The sixth in the Max Craigie series and the best of the bunch so far. And that's saying something because this is a series that cannot be missed. For those who don't know, Max is part of a team investigating police corruption. If you liked Line of Duty, you'll love this series, One of the joys of crime series is that you get to see characters develop and to know them better. This time round, we find out more about Ross, the team leader. He is a character fit to rival the best of them. In some ways he reminds me of Jackson Lamb (of Slow Horses fame). He's shabby enough and coarse enough to be a close relative of Jackson. Here he's forced to look at toxic misogyny in a different light when it becomes apparent that women are being killed for no reason other than the fact that they are female. One of the best scenes is when the two women in his team confront him over comments he thoughtlessly makes. Like any decent man, he retracts. No fuss, no accusations of'wokeness' just a quiet realisation that he has overstepped the mark. And let's not overlook his malapropisms, sprinkled throughout the tale, they provide light relief to all the dire derring-dos.

Max too has to confront some demons. His wife Katie is about to give birth. She's nervous about how he'll cope with the joint pressures of fatherhood and his job. Max shares her doubts. Can he do justice to both? No doubt we'll find out in the next of the series.

I could say more about the characters and how they're coming to life more and more in each book but I must mention the plot. Often in crime series these can stretch credibility but this one is frightening. Young women are being killed by being pushed off mountains. We know this happens. Recently there was a case in Edinburgh where a young women fell from Arthur's Seat, not a mountain obviously, but high enough to kill. If she hadn't managed to tell a passer-by what had happened then it could be that her killer would have got off with it. Terrifying,

A brilliant read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC,

Another thrilling read by Neil Lancaster!

I love the Max Craigie series, for me they are guaranteed page turners. And this one was no exception!

In this edition we see Max on the cusp of becoming a father. Throughout the case it highlights to him how dedicated and deeply involved he becomes in each case. It’s a similar struggle to which nearly all women face… putting their career on hold to have children and then trying to get a bit of themselves back once the child has arrived. Interesting to read it from the other pov but with his character and the nature of his job I fear it will be a continual battle.

This book’s theme largely revolves around males and themes of masculinity covering; gender roles, role models and relationships.

Most interestingly his bosses (Ross Fraser) professional and personal character really gets explored in this novel - and I’m so here for that. He’s a fantastic character, full of contradictions and yet a really good leader for his team. In this book we see a much softer side to him. Even though he swears (a lot) we get a little glimpse of his character outside the job. During the case his attitude is put into question with the female staff putting him in a situation he’s not been in before. Ross, although surprised, once again shines as a leader and put it right immediately. I like this character so much he brings light during the intensity and is grounded when his staff/friends need to rely on him.

But that’s enough about Ross!

Brilliantly written and thoroughly entertaining. If you haven’t tried this series yet you can jump aboard anytime.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book kept me up all night and I swear my heart was racing the entire time. This was a ticking time bomb of a book and I loved every minute of it! The OMG moments will knock the book right out of your hands.... LOVED IT!!!!

OMG!!! JUST WOW!!!.. I was completely gripped throughout this page-turning thriller... AN ABSOLUTELY ADDICTIVE MUST READ!

This was another fantastic instalment of the DS Max Craigie series I’d highly recommend I think this book was definitely my most favourite of the series so far!


🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars!

Just brilliant! This is the sixth in the Craigie series, but they can be read as standalones.
When Max's good friend Shay, the Scottish coastguard, phones him with concerns that there have been five deaths by falls on the mountains, he is concerned. They are all single females and experienced climbers.
Max is asked to take a look at the latest victim, a 40 year old blonde woman. This doesn't look like an ordinary fall. There are clues that she was pushed. By who? And why?
And so another case for Max and the rest of the team.
I loved catching up with Janie, Norma, Barney, and new recruit Clive. Their boss Ross is still the same old rogue who injects some laugh out loud moments with his dry sense of humour, which is needed as this is very dark and twisted.
The descriptions of the scenery are absolutely stunning, but you won't catch me climbing up a mountain anytime soon.
It was lovely to see that Max and his wife Katie are about to become parents.
There are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing and some heart-stopping moments, too.
This is a fantastic series. I can't wait for the next one.
I absolutely raced through this.
Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for the ARC in return for an honest review.

When Shadows Fall is the sixth book in the series and I have loved them all. Lots of character development in this one and, as always, my favourite character is DI Ross Fraser. Plenty of excitement and thrills, and the only reason I’ve given 4 stars instead of 5 is that I don’t think the writing was quite as good. This is just a personal niggle of mine, but there were numerous occasions where dialogue tags were used unnecessarily (Max said, Jack said, Max said, etc) when it was very obvious who was speaking. Despite that, this is a great story and I’m looking forward to the next. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the early copy.

