Author debuts with political thriller

‘THE Whisper State’ by Annan based author T R Dray marks the first instalment of a noir-inspired thriller series set in contemporary Scotland.

Rosa Underwood, a journalist with Edinburgh’s The Sentinel, is led into the heart of a conspiracy after being handed a routine assignment.

As Rosa follows the trail – from the newsroom to Holyrood, from labs to hidden estates – she uncovers a dangerous operation that’s already claiming lives.

But the people behind the Whisper Project do not lose quietly.

After setting the scene, the tension starts to quickly build in this political thriller and it soon makes you want to keep on turning the page.

It explores themes of conspiracy and political corruption as Rosa risks it all to uncover the truth.

Book Two: ‘Wasted’ – also out now – follows Rosa as she finds herself at war with a criminal empire hiding behind recycling bins and charity shops.

Meanwhile, Book Three: ‘The Silent Wind’ is coming soon.

Author Terry Dray, who moved to Annan just over three years ago, said: “These characters have been with me for a very long time, I have written about them in other formats.

“The character Rosa Underwood has been in my head since the mid 1980’s.

“When I retired I thought I would try and write. Writing for the screen is very different to writing for novels.

“I’m a great noir fan. I call this ‘tartan noir’ – it’s noir and it’s based in Scotland.”

He added: “I wanted to create a character who feels rooted in Scotland but also carries the spirit of classic noir – the kind of flawed, driven protagonist you might expect to find in Hammett or Chandler, only working a modern newsroom rather than the mean streets of 1930s LA.

“Through Rosa, the books explore corruption, power, and survival, all with a darkly atmospheric edge.

“The first novel, The Whisper State, introduced Rosa’s world; the follow-up, Wasted, continues her fight against those who profit in the shadows of public life.”

Brought up in Leith, Terry, 66, has worked in film, television and radio on and off for 30 years.

On life in Annan, he said: “I have made this place my home now. Annan reminds me of Edinburgh when I was a boy, when you walk along the street everyone talks to you.

“Everywhere I go it takes me back to my childhood, and the people I’ve met I’ve integrated them into the characters in my books.”

The Rosa Underwood novels and also ‘The Unseen Hand’ – A Fred Buchanan Mystery – are available online at trdray.com/novels/rosa-underwood