BESTSELLING Scottish author Denzil Meyrick has died at the age of 59.
Best known for his crime novels, Meyrick wrote more than 20 books including popular titles such as Murder at Holly House and The Christmas Stocking Murders.
Meyrick wrote 11 books set in the fictional Scottish town of Kinloch starring detective chief inspector Jim Daley alongside sidekick Brian Scott as he drew on inspiration from his own time working as a police officer in Strathclyde.
His publisher announced that the author passed away peacefully at his home in Loch Lomond.
Meyrick was described as “one of the finest Scottish crime writers of his generation” by the Scottish publisher Birlinn.
“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 UK and well beyond,” a spokesperson said.
“With his characteristic humour, unwavering determination and his dry personality Denzil was west of Scotland through and through, and he created unforgettable detective and criminal characters. He brought the DCI Daley novels to the Scottish publisher Birlinn Ltd in 2014 and published 11 books in that series alone before moving new work to Transworld.
“Denzil – along with his characters – will always be remembered as a friend to the Birlinn team. He was a one-off. We were lucky to know him and our thoughts go out to his wife, Fiona.”
Meyrick studied politics and then spent time as a police officer, freelance journalist, and director of several companies. His successful DCI Daley series saw every book reach the number one slot in bestselling UK audiobooks on Audible.
First in the DCI Daley series, Whisky from Small Glasses was Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year back in 2015 and has remained as a top seller to this day.
His literary agent, Jo Bell, said: “Denzil was a character like no other, a true storyteller, wonderful husband to Fiona and friend to so many. Denzil we will miss you.”
Finn Cotton, editorial director at Transworld, said: “I had the honour 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.”
