MURDERABILIA - CRAIG ROBERTSON

Everyone has a hobby, some collect death.

When a body is deliberately left on show at a Glasgow Station, D.I Narey is ready to investigate. When she is taken off the case and confined to home she delves into the world of the dark web and the investigation takes a very sinister turn. Narey, along with her husband Tony Winter a journalist investigate the world of Death Collectors. Its a gruesome and disturbing world and not for the feint hearted.

This is an amazing dark and disturbing thriller, the sixth in the Narey and Winter series. Having started this series the wrong way round having read Book 7 first (and loved it) I'm still getting used to the characters not having grown with them from Book 1. This did not diminish the brilliance of this book. How can a book be so grisly in its subject but so utterly fascinating and engaging at the same time. Knowing there really are collectors of  "Murderabilia" out in the real world made me a bit uneasy while reading this book and I really shouldn't have read it late a night but I just couldn't put it down. The writing is tight and tense and this brilliant thriller keeps you on edge right to the last page,

I now have to go backwards again for my next instalment of the Narey and Winter story. I mentioned earlier that I had loved Book 6 which is called The Photographer. This is also highly recommended by this reader and reviewed in an earlier post if you fancy a peek.

THE QUAKER - LIAM MCILVANNEY

It is 1969 and Glasgow is in the grip of fear. A serial killer dubbed The Quaker has taken three women from the same nightclub and brutally murdered them. Six months later and D.I McCormack is called in to assess the progress of the squad on the Quaker case. Things aren't looking good and his arrival is not well received. When another women is murdered McCormack follows the trail in the hope of finding and catching the killer.

I know I'm a bit late to the party with this one but better late than never. I'm not surprised this book was a Scottish Crime book of the year for 2018, and it is certainly well deserved of the accolades. This is a tense thriller and so very well written. Sixties Glasgow is bought vividly to life with excellent characters and a very likeable Detective in McCormack who harbours his own secrets. The story moves along quickly but packs in so much . This is not your average crime novel, it is powerful, engaging and captures the corruption and atmosphere of 60's Glasgow to perfection.

I can't wait to read more from this author. Highly recommended.

SHEER WATER - LEAH SWANN

Ava and her two sons Max and Teddy are heading to Sheer Water to escape a troublesome past. On the way they witness a horrific plane crash and Ava steps in to help out. When returning to her car she finds the boys are missing. The chain of events that follow the disappearance of the boys will keep you on the edge of your seat and tightly gripped.

It's hard to know where to start when reviewing a novel like this. Sheer Water is such an extraordinary book of love, loss and plenty of menace all played out in such a poetical setting. This novel is so beautifully written, the setting so wonderfully captured. The sea is a constant feature all the way through the narrative that conjures up beautiful images of the Australian coastline that weave in and out of the story in poetical motion. I loved the characters especially the relationship between the two little boys. It is a book to savour but it is very hard to take slowly as the story moves at a cracking pace with unrelenting tension right up to the last page.

I loved this book and was very surprised to find it is a debut novel. The writing has such maturity and the author is a very good storyteller. It makes you think what wonders there are still to come from Leah Swann. Highly recommended.

THE ART OF DYING - AMBROSE PARRY

Edinburgh 1849. There's a fine line between kill and cure.

Will Raven has returned from the Continent to his position as physician with celebrated Edinburgh Doctor James Simpson. People are dying mysteriously all across the city with doctors finding their remedies powerless. When the reputation of the good Dr Simpson is smeared by rumours of his hand in a patients death, Raven and former housemaid Sarah Fisher seek to find answers to clear their patrons name. Into the seedy and murky depths of old Edinburgh they must go and what they uncover is truly unthinkable.
This second book in what is becoming a fantastic series is such a well researched and enjoyable story. Ambrose Parry is a pseudonym for the collaborating pair Christopher Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman. Their unique talents complement each other so well to produce a fascinating subject incorporated into a fascinating story. With the sights and smells of Old Edinburgh at the forefront and excellent medical procedural descriptions, I found this to be a very sensory reading experience too. The Characters are an eclectic mix of gentry and sinister underbelly which adds to the mystery and intrigue. I am enjoying the complex relationship between Raven and Sarah which plays a big part of the story but doesn't dominate. Sarah's plight as a woman in such times is highlighted and well delivered. Sarah and Raven are both strong characters with depth and I look forward to their development in future books.
Cosy Mystery this is not, but a well thought out, well written and researched Historical Crime Fiction based on some real life characters. I loved the intrigue and look forward to more in this series.

Start at the beginning with Book 1. THE WAY OF ALL FLESH. Longlisted for both the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award and the McIlvaney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year.

THE FIVE - HALLIE RUBENHOLD

This book is called The Five. The untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper.
Polly Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, and Mary Jane Kelly. After reading this book I don't think I will ever forget these women. The Jack the Ripper story has always fascinated and intrigued and still sparks interest to this day, but what of the victims? Hallie Rubenhold has given these women a story and a voice. She tells us of their background and the circumstances that led to their fateful deaths. Life in Victorian England was not easy especially for women, rights and expectations of the female sex were harsh and this book delves into this to give us a picture of how misunderstood the lives of "the five" and women in general were.
We have been lead to believe that they were fallen women, prostitutes, and not really of any consequence, just a sad head line for the excitement and mystery of their killer. We forget that these women were human beings and individuals.This book is a real eye opener. The life of each woman has been thoroughly researched and treated with respect as is their due. This is not a book about the Ripper and I loved the fact there is no mention of his mystery at all. I highly recommend this book as a fascinating and insightful read but also for any study on Women in general.

CHARLIE SAVAGE - RODDY DOYLE

In these times of uncertainty I'm very thankful for a good book. I usually find myself enjoying and reviewing a lot of crime fiction novels. Well today I thought I would change tack and review a fantastic uplifting read.

Meet Charlie Savage: a middle aged Dubliner with an indefatigable wife, an exasperated daughter and a drinking buddy who has realised he has been a woman all along......

Charlie Savage is a small book but the stories within are huge. This is a laugh out loud glimpse at the life of Charlie and his family. From the opening story of his three year old Grandson who wants a Tattoo for Christmas,  to the final reminiscence and significance of New Year this book is an absolute joy. I have not read a Roddy Doyle book for a very long time and I had forgotten how beautifully he writes the humour and heart of the Irish people. It's the heartfelt story of an ordinary man in ordinary circumstances and I adored it.
When I am in need of a pick up over the next challenging few months it is to Roddy Doyle's humour I will turn to.

For further reading check out the Barrytown Trilogy ( The Commitments, The Van and The Snapper) and the Two Pints collection of Stories.

DEAD GONE - LUCA VESTE

A serial killer is stalking the streets of Liverpool, gruesomely murdering victims as part of a series of
unethical and psychological experiments. It is up to DI David Murphy and his partner DS Laura Rossi to unravel who is behind the chilling murders.

I have not read any of this authors work before and was pleasantly surprised to learn Dead Gone was a debut novel. Why surprised? because the writing was so good and I felt like I was reading work from an already well established writer. The story rolled along at a cracking pace without losing any of the tension. The story has just enough Psychological unpredictability, creepiness and plenty of tension to keep you reading well into the night. I loved the relationship between Murphy and Rossi who are a fabulous fit, and I look forward to following their partnership in future books. I will definitely be reading more of this series and other works from this talented and fantastic writer.

As a side note Luca Veste is one half of "Two Crime Writers and a Microphone" podcast along with the equally talented Steve Cavanagh (see previous review of Thirteen). I did a review of the podcast in another post late last year and still continue to laugh out loud when listening.