James Oswald (writer)

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James Oswald
Alma materUniversity of Aberdeen
Websitehttp://jamesoswald.co.uk/

James Oswald is a Scottish writer and farmer who has written the Inspector McLean and (as J. D. Oswald) The Ballad of Sir Benfro series of books.[1][2][3]

He initially self-published his books but is now published by Penguin.[3][4] Since 2018 he has been published by Wildfire, an imprint of Headline, where he has continued the Inspector McLean series and introduced a new series character Constance Fairchild.

His brother is the playwright Peter Oswald. His maternal grandfather was Patrick McLaughlin (churchman).

Early life[edit]

Oswald was born a son of farmer and stockbroker Peter David Hamilton Oswald and Juliet (née McLaughlin). His uncle was Sir Julian Oswald, First Sea Lord from 1989 to 1993.[5][6] The Oswalds were landed gentry, of Cavens, Dumfries, and Auchincruive (now named "Oswald Hall"), South Ayrshire, Scotland, descending from merchant George Oswald, Rector of the University of Glasgow from 1797 to 1799,[7]

Inspector McLean series[edit]

Inspector Anthony McLean is a detective in the Lothian and Borders Police force, stationed in Edinburgh.

Number Title
1 Natural Causes
2 The Book of Souls
3 The Hangman’s Song
4 Dead Men’s Bones
5 Prayer For The Dead
6 The Damage Done
7 Written in Bones
8 The Gathering Dark
9 Cold As The Grave
10 Bury Them Deep
11 What Will Burn
12 All That Lives


Constance Fairchild series[edit]

Number Title
1 No Time To Cry
2 Nothing To Hide
3 Nowhere To Run


The Ballad of Sir Benfro series[edit]

Number Title
1 Dreamwalker
2 The Rose Cord
3 The Golden Cage
4 The Broken World
5 The Obsidian Throne

His farm[edit]

He runs a livestock farm in North East Fife, where he raises Highland cattle. [8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Face To Face: James Oswald, author". The Herald. 6 May 2013. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  2. ^ "New six-figure deal for James Oswald". The Bookseller. 17 September 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Authors: James Oswald". Penguin. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  4. ^ "Interview With James Oswald". Writers & Artists. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  5. ^ Burke's Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, 107th edition, vol. 2, ed. Charles Mosley, Burke's Peerage Ltd, p. 1987
  6. ^ Debrett's Peerage and Baronetage, 146th edition, ed. Charles Kidd, David Williamson, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, 2000, p. 852
  7. ^ Burke's Landed Gentry, 16th edition, ed. L. G. Pine, Burke's Peerage Ltd, p. 1925
  8. ^ Official page

External links[edit]