In 'The Darker the Night,' a murder in Glasgow unravels a political investigation

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 1 March 2023

⏱️ 8 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Early on in The Darker the Night, the debut thriller from NPR producer Martin Patience, an investigative reporter links a murder in Glasgow to a significant political figure: the first minister of the Scottish government. As Patience tells NPR's Scott Simon, the story that ensues draws larger questions about journalists and their sources – particularly within governments and police departments – and how the erosion of local media outlets has impacted the way they're trusted by the communities they serve.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Timbermius. It's not every day that an NPR producer steps in front of the microphone, but Martin Patience's new book has him sitting in the studio's guest chair. His debut novel is called The Darker the Night, and it's a political thriller that centers on a murder that takes
0:21.7	place in Glasgow, and how Fulton McKinsey, the investigative reporter at the heart of the
0:27.6	story, unravels a chilling fact about it. Patience spoke about the book with our colleague Scott
0:33.6	Simon, including how it was inspired by a story he covered years ago as a foreign correspondent,
0:39.3	the joys of writing fiction, and what it's like to, for once, be in charge of the story you're
0:45.3	telling. In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life. Distant wars, murky
0:52.4	conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show,
0:56.5	Sources and Methods. NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people,
1:01.4	helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:05.2	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:10.9	The Darker the Night, a new novel, begins with a man shot dead in the center of Glasgow.
1:17.5	Looks like gang stuff, though Fulton McKenzie, investigative reporter for the Scottish siren, sniffs out that it's more.
1:25.4	Meets up at a pub with the source and a pal detective sergeant Davy Bryant who downs a pint of logger pulls his chair close and tilts Fulton McKenzie.
1:33.5	It's actually way bigger.
1:35.3	Let's ask the author Martin Patience to pick up the scene.
1:38.0	The victim had a number in his back pocket.
1:41.9	It was written on a piece of paper, a mobile phone number, and asked Fulton
1:47.7	quietly, and I dialed it. And who picked up? Davy pulled away from Fulton. He glanced over his
1:56.5	shoulders again, then leaned forward, cupping his hands round Fulton's ear.
2:03.2	You're never going to believe this. It was the First Minister.
2:07.8	Oh, the First Minister is in the leader of the Scottish Government. Oh, the intrigue.
2:12.5	The Darker the Night is the debut thriller from Martin Patience, a BBC foreign correspondent for more than 15 years,
	...

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