Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Gone on to read this book right after finishing what i thought was the previous book.
This is book 9 and i've recently read book 7 which means i have missed one out. What I would say though is it hasn' really mattered so much as what I was wondering about from book 7 was fleeting mentioned in this book so i had an idea what has gone on. (i wont say what that was for fear of spoiling it for anyone.

I'm getting back to catching up with series of books i' have read and gotten behind on, I have really enjoyed getting back to this series.
Tony Mclean is a great character. These books are written to a very high standard and will be great for any crime fiction fan.

Cold as the Grave is the 9th in the Inspector McLean series and once again Tony is in the thick of a very puzzling case. Still not used to his new position in the force he has gone to help with the policing of a protest march. Stumbling down a side alley he finds himself in the basement of one of the buildings where he discovers what appears to be the mummified remains of a young girl. His hopes of passing this on to the cold case team are soon dashed as it turns out the girl died more recently, what they can’t work out is how she came to be in the state she was. Added to this he is thrown into the path of Mrs Saifre, someone he had hoped he would never see again as no good ever followed in her wake.
This book is definitely dark and really goes back to the possibility of the supernatural that makes these books stand out. With the theme of refugees and their treatment at the heart of it you can see how Tony is struggling between doing what is right and what is required by law which don’t always go hand in hand and there were many times I was routing for him to go against what he was bound to do as a police officer.
It was really good to see Madame Rose back in the mix as she tried to help both personally and professionally as both Tony and Emma were still struggling with the events at the end of The Gathering Dark, Turning to work, they seem to be on a course of destruction as far as their relationship goes but I am still holding out that they will eventually have some good news and they at least find peace at home.
There is something about Edinburgh that just lends itself so well to these stories and adds to the atmosphere and action that take place. Always at the heart of the books are characters that sweep you along with their stories that always have that believable quality to them even if you don’t believe in the things you just can’t explain. There is definitely something to be said for falling behind on a series that you love. The best part is you don’t have to wait ages for the next one to be published. I am very aware that I am getting closer and closer to the most recent one but until that time I get to savour and enjoy the books that have been written.

The 9th book in the Inspector McLean series and it most certainly did not disappoint.

Love the darkness of the tale along with the Scottish setting. I've already purchased the others in the series so I can read the back story.

Highly recommended.

This is already the ninth book in the DI Maclean series, and they just get better. I haven't read all the previous books in the series, will be tackle them soon. Recommended.

Onto the 9th of this excellent series from James Oswald, brings Inspector Mclean and his partner Emma overcoming a tragedy that’s beset them. Tony Mclean has now been forcibly promoted and is now a DCI.

This time around, McLean finds himself faced with finding the mummified body of a small girl. That seems to have been mummified years but is In fact only days..

An Intriguing story again, with the supernatural and fantasy elements possibly the most prevalent yet in all the stories. With Middle Eastern myths and magic, Djinns and genies and old magic, this is another excellent outing for Mclean

Edinburgh is dark and macabre, and Tony is again allowing his job to take over his life whilst Emma struggles. Madame Rose is very much to the fore in this one to.

The Nasty and despicable Miss Saifre is back, and though there feels a bit of closure is some long running stories, Miss Saifre is going nowhere yet.

Superbly crafted, plotted and written as ever. I look forward to Bury them Deep

5🔥🔥🔥🔥

This is a treat for crime fiction lovers with a bit of the supernatural thrown in for good measure. Mr Oswald knows how to write a great story and he has done it once again with "Cold as the Grave".

DCI Tony McLean finds himself, quite unexpectedly, in the midst of a strange and disturbing investigation following his discovery of the mummified remains of a young girl. Being a DCI, Tony is not supposed to get into the day to day investigation of crime however, Tony being Tony just can't help himself and he quickly becomes in the thick of it.

This is a dark and sinister case to investigate and includes themes on refugees, asylum seekers, illegal immigrants, trafficking, modern slavery, the murder of children and violence towards women as well as introducing a less than "normal" slant on the perpetrator of the crime and the method used for committing murder.

