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Trackman
Set in Edinburgh, Trackman tells the uplifting story of Davie Watts, a young man haunted by the suicide of his little brother and the separation of his parents. The novel charts Davie's life as a chance encounter with a homeless man leads to him taking possession of a magical MP3 player. Davie grows increasingly obsessed with the MP3 player and escapes into his fantasy where he is the a superhero-like figure who helps others by playing them songs which carry significance to the listener. However, Davie is continuously shadowed by his past and the memories of his brother. While helping other people, will he find the time to help himself?
- GenresFiction
346 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
About the author
Catriona Child
5 books11 followersCatriona Child was born in Dundee in 1980 and now lives in Edinburgh. She studied English at the University of Aberdeen and completed an MA with Distinction in Creative Writing from Lancaster University.
She has worked as a postie, in a cinema, in a music shop and even had a very short-lived spell selling knickers on a market stall. She also spent a great deal of her youth ploughing up and down swimming pools.
Her first novel, Trackman, was published in 2012. Swim Until You Can’t See Land is her second novel which has just been published by Luath Press.
She has worked as a postie, in a cinema, in a music shop and even had a very short-lived spell selling knickers on a market stall. She also spent a great deal of her youth ploughing up and down swimming pools.
Her first novel, Trackman, was published in 2012. Swim Until You Can’t See Land is her second novel which has just been published by Luath Press.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
June 20, 2017
Nobody bothers about shoplifters much these days. It's not like Trainspotting. No chases along Princes Street.
The guy's out of the shop and away by the time I get to the top of the stairs, so I head back down to the basement. Chris, our overweight security guard, ambles up to the counter eating a bag of crisps. 'I'm on a break. What do you want?' he says to me, spraying salt and vinegar. I point at the blackened cord and the charity box hanging from the counter.
You don't realise how many crazies there are in the world until you work in a shop.
Trainspotting is what first came into my mind when I started the book, but there was also an undertone of something else, something softer.
This is probably the first RL book group read that I really enjoyed, but I think the rest of the group may struggle with, and not necessarily because of the references to song titles throughout the book.
Davie, the MC, is struggling to keep sane. He's affected by grief and can't find a way to cope with it. One day, he is given an MP3 player by a homeless man in Edinburgh. The gadget seems to be broken, but every now and then it comes to life and demand that Davie let's a stranger listen to a song.
We don't know whether this part is real or in Davie's head but it is his way of trying to find a purpose in life and to find a way to remember.
Trackman has been an interesting way to look at grief, mental health, the recognition of the impact of small good things, the kindness of strangers.
It's not a book I would have picked up by myself, but I am glad I read it.
The guy's out of the shop and away by the time I get to the top of the stairs, so I head back down to the basement. Chris, our overweight security guard, ambles up to the counter eating a bag of crisps. 'I'm on a break. What do you want?' he says to me, spraying salt and vinegar. I point at the blackened cord and the charity box hanging from the counter.
You don't realise how many crazies there are in the world until you work in a shop.
Trainspotting is what first came into my mind when I started the book, but there was also an undertone of something else, something softer.
This is probably the first RL book group read that I really enjoyed, but I think the rest of the group may struggle with, and not necessarily because of the references to song titles throughout the book.
Davie, the MC, is struggling to keep sane. He's affected by grief and can't find a way to cope with it. One day, he is given an MP3 player by a homeless man in Edinburgh. The gadget seems to be broken, but every now and then it comes to life and demand that Davie let's a stranger listen to a song.
We don't know whether this part is real or in Davie's head but it is his way of trying to find a purpose in life and to find a way to remember.
Trackman has been an interesting way to look at grief, mental health, the recognition of the impact of small good things, the kindness of strangers.
It's not a book I would have picked up by myself, but I am glad I read it.
April 9, 2013
Trackman is set in Edinburgh and features Davie Watts, a troubled soul haunted by the death of his younger brother. After not being able to continue at university after his brother's death he now works as a sales assistant in a music shop. We first meet Davie as he heads to a midnight sale of the new Harry Potter novel that he plans to read aloud over his brother's grave. Like a fairy tale, on the way, he encounters a strange tramp that insists on giving Davie an unusual looking mp3 player. The player initially doesn't seem to work but for some reason Davie feels compelled to keep it. Over the next few days it starts exerting a strange power over Davie and begins directing him towards random strangers who have to wear the headphones and listen to a piece of music.
The exact choice of music played is exactly what the listener needs to listen to at that point in their lives. Magically it helps them deal with the issues they are having in their lives. As they are listening, Davie experiences a euphoria he finds powerfully addictive and which drives him to find more and more people to help. As the compulsion grows Davies life and already troubled mental state begin to unwind.
I enjoyed the book though it did take a few chapters to get used to the style it was written in. Being a music fan I enjoyed many of the music references in the text. For instance, each chapter title is the name of a song with a relevance to that chapter. The general consensus of the book club was much the same as mine with people enjoying it though there were a couple of exceptions.
The exact choice of music played is exactly what the listener needs to listen to at that point in their lives. Magically it helps them deal with the issues they are having in their lives. As they are listening, Davie experiences a euphoria he finds powerfully addictive and which drives him to find more and more people to help. As the compulsion grows Davies life and already troubled mental state begin to unwind.
I enjoyed the book though it did take a few chapters to get used to the style it was written in. Being a music fan I enjoyed many of the music references in the text. For instance, each chapter title is the name of a song with a relevance to that chapter. The general consensus of the book club was much the same as mine with people enjoying it though there were a couple of exceptions.
September 15, 2019
I really really really loved this book. The ending was one of the most satisfying of any book I've ever read. Ultimately it's a story of hope and the idea that things will get better. Brilliant.
September 9, 2020
As it started, I thought, oh dear, someone trying to be Irvine Welsh. But as you read on, it turns into something completely original. I could feel the lead character, Davie, and his problems. The Trackman starts off as a gimmick, but turns into a life saver. A lovely story well worth a read.
August 17, 2024
Parable about the importance of family, music and catharsis, told in a non-linear manner with decent characterisation. Set in Edinburgh in the mid-2000s, a time when I was in the city, so it brought back some personal memories too.
October 31, 2019
3.5 stars
February 9, 2023
Loved it!!!!! Made me go through so many emotions
March 4, 2025
Beautiful, funny and touching. Really enjoyed the realism mixed with fantasy and the detail of the Edinburgh setting ❤️
November 20, 2025
I wasn't sure how I felt about this and then the end hit me like a truck. Very good. Music's great, isn't it
February 10, 2013
Very impressive for a first novel.
Coming from and living in Edinburgh I could relate to the geography for the locations, though it doesn't mean that if you don't know the city the book wouldn't work for you.
Some nice touches on the subject of grief,good pace with the narrative and very interesting characterizations.
Thought it was a bit odd though the Davie never had a friend (Alfie excepted) outwith the shop that he could have confided in, but if had then there would have been no story I suppose.
Would not have guessed Davie's track on the player, came out of the left field did that, good meaningful choice though.
Lets see if Ms Child can keep this level of story telling!
Coming from and living in Edinburgh I could relate to the geography for the locations, though it doesn't mean that if you don't know the city the book wouldn't work for you.
Some nice touches on the subject of grief,good pace with the narrative and very interesting characterizations.
Thought it was a bit odd though the Davie never had a friend (Alfie excepted) outwith the shop that he could have confided in, but if had then there would have been no story I suppose.
Would not have guessed Davie's track on the player, came out of the left field did that, good meaningful choice though.
Lets see if Ms Child can keep this level of story telling!
March 26, 2012
Davie is given an MP3 player by a homeless stranger. At first it seems to be broken, but then it starts to speak to him, getting him to reach out to strangers with the power of song.
This is a really interesting book, which resonated with me in terms of the characters and setting (Edinburgh, young people working in retail, Harry Potter, uni, useless flatmates... it's all in there!). There's also a lot of character development in there and it's an interesting take on how we deal (or don't deal) with loss.
Recommended, particularly for fans of new Scottish fiction.
This is a really interesting book, which resonated with me in terms of the characters and setting (Edinburgh, young people working in retail, Harry Potter, uni, useless flatmates... it's all in there!). There's also a lot of character development in there and it's an interesting take on how we deal (or don't deal) with loss.
Recommended, particularly for fans of new Scottish fiction.
February 4, 2013
Absolutely LOVED this book. Didn't know what to expect but my love of music made me buy the book. The fast paced style of writing had me not wanting to put it down and the characters were easy to follow.
September 4, 2012
absolutely fantastic book, highly recommended to anyone who liked high fidelity and has ever been to edinburgh! catriona is a smasher
October 16, 2012
A refreshing book, I didn't know what to expect, and whilst it seemed a little silly at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it
August 12, 2012
It struggled to hold my attention.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews