A five star read giving insight into the long term effects of childhood trauma. Strong three dimensional character who dominates every page in his efforts to track down criminals with a frightening intensity that takes one’s breath away. Be prepared for violence, bad language, strong accent and complex story line. Irvine Welsh not only demonstrates his long term expertise in the high calibre of writing but the ability to engage with the reader drawing them into the characters weaknesses and strengths; allowing us to see his weaknesses and fallibility whilst simultaneously if somewhat shamefully cheering him on to commit the vengeance and revenge that he perceives as his only salvation. Many thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for this terrifyingly good ARC.

Featuring the troubled and morally suspect former police detective Ray Lennox. Welsh once again enters the dark underbelly of humanity tackling issues of power, corruption, and revenge in this exceptional novel.

A story of child harm and murder makes the reader really feel for Lennox. Revenge and resolution have you cheering the good guy forward as he breaks through all obstacles put in his way. It is a tale of love and loss, life and death but most importantly - revenge.

Top-notch writing. The characters charge out of the page and drag you back into their tale. I honestly couldn't put this book down. That doesn't happen often.

I really enjoyed Resolution, the final book in the Ray Lennox trilogy, as always it was gritty and action packed, it helps us to see why the character is who he is and ties things up quite well, it probably helps if you have read the previous books in this series and are familiar with the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very gripping read as one would expect, a little uncomfortable at times but certainly a must read . You very often hear the phrase ‘ I couldn’t put it down, but in this case that was certainly the case.

By the time I’d been accepted to read this by NetGalley, I realised it was the third in a series (oops). However, this did not hamper my enjoyment of the book, and nor did I struggle to follow the story. So don’t be worried to pick this up if you’re unfamiliar. Having said that, I loved it so much I now want to discover the first two! It’s a classic Irvine Welsh novel in that it’s full of gritty, visceral imagery, Scottish phonetic speech and dark humour. The narrative jumps around between present day, inner narrator thoughts and diary-entry style prose from an unknown person (whose identity you slowly discover). It’s a really rich crime novel that’s clever and twisty, but not so complicated that you lose momentum.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Vintage for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Wow! It's been a while since I read a book by this author (Trainspotting was always my favourite) so it took a while to adjust to the style of writing again. The first part of the book didn't really engage me and I did consider not finishing it. Then I read a review that said it got better so I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. It was brilliant. I'd love to see this made into a film.

Exploring the grey area between law enforcement and crime, Irvine Welsh treats us to another instalment in the topsy turvy life of Ray Lennox. The recent Crime series on ITV meant I was up to speed on a story that focuses on Ray’s childhood abuse in a tunnel by three shadowy figures who have figured in his nightmares ever since. The first half of the book worked really well and I delighted in Welsh’s delicious use of language to articulate Ray’s obsessions. Later on, the story descended into physical violence that constituted the titular retribution and, with its Keystone Cop knockabout qualities, left me feeling cold and detached. Still on the whole, it was a lively and bumpy ride through Ray’s psyche and worth a read if you’re a fan of Scottish Noir!

I found it very difficult to get into. I realise I should have taken the advice from the reviews. Well-crafted but difficult for me to follow – my bad.

I have enjoyed Irvine Welsh's books previously but havent read one for a while so was intrigued to read his latest title!

It didnt disappoint. Welsh has a distinctive style that is gritty and dark but also deliciously descriptive, almost poetic.

Ray Lennox is an ex cop from Edinburgh who has moved to Brighton for a quieter life and to run a security business with his friend George. However when a face from his past brings back a traumatic event from his childhood he becomes embroiled in a quest for resolution....

This is a gripping story, with lots of twidts and turns, that keeps you on your toes (or hiding under the covers if you read in bed like me!)

Glorious.

This is absolutely glorious. Book 3 of the Crime series with now ex detective Ray Lennox, a man haunted by his past having escaped Edinburgh to relocate to Brighton. He cannot escape however and soon comes face to face with who he believes to be one of the men from the childhood incident that haunts him.

Written in typical Welsh style, there is a voice in the pages that doesn't belong to Ray and it's a while before we establish who this person is and his connection to Ray. It's an even longer wait to find out who that person is now and the wait is absolutely worth it. Hopefully this will also make it to the small screen.

If you like Irvine Welsh you'll love this. If you've never read him and you're not sure that you'll like Irvine Welsh give it a go. If you have previously read Irvine Welsh and didn't enjoy him then this is not going to change your mind so give it a hard pass and get back to the bland thrillers you do enjoy.

Thanks to the author Irvine Welsh for writing another excellent story, good publisher and to NetGalley for my advance copy for review purposes.

I loved reading this new Irvine Welsh book. I haven't read the two previous Ray Lennox novels but definitely making a point of doing so. A definite must read.

I would probably say this is the best in the series. I really liked how we finally get some sort of resolution ;) to Lennox’s situation. I was a little confused by some POVS and didn’t understand who they were or how we got them.

