DS Max Craigie is back with his team after too many women are falling to their deaths from Scottish mountains. Why have these deaths not been investigated full or at all? The team will climb mountains and use their skills to find out.

Very well written and action packed novel. Great characters all with their own skill set will work to discover a group of dangerous men that must be stopped from killing to entertain those willing to pay on the dark web. Brilliant book 6.

A fabulous installment in the Max Craigie series.
Characters are as likeable as always (some hilarious) and the plot felt fresh and original.
Can't fault it and the novel kept me entertained during a particularly difficult stay in hospital so many thanks.!
Easy 5 stars from me.

Another excellent read by Neil Lancaster in the Max Craigie crime series, this time with a very different crime scene, and a very clever adversary. The story takes us onto the Scottish mountains, introducing a new team of Mountain Rescue experts. The storyline has the action tearing along, with several red herrings and lots of tension along the way.
On the mountainside, it gets very suspenseful, and I was holding my breath in fear for a police officer at one point.
My only slight criticism is that it’s a wee bit dialogue- heavy at times. I know that Ross Fraser’s renowned cursing and swearing is enjoyed by many readers, I just personally feel it’s a little bit overdone at times. Interestingly though, in this book, the female members of Ross’s team rightly take him to task for his insensitivity. I like how that strand was handled by the author.
I have read all of the Max Craigie series, enjoyed the clever writing and involving and intriguing plot lines. I can’t wait to read what this author writes next. This one is a page-turner and a sure- fire winner.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. Highly recommended.

‘When Shadows Fall’ is the sixth book in the Max Craigie series, and whilst it would read well as a standalone, I would recommend starting at the beginning, as the backstory to each of the recurring characters is important to fully understand their working relationships and personal history’s. New characters are introduced in this novel, and it seems Clive will be back with us going forward – I think he will be a good addition. Ross Fraser is by far my favourite of the bunch, and I was thrilled to get an albeit fleeting glimpse, into his private life.

This book, as with the previous five, is well written, with lots of twists and turns, (more than a few red herrings!), a wonderful sense of atmosphere, created in part by the stunning Scottish countryside and lots of tension created by the nature of the murders. The tale deals with contemporary issues such as ‘incels’ and the risks of social media. I will admit that this isn’t my favourite in this series (the bar is set high!), it is extremely readable, and I am sure it will be a great success.

I love the DS Max Craigie novels and the team he works with are superb. These books can easily be read as standalone novels without having read the rest of the series but, if this is your first I guarantee you'll want to go back and read the others.

This is an excellent police procedural thriller which keep you guessing until the very end. It begins when Max meets up with his friend Shay, a mountain rescue volunteer who voices concerns about a number of recent deaths on the Munros. All involved young blonde women who have inexplicably fallen to their deaths despite having some climbing experience and are properly equipped.

Max takes the information back to his boss who decides it merits investigation. The team don't realise that the few incidents they are aware of are the tip of the iceberg. It soon becomes clear that this is a much bigger case than first thought as the case takes a far darker turn involving the dark web.

Simply superb and unputdownable.

Like all of the DS Mac Craigie books, this was another fantastic read. I don't like to give spoilers, but suffice to say there are so many twists and turns that you find yourself on the edge of your seat.
Just when you think you're on the right path to solving it, something happens and you find you're no where near.
Being Scottish, knowing a lot of the areas mentioned makes it more intriguing.
Never disappointed, another great read from this author.
This is book 6 of 6. Here's hoping for number 7.

Thrilling, intriguing, and moving, the latest novel in the Max Craigie world is a true gem, and works on so many levels. As a murder mystery it enthrals from the first page and doesn’t let go. However it also confronts deeper questions around institutional corruption and misogyny. The characters continue to grow and none more so than Max, in ways that become more apparent as the story develops. I love some of the details in Neil Lancaster’s writing, the ‘rental tv’ mentioned in one of the flashbacks is so simple but evocative. Likewise I am grateful for the reminder of Smidge. I would however warn against reading this on any Munro bagging trips.

