Thank you @netgalley & @harpercollinsuk for the audiobook of 🅓🅔🅐🅓 🅜🅐🅝'🅢 🅖🅡🅐🅥🅔.
@neil_lancaster_crime
🌟🌟🌟🌟
💭Ⓜⓨ Ⓣⓗⓞⓤⓖⓗⓣⓢ
ɪs ɪᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴏʀ ɪs ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ sᴄᴏᴛʟᴀɴᴅ sᴏ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ? ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴀ ɢʀɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴡᴇʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴀ ғɪʟᴍ!
ᴀs ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴀs ɪ ɢᴏ ᴏɴ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅɪɴɢ sᴇʀɪᴇs, ᴛʜᴇʏ ғɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴇ! ᴅᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴀɴ's ɢʀᴀᴠᴇ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ғɪʀsᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅs ᴍᴀx ᴄʀᴀɪɢɪᴇ sᴇʀɪᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴀʙʙᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ᴀᴛᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴇᴛ ɢᴏ.
ᴅs ᴍᴀx ᴄʀᴀɪɢɪᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪs ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴀɢᴜᴇ, ᴊᴀɴɪᴇ ᴄᴀʟᴅᴇʀ ᴀʀᴇ ɪɴᴠᴇsᴛɪɢᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ ᴏғ sᴄᴏᴛʟᴀɴᴅ's ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ's ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴅᴇᴇᴘᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙʏ ᴀɴɢᴜs ᴋɪɴɢ ᴊs ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴇʀʀʏ ᴏɴ ᴛᴏᴘ. ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ᴡᴀs ɪᴛ ϙᴜᴀɪɴᴛʟʏ ᴀᴛᴍᴏsᴘʜᴇʀɪᴄ, ɪᴛ ᴡᴀs ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ. ᴛʜᴇ sᴄᴏᴛᴛɪsʜ ᴀᴄᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴍ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ.
ᴍᴀx ɪs ᴀ ғᴏʀᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴄᴋᴏɴᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ, ɪɴ ᴀ sᴜʙᴛʟᴇ sᴏʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴡᴀʏ. ᴏɴᴄᴇ ʜᴇ ɢᴇᴛs ɪɴᴛᴏ sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ, ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇsɴᴛ ʟᴇᴛ ɢᴏ. ɪ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ʜɪs ᴅʀʏ sᴇɴsᴇ ᴏғ ʜᴜᴍᴏᴜʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ʜᴇ sʜᴏᴡᴇᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴊᴀɴɪᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀᴄᴇ ᴏғ ᴀᴅᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ, ʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ɴᴏᴛ ᴀғʀᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴛᴏ ʜɪɢʜᴇʀ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀɪᴛɪᴇs. ᴊᴀɴɪᴇ ɪs ᴀ ᴄᴀᴘᴀʙʟᴇ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀx.
ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴛᴇɴsᴇ, ʙᴀsᴇᴅ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ɢᴀɴɢ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ғᴀᴍɪʟʏ ғᴜᴇᴅs ʙᴜᴛ ᴀʟsᴏ sʜᴏᴡs ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀғʀᴀɪᴅ ᴛᴏ ғɪɢʜᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ᴅɪᴅ ᴀɴ ᴀᴍᴀᴢɪɴɢ ᴊᴏʙ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴏᴛ, ᴀ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴘᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡɪʟʟ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴀʟʟ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ ᴛʜʀɪʟʟᴇʀ ғᴀɴs ᴡᴀɴᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ.
ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʟᴏᴏᴋ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀɴɢᴜs ᴋɪɴɢ.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book and found it interesting that it started with a grave that must never be opened but towards the middle it fell a bit flat for me and become confusing with so many characters to follow, unfortunately it didn’t pick up again for me. I enjoyed the story line and the main characters of the book and would definitely give this author another go in the future.

EXCERPT: His attention shifted as his eyes moved to a gravestone that stood proudly erect a few metres ahead of him, it's inscription still fairly clear. Quickening his pace, he missed his footing and his boot caught the corner of something hard and flat that was almost entirely covered by weeds and thick moss. 'Shite,' he hissed as he fell to the damp earth in a painful heap, cracking his knee on the edge of a flat, partially concealed gravestone. Still muttering suppressed oaths, feeling suddenly a little guilty about blaspheming on consecrated ground, he looked at the memorial with renewed interest. Unlike the other more exposed and upright stones, the word 'Grave' was still clearly and crisply edged, almost as if the mason had only recently finished with his hammer and chisel.

With rising excitement, he got to his feet and began to scrape the thick moss from the large, flat granite surface. He pulled his old clasp knife from his Barbour pocket, extended the worn blade and began hacking away at the vegetation.

After a couple of minutes of furious scraping and chopping, his work was done. Tam Hardie stood, a mix of apprehension and excitement beginning to take hold as he saw the six words that his grandfather had assured him would be there.

This Grave Never to be Opened

There were no names, no dates, nothing beyond that foreboding statement. His breathing quickened painfully as he tried to suck in the damp air. This was the place. Without a doubt, this was it.

