Gritty and gripping crime fiction that effectively uses the darkness of Glasgow in the 1970s. Harry McCoy. is the classic grumpy detective but it works here. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I missed the earlier books in the series but this was fine as a standalone.

Crime fiction doesn't get any better than this. I absolutely love Harry McCoy, a deeply flawed character, but he never shies from putting his life on the line. There aren't really good guys or bad guys in this novel. It is more a case of characters having to adapt to survive in such a brutal time and place.
Set mainly in Glasgow and Belfast in 1973, the author paints a dark and disturbing picture of two cities torn apart by poverty, drugs, violence and corruption policing. At the same time it is an extraordinarily well written plot with many complex strands. All the best crime novels seem to come from Scotland these days and this one is absolutely outstanding.

This is gritty, grim, realistic crime drama, a convincing portrayal of the dark side of Glasgow in the 70s. McCoy isn't always loveable by any stretch of the imagination, but he does feel like a real character, with enough heroic traits to carry him through in the end as a protagonist I can get behind. The story kept me on the edge of my seat, willing our flawed hero to come through for justice, even if it did mean a bit of violence along the way. Another great Harry McCoy book, can't wait to read the next.

Another great book from Alan Parks with Detective Harry McCoy. I have read each in the series so far and although other dysfunctional, grumpy Scottish detective series are available I enjoy that these are set in the 70's which brings an interesting perspective. This one felt stronger than the last and this is a series I will continue to look forward to.

“Bobby March Will Live Forever” is set in 1973’s Glasgow, Scotland, and offers up a superb taste of Scottish noir. The third in the Harry McCoy series has McCoy facing off against his nemesis, Raeburn, a corrupt incompetent boob who takes over the investigation of the crime of the century, the disappearance of little Alice.

Meanwhile, for spite, McCoy is frozen out of the investigation, leaving him available to find a dead rockstar and a needle. Meanwhile, the niece of the commissioner above McCoy has run off and he’s asked to find her on the down low. Don’t expect neat organized resolutions to any of these situations. Don’t expect that justice will be served or that everyone lives happily ever after. The point of this tale is really to follow McCoy’s experiences as he grows further and further morose and cynical.

Parks does a great job of setting this novel both in time and place. Although Bobby March is not too active in McCoy’s timeline, we learn about Bobby through a series of flashbacks. For McCoy, his Glasgow is filled with graft, police brutality, and menacing crime lords who are deeply linked throughout society.

Parks’ Harry McCoy novels, all four of them, are an unexpected treat.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the author, and NetGalley for sending this advanced reader's copy in return for a fair and honest review.

I loved this book despite it being the 3rd written with the same protagonist in Harry McCoy. I didn’t feel like I had missed out on anything. The fact that this was set in 1970s Glasgow made it even better for me as I live there. Granted not in any of the dirty, crime-ridden, homeless; and the huge drugs war that went on. I loved being able to get the actual picture in my head when McCoy is doing his job visiting particularly bad areas. I enjoyed the hedonistic story of Bobby March. He is typical of aging pop stars in this day and age having tried the usual trifecta sex, drugs and rock and roll.

I feel like McCoy is like Rebus in many ways. He has his own character about him. I was engaged in the storyline also. It kept me gripped until the end. It was a bit of a slow burner but that did not bother me. McCoy kept digging at it, introducing us to some of his lower-class friends. I don’t want to write too much as I feel it may spoil for other readers. I am definitely now going to buy the first two books now and probably this as well when it is published.

Having not read the previous 2 Harry McCoy books, this was my first introduction to the 1970s detective.
There’s a missing 13 year old girl in Glasgow, but Harry has upset his boss, so he’s on the ‘boring’ investigation of the rockstar Bobby March, who has died of an overdose in a hotel.
Harry doesn’t always play by the rules, and this is gritty and grimy 1970s Glasgow - which you can almost taste by the very descriptive writing. He has friends In low places and he will use anything to find out the truth.

Please note, though this is a standalone novel it is the third book featuring detective Harry McCoy. I’d recommend reading Bloody January and February’s Son before picking this book up. I’ll guarantee that if you do when you do read Bobby March Will Live Forever you’ll enjoy it all the more.

WHO IS TO BLAME WHEN NO ONE IS INNOCENT?

The papers want blood.

The force wants results.

The law must be served, whatever the cost.

August 1973. The Glasgow drugs trade is booming and Bobby March, the city’s own rock-star hero, has just OD’ed in a central hotel.

Alice Winters is twelve years old, lonely. And missing.

Meanwhile the niece of McCoy’s boss has fallen in with a bad crowd and when she goes AWOL, McCoy is asked – off the books – to find her.

McCoy has a hunch. But does he have enough time?

