I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline for an advance copy of For Our Sins, the thirteenth novel to feature DI Tony McLean of Police Scotland, based in Edinburgh.

The death of former criminal Kenny Morgan in a disused church is written off as natural causes, although DS Janie Harrison wonders what he was doing there. Newly retired Tony McLean is approached by local gang boss Archie Seagram and asked to investigate more thoroughly, even if it’s no longer his job. Then a second man is found in another disused church and it’s clearly murder as the brand of a cross on his forehead shows. Janie is now leading her first murder investigation and Tony is brought on as a consultant.

I thoroughly enjoyed For Our Sins, which is an engrossing read with an inexplicable resolution. I say inexplicable as it could be some kind of paranormal thing or it could simply be some kind of stretched misdirection. Who knows? It adds a certain frisson to the novel and ensures that the mystery of who and why remains strong throughout the novel. I liked the unpredictability of it.

The plot is a bit of a change with Janie Harrison leading her first murder investigation and Tony McLean taking a back seat until making a game changing discovery. Of course, having identified the perpetrator the author still has more twists up his sleeve and they’re crackers. Janie is leading the investigation with too few staff, hence Tony’s drafting as a consultant, and a narcissistic new boss, who picks on her. I loved the resolution to that particular scenario and the broader comeuppance at Tony’s hand. It seems like the old dynamic has revived. In between these highlights the novel reads like a police procedural, always one of my favourite formats, concerned with finding links between the victims, establishing a motive and a relevant perpetrator. There are a lot of surprises in those endeavours and it is very moreish.

For Our Sins is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

This is the thirteenth book in the outstanding ‘Tony Maclean’ series by author James Oswald. This is a series that I have enjoyed right from the start and somehow author James Oswald succeeds in keeping it fresh and riveting.

“For Our Sins,” is another Detective Inspector Tony McLean case and once again James Oswald supplies an excellent plot that is well written and serves up something a little different at the same time. In this novel the partial collapse of a disused Edinburgh church, reveals a dead body in the rubble. Initially it is assumed that the victim, Kenny Morgan, is a victim of natural causes, but before long we discover a far more sinister reason.

Tony McLean is not your average detective and that is part of the attraction for the reader, facing the challenges of retirement he is reluctantly pulled back into the life he knew when a second body is discovered. While the plots are intriguing for me it is the complex character of Tony Maclean that really sets this series up.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Wildfire for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

To say I wanted more would be an understatement. This was a delicious page turner right from the start. Everytime I had to put it down, it was all I could think about. I did end up finishing way past my bedtime, just so I would be able to sleep. If you love a quick, immersive thriller, than this is !

I honestly didn't think we'd get another book in the Tony McLean series given how the last one ended, so I was thrilled to see that yes, Tony is back!

This time McLean is more a back seat player in the book and its over mainly to Janie who really picks up the baton excellently and I enjoyed the chapters where she was effectively the lead character rather than McLean. You can't keep him out of it and he slots in perfectly when needed.

A fantastic book, a gripping storyline that really you don't want to put the book down until you've read it all - to me, a sign of a fantastic book! Highly recommended.

Another in this super series but this time Janie Harrison is given the lead role. Tony McClean now seemingly retired is approached by a gangster after one of his friends is found dead in an old church but with the collapse of part of the building onto his body there’s not a lot to give cause of death. Janie is forced to give natural causes by her dodgy superior but when a further death followed by another in the same situation as the first it all gets rather more complicated. It all races along splendidly and Tony is eventually brought in as a consultant. As ever there’s a touch of the mystical around the story which all adds to its intrigue. Excellent yarn with the ending every fan would wish for!

Such another roller-coaster from James Oswald, I loved it such great characters who we get to meet again. and find out a bit more about them. I would urge everyone to try this series.

It is great to see in this novel the return of Inspector Tony McLean who starts off on the periphery of an investigation into the deaths of two elderly crooks. The first death in a disused church looks like it was due to a heart attack but when a second death occurs in similar circumstances but is definitely a murder it looks like the police are dealing with a serial killer.
McLean has resigned from the police but his instincts and interest in the cases give him the perfect excuse to help out as a consultant..

