Another fantastic Stuart MacBride book, but the Ash Henderson series this time. Have to admit it did take a while to fully capture my attention, but once we got there I was hooked! You know the main characters already (it helps if you’ve read the other books in the series,but there’s ein it that you can read as a standalone) so you’re not wasting most of the time learning about them so you can get straight into the storyline. There were a few good twists and turns but nothing complicated leaving you trying to figure out what’s going on. Highly recommended!

Tried tuning in a fading shortwave radio broadcast? If you have you'll be well placed to try and tune in on the dialogue in a Stuart MacBride novel. For us soft southern Sasannachs some of the phrases and words elude even the Kindle's internal dictionary. However, with perseverance The Coffinmaker's Garden turns out to be a cracking read. It's a story of two threads. One where the villain is known from the outset and one where he's not. So one requires the skills of a track and tracer, the other; proper detective work. On the criminal side, they make up with bodies what they lack in finesse, sadly the same is true of the police. The Coffinmakers Garden is less about the crimes and coppers but more about some very witty interactions which are laugh out loud funny. We do meet one character who gives a verbose and erudite performance, a veritable freelance consultant nonetheless but one you wouldn't want to get the wrong side of. However, their business card may come in useful! It was a refreshing change from the normal detective thrillers and I would score it 4.5, knocking off a half point for having to tune in but with rounding it becomes a fun five.

For those below the age of fifty, a shortwave radio broadcast is not a YouTube hairstylist's weekly vlog but the signal from a transmitter operating within the 3 - 30 MHz radio spectrum and carried over the ether, not via a network of servers, and is therefore subject to atmospheric conditions.

I won't lie. I was a touch apprehensive going into reading this book, partly because I have memories of the Ash Henderson books being ones that I really enjoyed so going back to a series after such a long time you have to wonder if the magic can be recaptured. I didn't re-read the books before I read The Coffinmaker's Garden and I can't decide if that was a good or bad move on my part, as it may well be that my memory is clouded. I did have in. the back of my mind the fact that we had taken a trip back to Oldcastle in more recent times with A Dark So Deadly, a book that I loved for its amplified dark humour but that was at odds with the darkness of Ash Henderson's world. Well ... The Misfit Mob are back, in a much lesser capacity, but enough to inform the story and add a few more comic moments to what would otherwise have been a very dark story.

So - did it work? Well, by and large yes. There are two threads to this story. The first is the investigation into the abduction and murder of young boys from around Oldcastle. This is the case that Ash and Dr Alice McDonald are working on when they get a call to attend a scene of a tragic maritime accident in a small coastal village, where an unexpected discovery has been made. Bones. Lots of them. In a garden which is rapidly disappearing into the North Sea due to coastal erosion. But it is not this alone that forces Ash to work alongside DI Malcolmson, a.k.a. 'Mother', and her Misfit Mob, but the altogether more grim findings in the basement of the home that the garden and said bones seem to belong to.

This is a rather dark tale of torture and murder, and that is before we even consider the investigation into the missing boys which is sending Alice into an ever growing sense of despair. So in many respects, the lighter side of the story offered by the banter between Ash and Mother is welcomed. It is not as slapstick in style as ADSD had been, but there are enough moments to make you smile and even chuckle in what would otherwise we a very disturbing subject.

There is plenty of tension and many scenes that will make the skin crawl as we come to discover just how dark and twisted the murderer in this case turns out to be. and then you have the story of the young boys who are being abducted, and the emotions and turmoil that we find when faced with the families who are grieving for their lost children. None of this is played for laughs, the division between the two stories quite stark in contrast. Not that the torture and murder of adults is any laughing matter, but it is easier to accept the banter and the back and forth between the characters when faced with this side of the story, and it almost softens the blow a little given the depravity in play here.

This is a dark and atmospheric read, and even in the lightest of moments there is an underlying melancholy, the kind I associate with this series. Ash maybe didn't come across as tortured this time around, perhaps the passage of time affecting my memory as much as his attitude, but there is a definite sense of resignation to him as well as an overwhelming sense of fatherly protection towards Alice. Tension seeps through from every page and that sense of threat, of danger being never too far away from our protagonist, sometimes very obvious and played out with blow by blow clarity on the page, sometimes less so, just that prickly skin feeling that something bad is about to occur. But Stuart MacBride has balanced it perfectly, managing to take readers right to the edge of the seat with the drama that unfolds.