ABOUT 'DEAD MAN'S GRAVE': This grave can never be opened.
The head of Scotland’s most powerful crime family is brutally murdered, his body dumped inside an ancient grave in a remote cemetery.

This murder can never be forgotten.
Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at the scene, a small town where everyone has secrets to hide. They soon realise this murder is part of a blood feud between two Scottish families that stretches back to the 1800s. One thing’s for certain: it might be the latest killing, but it won’t be the last…

This killer can never be caught.
As the body count rises, the investigation uncovers large-scale corruption at the heart of the Scottish Police Service. Now Max and Janie must turn against their closest colleagues – to solve a case that could cost them far more than just their lives…

MY THOUGHTS: Neil Lancaster is one of those authors who grab me from the get go, and don't let me go until I close the cover on the very last page.

Dead Man's Grave is the first in the DS Max Craigie series, and what an introduction to Max! He's a bit like a bull terrier - once he gets his teeth into something, he just doesn't let go.

Max has always wanted to be one of the 'good guys' - that's why he joined the police force in the first place. He has a strong personal moral code and is not afraid to stand up against higher authorities for what he believes in. He has a sly sense of humour, and can take, as well as give, a good ribbing.

Ross Fraser, Max's boss, and Max have a strong relationship, having served together in the Armed Forces. Their camaraderie doesn't, however, prevent Ross from giving Max a good bawling out when he thinks he deserves it.

Janie Calder is Max's offsider. She's a highly intelligent and intuitive woman on the fast track program, which earns her a lot of stick, not always well-intentioned, from her colleagues. She's loyal to Max and an interesting character in her own right.

I'm not usually a fan of novels based around organised crime and gangs, but Dead Man's Grave is so much more than that. Yes, it's a tense, taut and gritty thriller, but it's also a character study of a man who serves his country with every fibre of his being, and continues to do so in the face of every obstacle.

Angus King does a superb job of the narration, and I will certainly be looking out for other audiobooks he narrates.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

#DeadMansGrave #NetGalley

I: @neil_lancaster_crime @harpercollinsuk

T: @neillancaster66 @HarperCollinsUK

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #policeprocedural #scottishnoir #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Neil was born in Liverpool in the 1960s. He recently left the Metropolitan Police where he served for over twenty-five years, predominantly as a detective, leading and conducting investigations into some of the most serious criminals across the UK and beyond.

Neil acted as a surveillance and covert policing specialist, using all types of techniques to arrest and prosecute drug dealers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and murderers. During his career, he successfully prosecuted several wealthy and corrupt members of the legal profession who were involved in organised immigration crime. These prosecutions led to jail sentences, multi-million pound asset confiscations and disbarments.

Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he mixes freelance investigations with writing.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK Audio via Netgalley for providing an audio ARC of Dead Man's Grave by Neil Lancaster for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder, investigating the murder of the head of Scotland's most powerful crime family, uncover large scale police corruption. As they continued to make their inquiries, I became invested in the well-drawn characters of Max and Janie. An unusual opening grabbed my attention, and from there I was compelled to continue listening to this gripping mystery. The author's interesting note at the end explains how the seeds of this wonderful thriller were sown. I look forward to reading/ listening to more by this author and narrator. Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A brilliant Scottish crime thriller could not stop listening. Good characters and plotting. This series gets better with every book.
Angus King takes this book to another level with his accent giving it an authentic feel.
I received this audiobook from HarperCollins audio for a review.

The premise for this book is interesting and the beginning mystery with the newly murdered body found in the old grave is certainly compelling, although the story quickly develops from this intrigue into a murder/Police corruption/old family feud tale; with no real mystery (other than who some of the corrupt cops are). As such, it's an OK read - The Police corruption element seemed like it had the largest share of the book, so if you like those types of stories, this one will probably appeal to you. For me, it was just OK; but many thanks to NetGallery and HarperCollins UK Audio for allowing me to get a copy of the audio book.

Absolutely loved this. Amazing characters , plot and being local to a lot of places referenced made me live it even more. Can’t wait till the next instalment.

With thanks to the author, publishers HarperCollins UK Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

This was a fast-paced police procedural with a twist, where the main protagonist has to work practically outside the law in order in order to solve a murder seemingly arising from a centuries-old feud, while also exposing a hierarchy of corruption within the Scottish police force. The plot was superbly woven with plenty of red herrings along the way to keep the reader guessing, ultimately leading to an exciting conclusion. The dialogue between the wonderful array of diverse characters, on both sides of the law, was sharp and witty, while the narrator Angus King brought them all to life superbly through his reading. In particular, his portrayal of DI Ross Fraser had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion!

I was delighted to discover that this is the first in a series, and look forward to checking out the rest, hopefully with the same narrator to bring me on the journey!