I always enjoy going back to the characters and seeing the relationships formed and the humour throughout.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Unfortunately I found it hard to keep track of who everyone was and what was going on with this book. I also struggled with the background subject matter. Not a bad read, just not for me

Ray Lennox is back, fitter, faster and (initially) more in control of his life, until girlfriend, Carmel, introduces him to someone who triggers damning memories from his past. The title 'Resolution' is really all about the seeking of it, and here, Welsh has really wrung out that concept for all it's worth. The narrative is complex, and the threads of plot twist together in a way that makes for compelling reading. Narrative pace is so controlled that, despite the complexities of character and relationships between them, there really is a sense of 'edge of the seat' stuff. What Welsh is really good at is realistic dialogue that aids plot and character development. I loved the way that Welsh starts the narrative off with Lennox having a lovely time of it, only for his confidence and ability to keep control to diminish. That's realised in a supremely effective way, and it's that: that sense that all is never really as it seems that gives this novel the sinister edge. Definitely recommended, and my grateful thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is book three of this brilliant series and you know what comes next - read the first two first, they are brilliant too so what's stopping you. And, after you have read them, I would also recommend the TV adaptation - that's just as cracking!
So... Former cop Ray Lennox has left Scotland and the police for the polar opposite that is Brighton! He has cleaned himself up, and teamed up with another ex-cop, George Marsden, and together they have formed Horsham Security Services, a company that specialises in home and office security, their main clientele being the likes of care homes and the elderly. He lives in a spectacular house and, to complete the picture, has a very much younger girlfriend. And it is through her that he is introduced to the powerful Mathew Cardingworth, a man who Ray firmly believes is one of the men responsible for something that happened to him, one of the three monsters in the tunnel who preyed on him and his friend Les when they were children.
And that's all I'm saying as you really need to discover the rest of the gory details as the author intended. Suffice to say that it all gets a bit dark and interconnected and convoluted as more and more of Ray's past is unpeeled and the eventual sordid truth exposed, once and for all.
I absolutely LOVE Ray Lennox as a character. And I also love Dougray Scott's depiction of him on the screen. He is complex but very much a product of what happened to him all those years ago. As well as a challenging family life. But he is determined to do good in the world, it's just some of the ways he tries to achieve that aren't quite always within the lines...!
Although the main theme of the book is very dark, the author balances it, as he always does, with some of the best banter and humour. Especially in dialogue. Meaning that the book never gets too dark. There is always respite along the way for the reader.
All in all, a cracking addition to an already impressive series and indeed, back catalogue. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another great slice of crime fiction from the legend, Irvine Welsh. I loved revisiting these characters and hope that there's at least one more outing in the offing? Great characters, great plot. Loved it

A harrowing tale, tough to digest as always with Welsh, but the characters are simply brilliant and he breaks it up with his usual humour.
Moving back and forth between sunny Brighton and grey old Edinburgh, ex-cop Lennox hunts down his demons as the tension builds to a climax.
Easy to see why the series has been picked for TV adaptation.
Four stars from me!

Some authors you leave fallow and return to once a new back-catalogue has grown. So with Irvine Welsh. (The last book of his I read was Skagboys.) No novel of his to date has ended, ‘He had a cuppa, did a crossword, and went to bed early’. Nor does this one. The novel is about Ray Lennox, the rookie member of the Edinburgh ‘polis’ first introduced in Filth, presently struggling with more demons than a double-booked Mephistopheles. Though often self-consciously ‘shocking’, Welsh’s observational skills serve him better than ever - and the virility of his social satire deserves wider praise. I can honestly say no scene in British fiction this year made me guffaw louder than the text exchanges between Ray and his girlfriend Carmel and subsequent daydreaming- which I am not spoiling here.

This is another in the Ray Lennox series of novels, recently adapted for tv.

This one is set in Brighton, where I live, and I have to say Welsh has absolutely nailed the descriptions:

“Its original design envisaged boats in a coastal inlet with brown stone cliffs towering above. It manifested differently, as a rash of crass, shabby developments seemingly designed to puncture the pretensions of the yachtspersons who look up from their sleek, moored vessels into that sprawling, concrete farrago of fast-food chains and bars. If England’s proletariat ever gained some measure of revenge on the bourgeoisie for thirty-five years of neoliberalism, then Brighton Marina is a monument to it.”

This high quality of writing punctuates a violent, raw novel of revenge and consequences. There is a lot of foul language and a lot of very nasty people. Ray Lennox is going to get his ‘resolution’ one way or another. He is now working in security systems , though he does not actually do much work in this novel. It is a minus for me that he has left the police to settle in Sussex Square of all places. He must have had a very healthy pension payout to afford a flat there!

I am not going to recount the plot which is convoluted and rather fortuitous in places. I have read the previous novels about Lennox and expected to enjoy this. Slightly disappointed, hence 4 stars.

I would recommend this series. I read a copy provided by NetGalley and the publishers, having previously purchased the previous titles in the series.

I love Irvine Welsh and this series has been epic. Ray Lennox is such a complex character and Welsh’s writing just really makes you want him to succeed, even when he’s sometimes behaving in a questionable manner.

The action this time is centred mostly in Brighton but Ray does take a few visits home to Edinburgh so we still get to see a bit of that and some of the familiar characters from the rest of the series.

I was absolutely gripped by the story here. It’s quite fast paced and there are some little sections interspersed that mean we as the reader know a bit more than Ray at times. As with the rest of this series it does deal with sexual abuse and paedophilia so be mindful of that if you’re deciding whether to read but it’s well handled and not gratuitous at all.

Obviously I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who wants to read it but the ending is pretty perfect.

If you’re a fan of Welsh’s work I’d definitely recommend picking this up and if you’ve read the rest of this Trilogy I would say you’ll be very happy with this final instalment.

I have no complaints at all.