I did work out a few of the twists in the tale along the way, and perhaps that is just because I read so much crime fiction that I just kind of expected it. But it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the story, or stop me from wanting to see just how Ash would ensure that the killer was caught or at the very least received their dues. And it was a rather fitting ending to be fair, quite dramatic and right down to the wire, but very apt. It must be painful to live in Ash Henderson's world and if you are thinking that Stuart MacBride may have been. a little easier on him with his advancing years, you'd be wrong. It is more a case of how much he can take than how much can you expect to be doled out.

Full of the trademark grim humour and the kind of dark scenes from a classic Henderson/Logan novel, I think fans of the author will love it. There was only one element for me which went awry and that was with Alice. She is a troubled soul, and that shows through in her actions and behaviours throughout the story. There were just a few too many moments of eccentricity for me and it did start to grate after a while. There are reasons for her behaviour which become clearer as you read on, but her behaviour at times reaches almost mania stage and if I say that she seems to pick up the mantle from Shifty, you'll know what I mean. It just felt a bit too much at times, but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the book. It was good being back in Ash's world and I hope it's not too long before we venture back there again.

I accidentally picked this book up, not realising it was the 3rd the book in a series.
Had I known I would not have given it a second look (at least not until I happened to have read the 1st two books in the series). On hindsight I am glad I didn’t know. This book can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone (although it would be much better to have read the series), and everyone deserves a bit of Ash Henderson, even if you are reluctant to invest in an entire series.

There is definitely a lot happening in this book, primarily centred on the quest to capture two separate serial killers. And although the plot itself is great, it is really Ash Henderson and the collection of other great character portrayals that make this book brilliant. I am really surprised how vivid and tangible the characters are, considering that the book is intended to be part of a series. I can only imagine how much more enjoyable the read could be if the 1st two books had also been read (and I certainly will try go back and read them).

Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a review copy.

Prior to this, I had only read one of Stuart MacBride's books (not part of this series) so I was coming to this one with no idea what to expect. The synopsis appealed to me as the type of book that I regularly read and enjoy.

I was expecting the characters in this book to be believable and the storyline to be realistic, but in fact the characters are caricatures and the plot unbelievable - the book reads more as a dark comedy (albeit not a very funny one) than a serious crime thriller. Maybe that is how it has been marketed and maybe that is what MacBride's readers expect, but it is not what I was expecting and as such I found the book to be a disappointment.

It is also far too long - I would estimate the book to be about twice the length of a standard crime thriller. This is partly because there are two unrelated storylines, one of which seems to have been added as an afterthought. There's no real crossover between the two investigations, they could very easily have been spun off into two separate standard length books and been the better for it.

4.75* I highly recommend this book.
Gore score 3.5/5 quite gory descriptions of violence. Just my kind of book.
A very fitting title. An excellent read, fast paced
featuring ex DI Ash Henderson who is investigating the human remains unearthed from Gordon Smiths garden as his home falls into the North Sea
I like the easy going writing style and love the humour. Alice is hilarious, Ash more grumpy. Together they are brill. Their relationship is just great.
I admire Henderson he takes no shit from senior officers. He is a renegade tough ex cop who makes his own rules, and associates with the city’s underworld characters to suit his own ends.
I like the ever present Henry, the black Scottie dog.
There were a couple of minor nit picks, nothing that spoilt the book.

I haven't read any of Stuart MacBride's books before and feel delighted that I have a new favourite author to read in 2021!
Although I didn't know their back stories I felt immediately comfortable with the misfits and enjoyed the way the story was shot through with very dark humour. I'm not convinced Ash could have escaped quite as often as he did, but I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next

Thank you to netgalley and Harper Collins for an advance copy of this book

A brilliant crime novel with clever and well timed humour . I had never read any Stuart MacBride but will definitely devour all the rest of his bibliography !! With a fast paced writing and the ability to make you feel like you were in Scotland with the protagonists, he also manages to give the story and characters depth. A real tour de force!

When a clifftop begins to crumble into the sea human remains are exposed. With the whole area around the house gradually falling away it’s a race against time to find out exactly how many bodies were buried there. Ex-Detective Inspector Ash Henderson, now working as a consultant, is seconded to the team who are trying to find out exactly what went on in Gordon Smith’s house.
Police chiefs want a quick result, the media are all over it and Ash is determined to get results but finding Gordon Smith is proving harder than expected. Ash needs to find Smith as well as identify his victims but with all the evidence washed away it’s virtually impossible.
Ash finds himself coming up against brick walls and some very dangerous people and begins to realise he will be lucky to get out of this alive.