This is the first in a series of detective books set in Scotland, although not the first one I have read.
It features DS Max Craigie and DC Janie Calder who have partnered up to solve a gangland murder in a remote Scottish graveyard. As the crimes mount up, the duo uncover a tail of corruption within Police Scotland, which goes right to the top. Who can they trust?
This is a fast paced book with lots of twists and turns and you are left guessing until the very end.
An excellent read, and I will be reading more of this series in the future.
Thank you for this ARC.

WHAT A TREAT!!!!
The fact that Neil Lancaster was was longlisted for the 2021 William McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year confirms the high quality of this Scottish crime thriller.
Neil Lancaster himself served as a military policeman in the RAF and worked as a detective for the Metropolitan Police and it shows!
Combine all of this with the narration from Angus King, the best Scottish narrator out there hands down, you have the dream team.
This audiobook is such pleasurable, I cannot recommend this highly enough....

Fast-paced police procedural set in Scotland. Great for fans of Line of Duty.

Ex-army, DS Max Craigie has recently transferred under a cloud to the Scottish Police Force following a controversial incident he was involved in whilst serving in the Met in London.

When a centuries old feud resurfaces, leading to many deaths and suspicions of corruption within the police force, Max ignores official orders and decides to keep investigating, putting himself and his family in danger.

Very well narrated and a great start to the series. I can't wait for more.

Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster is the First book in the new DS Max Craigie which is a new Scottish Crime Thriller. This book was fast pace and full of great twists and turns throughout that had me gripped from the very first few pages. and I can't wait for the next one.

The narrator was: Angus King He was brilliant. One of the best Narrators I have listened to,
Well Done! Perfect for this audio Book.

‘This grave never to be opened.’

OMG...........Why? Who is in there?

But, this murder can never be forgotten.

When, Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at the scene, a small town where everyone has secrets to hide. They soon realise this murder is part of a blood feud between two Scottish families that stretches back to the 1800s.
One thing’s for certain: This won’t be the last killing…

This killer can never be caught.

As the body count rises, the investigation uncovers large-scale corruption at the heart of the Scottish Police Service. Max and Janie must turn against their closest colleagues. They have to solve a case but, it could cost them far more than just their lives…

Wow!!!!!

I highly recommend this new book.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest unbiased review

What a brilliant story! I am so glad I've discovered Neil Lancaster and will definitely make sure I get my hands on his other books. The narrator did a brilliant job as well and the characterizations were spot on in my opinion.

Will detective Max Craigie be able to solve the murder of the kingpin of a crime family whose body was dumped in an old grave and at what cost?  Someone definitely wants to stop him from getting to the truth. Soon he discovers that he's not only up against some really bad guys but also against some corrupt policemen. Who can he trust?

It's a story about a family feud that carried on for decades; about an eye for an eye.

A fast-paced story that kept me up till very late because I had to know what will happen in the end! I can't wait for the next one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion

This is an amazing book which is the first in a new Scottish Crime series featuring DS Max Craigie as the main character. I really loved the book and I found the characters, the setting and the story fantastic. I can't wait to read more of this author's work. I would really love to see his books come out on TV. I feel that this author will be very successful with his new series and I can't wait to see where it all goes. This is one of my most favourite books of this year and I highly recommend it!

I loved the audiobook and the narrator did a tremendous job with the scottish accents and the other accents. The Net Galley app worked good for me.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping and exciting, started off slow and historical then bang up to date and fast moving. Narrator was excellent and gave the characters some definition and accents. The plot is family feud, police corruption, gang wars and modern surveillance tactics. Full of action, thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review.

The first installment of a Scottish police procedural crime thriller featuring DS Max Craigie and DC Janie Calder. Neil Lancaster sets the scene and keeps the tension going throughout this gripping storyline. The characters we’re relatable, authentic in their actions and were well suited to their roles.

Fairly fast paced, filled with organized crime figures and various levels of police corruption. DS Max Craigie finds himself embroiled in a rapidly sinister and potentially deadly situation as he tries to solve a crime, which leads to him unearthing a complex web of corruption within the police force.

I enjoyed this immensely and remained intrigued throughout. There were a few obvious turns and scenes but it never took away from pace, complexity and genuinely well plotted story. The audio version was well narrated and enhanced the individual characters, which complimented the entire story.

Audio version of this book 📚 - Overall I enjoyed this book, however, the only thing that ruined it a little bit for me was the
fact that the whole plot was based on a 300 year old vendetta which seemed really far fetched ! The main characters had a great connection which let the story flow. Good narrator who brought the characters to life by the different accents

Fast Paced, Dramatic Storyline....
The first in the DS Max Craigie Scottish crime thriller series. A small town full of secrets, an ancient grave and a blood feud. Confidently compiled police procedural with credibly drawn characters and a fast paced, dramatic storyline which is presented with a well paced, finely nuanced and well placed narration. A promising start to a new series and an immersive audio experience.

I have read the authors “Going” trilogy and absolutely loved them and was expecting more of the same, whilst there are similarities such as ex military and specialist investigation units within the police this book is far more a police procedural and less of a spy novel which the Going books lead towards, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the end obviously lends itself to more of these characters, if I have a caveat it is that the narrator made the female characters sound childish and silly when they really are not!