With fantastic characters throughout and written in a sympathetic rather than sensationalist way with the back drop of a winter in Edinburgh, this is a great read.

I admit to not having read all the previous books in this series and although I have probably missed out massively on back story, character development, etc., it did not detract from my enjoyment of this book.

On to the next .... when it comes out!

My thanks must go to the Publisher and NetGalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.

Another great book from one of my favourite authors. A modern tale of people trafficking with a supernatural twist and the return of Mrs Safre. Not a stand alone novel.best to read the other books in the series first. James Oswald is one to follow for fans of tartan noir .

I’m such a huge fan of this fantastic series which just keeps getting better and better.

The thing I like most about it is that’s it’s not just a crime thriller or a police procedural but also deals with quite current, emotional issues too. This book deals with missing children and the plight of immigrants which makes for very harrowing, emotions reading at times.

The setting of the book is used to great affect with the reader being introduced to the darker side of Edinburgh away from the normal tourist spots. The descriptions are very vivid and I felt that I could picture them in my mind, with some of them making me shiver at the thought of them. They seem so realistic and this book serves as a great reminder that ever city has a darker side that not everyone gets to see.

This is quite a fast paced book with lots of different things happening to keep me gripped to the page. The author shows great skill by altering the pace of the book at times to show the startling contrast of Tom and Emma’s situation or to convey more emotion into the story which keeps the reader on their toes. There was a lot of tension in the book which had me on the edge of my seat as I read faster and faster trying to find out what happens next, though there were also moments when I had to out the book down as I was very nervous about reading on.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Wildfire books for my copy of this book. If you are looking for a fantastic new crime series then you should try this book!

Her mummified body is hidden in the dark corner of a basement room, a room which seems to have been left untouched for decades. A room which feels as cold as the grave.
As a rowdy demonstration makes its slow and vocal way along Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Detective Chief Inspector Tony McLean's team are on stand-by for any trouble. The newly promoted McLean is distracted, inexplicably drawn to a dead-end mews street... and a door, slightly ajar, which leads to this poor girl's final resting place.
Each time I read one of the author’s Mclean books I think it can't be as good as the previous ones & each time it’s as good if not better & this series is now one of my must read series. I love Tony who is now chaffing at the bit to do real police work rather than being kept in the office but Tony being Tony he investigates anyway. The mix of run of the mill police investigation with the hint of the supernatural makes for a different read. I could give lots of superlatives & give hints to the story but all I'll say is this is a first class brilliant read which I highly recommend.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

I was interested in reading this book after starting another series by James Oswald a few months ago and hearing that the Inspector McLean series was more gripping and had more of supernatural element. I wasn’t misinformed and I now have more books to read.

The main subject matter is a grim one and features a common concern, that of refugees arriving from harrowing situations in their own countries. The refugees who feature don’t have an easy time, they are frightened, low paid, and face danger from more than human traffickers. But, much to their surprise the police are their friends and none of police team want to add to their distress.

Despite knowing little about previous events, I have only read book one, I had no issues following the storylines. Past cases are mentioned, but not dwelled on, so I can read the earlier books without being aware of what happened in them.

The supernatural element is a strange one. I felt more unease about the less obvious situations, the sense of danger from touch or smell rather than the investigation itself. It was something that made me a little nervous, jumpy and looking over my shoulder.

James Oswald is an author whose books I have every intention of catching up with.

Another great crime thriller from Scotland, my first Inspector McLean story, mixing crime with a little bit of the supernatural. A thrilling story involving missing children continues through to a totally unexpected ending.

The ninth book in the Inspector McLean series and you don't have to read them in order, although like any long running crime series the author will refer back to events in the past covered in previous books.

The opening sees the discovery of a mummified body hidden in the dark corner of a basement room, a room which seems to have been left untouched for decades. The plot unfolds from here to include a mysterious circus, human trafficking, a 60's rock star and a djinn.

