This book was far from what I expected from the blurb, and as it was part of a series of books I would not have bothered if I had realised before starting. However, I did read and, to some extent, enjoy the book. The premise was very good, but far too many cliches. Ex cop with a rogue attitude, bit of a maverick, can take and give a beating, heart of gold, etc. Ash Henderson was a mix of all the police procedure officers you could think of and Dr Alice McDonald was the ditsy sidekick. The plot of two murderers running side by side was different and the characters a mixed bag, some unexplained and unnecessary. The first half of the book was a good read, but the ending was very far fetched and rushed. There were references to past cases that could have done with a bit of explaining, but apart from that this book could stand alone.
Thank you NetGalley.

I have read a number of Stuart MacBride's books with these flawed but likeable characters. It reads more like a Hollywood Blockbuster than a typical murder mystery novel. Therein lies it's appeal. A fast paced book that keeps you wanting more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collin for the ARC of this book.

Another excellent book in the Ash Henderson series and possibly the best yet. Despite the serious subject matter of the search for a butchering serial killer in tandem with a case of missing children MacBride injects so much humour into his writing that it becomes a fast paced, gripping dark comedy.

Thank you very much to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Stuart MacBride for the chance to read this book for an honest review.

'Smith’s got a lot more bodies out there.’
One serial killer active for over 50 years and another killing little boys.
Ash follows a downward spiral while on the hunt, he faces off against old enemies and new enemies in this darkly humourus novel.

‘Professor Huntly, would you be so kind as to lean on this gentleman’s bell again?’ A raised eyebrow. ‘I hope that’s not a euphemism …’
Ash, Alice and Shifty are a brilliant cast of characters, especially Ash. Their personalities project this book to another level.

‘And you have all the interpersonal charm of a post mortem. But you don’t hear me going on about it, do you?’
Filled with blunt humour, dark humour and a lot of action. Meant this is a damn good book.

Thank you for the ARC of this book. My first book by this author. Took me a while to settle into the book mainly due to the writing genre, but the more I read the more I liked. Certainly a roller coaster of a read. Would thoroughly recommend to others.

I enjoyed this book, mostly, it was a little all over the place at times and hard to follow.
Overall the story was very good, and, even though it is part of a series, it was a good read on it's own.

A gritty read that is definitely not for the feint hearted. Ex policeman Ash Henderson and his alcoholic forensic pathologist sidekick Alice take you on an adventure traversing Scotland while they clear up the cases of a serial killer and a child abductor. There is a miscellany of zany and dangerous characters, inside and outside the police team, trying to aid or obstruct progress as appropriate at the time. If you think a cat has nine lives Ash Henderson must run a close second. Stuart Macbride excels at bringing misfit characters to life in his tartan noir police novels. You will laugh, cry, cringe and scream as the storyline hurtles towards its conclusion.

This was a great novel, I really loved all the Scottish expressions, it was refreshing.
The characters were well written, the killers disturbing and Henderson is a great anti-hero.
The Scottish setting was intriguing and the plot fast paced, I’d like to read more of Henderson’s exploits in the future.

What a fabulous 5* read! This is the first book I've read by this author (I know! Where have I been?) but, he's definitely on my 'favourite author list' now and what a treat I've got in store, working my way through the back catalogue! Could take a while...

This is a fabulously told murder mystery with the lead character of Ash, who was in the police, but who now works as a consultant in a team called LIRU - Lateral Investigative Review Unit - described as a 'sort of New Tricks'.
The story is about the murder of young boys and as we're introduced to this horrific news item, Ash finds himself at a row of houses by the sea, all being speedily taken by the storm that's eroding the coast and one house in particular hides a gruesome secret.

There's murder, mystery, fabulous characters and dark humour that had me laughing out loud throughout. So, despite it's dark subject matter, it's just so well balanced with humour.

There's also excellent and interesting descriptions of the Scottish areas visited within the book. So vivid, you'll need to read in front of a roaring fire to quell the images of beating wind and rain and storms.

Having said that I read this having no knowledge of earlier books, it genuinely didn't matter as this absolutely stands alone as a cracking read. No wonder Stuart MacBride is as popular an author as he is - just brilliant. I loved it.

