Wednesday 25 March 2015

COLD GRANITE by Stuart Macbride

5 STARS


I purchased this book on the recommendation of a member of a forum to which I belong. I was not disappointed!

The character of Logan McRae is realistic and encourages the reader's sympathy for his problems. He has just returned to work after a stabbing attack by a murderer a year previously, and now Logan has to put up with more assaults on his stomach in the course of duty. WPC Jackie Watson, assigned to look after Logan, is a delightful character who excites his interest. Together they endeavour to hunt down the perpetrator of the murders of children before the media - and the hierarchy of the Aberdeen police - fricassee them.

The twists and turns in this novel are classic Scottish policing, well researched and delightfully - if one could call a series of brutal murders and parade of unsavoury characters so - portrayed. The reality of police work, far from being constantly dramatic, is shown as one of slogging through reams of administrative information, door knocking and endless knockbacks.

The opening chapter is grim, alerting the reader to the terrifying prospect of a psychotic killer on the rampage. This does not disappoint, but on the way, McRae and Watson encounter felons of varying degrees. False arrests are rife and the pressure to solve the crime builds inexorably. An unlike ally appears in the form of a flashy, rough reporter who has an informer consistently supplying him with information. Desperate to find out who is revealing secrets, McRae forms an uneasy alliance with Miller. The denouement, when it comes, is obvious upon reflection by the reader.

A brilliant read and highly recommended.

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