James Oswald is similar to John Connolly in that both add in supernatural elements to their books and they work well, also like Stephen King's excellent Mercedes man trilogy.

Although used a lot in book reviews, 'Cold As The Grave' is a proper page turner as you want to keep on reading to see what happens next, such are the twists and turns in the plot. Highly recommended and James Oswold joins my select list of 'must read' crime writers.

My Next review is:-

“Cold As The Grave:Inspector McLean 9”, written by James Oswald and published in Hardcover by Wildfire on 7th Feb. 2019.432 pages ISBN-13: 978-1472249883

This latest book by James Oswald with his protagonist of Detective Chief Inspector Tony McLean was truly wonderful and I was saddened with it's finishing.

It starts when Tony McLean and his team of detectives is observing a rather rowdy demonstration in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. He is there to be on the look out to prevent any trouble but he decides to enter a door-way in a dead-end mews street in order to avoid the bad weather. He accidentally discovers the body of a dead girl hidden in the shadows of the cold basement room and is obliged to call it in. The body seems initially that it could have been there for years but is that the actual truth?

This highly atmospheric and extremely well plotted story weaves it charms along it’s gentle way. The plot of the story as in his previous books seem to twist and turn as different facts come to the surface and the book once started is exceedingly difficult to put down until the very dramatic conclusion is reached.

As this is the ninth book about Tony McLean more facts come out about his past and his involvement with women come out and again we are told of his inheritance from his grandmother which gives him sufficient income never to need to work again but he continues to do so for the sheer pleasure of doing his job!

His subordinate detectives are mentioned in particular “Grumpy Bob” and Ds Ritchie and he shares his large home with among other thing a rather moody cat. The book is filled with a lot of wry humour which offsets the bleakness of some of the more violent aspects. It was a great shame to have to finally close this book after 432 pages that seem to pass so quickly and to have to worry that we will have to wait yet another year until we see the 10th book about the latest exploits of this great detective. Very strongly recommended.

Best wishes,

Terry

As ever a great read from Oswald.
The ninth in the series see McLean out on streets of Edinburgh helping police a march or supposed to, when he steps inside a building with an open door and finds a mummified corpse. The case becomes very interesting when the post mortem comes in as they expected an old body killed years ago but that is not the case it is recent.
They struggle to find the name of the girl and believe there are ties to immigrant workers at a local sandwich factory but the immigrants don't trust the police and don't want to help so it isn't easy.
As you'd expect you can leave it at that it's a murder mystery after all so along comes another body. The fact that the dead bodies look old bones but aren't just isn't helping and just what is going on at that sandwich factory? All things to make our inspector delve.
Oswald delivers another McLean outing and it is just what you come to expect, well written and a mystery that isn't all it would seem. There is a twist at the end as well when we discover what is happening.

This is the ninth book in the Tony McLean series and they just keep getting better and better. Not entirely happy in his new role as DCI, Tony escapes from the growing pile of paperwork to help out at a far-right demonstration. He stumbles across the body of a child that looks almost mummified but, far from being a cold case, this is the beginning of a harrowing investigation into the treatment of refugees and illegal immigrants. There is also the added element of the supernatural that makes this series so different, but in the hands of James Oswald is made to seem perfectly plausible. The cast of characters are so well drawn and familiar that you sometimes forget they are fictional – Grumpy Bob, Madame Rose and, my favourite, Mrs McCutcheon’s cat. McLean’s old nemesis (Mrs Saifre) is back too, and he still does not trust her one little bit. This is a dark and disturbing tale, told with great sensitivity and I look forward to reading the next one.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review #ColdAsTheGrave #NetGalley

Another fantastic Tony McLean book from James Oswald. Great existing characters, good new characters and a storyline that has you enthralled right until the very last page! Highly recommend it!!!

the latest in the mclean series doesn't disappoint with it being dark and gritty and topical with refugees and middle east Syria added to the current plot. the plot was a bit slow to start off with soon picked up and like how its always adds a touch of the supernatural/unusual. one element is on and off personal relationship with Emma which one part of the book I like.

