The Consultant is a Scottish mob thriller that follows the misadventures of charming but naïve accountant, Ian MacLeod, as he gets caught up in a murder conspiracy orchestrated by the Glaswegian mafia. MacLeod is pursued across Great Britain as a suspected killer by Scotland Yard and hunted down for keeps by the mob.

A Scottish thriller?

It lies somewhere between Mob Thriller and Action Adventure because of its very lively narrative and high action scenes.

Tell us about your main character.

Ian MacLeod is a classic ‘wronged man’ who through a series of life threatening events transforms his life as a mild mannered accountant to the hero that everyone has the potential to become when they are willing to stand up against oppression to do what is right.

What kind of readers will The Consultant appeal to?

Anyone who likes to read a fast paced, gripping action adventure with lots of backstory, cliffhangers, twists and turns. However, it’s more than just well written action; there’s an important moral imperative as well.

Have you written any other novels that we should read next?

Not as Liam Muir, who we are working hard to establish as a stand-alone brand.

So Liam Muir is a pen name? 

I love all things Scottish; the whiskeys of the Highland (I have a very nice collection of single malts), the lilting brogue of the wonderful characters that are the Scots, and the tough minded, open hearted spirit that has animated their narrative since their Celtic ancestors crossed the ancient land bridge and dangerous waters that separated the harsh rocky shores of Alba from the northern European mainland. Secondly, I needed a pen name to distinguish my two streams of writing: blogs and books on organizational change and fictional novel writing.

Oh? Tell us about yourself.

After a highly successful 35-year career that culminated as the primary leader in one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies, I shifted gears in 2009 to pursue my passion for writing.

After enrolling in the Creative Writing Certificate Program at the University of Toronto, I have completed two courses to date: Advanced Screenwriting and Writing a Best Selling Novel. I use the pseudonym Liam Muir for all of my fictional writing projects.

I also have a keen interest in neuroscience, in addition to my experience as an executive and leader that provides the basis for an insightful and unique take on organizations. As Lloyd Tosoff I am about to release a non-fiction compendium of short stories that depict typical dysfunctional workplace scenarios; Oceans Beyond: In Search of the Enlightened Organization. I am working on another organizational change book titled Critical Condition, Rx for Organizational Health.

I grew up in Vancouver, B.C., and during my construction career was involved in many of the prominent buildings that sculpt the downtown skyline.

Do you have a website?

There are two; one dedicated solely to the novel works and blogs of Liam Muir and the other to all of my work including the non-fiction writing stream and blog.

What about social media?

@liammuirauthor, @ORBPress and https://www.facebook.com/LiamMuirAuthor

What’s next?

I’m writing the sequel to The Consultant continuing where the epilogue leaves off. There are two hidden clues in the first Ian MacLeod novel that point to the essential storyline of the next one. The sequel is about 1/3 complete and hopefully will be released in late 2014.

How easily do new storylines come to you? If we give you four random words – Man, Woman, Airport, Darkness – can you give us a brief storyline?

It was Thursday at 8:38 AM as a blond woman proceeded with her carry-on bag to the arrivals level at Heathrow Terminal 5 to intercept the deplaning passengers from British Airways Flight 264. Wearing a blond wig that hid her unmistakable red hair as well as a long trench coat containing a small caliber pistol, she arrived early to ensure that no one would notice her as she waited out of sight to join the trail of passengers who would appear out of the UK customs exit onto the main terminal floor. The flight arrived 38 minutes late. She stealthily walked across the floor and then along the cordoned-off edge of the deplaning route. Noticing a single male dressed in a black leather jacket standing near the men’s toilet watching intently in the direction of where deplaning passengers would emerge, she identified him as the hit man who had been hired to kill her.

She stopped and turned towards the customs exit door which opened as arriving passengers approached. Every so often she would turn to ensure the man had not spotted her. At 8:45 passengers began to spill out towards the end of the cordoned off exit route. The woman turned and saw that his attention was focused on the end of the cordoned route, obviously watching for an attractive redhead. She stripped off the trench coat, rolled it up and threw it aside as inconspicuously as possible. In a single move she pulled off the blond wig and stuffed it into the leather bag that hung from her shoulder. Ducking under the rope, she joined the throng of passengers and walked toward the terminal exit. She looked straight ahead but kept the man in her peripheral vision. She passed him and ensured he had identified her by turning and glancing back as if she had forgotten something before she walked out onto the sidewalk stopping about 50 feet down from the exit door. She glanced around again to ensure he was following her and proceeded into a service corridor where she had found a darkened storage area earlier.

The man had taken the bait. Predator had suddenly become prey.