After reading Alan Parks’ impressive debut novel “Bloody January” and thoroughly enjoying, I was looking forward immensely to joining Detective Inspector Harry McCoy again in the second in the series “February’s Son”.
Wow! Move aside Ian Rankin, there’s a new author in town! For #TartanNoir set in 1970’s Glasgow, this is the best series I’ve ever read with its characters, storylines, narrative and ambience, making it stand out with true distinction.
I was very pleased to see McCoy’s sidekick Wattie return in this book, being very green and quite naive to the way policing is done in McCoy’s world, he’s a breath of fresh air to the murky world of police brutality and hard living.
When McCoy returns to work after being signed off fit by the police psychiatrist, following the brutal events during ‘Bloody January’, he is soon thrown back into the underworld when a young Celtic footballer is found savagely murdered. Can McCoy keep his head above water when paths cross over to his childhood and the traumatic experiences he endured whilst in care? With a battle for who is going to run the Northside and McCoy’s old criminal pal Stevie Cooper in the running, there’s guaranteed to be bloodshed. Will he be able to keep out of danger and work out where their suspect is hiding out before he brutally kills again?
I was really sad when I’d finished reading this book, for me it was one of those unputdownable stories you just don’t want to finish and want to continue reading forever. The ending had me smiling with satisfaction and I loved the last page with just two words on it. High praise indeed to Alan Parks for a job well done, a fabulously written, plotted and executed novel that is gripping, addictive and utterly convincing.
However, this gutsy series does come with a hardcore warning of heavy drug use, gangland violence, child abuse and frequent swearing which may offend or upset if affected by these such triggers.
I can’t wait to read the next instalment in Glasgow’s finest, “Bobby March Will Live Forever” and if this hard hitting, gritty genre is for you, you MUST read these books and soon! Highly recommended and I eagerly await the return of Harry again soon.
5 stars and then some....
Wow! Move aside Ian Rankin, there’s a new author in town! For #TartanNoir set in 1970’s Glasgow, this is the best series I’ve ever read with its characters, storylines, narrative and ambience, making it stand out with true distinction.
I was very pleased to see McCoy’s sidekick Wattie return in this book, being very green and quite naive to the way policing is done in McCoy’s world, he’s a breath of fresh air to the murky world of police brutality and hard living.
When McCoy returns to work after being signed off fit by the police psychiatrist, following the brutal events during ‘Bloody January’, he is soon thrown back into the underworld when a young Celtic footballer is found savagely murdered. Can McCoy keep his head above water when paths cross over to his childhood and the traumatic experiences he endured whilst in care? With a battle for who is going to run the Northside and McCoy’s old criminal pal Stevie Cooper in the running, there’s guaranteed to be bloodshed. Will he be able to keep out of danger and work out where their suspect is hiding out before he brutally kills again?
I was really sad when I’d finished reading this book, for me it was one of those unputdownable stories you just don’t want to finish and want to continue reading forever. The ending had me smiling with satisfaction and I loved the last page with just two words on it. High praise indeed to Alan Parks for a job well done, a fabulously written, plotted and executed novel that is gripping, addictive and utterly convincing.
However, this gutsy series does come with a hardcore warning of heavy drug use, gangland violence, child abuse and frequent swearing which may offend or upset if affected by these such triggers.
I can’t wait to read the next instalment in Glasgow’s finest, “Bobby March Will Live Forever” and if this hard hitting, gritty genre is for you, you MUST read these books and soon! Highly recommended and I eagerly await the return of Harry again soon.
5 stars and then some....