A really unusual and interesting mystery lies at the heart of this police procedural set in the city of Edinburgh. A body is found high up in a tree in one of the city's parks. Forensics reveal that the body was dropped from a great height, and reveal injuries consistent with having been beaten prior to falling.

Leading the investigation is DI Tony McLean, though right from the start it's an uphill climb, as police funding cuts, and the insistence from his superiors that he brings this investigation to a swift conclusion, certainly ramp up the pressure for him. Even the weather appears to conspire against him, as a prolonged spell of snow and ice threatens to lengthen the investigation process.

The victim turns out to have a very colourful past - he's a local disgraced former cop, turned criminal kingpin, turned philanthropist.

McLean has to dig deep to get to the heart of this crime, but there are those who would prefer that he just scraped the surface rather than dig too deeply where secrets like to stay hidden.

Despite the many obstacles placed in his way, DI McLean is nothing if not tenacious, working his way through numerous leads, barely giving a thought to his own needs, given that he's not in the best of health.

This was a totally absorbing read, and I love that it's set in one of my favourite cities - Edinburgh. The author has created a very unusual plot with some great characters, and even though this is part of a series and I hadn't read any of the previous ones, it read well enough as a standalone. Thinking about it, how have I missed this author? He's really good, and he's definitely piqued my interest in his earlier books.

*Thank you to Netgalley & Michael Joseph for my ARC for which I have given an honest unbiased review*

Written in Bones by James Oswald

This is the seventh in the crime series featuring Detective Inspector Tony McLean. Whilst recognising the characters, I cannot recall the earlier books in the series that I have read, suffice it to say, Tony McLean and Emma certainly had the bells ringing in my head. This was a truly satisfying book enhanced by the length of it – a nice long read something to get my teeth into.

The body of a man is discovered impaled on a tree in the Meadows in Edinburgh. His body apparently fell from the sky. McLean is called upon to lead the investigation and he quickly discovers that the body is an ex-policeman who served time in prison and then reinvented himself on the charity scene, and in the process became incredibly wealthy. McLean’s enquiries are hampered by weather conditions, lack of manpower and the criticism and lack of support from senior officers more concerned with covering their backs and monitoring budgets. Edinburgh itself is a main character in the book and highlights the disparity between the great and the good and those on the margins struggling with poverty and addiction.

This is a complex plot, peopled by diverse personalities, all underpinned by McLean and his way of working. The dialogue is superb and I absolutely loved McLean, Emma and his female officer Harrison whilst the descriptions of dragons and opium addiction add an extra dimension and the opening scene was just fantastic.

If you like a good crime story – this is for you.

Written in bones by James Oswald is a mystery and thriller and general fiction (adult) read.
The roots of murder runs deep......
When a body is found in the trees in the Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland, the forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Detective Inspector Tony McLean wonders whether it was an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message.
OMG absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. I loved the story. McLean is still my favourite character. I love how he keeps getting himself into trouble and wonder if he will get out OK. I do hope there is more to come. I love this series. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.

Another good book in the series. Probably not my favourite but I do like the new characters introduced and I am looking forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to netgalley for the opportunity to have read this.
The book starts with a bang - a body found on the top of a tree. The investigation starts there, with DCI Tony McLean being in charge of the investigation and finding the killer. The way that DCI McLean integrates with the younger DC"s, and try to adjust to the return to work after an absence of duty. Unfortunately I did not read previous of his novels, so I weren't able to really understand what the absence was about, but it didn't make a difference to the story line in a whole. The book was really a good read and highly recommended.

I've read all the books in this series and really rated James Oswald's writing long before he was picked up by a mainstream publisher. He's created a strong and plausible lead character; Tony McLean has an interesting back story which develops with each book and he's a cop with a heart.

Written in Bones can be read as a standalone but, to be fair, it works better if the reader is familiar with the characters as there are references throughout to earlier events. The stories are all very different; there's always an element of the unknown or supernatural, but within the bounds of plausibility. This book starts with a body being dropped from the sky, witnessed by a youngster taking his dog for a walk. He thinks there was a dragon flying around! It sounds improbable, but bit by bit McLean and his team are drawn into further deaths and links to the past involving the underbelly of Edinburgh. It's an interesting police procedural, with forensic and pathology references helping to tease out motive and connections. It's realistic in that the story reflects the changing face of policing following the amalgamation of regional forces under a new Police Scotland banner. That affects resources and it's an interesting theme.

