Crime writers Denise Mina and Val McDermid get on the case at the Aye Write! book festival with a talk on their new works.

The two appeared last night at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow to treat fans to snapshots from their forthcoming novels.

Terrorism links the new fiction from the pair and Ms McDermid lands her forensic profiler Tony Hill and his police ally DCI Carol Jordan a new case when a bomb goes off at a football match - and a footballer is murdered.

Ms Mina spoke about the latest chapter in the life of her intrepid reporter Paddy Meehan, who is back at work in The Last Breath.

A former lecturer in criminology, Ms Mina once compared the rush of reading crime fiction to eating 20 Bounty bars. Past works include Garnethill, Exile, The Field of Blood and The Dead Hour.

Ms McDermid is often referred to as crime fiction's "grand dame" and has produced more than 20 novels over her career, which has seen her create a raft of well-loved characters from Lindsey Gordon to Tony Hill, who was played by Robson Green in a TV adaptation of her Wire in the Blood series.

Aye Write! also welcomed Blake Morrison to Glasgow last night to discuss his state-of-the-nation novel South of the River, which examines five characters and their disillusionment which lay beneath the bright veneer of New Labour's victory in 1997.

Blake Morrison was interviewed by fellow writer and The Herald's literary editor Rosemary Goring.

Today's highlights at Aye Write! include an appearance from Roy Hattersley, who will discuss his latest book, Britain Between the Wars and his assessment of the period which saw a Prime Minister resign, a king abdicate and the worst economic crisis in history.