Today, I’m delighted to be chatting with crime fiction author Val Penny about Murder in Gilmerton, the second book in her Hunter Wilson series. From hidden secrets and intertwined investigations to the enduring appeal of Edinburgh as a crime fiction setting, Val shares the inspiration behind the novel and offers a fascinating insight into her writing process.
But first, let me intoduce you to Murder in Gilmerton
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Publication Date: 2nd June 2026
Publisher: Joffe Books
Print Length: 290 Pages
Genre: Crime / Mystery / Thriller
Behind Edinburgh’s genteel facade, a killer is settling an old score . . .
An elderly man is shot dead on his own doorstep in the leafy suburb of Gilmerton.
One bullet. Point-blank range. A professional hit on a harmless old man who lived a simple life collecting rare books.
Detective Hunter Wilson knows the victim. George Reinbold was once head of Crime Scene Investigations. He’s one of their own.
What Hunter can’t understand is why George’s modest flat is fortified with reinforced doors, bomb-blast curtains and a Cold War pistol under the bed.
That same morning, a young woman vanishes from a luxury car showroom. No struggle. No witnesses. Just a discarded coat and a missing blue Volvo.
Two cases. One killer?
In a city where everyone guards their secrets, the past has come knocking.
Detective Hunter Wilson must catch a murderer who has waited a lifetime to strike.
In Murder in Gilmerton, Hunter Wilson is investigating the murder of a former head of Crime Scene Investigations—a victim with unexpected secrets of his own. What inspired the idea behind this particularly personal case?
The background to this book is based in fact although, of course, I have fictionalised it. I wanted this second book to be personal to Hunter so that my readers could jump right in and feel his anger and pain when investigating the death of his friend.
George Reinbold appears, at first glance, to have led a quiet and unremarkable life. What interested you about exploring the hidden histories that can lie behind seemingly ordinary people?
It is my belief that we are all both ordinary and extra-ordinary in the same package. That is why I enjoy basing my stories in seemingly normal places and with everyday people you might meet and then giving the story a twist. I hope that makes the books more realistic and interesting for my readers.
The discovery of reinforced doors, bomb-blast curtains, and a pistol under the victim's bed immediately raises questions about his past. How did you go about building the mystery surrounding George Reinbold?
I had to do quite a lot of research into home security in writing this book. However, as is often the case, I didn’t write the story in sequential order. I created the layers of security in George’s home and then wrote the prologue as to why he felt he needed this level of safety.
The novel features two seemingly unrelated cases: a professional execution and the disappearance of a young woman. What challenges did you face in weaving these investigations together?
I enjoy reading complicated crime fiction, not a linear story, so that is what I like to write because I hope my readers enjoy that too. Weaving the different aspects of the book together is the part of the process I enjoy most. It is magical when it comes together.
One of the strengths of the Hunter Wilson series is the way Edinburgh's beauty contrasts with the darker crimes taking place beneath the surface. How does the city influence the stories you tell?
Like any city, Edinburgh has a dark side too. However, bad things do happen in beautiful places and I prefer to use the pretty and historic parts of the city that my readers are most likely to have visited when I’m telling my tales.. This allows readers to visualise what is taking place more clearly.
Hunter is a detective with a strong moral compass, shaped in part by his upbringing as the son of a minister. How does that sense of right and wrong affect the way he approaches difficult investigations?
I can always trust how Hunter will react in any given situation. He is a decent man, doing his best in difficult and dangerous circumstances. So his morality ensures that he investigates thoroughly and uses his teams skills wisely to crack each case.
Readers also see Hunter balancing professional pressures with personal challenges, including his complicated relationship with his son and his growing feelings for Dr Meera Sharma. How important is Hunter's personal life to the series as a whole?
Hunter’s personal life and emotions are interwoven with his professional life as I think is the case with everyone. He feels the heavy weight of guilt over his divorce and regrets not having been there more for his children. That is why he is so keen to repair the relationship with his son, despite the youth’s difficulties. He does care deeply for Meera and that relationship continues to grow as the series progresses. However, his personal life never prevents him from doing his job thoroughly.
Secrets from the past play a significant role in Murder in Gilmerton. Why do you think stories involving long-buried truths continue to captivate crime fiction readers?
I suppose everybody has one or two secrets in their lives and so when a novel delves into the secret past, even of a fictional character, the readers’ curiosity is piqued and their enjoyment of the story enhanced.
By the second book in the series, you had already established Hunter Wilson as a character. Did you find it easier to write him once you knew him better, or did the challenge become finding new ways to test him?
I definitely found him easier to write in the second book because I knew how he would react. However, in order to keep him interesting and fresh for my readers I have to put him into different situations and throw different circumstances at him to make his life difficult in changed ways.
For readers returning to the series after Murder in Edinburgh, what do you think Murder in Gilmerton reveals about Hunter Wilson that they may not have seen before?
The main things readers will take away from Murder in Gilmerton, as opposed to Murder in Edinburgh, is that Hunter is a loyal friend. They will also find that he judges the members of his team on their ability to do their job, not their family background nor irrelevant personal traits like the colour of their skin or sexuality. He treats his team fairly. I’m sure that is what my readers would expect of Hunter and these traits will allow them to grown their fondness and respect for him.
My thanks to Val Penny for joining me today and sharing the story behind Murder in Gilmerton. If you enjoy atmospheric crime fiction, compelling mysteries, and a detective whose personal and professional lives are equally engaging, this is a series well worth discovering.
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Val Penny
Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.
Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.
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