Doug Johnstone (born 22 July 1970) is a Scottish crime writer based in Edinburgh.
 His eighth novel, "Crash Land", was published by Faber and Faber in November 2016 .
 His previous book, "The Jump" (published in 2015) was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Novel.
Val McDermid FRSE, FRSL (born 4 June 1955) is a Scottish crime writer, best known for a series of suspense novels featuring Dr. Tony Hill.
Peter May (born 20 December 1951) is a Scottish television screenwriter, novelist, and crime writer.
 He is the recipient of writing awards in Europe and America.
 "The Blackhouse" won the U.S. Barry Award for Crime Novel of the Year and the national literature award in France, the CEZAM Prix Litteraire.
 "The Lewis Man" won the French daily newspaper "Le Télégramme"' s 10,000-euro Grand Prix des Lecteurs.
 In 2014, "Entry Island" won both the Deanston’s Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the UK’s ITV Crime Thriller Book Club Best Read of the Year Award.
 May’s books have sold more than two million copies in the UK and several million internationally.
Blue Genes is the fifth story in the "Kate Brannigan Series" written by Val McDermid A popular Scottish author.
 The book was written in 1996 and has been advised that younger reader's do not read it as it has sexual responses and death.
Alex Gray, born 27 May 1950, Glasgow, is a Scottish crime writer.
 She has published thirteen novels, all set around Glasgow and featuring the character of Detective Chief Inspector Lorimer and his psychological profiler Solomon Brightman, the earlier novels being published by Canongate and later books by Little Brown.
 She has also written several magazine articles.
Denise Mina (born 1966) is a Scottish crime writer and playwright.
 She has written the "Garnethill" trilogy and another three novels featuring the character Patricia "Paddy" Meehan, a Glasgow journalist.
 Described as an author of Tartan Noir, she has also dabbled in comic book writing, having recently written 13 issues of "Hellblazer".
 Since 2006, she has had two plays performed with unsuccessful reception.
A Darker Domain is a 2008 psychological thriller novel by Scottish crime writer Val McDermid.
 Reviewers often noted the fast paced style of the novel as it flashes back and forth between two plot lines, a contemporary crime in 2007 and the investigation of a cold case from 1984.
 The novel is set in during the UK miners strike of 1984–1985 in Fife.
 Her accounts of the strike are particularly pointed, exploring the effects of the strikes on the emotions of the people involved and their community.
 McDermid was raised in Fife, and one reviewer credits her accurate review of the strikes to her experiences earlier in her life.
 The reviews of the book were generally good, many of the reviewers comparing the book to her previous novels.
 The New York Times named the book one of the "Notable Crime Books of 2009."
Out of Bounds is a 2016 crime drama novel by Scottish crime writer Val McDermid.
 The novel is set during 2016 but because the main detective is in the Historic Case Unit (HCU) the crimes being investigated were actually committed in 1994 and 1996.
Malcolm Mackay (born 1 September 1981, Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland) is a Scottish crime writer.
 In 2013 he won the Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year for his novel "How a Gunman Says Goodbye".
Frederic Lindsay (12 August 1933 – 31 May 2013) was a Scottish crime writer, who was born in Glasgow and lived in Edinburgh.
 He was a full-time writer from 1979 and previously worked as a lecturer, teacher and library assistant.
 He was active in a number of literary organisations including the Society of Authors, International PEN (a worldwide writers' association promoting freedom of expression) and the Scottish Arts Council.
 In addition to novels he also wrote for TV, radio and the theatre.
 Two of his novels have been made into films.

Question: Blue Genes was a story in the series of books written by which popular Scottish crime writer?
Answer: Val McDermid