Allan Guthrie

Here’s a detailed biography and career sketch of Allan Guthrie (b. June 5, 1965), the Scottish crime author, editor, and literary agent:

Allan Guthrie – Life, Career, and Crime Fiction Legacy

Allan Guthrie (born 5 June 1965) is a Scottish “Tartan Noir” author, editor, and literary agent known for hard-edged crime novels like Two-Way Split and Kiss Her Goodbye.

Introduction

Allan Guthrie (born Allan Buchan on June 5, 1965) is a Scottish crime novelist, editor, and literary agent, often associated with the Tartan Noir tradition of dark, gritty Scottish crime writing.

He has also written a number of novellas and shorter works:

• Kill Clock (2007)

• Killing Mum (2009)

• Bye Bye Baby (2010)

His works are often collected or listed in crime fiction bibliographies, and sometimes characters cross over between novels (for example, Pearce appears in Two-Way Split and Hard Man).

Style & Themes

• Guthrie’s fiction is characterized by hard, stripped-back prose, minimal sentimentality, and moral ambiguity.

• His settings often draw from Edinburgh or Scottish urban landscapes, with a bleak, noir sensibility.

• Violence, betrayal, flawed characters, and a sense that desperation can drive people to extreme acts are recurring motifs.

• He is sometimes grouped with authors in the “Tartan Noir” movement due to his Scottish crime setting and morally dark tone.

Other Roles: or, Agent, Publisher

• Beyond authorship, Guthrie has served as an editor for various publishers.

• He is also a literary agent, and co-founded The North Literary Agency.

• In 2011, Guthrie teamed up with entrepreneur Kyle MacRae to launch Blasted Heath, a digital-only publishing imprint in Scotland. All its ebooks were DRM-free and offered in multiple formats.

• Blasted Heath operated for several years before closing in March 2017.

He has also given lectures, workshops, and public talks (over 200 of them) on writing, editing, and publishing.

Awards & Recognition

• Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award (2007) for Two-Way Split

• Kiss Her Goodbye earned nominations for Edgar, Anthony, and Gumshoe awards.

• His works have been translated into other languages (e.g. Italian)

Legacy & Influence

• Guthrie is respected not only as a writer but as someone who has shaped the crime-fiction scene in Scotland through editing, agenting, and publishing efforts.

• His risk in creating a digital publishing house early on (Blasted Heath) anticipated shifts in how books are distributed and read.

• Fellow authors in the crime fiction community cite him as part of a network that includes writers like Ken Bruen, Jason Starr, and Reed Farrel Coleman.

• He is seen as a representative of the edgier side of Scottish crime fiction—less cozy mystery, more visceral, morally murkier territory.