This follows on from the 9th in the series so you cant just dive in and pick up the background of the characters, however it is still a very good read.

Di Costello has resigned following the frustration of a previous case and noone knows where she is, her colleagues are left to pick up the pieces and deal with an amnesiac women found in Glasgow centre, could this be unrelated to the casenthat led to Costello leaving ?

I haven’t read the previous books in the series but The Sideman works perfectly fine as a stand alone story.

While this isn’t the strongest thriller I’ve read it’s enjoyable with believable characters and an interesting plot.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

I did not realise that this is part of a series. Nonetheless I read it and I am glad I did.

Plot
Detective Inspector Costello has resigned. No notice, no goodbyes. Convinced that George Haggerty murdered his wife and son despite his cast-iron alibi, Costello has gone solo, determined to expose a ruthless killer without being hampered by police protocol. But is she right about Haggerty's guilt? And where has she disappeared to?

DCI Colin Anderson has no time to ponder the loss of his partner of twenty years. With a badly beaten body found on a remote mountain pass; a woman with a serious head wound who won't communicate in any way; and a substantial pool of blood discovered at the edge of Loch Lomond, Police Scotland have their hands full. Could there be any connection to Costello's disappearance ...?

I love books about police procedures and this one features DI Costello and DCI Colin Anderson. I did struggle a bit initially because I hadn't read the previous books but once I updated myself with the gist of it I powered on easily.
It is quite well plotted and an entertaining read. I love the gritty atmosphere created by the author. Sets up the mood and tone of the book.
I am definitely going to go back and read the other books because I enjoyed reading this one and immersing myself in the lives of the main protagonists.

I recommend others to read in chronological order as well. It will make for a way better reading experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unbelievably good ! The pace is furious you can feel the energy and emotions as this story unfurled

The characters are well drawn and balanced nicely with the action. Little baby Moses quietly gurgling away while all hell lets loose around him !

Lots going on - it’s in my home patch do I know the geography well and it all fits together into the story - no gaping howlers

Read and enjoy - just remember to breathe

First in the series for me a true tense rollercoaster of a read.Well drawn characters will be reading the rest of the series.#netgalley#cannongate

I would like to thank #Netgalley , #Canongate and #Blackthorne for the opportunity to read an advanced copy #Thesideman in exchange for an honest review.

It's my first book by Caro Ramsay and although you can read it as a stand alone, I feel that it will be easier to follow the story if you have read the previous books. I do have to say, you will want to read the previous books once you finish this one!

Following previous events, Detective Costello goes solo, in the pursue to find the truth about who murdered a woman and her son. DI Costello is convinced it was that George Haggerty, the father and husband, but with a solid alibi, he can't be considered guilty, forcing DI Costello to go rogue, resign and disappear.
In the meantime, DCI Anderson has more and more cases pilling up, and although his partner's disappearance is becoming increasingly worrying, he has his own cases to solve.

With a great plot, filled with suspense and really vivid description of beautiful Scotland, this book was a great read. I would have wamted a little bit more of background on what happened, but it is completely possible to read this book as a stand alone without missing any relevant parts on this plot.

The narrators vary but are mostly focus on DCI Anderson and again, it is easy to follow. I really enjoyed all the mystery and how there were so many twists and turns that make this book so unpredictable. Some readers may find it frustrating they cannot puzzle it together and understand what one thing has to do with the other, but I find it quite gripping and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The characters are really interesting and have very distinct personalities and this made it all even more belieavable.


Overall, The Sideman is a great read and I would really recommended it. I have added the previous books to my list of books to read.

It took me a while to get into this book. I found it confusing, in the sense that I found it difficult to remember who everyone was and the chapters did not always seem to be related to each other. It did all come together towards the end though, which is why I have given it 4 stars .It is well paced and is quite believable. Characters well described on the whole
This is one of a series, I don't normally mind not reading the books in order, but I think it would have helped this time because I didn't have the background information about the characters... this is the first one I have read by this author , though I will try and catch more of the series
Thankyou to net galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review . Thanks also to the author and publisher for an interesting read

The Sideman was a great story badly told. Too many characters and some strange interpersonal relationships. I found it confusing in its deployment and the numerous angles which tried to build the story as a whole. Jumping from person to person, military to police and location to location with but a paragraph’s spacing. The ‘stop box’ at first sight seemed a cunning device. However, the VW camper engine has a magnesium-alloy engine casing which is non-magnetic. You could possibly attach a magnet to one of the cast-iron cylinders but are you certain that the temperatures of the cylinders wouldn’t cross the Curie boundary making the magnet devoid of magnetism? Furthermore the VW camper is a ‘lifestyle’ vehicle with a rear mounted engine a long way from the driver who would probably be listening to the Beach Boys blasting through the sound system. Not a Good Vibration’s chance in hell of hearing a few steel balls clunking in a small tobacco tin before it fell off! However, I will give it a four star rating as underneath it all there was something very creative.

The Sideman is a very gritty and atmospheric police series .I hadn't realised that this was the 10th in the series so had never met the characters before or their stories before and the reader really does need to have read at least some of the books especially The Suffering of Strangers previously, in order to enjoy and understand this book.I found it a struggle with all the many characters and their history's to keep up with .Nevertheless I did enjoy the story but a stand alone book it is not .I am going to read the previous book so that I can understand this one more fully .Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my review book n return for an honest review .