When shadows fall(DS Max Craigie 6) by Neil Lancaster: ratings story 10/10, characters 10/10, easy to read 10/10, plot, When a woman climber‘s body is found at the bottom of a mountain, she appears to have fallen, di craigie is called to investigate, I was given advance copy of this book by the kind people at NetGalley, probably my favourite novel of this series yet , Totally gripping Scottish police crime whodunnit
#NeilLancaster #whenshadowsfall #scottishcrimewhodunnit #totallygripping #scotland #musthave #mustbuynovel #additivereading #mustread #midnightcandlesburning #netgalley

Another fast paced thriller from one of my favourite authors. This read has all the authenticity of someone who is writing what he knows about, having been there and done that in the past with the military and police. Max Craigie is a down to earth cop, who has seen too much but still puts everything into his job, sometimes to the detriment of his home life. I think this is the best of the series so far and had me gripped from the first page. Highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've really enjoyed this series so far.
Each book can be a standalone but as I've been reading them in order I've found I understand Max a lot more.
This story had me invested. Wanting to figure out why the killer was doing what he was doing. While I do think we maybe was told a bit earlier than I would have liked I still enjoyed the book.
I'll continue this series if another book is written.

This is a gripping and fast paced thriller that consumed me for an entire day. I hadn’t read the preceding novels in the Cragie series, but will definitely do so now. It certainly works as a stand alone police thriller, with a good balance of character, action and suspense and has left me wanting more Cragie, curious as to his back story. The writer has added plenty of Scottish colour and vernacular along with some memorable turns of phrase making the characters likeable and accessible.

From the outset the story moves at pace and sweeps the reader along. A definite page turner that you won’t want to put down. A few cogent flashbacks tease at possible story lines without revealing where the writer is going to take you. As the story moves along the personal and work life challenges are well balanced, neither detracting or distracting from the other. The main cast are all enjoyable, flawed, authentic and likeable.

I don’t really see the Reacher comparisons made by some, other than the main character being ex military. This is a more ensemble piece, more realistic and better for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for an eARC of When Shadows Fall.

The sixth book in the excellent series featuring DS Max Craigie. Max and his team are alerted to the suspicious rise in the number of women falling to the death whilst climbing in Scotland. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that this is a more complicated case than they had first realised.
This is excellently written with a gritty and gripping story line and interesting characters. A very engrossing read.

Another fantastic, rollercoaster read from Neil Lancaster.This is the 6th book in the series and it does not disappoint. DS Max Craigie and his colleagues Janie, Ross, Norma, Barney and Barney's hacker friend Clive look into a sudden death of a lone female hiker. Great storyline well written and great characters. The book is full of corruption, a race against time for Max, un more ways than one, and tying up loose ends; who can you trust. Looking forward to next in the series. An author I'd recommend to anyone to read.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Neil Lancaster for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

Another excellent book in the Max Craigie series. In this case, Max and his team are looking into a sudden increase in the deaths of solo women climbers, and why they have been deemed accidental deaths and not investigated further.
He is assisted by his brilliant team of colleagues and friends, Janie, Norma, Ross and Barney, and Barney's hacker friend Clive.
Max is in a race against time, but this time it is because his wife Katie is about to give birth to their first child.
The investigation is really clever and compelling, I couldn't stop reading.
Highly recommended.

Book six in a series that consistently delivers, what the reader wants and has come to expect. These stories rapidly unfold in a manner that drags the reader along with it. You are faced with no option but to run with it and I would expect most readers to devour it in one or two sittings.

This is not gung-ho action for action’s sake it is much more thoughtful than that. The author doesn’t shy away from tackling difficult themes and subjects. In When Shadows Fall he addresses a current and very real problem of modern society, that of toxic masculinity, incel behaviour and wider misogyny. That he manages to tackle it in a thoughtful and sensitive way within such a thriller is a clear demonstration of his skill as a writer and storyteller.

In a rare quiet time for the Policing Standards Reassurance Team, Max Craigie is visiting his wonderfully blunt aunt (a great cameo) when an old friend gets in touch. He is a helicopter pilot working in rescue and has concerns about a fall that is written off as an accident. After a bit of digging, he has found more and Max, trusting his friend’s judgement, agrees to have a look. Commonality is found, they are thirty-something blond women, trying to reinvent themselves after failed relationship by ‘bagging Monroes’ and climbing. Easy to discount as foolish inexperience but the team quickly comes to believe it is much more. They have a killer, possibly more, who hate women.