It is universally understood that the people of Scotland do not function well in high temperatures, so finding Harry McCoy attempting to solve multiple crimes in the midst of a blistering heatwave does not bode well. When we join the detective, he is attempting to locate a missing child, unravel the story behind a suspect overdose and find a teenage runaway. All the while fending off the interests of a rival officer who is keen to cause McCoy as much grief as possible.

What keeps bringing me back to these novels? I think it is Harry himself. I picture him as a bit lived in. His profession is all-encompassing, and it has left a mark. Perhaps he even looks older than his years. What with all the cigarettes, drinking and recreational drug use, that seems likely. Harry may be ‘polis’ but he’s no angel. There is a moral ambiguity to Harry’s character I’ve come to really enjoy. Our protagonist has his own definition of right and wrong which leads to a certain amount of flexibility when it comes to the letter of the law. As a detective, petty crimes, though frowned upon, are pretty much ignored. Prostitution and shebeens (illegal drinking dens*) are a necessary evil. They are part of the fabric of Glasgow. McCoy’s lifelong friendship with everyone’s favourite gangland sociopath, Stevie Cooper, is another example of this attitude towards the criminal fraternity in the town. When McCoy needs to keep someone safe and he is uncertain who he can trust he turns to Cooper for help. The bond that exists between the two men transcends the fact they are on either side of the law. For all intents and purposes, they are brothers. I get the distinct impression they would do just about anything for one another. Perhaps in time, we’ll learn how far that pseudo-familial bond can be stretched before it breaks. This complex relationship is the backbone of the entire series and I love it.

Throughout the main narrative of Bobby March Will Live Forever, there are flashbacks cataloguing the eponymous rock star’s hedonistic journey through years of sex, drugs and rock and roll. From an idealistic musician keen to escape his childhood Glasgow home, to a jaded star on the decline. How did the man who nearly joined The Rolling Stones end up a member of the 27 Club?

I enjoy how the author chooses to frame each new novel. Events move constantly forward into the next year of the decade. Bloody January begins in 1971, February’s Son is set in 1972 and so on. This means when the over-arching story picks up with a new case there are gaps that can be used to flesh out the main players. We get to learn that McCoy’s personal life continues to be utterly shambolic. Like all the best detectives, he is a mess of a human being. McCoy’s partner, Wattie, is becoming a more seasoned member of the team who struggles with the realisation that police work is not always a matter of black and white. Meanwhile, Stevie Cooper continues to spiral out of control. I’m sure there will undoubtedly be a reckoning there at some point. We only see snapshots of these people’s lives, but Alan Parks allows then to evolve in our absence. They don’t exist in a bubble. It makes each new book something to genuinely look forward to.

Growing up in the west coast of Scotland during the nineteen seventies and eighties, Glasgow was the closest city and it will always have a special place in my heart. For want of a better term, it’s my spiritual home. Alan Park’s vision of the city is never sugar-coated, I can’t deny it can sometimes be bloody grim but his writing also has a hell of a lot of heart. It frequently reminds me of where I’ve come from. I don’t think I ever expected a crime novel to prompt such a level of introspection. I’m even willing to admit that I couldn’t help but get a bit misty-eyed when ‘The Bullet’ in Central Station got a mention.

Bobby March Will Live Forever is published by Canongate and the paperback edition is available from 25th February. I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve been a bit late discovering this series. The only benefit to this gross oversight is I won’t have to wait long until the next Harry McCoy novel, The April Dead is released next month. Lucky book reviewer that I am, I already have a copy on my Kindle. You can be damn sure I’ll be reviewing it. I can’t wait.

My musical recommendation to accompany Bobby March Will Live Forever is the 1973 debut album Once in a Blue Moon by Glaswegian singer/songwriter Frankie Miller. Seems only right and proper that one Glasgow singer should accompany another.

*See, my reviews are educational as well as insightful. You’re welcome.

A detective mystery that at first appears to be a straightforward search for a missing 13 year old girl. However, as the central character delves deeper, he unearths greater complications and dangers.
The tension is increased as our detective’s work is continually thwarted by a rival and Parks leads the reader to fear the whole case threatens to fall apart because of this.
Of course cities have higher crime rates but this does paint a rather depressing picture of Glasgow – not exactly promotional material for their tourism industry. However it does provide atmosphere and you still want to read on.
Thankyou to NetGalley and Canongate Books for this free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Glasgow in the 1970s sounds like a tough, grim place to be. Unlicensed drinking dens, violence, poverty.. it also has plenty to demonstrate the other side of the scale, mansions in the west end, amazing museums and a vibrant music scene.some of these contrasts still exist today, and although the city has changed a lot, it’s very easy to see in this series where it came from.

