I Love the Logan McRae book that I read some years ago but this one was too much of a departure from those . A bit too weird for me. It seemed also unnecessarily long ( a good editor could have cut at least 150 pages off of it without loss of the weird story) I put off reading it until now because I was daunted by it's extreme length and as it seemed too long I can see why. I will continue with the Logan McRae books but no more of this protagonist thank you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this book.

I felt the writing was done well in this book but there was just something missing for me and I couldn't get into it and enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

I love Stuart MacBride books, they are dark and gritty and definitely not for any sensitive souls.This one is no exception! The book moves at a terrific pace from the outset.

The settings are certainly atmospheric, carrying the reader into the brutal realities of murder investigations.

Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh working for Police Scotland, makes for a very realistic character, working hard on tough, dark crimes, the ‘Bloodsmith’ serial killer case, whilst also trying to help a young man, newly released from prison.

The story is told from her viewpoint and we gradually learn about her painful past, that she is not keen to think about and certainly not to share. Her work life is challenging with a media frenzy, a stalker, superiors keen for a result and applying pressure, and there is never enough time.

This book keeps your mind whirring throughout with snippets of humour, sarcasm and support for colleagues - gotta love Dunk with all his quirks and understanding of Sarge!

The ending stretches into the surreal and there were times I felt like I had missed something, wondering about the twists and turns. It left me thinking about it and puzzling / pondering. Stuart MacBride will certainly be pushing his readers out of their comfort zone with this one.

I am wondering if there will be a follow up which puts us back on track with Lucy?

Stuart MacBride keeps his own high standards with his latest book. Plenty of dry, dark humour to be had, along with graphic murder scenes and a plot that starts off slowly before flying off at warp speed!
Lucy and Dunk make a great cop combo, possibly not Holmes & Watson, maybe more Morecombe & Wise...

This was most definitely a weird one for me because whilst I found the whole thing kinda strange I was completely engrossed.

17 months ago The Buthcher claimed his first victim and is still roaming the streets, the police have no clue who he is and if and when he will strike again. The media frenzy hasn't died down, the top brass are spitting feathers and the public are losing faith in the police force by the second.

Operation Maypole have run out of ideas where next to turn as the clues are as allusive as the killer.

Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh and her rather unfit partner are stretched to their limits, not only putting in every hour to try and find The Butcher but also pulled in the direction of Benedict Strachan who at 11 years old hunted down and brutally murdered a homeless man but is now back on the streets after serving his sentence. Benedict is adamant that he is being followed by 'them' and that 'they' are after him! Is this pure paranoia on his part or is there some truth to his ramblings?

This was a real rollercoaster as in it speeds up, twists you round and round, takes you through a tunnel of the weird and wacky and spots you out not having a clue what's just happened. At times it just felt rather 'random'and my brain struggled to keep up with everything.

Personally the first 2/3 are alot better than the last third of the book, it just seemed to veer off in a strange direction that made me lose all concentration.

Thanks to netgalley and Random House UK/Transworld Publishers for the ARC.

I loved the majority of this book. The characters are fantastic and the plot exciting and fast-paced. The humour woven throughout is wonderful and brilliantly balances the darker threads of the story. This story took a strange turn about 3/4 of the way in and it just didn't work for me and has left me feeling disappointed, I'm afraid. However, I still look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

DS Lucy McVeigh is on the trail of the Bloodsmith, a serial killer who is terrorising Oldcastle and has been for seventeen months. The senior members of the force are getting antsy and are keen to see progress and pressure is being applied from all directions to solve the case and get the killer off the streets. Lucy and her partner the Dunk are revisiting the old crime scenes to see if there are any clues that have been overlooked, and Lucy is trying her best to not get derailed by a different case involving Benedict Strachan, who killed a homeless man for no apparent reason when he was only eleven years old. He has now been released from prison but has been ostracised from his family and society for his actions, but seems to be full of regret and is making promises to ‘do it right next time’

Can Lucy put her wits against the Bloodsmith and figure out Benedict’s case? And will the Bloodsmith turn his attention to Lucy if she starts getting too close?

I am a big fan of Stuart MacBride and always really enjoy his books, the characters are always interesting and feel realistic - obviously they are fictional, but I think that no one is entirely black or white, there are a lot of shades of grey here. The story is fast paced and interesting with lots of twists and turns. I will say as a warning, if you haven’t read any Stuart MacBride before, the violence can be graphic, but I read a lot of crime, and to be honest, violence IS graphic so I don’t always find it hard to read and didn’t think it was bad here.
I found the story interesting and didn’t predict the ending which I really enjoyed! I’m not sure if we will be back in Lucy’s world but I wouldn’t be opposed to it - I’d like to see how her life follows on from here. I would definitely recommend this book but I would make a point of being aware that there is some graphic violence and traumatic events being referenced, but I do find Stuart MacBride to be a skilled writer!

Firstly, I must thank Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

I have read books by this author in the past and was looking forward to reading this. I was enjoying what was a really good police procedural whodunnit when, nearing the end it went a very surprising and unwanted direction. I read the final chapters more than once but was still none the wiser! Very disappointing.