The killings and their aftermath are scary in their simplicity of their execution, making them convincing and believable. Another author might have made them more visceral, which is expected in the serial killer trope, but I think he’s judged it right, less can be more and what we are left with is unpleasant enough. The motivation is clear in the hatred, but this being the twenty-first century there is more to it, and this is the bit that will get readers thinking the most, it could be happening, perhaps not in this way but something similar.

The structure is familiar, with Max and Janie being the investigators in the field. They have a great rapport, in the buddy cop tradition and it is their chemistry that provides the glue that holds it all together. Potty mouth Ross is the boss who smooths the way for the (at times) maverick duo by pulling strings and having the ear of the top brass. He may be brash and insensitive at times, but he is a great boss to work for. Norma is the team’s analyst and does her best to keep Ross in check when required, something she does forcefully this time. The ‘scene stealer’ once again is retired spook Barney, striking a blow for dour Yorkshiremen, tab smokers, geeks and tea drinkers everywhere. Barney it seems gets to deliver the best quips.

Max is still struggling to balance his total dedication to work with that of a proper family life with Katie, who by now is heavily pregnant with the birth imminent. This provides the emotional conflict for Max, along with the pressure of making sure that he is there for the birth! Working the case makes him realise what he has to lose, adding to his determination to not only solve the case, but also protect his wife and child. For him the stakes are about to increase significantly.

The most thoughtful part of the story is when it is pointed out to Ross that two of the team are women and how the trauma of investigating a killer of women is affecting them. Initially taken aback he pauses to reflect and moderate his behaviour. This is beautifully judged, managing to be thought provoking without detracting from what makes Ross himself (and the reader wouldn’t want him to change too much).

Fast paced, creative and intelligent crime thrillers don’t come better than this.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the author and publisher for access in exchange for a fair review.

This book didn't disappoint. What a rollercoaster of a ride, trying to suss out the bent cops.

Great storyline with the regular team being involved.

Another great read from Neil,Lancaster.

When Shadows Fall is the sixth book in the Max Craigie series. You’d be forgiven for thinking that by now, some of the impact would be lost -been there, done that, kind of a thing? You’d be wrong. So wrong.
When a woman falls to her death from a Munro in Scotland, it seems like a tragic accident. However, it soon becomes apparent that this death could be connected to the deaths of other lone women climbers. When Max Craigie and team start to investigate, it turns out there is much more going on than at first thought.
Fast-paced, brilliantly written and totally absorbing, it is tense and breath-taking, I loved it.
Thank you to Mr Lancaster, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for my copy of When Shadows Fall by Neil Lancaster.
This book starts off with a bang and doesn't let up.
A young woman has fallen in the Scottish mountains, was she careless or is there something or someone else at work.
When Max Craigie sees the statistics he knows something is wrong. Then ensues a cat and mouse around the highlands of Scotland.
The twists and turns keep coming and you find yourself urging Max and his team to catch the culprit.
A great read and another fine addition to the series.

‘When Shadows Fall’,by Neil Lancaster is the sixth book in the DS Max Craigie series.
In the storyline of this case Max and his colleagues in the team look into a series of possibly suspicious deaths of lone female climbers in the Scottish mountains.As befitting their responsibilities for anti corruption at Police Scotland,they wonder how generally there has been little in the way of basic investigations or any detailed examination of the evidence perhaps linking these fatalities.Is this down to procedural incompetence,sheer apathy,a cover up, or is there something more sinister linking these losses of life?
Yet again the author quickly draws the reader into a vividly realistic scenario,where it is truly compelling to find out just what is going on behind these deaths.
The authentic humanising portrayal of the personalities and various quirks of Max’s coworkers make it so easy to imagine their characters,making it feel even more imperative to root for them and their operational success.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ at HarperCollins for an advanced copy for review.

Another excellent chapter in this series. The main characters work very well, but I still have my reservations about the deus ex machina/spook providing vital help in record time, now together with his mate Clive(?).

There's a strange trend happening on Scotland's munros - lone women (literally!) dropping like flies and falling to their deaths, despite being fit and healthy. DS Max Craigie is alerted to this phenomenon by a friend in Search & Rescue, but with his heavily-pregnant wife at home, he's stuck between two worlds - the public he swore to protect, and the family that is about to expand. There appears to be a serial killer on the loose - preying on vulnerable women, and thinking he has managed to commit the perfect crime.

This is another fantastic book in the Max Craigie series, and one that I was looking forward to continuing! An easy 5* book.

Another fantastic book in this series featuring Max Craigie and the team. And what a team,great characters who leap off the page,especially Rossboss. Also an intriguing and fascinating story.