McLean has a healthy disregard for some senior managers and I like his interactions with his colleagues. He seems very human and is a character that many can relate to. His personal life is interesting, without dominating the central story and there's a real sense of place. It's easy to visualise Edinburgh from the detail and this adds to the realism.

The plot unfolds bit by bit, it's well paced and although the final denouement is a little stretching, it's a surprise. Well written and for me, this is a series which grows every time.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review edition.

This is the first book i have read in this series by James Oswald and it was excellent and i will now go back and read the whole series.The story is based on a body being found in a tree in Edinburgh and DI Tony Mclean has to piece together why this happened and who is responsible ? It takes him into the Edinburgh underworld and into contact with some strange characters ! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys this genre as it is a fast paced book that keeps you turning the pages.

A book of phases and phrases. An intriguing and original plotline moves in good steady phases.
Along the way there are some outstandingly written phrases many would have been pleased to have written.
But there are. too many back references to a poisoned journalist, a bludgeoned partner, deaths in a fire from which it seems only McLean escaped and his hip injury.

Another fantastic book by James Oswald. Great storylines that kept you guessing all the way through as to how it was going to end and I can't say I predicted what did happen!

My review as posted on Goodreads:

I hope I've made a wise decision by choosing to read this book. I note it is number seven in a series, featuring Inspector McLean.

I can confirm that this book stands well on its own merit. It develops at a steady pace and there are soon plenty of clues and lines of enquiry for Tony McLean and his team to chase.

The location of the first body and manner of its disposal are certainly novel!

This is an up to date police procedural story. I liked the use of real settings in Edinburgh and the surrounding area. The geographical locations helped to add a sense of reality to the story.

There are plenty of twists and turns in the story and the and the end was ………Well…..That would be telling!

On the strength of this story I will certainly look out for future and earlier books by James Oswald.

My thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph (Penguin UK) for a copy in exchange for this review.

Having started by reading the first 2 books in this series in 2012, I have eagerly awaited and read each subsequent book as it was published. It was a real treat, being invited to read the latest in the series prior to the publication date. I was not disappointed. The format was similar to previous books: a deliberately bizarre and confusing introductory chapter which raised many questions, followed by the investigation and then a satisfying conclusion. The book was left in such a way that (on the assumption the next in the series appears in a year's time) it seems like a long wait until book 8.

Many previous characters reappeared together with several new ones. All are very believable and it was good to catch up with 'old acquaintances' and start to find out about new ones, whose further adventures will no doubt be revealed in subsequent books. The author's attention to detail is gratifying. As the story unfolded, there were no obvious inconsistencies and as always I felt that the author had not rushed throuagh writing to meet a publication date with little time to check the minor details that are very important.

I would recommend this book whether or not the previous books in the series have been read. There are however, references to previous characters and events which means that the book is better read after the others. It is a gripping and exciting read. Be prepared to start reading when you know you will have time not to put it down - a great read for a wet winter's weekend.

This book did not grab me too much describing stuff not interested in, like whose tea he's drinking than getting on with the story. I gave up.

Drug barons, corrupt police , hint of macabre all mix together to draw you into another gripping storyline for the detective who likes to bend the rules. McLeans investigations bring him to loggerheads with his superiors ,whilst also putting his life in danger from one of his earlier adversaries.

I have read other books by James Oswald and really enjoyed them. This book does not disappoint. It is action packed and riveting from start to finish. The Edinburgh setting adds to the drama. It is well written with a great storyline and I definitely recommend it.

This book is brilliant if you haven't read James Oswald before this will make you want to read the whole series from the start. The main character is Tony McLean a Detective Inspector in Edinburgh who is a man trying to do a job against the odds. If you know Edinburgh you can see in your minds eye the streets and buildings as you travel with him. I would highly recommend this book and look forward to the next one.

Great story line and easy to follow even when I didn't read the first 6 books in the serie. Great read, recommended to all

I loved the book. I have read all the Inspector McLean books, and the latest is always one of my reading highlights of the year. This was a good who done it, complex as always, and picking up and continuing to weave threads from previous books into the latest story. Can't fault it in any ways.

I am reviewing this via NetGalley. It is a gripping story, well written and with believable characters. Having said that, I can never understand why detectives have to have such messed up private lives! This is a book to read when you have time to finish it. It is not for lifting and laying.

Gripping and a real page turner. Will definitely look for this author in future.