This has been on my tbr list for over a year and honestly it probably should have stayed there. I know MacBride has a reputation for sad and ugly places and coarse and unpleasant characters but this one is a litany of unpleasantness of place and characters.

I stopped reading it several times but I still wanted to know “whodunnit”. Even now having finished the book I neither know nor care - the final 20% of the book was a totally confusing stream of consciousness which left me struggling with the plotting and editing.

I’ve been a fan since MacBride’s early work but I will tread cautiously with his future output. Nonetheless my thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Gosh I LOVED this. So very much. Stuart Macbride has always been a "go to" author for me when I want twisted plotting, brilliantly vivid characters and unexpected outcomes, alongside his trademark dark humour.

With "No Less The Devil" he has outdone himself. Fully absorbing, both hilarious and very very disturbing this novel is a tale of two halves and goes nowhere you could expect or predict.

Intelligent, superbly written and an absolute blast to read, this may be my favourite Macbride yet. Awesomesauce.

I’m still fairly new to this author so haven’t yet got to grips with his writing style. I can’t say this book had me engrossed or enthralled from the first page but it was okay.
There was some very good parts and some parts where I struggled a bit to concentrate on the storyline. I also felt some parts were a bit slow . It hasn’t put me off though and look forward to reading more of Stuart McBride’s books.

I have loved Stuart Macbrides books for years, they are usually brilliant, excellent story lines, great characters with funny here and there. This one was all that then it changed around 3/4 through it become unbelievable and rubbish. Very disappointing.

A gripping thrill-ride to the start of a new tartan police thriller series from author MacBride featuring DS McVeigh. On the trail of a serial killer nick-named 'Bloodsmith' who has butchered five victims over 17-months. Pay attention! The plot twists, which you won't see coming, are delivered thick and fast to the very end.

It's been seventeen months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer to catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast.

Now isn't the time to get distracted with other cases, but Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh doesn't have much choice. When Benedict Strachan was just eleven, he hunted down and killed a homeless man. No one's ever figured out why Benedict did it, but now, after sixteen years, he's back on the streets again - battered, frightened, convinced a shadowy 'They' are out to get him, and begging Lucy for help.

It sounds like paranoia, but what if he's right? What if he really is caught up in something bigger and darker than Lucy's ever dealt with before? What if the Bloodsmith isn't the only monster out there? And what's going to happen when Lucy goes after them?

I hadn't read anything previously by Stuart MacBride and went into reading this with an open mind and interest for the plot summary. I was quickly hooked, it's a great serial killer police drama plot, with an older case intertwined. The characters particularly Lucy evolved and were so engaging - when more details of her previous trauma came out it was a real shocking moment for me and so well written.
I'd say that book for 70/80% was an amazing crime novel and I was so excited to get to the conclusion when along came a twist like an articulated lorry slamming into your side! i hadn't expected that at all and was a little confused at what I had read previously that led me to that point. None the less I rode (read!) the wave and came through the other side and enjoyed the remaining chapters of the book and the conclusion. Did this twist spoil the book for me?? Maybe slightly but I still really enjoyed it and rated it - Did it need the twist??? No definitely not! I think I'd give this 4.5 stars but will mark it up to 5 fo my overall enjoyment. I think I'll definitely read more of his books as reviews seem to all be of the opinion that his other books are better.
Thanks for NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#NoLessTheDevil #NetGalley

I’m so disappointed with this book by Stuart MacBride. I really enjoyed the others I’ve read by the author so, perhaps my expectations were too high. The plot meandered and wandered from here to there and I just couldn’t force myself to finish it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the complimentary copy.

As usual Stuart MacBride write with pure genius. A master of his craft.

A fast paced book that builds tension with every turn of the page.

Dark humour fills almost every page and a twist that will side swipe you off your feet and leave you feeling faint.

A brilliantly dark, thrilling book that kept me awake well into the night to "just read one more page".

Thoroughly enjoyed, 5 stars from me.

Having read previous books by this author, I was really looking forward to this one. It wasn’t part of the series I have read (Ash Henderson) but nevertheless I was enjoying it until, like many other reviewers, I was completely thrown by the last 80% or so. I didn’t really like the turn it took - I thought it was ridiculous and completely over the top. I did like Dunk though. I will continue with the Ash Henderson series but i cant really say I’d recommend Ty s one.

This book started off as a really goid police Procedural novel with the central characters Lucy and Dunk trying to discover the identity of the bloodsmith who is responsible for the purdets of a nber of homeless people and a prostitute. So far so good. Got two thirds through the book and the story was progressing nicely. However, all of a sudden the story wandered off into very strange territory and deviated so far that I thought I'd picked up the wrong book. I struggled to follow this sub plot and I'm still not quite sure exactly what happened. Found it hard to follow which is a shame as up to that point it was really good.

Another good book by Stuart
Wasn’t as good as his others
But will still read more
And can’t wait for the next book
Thanks NetGalley

Sorry but mixed feelings about this book. Great fan of Macbride and loved it it… until the end, and I felt a bit cheated.