A somewhat unconventional crime thriller that piles on the tension.
I have not read the previous book in this series and I feel that I was at a bit of a loss initially due to this as I had no knowledge of the back story to the characters. I also struggled to understand the departmental structure of the Glasgow Police for the period where I initially thought mention of Central referred to the later local government region. It would also have been helpful if the ranks of the characters was made explicitly in order to understand the hierarchy within the team as only Murray’s rank is mentioned.
Setting all the above quibbles aside I enjoyed what was an unflinching characterisation of 1970’s policing and crime in Glasgow where the city was divided amongst various criminal gangs not adverse to the use of violence in general and the use of the razor in particular. The expose of both the mental health system and the childcare system is also depressingly accurate and both have resonance today. I am not sure that a polis would get away with the drug use depicted in the story but this is directly relevant to the character of McCoy. McCoy is both a flawed and at times heroic character who has an empathy with the vulnerable and lost in society and an inner desire to make a difference and to stand up to those who threaten the vulnerable. Consequently this impacts on his ability to do his job effectively and while staying within the law of the land instead of the law of the jungle that existed within Glasgow at the time.
I would as a whole recommend the reading of this book though I would suggest reading the first book in the series first to enhance your enjoyment of this second book.
Setting all the above quibbles aside I enjoyed what was an unflinching characterisation of 1970’s policing and crime in Glasgow where the city was divided amongst various criminal gangs not adverse to the use of violence in general and the use of the razor in particular. The expose of both the mental health system and the childcare system is also depressingly accurate and both have resonance today. I am not sure that a polis would get away with the drug use depicted in the story but this is directly relevant to the character of McCoy. McCoy is both a flawed and at times heroic character who has an empathy with the vulnerable and lost in society and an inner desire to make a difference and to stand up to those who threaten the vulnerable. Consequently this impacts on his ability to do his job effectively and while staying within the law of the land instead of the law of the jungle that existed within Glasgow at the time.
I would as a whole recommend the reading of this book though I would suggest reading the first book in the series first to enhance your enjoyment of this second book.