SUCCESSFUL author Pat Young showed another talent when her latest book was launched — razor-sharp humour.

A native of Auchinleck, she was in discussion with fellow Ayrshire crime writer, Michael J Malone, at the event last week.

It was a conversation packed with humour as she explained various aspects of the book, I Know Where You Live, before an audience of more than 100.

Her anecdotes were worthy of an accomplished stand-up comedian or an after-dinner speaker as she answered questions. He was no slouch either when it came to the patter as he rounded off the obligatory fire-safety message with: “But buy a book before you go.”

Speaking of the novel and her career itself, Pat said she was ‘living the dream’. At one point, I Know Where You Live, and its prequel, Till The Dust Settled, were both in a major online retailer’s top 40 at the same time.

Till the Dust Settles ironically became a number one bestseller a week after I Know Where You Live was released, as people were eager to find out more about the characters.

At the official launch event at Carnegie Library in Ayr, after reading an excerpt from the opening chapter, she told the hilarious story of where the title came from — it involved French police, a missing parcel and a McDonald’s car park.

Likewise when she tried to track down a Spanish artist for permission to use his painting for the book’s cover — his name was spelt ‘Joan’ so she thought she was looking for a female artist, but it turned out it was a variation of ‘Juan’.

Auchinleck features in I Know Where You Live as she wanted it to include a place that she knew well and where better than use a street and house near where her dad grew up?

Pat also told of how, at a meet the author event, she held a raffle in aid of charity to name a character in the book. The winner was Louise, who was at the launch in person — Pat said she was relieved as there had been a ‘Mary McGlumpher’ in the raffle that night.

Reflecting on how she became a writer, it came about when husband Grant enrolled her in a writing class and she was asked what her genre was.

After referring to the dead bodies, missing people and psychological thrillers she had created, fellow Scottish writer Caro Ramsay said: “You are a crime writer.”

Speaking to the Chronicle at the launch, Pat said: “My publisher said that after I Know Where You Live was published, the first one would get a boost.

“It got such a boost that it sold 2,000 copies in one day and it went to number one with Amazon —it is just incredible — and I am able to officially call myself a bestseller now. A year ago I would never have thought I would be a bestseller, it is so exciting, especially as I had no intentions of becoming a writer.

“It all started when I found an envelope containing money and a letter, inside a book, and thought there must be a story in this and that is what got me started.

“One book followed another and I had all these ideas saying ‘write me, write me’ and since then it has been non-stop. I am now writing another book.

“The first one was set in France, the second in Scotland while the one I am writing just now is moving to Ayrshire.

“There are more ideas and if I live long enough to write them all, I will be doing well — maybe I should have started earlier.”