This is an excellent police procedural with its usual hint of supernatural and can be read on its own but is a welcome continuation of the series.
Thanks to the publishers for the ARC.

Having read all the DI Tony McLean books, I was keen to get my hands on this latest instalment and it didn’t disappoint! Being back with Tony, Janie, Rose, and of course, Mrs McCutcheon’s cat is like spending quality time with good friends. As we know from the last book, Tony resigned from Police Scotland to take on the role of full-time carer for Emma following her debilitating stroke. A lack of staff within the force sees Janie Harrison stepping up to Acting DI, to investigate when bodies of local known hardmen start to turn up in old churches. We also have chapters that are flashbacks to the ‘80s which are a recollection of abuse a child suffered at the hands of a priest. These chapters are not gratuitous, giving just enough detail to ensure the reader understand what this child experienced. Janie is a brilliant character and Mr O has done a grand job of allowing her to become the main character in this book, which I think is a very brave thing to do, it is after all, the Tony McLean series, but it works, and it works well. All in all, this is an excellent read – a fantastic addition to a brilliant series. Very highly recommended.

When Kenny Morgan’s body is found in a derelict church it appears he was killed by falling masonry.
DS Janie Harrison is tasked with being SIO on the case and when Janie realises that Morgan was in the employ of Archie Seagram, a local crime lord she knows it’s not going to be straightforward. Meanwhile, Ex DI Tony McLean receives a call from Seagram who tells him that Morgan’s death may not be the accident everyone assumes.
Then another of Seagram’s men is found dead in another derelict church and it’s clear there is a link.
Janie has never been SIO before and her new Detective Superintendent, Pete Nelson, is far from supportive. Janie will need the guidance for her former boss McLean if she is to find the killer but is McLean willing to be brought back into the fold.
This is a fast-paced, dark story of crime and punishment with strong main characters that will stay with you.

DS Janie Harrison has her work cut out - 3 ex-cons murdered in churches, no obvious suspects/motive, a new DCI who is paying her a lot of unwanted attention and no DI to guide her through the case following DI Tony McLean's resignation at the end of their last major case. Tony McLean already has an interest in the case as a friend of the three men killed has contacted him asking him to investigate. Can Tony be persuaded to return to the police force?

Another fantastic read from this series - highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Headline and James Oswald for the ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

Always an enjoyable read from James Oswald. Wasn’t too sure how the story would pan out in the end, as I suppose it could have swung a few ways.
Good characters who make the book all the more enjoyable.
Recommend

Another outing for detectives Tony McLean and Janie Harrison, and a truly stunning book it is too! James Oswald must have some sort of magic pen to write with such skill, to create such riveting stories, and to introduce readers to such rounded, real characters. There is a new style of storytelling here, as much of the action happens before McLean appears - this is really clever stuff, as it is such a wonderful moment when he does appear that the reader can relax into the story, knowing that the investigation is in such excellent hands. Yes, the story is dark, but the telling of it is so skilful that it takes the reader along with it effortlessly. Please write another McLean book soon Mr Oswald!

Whilst this may book is well in to the teens of a series of novels with these characters it was the first one that I had read so the characters of Tony McLean and Janie Harrison are completely new to me. But that certainly is not a hindrance to reading this book. There's enough backstory weaved in for a new reader to know what's going on (I wonder would it be repetitive if I had read all the previous books however?).

The plot is DI McLean is caring for his partner, Janie Harrison and her team along with the new DS, Peter Nelson are still a DI down. As a bodies start to appear in old churches Janie needs to step up to acting DI, at the request of Nelson, who then badmouths her to higher ups after she rejects his advances. The fact that this latter event is going to happen is obvious from the start which made it slightly irritating to me.

The bodies all appear to have links to the same gangland criminal Archibald Seagram even though they are all now well in to their 70s and apparently no longer active in the criminal world. At the same time we have flashbacks to the 1980s involving the sexual abuse of boys by a local priest. Add to all this the fact that Seagram has approached McLean about the murders and there's a nice little story for McLean and Janie to figure out.

I did enjoy this procedural but I don't think the Nelson & Janie storyline, background as it was, added anything other than to bug me. I also could have done without the multiple mentions of the fact that McLean clearly has money. Maybe it had relevance that I wasn't aware from previous books but I don't think so.