Harry McCoy is a Glaswegian detective, who isn’t always above the law himself, both in his own activities and the company he keeps. It’s a long, hot summer and Glasgow is preparing to start the Fair Fortnight, when a young girl is reported missing. It’s the biggest investigation in the city, but Harry is blocked from working on it due to long running bad blood between him and his new superior officer Raeburn. Instead he is assigned to a dead-end case, the overdose of a hard-living rock star. But nothing is ever as it seems on the surface and finding out the truth could impact everyone he knows, and reach into his past.

This is the third book in the Harry McCoy series by Alan Parks. I have read this series from the start and would strongly recommend it, although each book does fully stand on its own. There are some callbacks to the previous books, but it’s not done in a way that feels like there’s gaps in the current story. Following the whole series will give a greater insight into the main character and his motivations, but it is still a thoroughly enjoyable read on its own. It’s a great plot, with a number of different strands and comes to a good resolution - it wasn’t obvious, but I didn’t think it was unrealistic either.

I would definitely recommend this and the series as a whole - I’ve already started reading the fourth and can’t wait to see what happens!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A well written story. I have not read the previous two books in the series but I found this an enjoyable read. A lot of nostalgic content so it makes the storyline more interesting.

These books are continuing to get better and better. Harry McCoy is a great lead character, flaws and all. His links with the Glasgow underworld through his lifelong friendship with Stevie Cooper give him added depth and help make the Glasgow background of the 70s even more colourful. This is a Glasgow I don't know but which I know was all too real. I can't wait to read more from McCoy, Wattie and DCI Murray. This story on its own has plenty of meat on the bones, with the added dead pop star story on the side. We see more of McCoy's shady ex Angie which takes the story down another path. All the strands are very well linked and point to more to come in further books. #netgalley #bobbymarchwillliveforever

I never do this!
“For a bit of excellent Tartan Noir”, said my Glaswegian pal, “try Alan Parks starting with Bloody January.” So, Paul’s recommendations being highly valued, I started with BLOODY JANUARY. A couple of weeks later, I had read all four of Park’s Harry McCoy novels back-to-back.

The third novel the series, BOBBY MARCH WILL LIVE FOREVER, is set in August 1973 with Glasgow in the middle of a heatwave. A young girl has gone missing, a citywide manhunt in operation, but McCoy is shut out of the investigation run, as it is, by an old adversary in the force. Reduced to following up a series of small time bank robberies, McCoy also looks into the apparent overdose death of fading Glasgow rock star, Bobby March. This is possibly my favourite of the novels, with a fever-dream-like visit to ‘70s Belfast a highlight.

All four novels are well plotted mystery-thrillers, Alan Parks clearly knowing how to construct a story. But it is the characters and the setting, the atmosphere that sets these books apart. Parks’s Glasgow is a dark, bleak place populated by drug dealers, prostitutes, criminal gangs, the homeless, good and bad polis, police in the Glasgow vernacular. It feels authentic, as much a character in the stories as Raymond Chandler’s Los Angeles or Lawrence Block’s New York.

It's the height of a heatwave in drugs fuelled seventies Glasgow, a thirteen year old girl is missing and all the polis are looking for her...all that is except for Detective Harry McCoy. Since his run in with the boss he has been given the lowly task of looking into the suspicious overdose of rock legend Bobby March, while his young partner Wattie is front and centre and looking for the young Alice Kelly.
The drugs trade is growing in Glasgow and rival gangs are vying for power. As Harry gets pulled into the hunt for Alice, through his contacts in the local pubs and shebeens, Harry realises he's onto something. But has he got the energy or time to work it out before the heatwave breaks or before someone tries to stop him?
This is the third Harry McCoy thriller and Alan Parks once again delves into gritty Glasgow showing his in depth knowledge of the city. The detailed descriptions of the poverty, closes and streets drops you right into the desperate cigarette smoke filled and whisky fumed, sweaty locations of this oppressive July of 1973.

What John Rebus is to Edinburgh then so Harry McCoy is to Glasgow, Alan Parks has found a true anti-hero of the same ilk as Rebus maybe just a wee bit dirtier, younger but knows all the bad people that you need to know to survive. A girl goes missing, a rock star junkie kills himself but neither are what they seem. Well written and keeps the pace up from first page till last