I have literally no idea how to start reviewing this book. I mean, I could just grab one of my previous reviews and copy and paste, because I genuinely think that there is nothing original left to be said about how much I love this series. Because I really do. I was suckered in by the perfect blend of the run of the mill police investigation and the hint of the supernatural. A brilliant combination of crime thriller and something a little more fantastical. Each book brings something a little ... off kilter, pitting our dear Tony McLean against characters of nefarious intent and unearthly skills. Not everything can be written off as a display of the occult, but it's not all straight forward criminal mastermind stuff either.

The series started off with a bang, and when it came to conveying the inexplicable, Mr Oswald has a great talent for making it all believable. This is quite a difficult series to define. It doesn't fit squarely in any particular genre - not clean police procedural and not so quite dark as to make it horror either. It floats, beautifully in my opinion, somewhere in between. And with the last two titles there has been a noticeable loosening of the artistic reins, with the last book, The Gathering Dark and this, Cold As the Grave, returning more obviously to the otherworldly essence of the series that made me fall in love with it to begin with.

Can you tell where this is going yet? Indulge me a little and read on anyway. It's the least you can do now I've found my (really really long) stride.

I don't really want to say too much about the plot. The blurb above tells you all you need to know. Poor old Tony McLean has a real knack of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a chance discovery whilst watching over a march through the heart of Edinburgh, puts him front and centre in a rather harrowing investigation. Mummified remains are discovered in an abandoned room but, seeing as how this is a Tony McLean novel, you know that nothing is going to be as straight forward as it seems. Faced with old foes, illegal immigrants, travelling circuses and missing children, Tony and the team have their work cut out for them if they hope to prevent any more tragedies from occurring.

What I love about this series is the way in which James Oswald has developed the characters. They really make the series for me. Beyond the already established team of Tony, Grumpy Bob (still love that guy and so happy his retirement is only taking as far as the basement and the cold case team), Duguid who is, bizarrely, still growing on me, Kirsty Ritchie, and Janie Harrison, you have the friends who shape and inform Tony's life - his partner Emma, Madame Rose and Angus Cadwallader. They are all so richly drawn, and add such texture to the story because I can easily make an emotional connection with each and every one of them. There is some trait in each character . that you can identify with. Hell - even Mrs McCutcheon's Cat. I know I look forward to seeing what they will do in each book, how they will become part of the story. Sometimes you laugh with them, at other times you may cry but they are always there and it is always special.

Added to this you have those who operate on the other side of the law. In a story which mixes reality with something a little more ... out there, it would be easy to make all the bad guys appear to be too outlandish. Too much of the pantomime villains in designer suits. As well as a new kind of threat, a new foe as it were, there is a familiar face back to haunt Tony once more, although you will need to read the book to find out who that is. Whether their intentions are as altruistic as they maintain ... I have to say I side with Tony on being more than a little suspicious on that front, but it does add a delicious, if devious, twist to the story and I can't to see how their reappearance plays out in future books.

This is, at times, a rather harrowing story to read. It deals with missing children, the plight of immigrants on the streets of Edinburgh, and examines a real life socio-political problem, and does so without merely turning it into a source of entertainment. It is a very current topic, although given a McLean twist, but you can't ignore the emotional turmoil that lies beneath the surface, or how relevant the story is in modern society. The book had the ability to leave me both outraged and heartbroken, with some truly powerful scenes throughout.

