Val McDermid

Treat yourself to a treat from the BBC Radio Scotland archives in this delightful programme where crime writer Val McDermid shares some of her all time favourite books with Stuart Cosgrove. Best selling author Val McDermid grew up in Kirkcaldy then was accepted to read English at St Hilda's College Oxford when she was only 17. Realising that she wasn't suited to a nine to five job Val became a journalist and after training in Devon she worked on national newspapers in Glasgow and Manchester. Following the success of her book Report for Murder published in 1987 Val was able to give up the day job and concentrate on writing, the rest, as they say, is history!

Val picks the following 5 titles and tells Stuart Cosgrove why they are significant books in her life.

1: TREASURE ISLAND by Robert Louis Stevenson

2: THE COLLECTED POEMS by Norman MacCaig

3: THE MURDER AT THE VICARAGE by Agatha Christie

4: SEXUAL POLITICS by Kate Millett

5: INDEMNITY ONLY by Sara Paretsky.

Produced by Mike Walker.

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2011.