Who remembers drinking a nice cold pint in a pub?
Remember smoking in the pub, at work and even smoking rooms in hospitals?
Who remembers ordering a pint and a whisky chaser?
Who remembers driving a Vauxhall Viva or Ford Cortina?
Remember telephone boxes?
Remember packed out, sweaty, smoky, very loud rock band gigs?
Who can forget the horrific kneecappings and troubles in Northern Ireland!
All these things come together in this wonderful book and transport you back you Glasgow and Belfast in the 1960’s & 1970’s, with a large dose of dry humour and Scottish fried breakfasts thrown in too.
This book is the first time I have read anything by this author, which is sad as this is the third book in the Harry McCoy Thriller series so I definitely need to go back at some point and read the first two books, although having said that this book read well as a standalone as a lot of the background was clearly explained.
The first book I read this year was by Stuart MacBride and in February I got to discover another great author with both books getting 5 stars – 2021 could well be the year that the Scots fill their trophy cabinets.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Canongate and Alan Parks for providing me with an electronic review copy of the book prior to the paperback publication (out today) in return for a honest, unbiased review.
#BobbyMarchWillLiveForever #NetGalley

Gritty noir in 1970s Glasgow. The setting is very evocative, but the book as a whole didn't do that much for me as the plot seemed to rely on a bunch of unlikely coincidences rather than actual detective work. I haven't read the first two in the series, so it's possible I'm missing something, but it seemed fairly standalone. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I know we’re only at book #3 but this series has quickly become a favourite. The time period, the setting, the characters…..all these elements add so much colour, atmosphere & personality to each instalment. Mix this distinctive vibe with compelling drama & you have a series that stands out in a crowded genre.

It kicks off with a prologue that is the stuff of parents’ nightmares. Eleven year old Alice Kelly has disappeared without a trace. It seems like every cop in Glasgow is on the case…except Harry. He had a run-in years ago with the man who is temping as his boss & apparently he has a long memory. While colleague Wattie runs down clues, Harry is assigned a hopeless robbery case that is going cold. Then he takes a call from a local hotel & finds Bobby March.

Contrary to the title, there’s zero chance of Bobby becoming immortal. At least not in the physical sense. What Harry finds instead is a sad cliché……an almost-was/has-been rock star in a cheap hotel room with a needle in his arm. Back in the day, Bobby came so close but eventually he was just another one hit wonder. In alternate chapters we go back & follow the arc of his career, from his first high to his last.

In the present, his demise looks pretty straightforward but don’t worry. As usual, Harry has a buffet of problems. His boss may become a permanent fixture, the search for Alice has gone horribly sideways, his old boss needs a favour & old pal Cooper needs a babysitter. He’s like one of those circus performers who is in perpetual motion to keep their spinning plates in the air.

The result is an entertaining & gripping read. The author’s style & story telling skills have been incredibly self assured from book #1 & that continues here. Characters appear on the page fully formed and come out swinging. At the centre of it all is Harry, a likeable & sympathetic guy who’s like a cross between Rebus & Bosch. But make no mistake…he is his own man. He may look the other way from time to time but his loyalty to Cooper is a testament to the personal tenets that drive his decisions.

The pacing is bang on & for the first time in a while, I found myself happily immersed in a good story. The only thing missing is a soundtrack. The classic bands & songs mentioned in Bobby’s chapters had me head bobbing along to old favourites (yes, I am that old 🤨 )

By the time it’s all over, most of the threads are tied up & poor Harry has a few more scars to add to his collection. I just wanted to drag him off to a quiet pub somewhere & buy him a pint. Maybe 2. Here’s hoping he gets a nap in before “The April Dead” arrives.

Absolutely brilliant book and definitely not to be missed.
When I started to read this book (first book I have read about Harry McCoy) I thought it would be the Glaswegian equivalent of Edinburgh's John Rebus. Some similarities but Harry, to me, is more of an anti-hero and seems to have more friends in the more dubious side of Glasgow than on the good side. Still.... that's what the book is about.
Very, very easy to get into the characters even though there are 3 or 4 interwoven storylines - one of which is Bobby March, covered primarily in a series of flashbacks - given he is dead at the start of the book!
After reading this book and really enjoying it I am sure that many will rate this 5 out of 5 but others may no be as impressed as I was. Literary taste is very much based on subjective opinion and fortunately we are not all alike.
I wasn't quite certain how the book would end but for me the ending was as good as it could have been
Thoroughly recommended

Bobby March Will Live Forever by Alan Parks is brilliant. It starts off at a cracking pace and doesn’t let up until the last page, it has several overlapping plot threads which you struggle to see how they will get tied together, it has twists and turns and surprises and most of all it is dark. I loved it.

Harry McCoy is a rebellious detective at war with his ambitious senior officer and excluded from the search for a young girl who has been abducted. Instead he is diverted into two dead end cases, the overdose of rock musician Bobby March and a series of unsolved violent robberies – both lead to unexpected conclusions. Meanwhile his childhood friend, protector and Glasgow crime boss is spaced out on heroin and his empire is in danger of collapsing. How does this all work out? Well worth reading to see.

Alan Parks is a newish Scottish writer (at least to me), his Harry McCoy series will appeal to anyone who enjoys Rebus.