I would read some of the older books in the series but this wouldn't be up in there with my best reads of the year.

It seems such a long time since I have read a Tony McLean story and I didn’t realise how much I’d missed him and his supporting characters. This is a book I’ve been waiting to read and it did not disappoint in any way. Yes, it takes a long time for Tony to get truly into the story, but he is an integral part of the book, so I didn’t miss him too much. It was a great idea to give Janie the lead, but the magic truly happens when the two of them work together. This book deals with gangland crime, people trafficking and child abuse in a way that really makes you feel for the victims. Outstanding.

Step up to the mark acting Detective Inspector Janie Harrison and wow! does she not disappoint. Inspector Tony McClean has resigned from the police force becoming the full time carer for his partner Emma who recently suffered a debilatating stroke. With few officers available and a Scottish police force in great need of manpower, there is little choice but for Janie Harrison to accept the role as acting Detective Inspector until a replacement for Tony can be found. When the body of a man is found in the remains of an old church, foul play is not initially suspected a view that quickly changes when 2 more bodies appear all linked to Edinburgh's criminal underworld. Meanwhile McClean receives a call from known underworld figure Archibald Seagram stating that he has some information that could benefit him. CCTV points to a shrouded individual who appears to be present at all the incidents. What is the connection between Robert Murphy, a child, who suffered abuse at the hands of a notorious Catholic priest in the early 80's? Meanwhile Janie is receiving unwanted attention from her recently appointed superior Detective Superintendent Peter Nelson which will have far reaching consequences. As always there is a wonderful cast of characters that make "For our Sins" such a joy: Madame Rose the alluring mysterious trans medium, Grumpy Bob retired but still enjoying life in the historic case archives, and not forgetting Tony's honest and faithful companion...Mrs McCutcheon's cat!
The author has done an amazing job of bringing Janie to the fore, she has just the right blend of steely determination, intuition, and sympathy to ensure she a shining career as Detective Inspector. As the case progresses Tony is employed as a temporary consultant....does this mean he will be returning in the next book?.....lets hope so as Tony McClean and Janie Harrison are not only two great detectives but two respectful work colleagures. An excellent read, a great edition to the series that gets better and better on each outing...Highly recommended.

Whilst I enjoyed this latest from James Oswald in his McLean series - got to love a procedural series with a supernatural edge - I was surprised to find how much McLean was a supporting character until well into the book - Janie Harrison is very much the lead here.
The problem I had is that I’m just not as interested in Harrison and her story feels a bit repetitive at times. She’s a good contrast to McLean in partnership, so I enjoyed things much more once they teamed up.

Central mystery was great with a nasty edge, office politics and harassment were well handled, overall it was decent - but it’s a 3 1/2 given how long it takes to get to the strengths of the team.

Complex and intriguing thriller,part of a series featuring Inspector McLean.
We get to know more of his team as McLean is retired,but the case is so complex he comes out of retirement to consult. A great read.

Another fantastic addition to the DI McLean series.

Tony McLean's world continues to be filled with twists, turns and dark gritty storylines. The writing as always, is fantastic and kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters - both old and new - are well written and I particularly enjoyed the spin on Tony's involvement in this case, giving other characters the chance to shine.

The plot was excellent and kept me guessing throughout. I look forward to seeing what the next installment in the series holds.

Highly recommended to any Tartan Noir fans.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline, Wildfire for the ARC.

I was excited to see a new James Oswald book about to be published. The characters are great and the author never shies away from harrowing subjects with sexual harassment in the workplace still at the forefront. The usual twists and complexity . Great read but read the series from the beginning.

It may sound funny but I would be read for a new Mc Lean novel even if I ended this one not more than 10 minutes agos.
The world of Tony McLean is always dark and exciting but these novels also talk about very serious issue like child abuse and sexual harassment.
There's a lot of empathy toward the victim ad the author did an excellent job in making you feel the fear and the anguish of the child victim.
James Oswald can write excellent horror and be read for an adrenaline-fuelled last part.
I strongly recommend this novel, a sort of reboot but also a poignant and exciting mystery novel
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine