Black & White lands McIntyre’s ‘extraordinary’ inside story as a lawyer for crime families

Black & White Publishing, part of Bonnier Books UK, has signed Jimmy Two Guns: The Life and Crimes of a Gangland Lawyer by James McIntyre.

World rights were acquired directly from the author by Campbell Brown, executive publisher at Black & White Publishing, for publication on 11th May 2023.

Being the go-to lawyer for some of Scotland’s most feared and infamous crime families, McIntyre’s client list ensured he was always in demand, but under constant scrutiny from the authorities, the publisher says. It continues: “Now he tells the astonishing inside story of how he became a successful defence lawyer and trusted consigliere to Glasgow’s crime bosses, and of his own time in jail after the notorious events that earned him the name ‘Jimmy Two Guns’.

“As well as his own arrests, James recalls the high-profile cases he handled, his clashes with the authorities and how he bounced back after being the target of a near-fatal underworld hit. And the cases handled in his controversial career also reveal some unique insights into the world of criminal justice and demonstrate some significant flaws in the system.”

McIntyre eventually reinvented himself as a TV writer who has written scripts for shows such as “Taggart”, “EastEnders”, “New Street Law”, and “River City”, for which he has written about 80 episodes.

He said: “I’ve wanted to tell my story for many years, and I’m delighted to be given the chance to do so with Black & White Publishing”.

Brown said: “James has lived an extraordinary life and his is a truly unique story. From the intensity of high-speed car chases to his close relationships with the criminal underworld, James McIntyre has always been true to himself and to the principle that, no matter who you are, a person remains innocent until proven guilty. For anyone interested in true crime and how our justice system works – or sometimes doesn’t work – Jimmy Two Guns is a must-read memoir.”