It is curious that we all seem to picture Frey in a very similar way, but with McGray people go to town.

“Some are very similar to what I imagined and some are completely different, but I don’t want to tell which one’s which - I love how each reader has a unique face in their mind. The magic of books.”

So who would he cast in any film or TV adaptation of his books? “I’d lie if I said I’ve never pondered on the ‘dream cast’, but I have an annoyingly clear picture of Frey and McGray in my head, so I honestly can’t think of any names for those two. On the other hand, Joanna Lumley would be awesome as Lady Glass, the alcoholic baroness who pops up in almost every book to spread malice. And Ruth Jones would be just perfect as Madame Katerina, McGray’s most trusted gypsy clairvoyant. I hope they read this.”

One thing Oscar certainly doesn’t share with Nine Nails McGray is his belief in the in the supernatural. He reflects, “Yes, I wouldn’t say I share his beliefs, and I can’t think of anything spooky that’s happened to me, but all the lore that surrounds apparitions and witchcraft fascinates me. My grandparents passed on a good deal of old tales, like witches appearing in lonely roads as floating balls of fire. There was a true sense of awe in those stories. Even if I am a scientist by training, I don’t think I’d like to live in a world where everything can be explained through nuts and bolts. We all need some wonder.”

One reason, perhaps, why bringing his characters to life on the page is always an adventure in itself for Oscar.

“I always start by crafting the solution to the case, the whos/whats/hows/whens, and then I build the investigation around that,” he explains. "I couldn’t drop the seemingly harmless clues here and there without knowing what is happening in the background. Having said that, the characters do take over from time to time, especially McGray. I often find myself thinking ‘Wait, he’d never take that kind of s*** from his boss’, or ‘He wouldn’t wait that long for those daguerreotypes to be developed. No, no, no. He’d go and knee the photographer in the groin...’

“I do try to visit locations whenever I can, and that is always a joy. For book three, A Mask of Shadows, I was fortunate enough to get a private tour of Edinburgh’s Lyceum Theatre, which changed dramatically what I had planned for the end of the story. And for book four, Loch of the Dead, I spent a few days around Loch Maree in Wester Ross, which is simply stunning. Those landscapes stole the book. I just hope I did them justice.”

The Dance of the Serpents by Oscar De Muriel is published in Hardback by Orion, £18.99, and on Kindle, £8.99

TOMORROW: The first of five daily extracts from A Fever In The Blood, the prequel to The Dance of the Serpents

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