Another adrenalin fuelled outing for D.S. Max Craigie and team, led by the sweary D.I.Ross Frazier , DC Janie Calder , Norma the PC wiz kid and Barney the ex MI5 specialist.

The scene this time is the mountain ranges of Northern Scotland , where lone female climbers have met their deaths by falling off the crags'.
The team has their suspicions that these events are not just unfortunate accidents . Investigation by the team into the deaths, which they feel are covered up by being declared accidents where they feel murder is afoot.

So, the team get to work trying to uncover the details behind the deaths , which could prove that there is Police corruption behind it somehow.

Great riveting stuff , danger and ironic humour lace the story which holds the reader in a nice balance of excitement and intrigue.

Book 6 of Max Craigie reaches new heights- literally and figuratively. Neil Lancaster holds nothing back and the suspense is maintained the whole way through. The detectives are not familiar characters and the murders are clever and horrifying. Lone women are dying in ‘tragic’ accidents but of course, all are not what it seems. Very dark and very enjoyable. Craigie must continue for many books yet!

I have read all of the Max Craigie books so was excited to read this new one. It certainly didn't disappoint. Max and his team find themselves investigating the deaths of a number of women who seem to have suffered fatal accidents while alone on the mountains. However, they were all experienced with the proper kit and their deaths seem unlikely in those circumstances. This is a real page turner with some particularly nasty characters to boot! I love the banter between the team, especially between Ross and Barney. Can't wait for the next one!
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This is the sixth book in the DS Max Craigie series and it leaves me wondering if there are any police in Scotland left to serve and protect the public? Max operates within a tightly knit group headed by DI Ross Fraser (think a less windy version of Jackson Lamb of Slow Horses infamy) and they look in to police corruption. This novel centres on a number of climbing 'accidents' that seem to have gone unnoticed. That was until ex-matelot and now helicopter pilot Shay Hammond reached out to his old mate Max, something was troubling him in his role as search and rescue pilot for the Coastguards. It would seem that too many women climbers had fallen to their deaths than he felt statistically likely. Max took an interest and approached his boss Ross to see if they could open up some sort of investigation as the reported deaths went suspiciously beneath the police radar.
I found the novel had great pace, an immediate hook and was very hard to put down.

I absolutely love Max Craigie and the team! I usually listen to these Neil Lancaster books on audiobook. This is the first one I've read on kindle and I really enjoyed it (except for not being able to correctly pronounce the names of the mountains, even in my head). The characters just jump out of the book as if they were waiting for the reader to open the book to begin living again and I love it when that happens. The author's storylines are always interesting and original and most importantly believable and accurate. This book had an intelligent and clever story with lots of twists which kept me guessing to the very end. A great addition to a great series. Can't wait for the next one.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I'm a fan of Neil Lancaster's Max Craigie books and was looking forward to reading this. As expected a thoroughly enjoyable read based on suspicious fatal accidents of solo female climbers on the Scottish hills. Full of twists and one I definitely recommend to read.

The latest in the brilliant Max Craigie. Series and possibly the best yet., Initial suspicions about the deaths of lone female climbers open up to a web of corruption and killings. Max and the team have to use every tool at their disposal and then some in order to understand the depth of depravity while at the same time Max is concerned about leaving Katie alone with the birth of their first child now imminent
Excellent plotting and writing make for a great read which will be enjoyed by everyone who likes modern British and in particular Scottish crime writing. Neil Lancaster is surely now at the top table of authors in this category.

