Charles Taylor has stated that the term has an "inescapably condescending tinge", noting "it's a touristy phrase, suggesting that there's something quaint about hard-boiled crime fiction that comes from the land of kilts and haggis".
Charles Taylor criticizes the use of the term "hard-boiled crime fiction" as a way to describe British crime writing, suggesting that it is overly simplistic and relies on outdated stereotypes about Scotland.