Thanks so much to the author, Goodreads and HarperCollins for the opportunity to preview in exchange for this honest review.

Another slice of glorious mayhem in the Ash Henderson series of murders galore. The hunt for a child killer as well as a serial killer dating back years with all the usual characters appearing. A house slipping into the North Sea reveals human bones and Polaroid pictures in what’s left of the basement start things off at pace and it never lets up. Despite horrific injuries Ash keeps going and true to form the ending leaves a thread for hopefully more to come.

When Gordon Smith’s falls into the sea it reveals human remains in his garden. It’s too dangerous to retrieve the bodies and the evidence is disappearing. Interesting storyline and I love the unusually descriptive verbs being used.

I haven’t read any books by Stuart MacBride before, and maybe I should have started at the beginning and understood the characters a bit better. Having said that, it was a good read, plenty of pace, quite gruesome in parts, with clever twists and plots.

Former DI Ash Henderson is drawn into a most unusual case - houses along the coast in Scotland are falling into the sea owing to severe erosion. However, a neighbour spotted a number of bodies revealed before the garden tumbled down, and it becomes likely that Gordon Smith, the homeowner, had a very murky past.

Meanwhile his partner Alice is busy on a case to find who is abducting and killing young children, and the clock is ticking as he has seized another victim. But clues are very few and far between.

A real rollercoaster of a thriller, with the story lines intertwining. The author paints a great picture of both gritty Scottish towns and the power of the sea as homes are destroyed by the elements. Ash is a very unusual character. My only sorrow is that I have picked up number 3 in this series - I think it is best to read them in order if you can.

Well written, pacy, gripping - I really enjoyed it. A cracking read, I'm now off to find more by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Very dark and very twisted but with an undoubtably humorous side even if the humour is wry . Even the good guys have serious problems and are not above reinterpreting the law to fit their own agenda while the bad guys range from pure evil through to business men who work on the shady side of the street.

l found this book to extremely enjoyable and entertaining. I am very tempted to treat myself to all the other books in the series.

Classic Stuart MacBride blending the gory details of psychotic serial killer with wit and serious detective work as the Misfit Mob of Police Scotland make a welcome comeback. A really cracking read.

With thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

Another brilliant, dark and witty instalment in the Ash Henderson series.

Full review to follow...

I am a big fan of Stuart MacBride’s books and this one did not disappoint. Really cleverly written plot with a few shock twists. There is a brilliant sense of humour the whole way through and memorable characters. As always with Stuart’s books I was pulled into the characters world from the start and communicated very little with the world around me until I was finished.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

A massive storm is battering the Scottish coast. Five men lose their lives when a headland collapses but it also reveals bones - human bones but whose are they?
Gordon Smith is missing and his house is nearly in the sea when ex-Detective Inspector Ash Henderson crawls into the basement and immediately wishes he hadn't. What he finds is horrific but it is nearly his last move with the storm battering outside.
How many people has Gordon killed and where is he? Ash is on the case and won't let anyone stand in the way
of the truth

Got to half way before my netgalley file made it unreadable but up to that point this was a gripping and really atmospheric read. I will certainly be getting the real thing when it is published.

The glitch has been fixed so I've gone back to it and the wait was worth it. A Dark, gritty Tartan Noir that really puts the lead character, Ash, through the wringer as he searches for a torture murderer that has kept ahead of the law for years.

Stuart MacBride is at the top of his game here

Highly recommended

This is the first time I’ve read a Stuart MacBride novel, as I’m not normally into crime/thriller that much, only now and again.

This book did take my fancy though and I’m pleased I picked it up. It does stand alone, but I do feel that I missed a lot by not reading the first two, for example, the injured foot, his relationship with Alice, and colleagues - although I did very much enjoy the storyline, I was quite clearly missing out on character development from prior books.

As I say though, this is a stand-alone book, and it genuinely had me terrified often, and I struggled to keep reading out of pure fear. It’s a bit gory, but it’s left to your imagination- ie it’s not graphic, ie, it doesn’t go into extreme detail like some books I’ve read.

So, yeah! I enjoyed this! My thanks to Netgalley and Harper Fiction for the copy in exchange for an honest review.