Fantastic book from Stuart MacBride. His books never fail to grip me and this was the same.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

I had to put down ever and start this book straight away. I love the author and couldn’t wait!

I was not disappointed, the book is well written in a realistic Scottish way which had me laughing out loud at points.

It is dark and funny with over the top characters which makes it such a good read. Loved it.

There is no words that can really describe this book. Wow comes to mind but it doesn't really do the book justice. I just love Stuart MacBride's writing style, and the way he paints a picture that the reader can enjoy. This was a masterpiece by a very talented author. Highly recommended.
TB

A house on a Scottish cliff being claimed by a storm and the North sea reveals a garden full of bodies that may have been their for over half a century.
In a town close by there is a serial killer targeting children. Is there a connection? Are the killings entwined?...
A good tale, however, outdated, sexist language and stereotypical views of women. Well written, no real likeable characters though.

As Storm Trevor rages above a rented seaside cottage, a young pregnant woman, Margaret, is chopping carrots. She’s alone except for her young son, Alfie and she wonders how they ended up in Clachmara. The news announcer on the radio comments on another small boy being found dead in local woodland. There’s a serial killer on the loose. Clachmara isn’t the sleepy seaside town that it appears to be. But when she turns around to speak to Alfie she discovers that he’s gone. With horror she realises that he’s gone outside into the storm. Alfie’s heard the helicopter flying overhead as it attempts to rescue the crew of a stricken fishing boat. He’s standing right on the edge of a coastal erosion zone and several houses near Margaret’s have already fallen over the cliff in previous storms.
As she grabs Alfie and holds him tight, part of the headland collapses on top of the boat and buries it and the crew. But that’s not all. As Margaret watches, terrified, she sees what the helicopter’s spotlight has revealed jutting out from the newly exposed cliff face. Human bones. Lots of human bones.
It now apparent that there’s another serial killer loose in Clachmara as ex DI Ash Henderson of the Lateral Investigative Review Unit and his partner Dr Alice McDonald are called in to examine the bones. Any hope that it’ s all a mistake are quashed by the discovery of a human skull that tantalisingly bounces into the North Sea with another falling piece of cliff.
The bones are in the garden of an abandoned house which has its own secrets and Ash wastes no time in finding them. Furniture piled up in one room soon reveals a trapdoor hidden beneath them. The owner, Gordon Smith, has not only abandoned the house but also his own personal kill room and torture chamber. All that’s left is a collection of Polaroids, the only record of what happened to the people in them. Gordon Smith was popular with his neighbours and took care of his neighbour’s daughter, Leah, after her mother Sophie committed suicide. So where is he now? But the crime scene doesn’t stay intact for long as the cliff once again takes it all crashing into the sea. Now they’re left with just the Polaroids. 22 victims in 56 years. 16 people as they went about their lives and 22 bloody and tortured in their final moments. Who were they? How did they meet Gordon Smith or how did he encounter them?
Now Ash has 2 serial killers to find and also a missing person. Helen MacNeil, Smith’s next door neighbour begs him to find her grand-daughter. The trail leads him to another remote derelict building as Leah begins to text him, desperately begging for help, and in the middle of it all Alice is the victim of a hit and run. Are Leah’s texts genuine? Has Alice got to close to one of the murderers? The small boys were each from troubled families and easy prey. Has Alice found a link amongst the army of professionals who dealt with them? Meanwhile Storm Victoria is coming….
This was a corker of a book. There’s a lot of black humour in it as well as Ash narrates a dark tale. Especially with the mobile ringtones that each announce a different member of Ash’s world – my money was on the man with ‘I am the Walrus’. Gordon’s Smith’s collection of nasty Polaroids have uncomfortable echoes of his own daughter, Rebecca’s, horrible death as, on each of her birthdays he receives a handmade card featuring an image of her own torture and death. As Helen MacNeil shouts after him, he knows what it’s like to lose a child. Now it’s become personal with him to put names to the faces in the Polaroids. In a poignant scene he finally visits his daughter’s grave for the first time.
Ash’s time is also spent in fending off an unwelcome ex-lover as he drives around Scotland searching for Smith, often ending up behind ‘a wee food van’ with an alliterative name such as ‘Bingo Brenda’s Baps, Butteries and Bridies!’ proudly emblazoned on it. But behind the Bible-black humour he is determined to find and stop Smith.
The reader sees the grimy façade behind a seaside town preserved in childhood memories of happier times. An environment in which a man like Smith could kill strangers with impunity. The book’s title intrigued me and it refers to Smith’s nickname amongst his neighbours. He was the Coffinmaker as, when one of their children’s pets died, he would make a bespoke coffin for it so that they could hold a proper funeral. Which is more than his victims got.
As this was the first time that I’d met Ash and Alice I didn’t know their history although there are 2 other books featuring them but it didn’t take me long to catch up. The book was expertly written with a very convincing and ambitious plot which all came dramatically together as they return to the clifftop with Storm Victoria growls above them. The book’s beginning was so intense and thrilling that I had no choice but to read one and there were no lulls between the action.
My thanks to HarperCollins and Netgalley for an ARC.