James Oswald uses setting to great effect in the story. From the dark space in which the mummified body is found, to the ways in which he contrasts the relative opulence of his won home against the very basic, and in some cases, slum like conditions, or worse, that some of the other characters live in, each scene is so realistically drawn, that the ambience of the location sets not only the tone, but also the underlying atmosphere that informs the story. You get to see a far darker side of Edinburgh that is painted in the tourist brochures, and yet the prose is so wonderfully descriptive that it still takes you to the heart of what is, when all is said and done, a beautiful city. Much like the story, each setting has a kind of duplicitous nature, the facade, be it beautiful or stark, hiding the true nature of what lies within. From circus tents, to townhouses, to country estates, the vivid narrative creates an image in your mind as clear as any picture could.

The pacing in the book is perfect, fast enough to keep me totally intrigued, whilst not rushing over the quiet and sombre moments in a bid to just escalate the action. There are moments of tension that had me, as a reader, perched on the edge of my seat, wondering what may happen. Then there were scenes in which the silence and near stillness of Tony and Emma's world was so overwhelmingly simple and honest that it was almost bruising, the emotion conveyed so convincingly that it made my heart ache. I just loved the way the author managed the balance between the two, making me both desperate to read on but almost scared to turn the page.

And that's all I can say really. To give you more would probably end in spoilers and we wouldn't want that now. Either that or I will sound like a stuck record, because how many ways are there to say 'just read the bloody books because they are bloody fabulous and you know it makes sense'?

So yes. I loved this book. Loved the blend of the magical, the villainous and the otherworldly, and loved, as always, DCI Tony McLean and his very special band of partners in crime fighting. I cannot wait for the next book, and can only take solace in the fact that although I've another twelve months to go until I'm reunited with Tony McLean, I can fill the void with a little bit of Constance Fairchild a later this year.

Cold as the Grave by James Oswald

Tony McLean has recently been promoted to Chief Inspector – and he’s not enjoying it at all. Suddenly, his world has shrunk to a small office and a desk laden with paperwork and reports. He wants to be out there policing. And so, when he gets the chance, he pops out to help with monitoring a rowdy demonstration on the streets of Edinburgh. A door slightly ajar off a quiet street grabs Tony’s attention. In it he finds the mummified remains of a corpse. This looks like a cold case. The body must have been lying there hidden for years. But a post mortem reveals that the body is that of a young girl and, far from having been dead for years, it’s only been a matter of days. And she will not be the last to die in this strange, cruel, cold way. As first on the scene, Tony is determined to play his part in solving one of the most puzzling cases of a career full of puzzling cases.

Cold as the Grave is the ninth novel in James Oswald’s Inspector McLean series – easily one of my favourite series of any kind, whatever the genre. As these books always do, Cold as the Grave went straight to the top of my reading pile and came with me on holiday to Spain. It was the perfect choice. As is usual with the series, there is within these pages a tantalising hint of something dark and sinister, something possibly not entirely human, at work in Edinburgh, and it is engrossing.

Cold as the Grave tells a fantastic story, deliciously complex in plot, and at its heart is a group of people on the fringes of Edinburgh society, its refugees, particularly vulnerable children. Tony McLean is a man who will do everything he can for them. But the forces against him are sinister and dark.

I love the way in which these books contain a hint of the supernatural. This isn’t something I normally go for in fiction but James Oswald makes it work. Weaving through the story is a strand that features fortune tellers, cats, monsters, genies and, perhaps, the personification of evil itself, a figure that McLean has come up against before. There is a dangerous force loose in society. How real that force is, as opposed to being unreal or inhuman, is a question with no answer. It’s wonderfully done and I love how it makes the book so chilly and creepy, with a touch of horror, while also presenting such a realistic and gripping police procedural. The two are married together seamlessly. And then there’s that Edinburgh setting – it’s excellent.

It’s the character of Tony McLean who pulls it all together and unites the two worlds, the light and the dark. There’s a sensitivity to him. He’s warm and caring. His relationship with Emma continues to confuse his personal life and this is dealt with so gently. It’s impossible not to care deeply for this wonderful man.

Cold as the Grave is my favourite of the series, which is no mean feat. I can’t wait til Tony McLean returns.