This is another superb tale in the series about Max Craigie and the team investigating corruption in the Scottish police force. The characters and their relationships have been well built up over the series but this title could be read as a stand alone. However I do believe readers encountering the team for the first time here would want to read the previous books in the series. In addition to the team, the books have some well-loved family characters in Max's Aunt Elspeth, his wife Katy and his dog Nutmeg. In this book Katy is nearing the end of her pregnancy and this is causing conflicting emotions for Max as he considers how to be a good father and continue in the job he loves. These emotions are well written by the author Neil Lancaster and add to the credibility of the book. 'When Shadows Fall' introduces some new characters who I think will be returning: Chay, a schoolfriend of Max, who is now a helicopter pilot with the mountain rescue team and Clive, a former student of Barney, the team's technology whizz.
This story was particularly terrifying and brought a number of contemporary issues to the fore, most significantly the 'incel' culture of men who hate women and the dangers of social media. Chay brings to Max's attention that there have been an alarming number of deaths of lone women hikers on the Scottish mountains recently which have not been thoroughly investigated by the police.. The team begin an investigation which tests all their skills and their emotions. Janie has recently completed an undercover course and is swiftly putting this to use in an attempt to unearth the killer. Barney brings on board the skills of Clive to help uncover the deeply hidden secrets of the dark web. Team boss Ross is brought up sharp when Janie and Norma alert him to how traumatising the serial killing of women is for them as women and begins to acknowledge the need for more consideration of the individuals of the team.
There are some nail biting moments in this fast moving story which was once again a thrilling tale with true heart. In addition to being a great story in the genre of crime fiction I do think this series would be an excellent introduction to the genre for those who may have steered away from crime / police procedurals in the past.
My thanks to the publisher via Net Galley for an ARC of this title which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and offering this voluntary review.

Good police procedural featuring DS Max Craigie and his team. Young women are being pushed off the Munros in Scotland. But why? And by whom?
Enjoyed the characters and the story. My one complaint is the language of the boss, Ross. He is a slightly comic character and swearing is his thing. . I have no issue with this, some of his comments are funny, but it’s just too much and all the time and it loses some of its power and humour because of that.
Recommended read.

Neil Lancaster has done it again. I love all of the DS Max Craigie books, they get better with every one and the latest is no exception. In my opinion, this book is the best yet, it was both gripping and pacy and had me hooked from the start. I always feel so invested in the main characters and I already can’t wait for the next one. If you love a crime thriller I’d highly recommend all of the books in this series. But prepare for a serious book hangover when you finish them!

This Max Craigie Series has been absolutely brilliant from the get go and this storyline, I thought, was especially chilling. The thought that there are people out there who hate women so much that are willing to kill them just for their pleasure, and in such a way that it’s almost impossible to prove, was truly scary and thought provoking. I won’t précis the book, that is done by better writer than me in the blurb about the book and in other reviews, so you know the gist of it, I’ll just tell you what I thought about it.

Lovely to see the progression in Max’s life too, and a bit more insight into Ross’s life.

I have one small gripe, and it’s not enough to lose a star because frankly the book deserves more stars than five anyway. But, I looked back over the previous five books and it would appear that Ross’ potty mouth and the amount of ‘Scottishisms’ is growing exponentially. Now I’m a Scot myself and so I understood all the dialect use but even I just found it too much in this book. Even Janie it seems is becoming a slang/dialect user. Ross has always been sweary but now it seems every other word is foul. For me, it detracted from the book and was unnecessary.

However, having got that off my chest, don’t let that stop you reading this book. The whole story is thrilling and I got nothing done for several days and opted to read instead of watching TV at times as I couldn’t wait to read what happened next. Did I guess who was bent? Only the last one!

Can’t wait for book seven!! My thanks go to the author, the publishers and, of course, NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this wonderful book.

A very gritty story following DS Max Craigie as he investigates, what the local police are calling, a tragic accident called Leanne Wilson who fell off a cliff but something is not right. With his trusted team. including a feisty woman DC Janie Calder. they start to uncover more women who have been murdered falling off a cliff. and they were all blonde.
On top of the investigation, max is expecting his first child due in 2 weeks time. So the pressure is really on.
Loved the characters and the gritty tension with a surprising ending.
Would recommend for a exciting read and gritty.

Having read the previous five books I was looking forward to this latest tale and it doesn’t disappoint. Rich characters and a dark twisty plot line make for another great read, the Scottish settings and banter are so believable and often hilarious which counters the grisly subject of this book. Max uncovers a link between several deaths of female adventure seekers in the wilds of Scotland. His team have to work hard and utilise special skillsets to delve into the mystery and unmask the evil perpetrators whilst his personal life conflicts with the demands of the job as the story unfolds at a blistering pace.