There’s certainly a lot happening in The Coffinmaker’s Garden. It’s a tense, dark and gruesome thriller featuring ex-Detective Inspector Ash Henderson.

Gordon Smith’s home is falling into the sea and the crumbling headline finally reveals the secrets his garden is hiding. With the sea rapidly claiming the evidence, Ash has nothing to lose so sets about trying to find the serial killer.

The book is well written but I found I couldn’t really gel with any of the characters so I would rate this 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and the author for the chance to review.

Full of sharp wit typical of this author. This is another amazing read that leaves you wanting more. Highly recommend this book.

This is a properly dark crime novel in every sense of the word. There is nothing but a grim and unrelenting sequence of events, that somehow manage to get progressively darker as the book goes on. That said, its a gripping read, just not a cheerful one!

I didn’t realise when I started reading this that it is actually the third in a series featuring Ash Henderson. I don’t feel like I had missed a lot that I couldn’t catch up on but there has obviously been character development over the other books that I haven’t seen. I have however read some of the Logan McRae series (although not all) so I had some idea of the authors dark and gritty style going in.

The crimes being investiagated in this novel are dark – a garden full of human remains discovered as a house falls into the sea with no hope of recovering them and a child killer on the loose at the same time.

The book started with a heart-in-mouth set of events and it just kept going form there. It was an engaging read with one known perpetrator who needed to be tracked down and one unknown who needed to be discovered.

What I did find surprising and I’ll be honest unrealistic was the sheer amount of physical violence dealt out by Ash and his police colleagues. While I don’t deny that it must happen sometimes, there was an awful lot of it here and I just don’t think Ash would still be working with the police in any capacity after his actions here. Alongside that he plays very fast and loose with the truth when there are other options he could take – and rarely gets called on it in a meaningful way.

It detracted from the story a bit for me, which is a shame as I actually really enjoyed the rest.

Wow great story leaving you wanting so much more at the end!!! Highly recommend as it will keep you gripped from start to finish.

I never repeat the blurb. Not the best from Stuart McBride, disconnected I had not read earlier parts of this series, but sharp, acerbic wit...? That never changes.

Stuart McBride has done it again - he's written a smashing mystery. I've read all his backlist, so I jumped at the chace to read this one and I wasn't disappointed. Ex-detective constable Ash Henderson is now working as a consultant, and his position is far better than what it was before, even though years have passed since he last appeared on the scene in "Birthdays for the Dead". In the next book in the series, "A Song for the Dying", Ash is injured, and this, the third book with Ash, opens with him hobbling about with a cane. The premise is as gruesome as only Mr MacBride can make it - but not without a dash of humor. In fact, as I read his books, I'm torn between terror and laughter - but there is no bathos here - his writing is clear and strong and his characters distinct and well rounded.
A storm has eroded a cliff and as the waves dash the earth away, bodies are revealed - in fact, the property was a killing place, and the murderer has packed up and left - but he hasn't left off killing.
The police know his identity, but they have no idea where he is.
And then it turns out he's got a young woman with him - is she a hostage? His partner? Where are they headed, and how will Ash find them? At the same time, someone is kidnapping and murdering little boys, and Ash's long-time friend, psychiatrist Dr Alice McDonald, has troubles of her own as she tries to unravel the twisted mind behind the killer.
I love all of MacBride's books, and this one is a strong addition to a creepy, tense, action-packed series. I just hope I won't have too long to wait to read the next one!