Best-selling author Peter May will take a Perth audience on a journey to the dark side when he reveals the level of research he undertook for his latest book.
Glasgow-born May honed his skills writing for television dramas before he hit the headlines with his crime novels, The Lewis Trilogy, set in the Hebrides.
He has now sold millions of books worldwide and is meticulous about his research, something that led him into a macabre world as he prepared for his latest book, I’ll Keep You Safe.
The story centres on a husband and wife team who have come a long way with their cloth company on a small Hebridean island to the world of high fashion.
On a business trip to Paris, cracks in their relationship start to appear, and when her husband is killed in a car bomb attack the widow becomes the prime suspect.
Mr May will tell the Perth audience at about the lengths he went to in order to make the tale convincing.
His research took him to the Hebrides and Paris as well as carrying out in-depth interviews with experts in their fields.
“I delved into the world of ground-breaking forensic technology, where newly-developed techniques allow investigators to recover fingerprints from bomb-blasted particles,” said Mr May.
“Previously both criminals and investigators believed fingerprints were obliterated by bomb blasts.”
Mr May also spoke to pathologists about the complex set of international rules and regulations that govern the transportation of human remains in a case such as a bomb victim.
He also ventured into a world that is beyond most people’s reach.
“In relation to the criminal element of the story, I explored the so-called Dark Web,” he said.
“This is the flip side of the internet we all know and use. It is where you will find society’s creepy-crawlies when you take a peek into the shadows that lurk beneath.
“Suddenly you have access to sites selling illegal goods and services in secure anonymity – child pornography, weapons, drugs, and the services of hitmen.
“Payment is made, again anonymously, with the use of Bitcoins whose derivation and destination are untraceable.”
Mr May will be speaking at Perth Theatre on January 17.