116: May Rinaldi on Liar Thief | Bloody Scotland 2026

This episode is part of my Bloody Scotland 2026 series.My guest this week is debut crime author May Rinaldi, whose novel Liar Thief has already enjoyed an incredible journey. After winning the Black Spring Crime Novel Prize and securing a publishing deal, the novel has gone on to be shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize 2026.We discuss the long road from a short story written over a decade ago to becoming one of Scotland's standout crime debuts, why May writes as a "pantser", and how her characters often surprise her while she's writing. We also explore the unusual structure of the novel, unreliable memory, friendship, loyalty and why readers are left questioning whether Ginny Queen is really the serial killer she claims to be.As part of our Bloody Scotland chat, May also recommends some of the festival panels she's most looking forward to this year:S.A. Cosby in conversation with Denise Mina: https://bloodyscotland.com/event/denise-mina-presents-sa-cosby-534010/Femme Fatales: Liz Nugent, Harriet Tyce & Andrea Mara: https://bloodyscotland.com/event/femmes-fatales-liz-nugent-harriet-tyce-andrea-mara-542410/See May live at Bloody Scotland 2026:Debut Prize Panel Friday 18 September 3:00pm https://bloodyscotland.com/event/debut-prize-panel-frances-crawford-kirsty-lockwood-may-rinaldi-539210/Find May here: https://www.instagram.com/mayrinaldi56/Buy Liar Thief: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/liar-thief-may-rinaldi/f6de426c45920a5f?ean=9781917788205&bkshp-astro=tIf you're attending the festival, make sure you book early as this panel is always hugely popular.