Scottish crime writer Denzil Meyrick, a former police officer who was best known for his 11-book series of about DCI Jim Daley, died February 14. He was 59. BBC News reported that after studying politics, Meyrick had worked as a police officer in Glasgow for nearly five years in the 1980s. He left following a back injury and went on to develop a business career, working as a distillery manager and running a pub.
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Meyrick's first novel, Whisky from Small Glasses (2012), launched the career of DCI Daley, "a cop forced to move from his Glasgow patch to a rural setting. The detective goes on to solve a series of gruesome murders with his deputy Brian Scott in the fictitious rural community of Kinloch, inspired by Denzil's home town of Campbeltown," BBC News wrote. A TV series based on the Daley books is currently in production.
Among the novels in his DCI Jim Daley series are The Last Witness (2014), Dark Suits & Sad Songs (2015), The Rat Stone Serenade (2016), Well of the Winds (2017), The Relentless Tide (2018), The Death of Remembrance (2022), and No Sweet Sorrow (2023). His 20 books also include the Frank Grasby series: Murder at Holly House (2023), The Christmas Stocking Murders (2024), and The Misletoe Wedding Murders (2025).
Describing him as "one of the finest crime writers of his generation," one of Meyrick's publishers, Birlinn, said, "Denzil was known for the skill with which he pinned to the page the reality of life on the streets of Glasgow along with the issues of the small rural communities of Scotland, a talent which caught the attention of a wide reading public across the U.K. and well beyond. With his characteristic humor, unwavering determination and his dry personality Denzil was west of Scotland through and through, and he created unforgettable detective and criminal characters."
Finn Cotton, editorial director at Transworld, told the Bookseller: "I had the honor of working with Denzil on four of his most recent books. It was one of the most rewarding and enjoyable editorial partnerships of my career. I will miss him enormously, as a colleague, but also as a friend. Everyone at Transworld loved working with him, and we feel incredibly proud to have published him."
His agent, Jo Bell at Bell Lomax Moreton, said: "Denzil was a character like no other, a true storyteller and a wonderful husband to Fiona and friend to so many. Denzil, we will miss you."