Right from the beginning, the grim and graphic murder suggests this is not be some random slaying. The details allow me to muse on the backstory, what the meaning behind each sick procedure will bring to the unraveling of the crime, and the perpetrator. I'm quickly transported back to a Glasgow before it's 'renaissance' as a city of culture - it has long been rich in culture but it was often shrouded in soot covered buildings and it's 'no mean City' reputation. The descriptive prose not only captures the dark, hard edges of this city, but also some of its citizens. I can envisage each of the characters, down to the details of their clothes, their habits. I am accompanying McCoy, seeing that same view of the Mitchell Library and the University Tower, walking with him to Blythswood Square. The memories of a Charlie the Pram type character, and the tales of a successful life that ends tattered and tragic.
A crime thriller that makes no apology for taking you to the dark side of a city, introducing you to those disparate but necessarily entwined characters. While it may have added resonance for those who remember Glasgow before it emerged from its sooty chrysalis into the sandblasted, culturally rich city of today, renowned for its contributions to music and art, anyone with experience of any major city would be able to recognise places and characters, albeit with different names, that will make this a must read for anyone who enjoys dark, well written and gripping crime noir.
A crime thriller that makes no apology for taking you to the dark side of a city, introducing you to those disparate but necessarily entwined characters. While it may have added resonance for those who remember Glasgow before it emerged from its sooty chrysalis into the sandblasted, culturally rich city of today, renowned for its contributions to music and art, anyone with experience of any major city would be able to recognise places and characters, albeit with different names, that will make this a must read for anyone who enjoys dark, well written and gripping crime noir.