Synopses & Reviews
IN A CITY BY THE SEAAfter a long recuperation from a stab wound, Detective Sergeant Logan McRae's first night back on duty in Aberdeen, Scotland, takes him to a crime scene where the body of a missing boy has been found on a riverbank. To the horror of even the most experienced cops on the job, all the details point to a ritualistic murder--a serial killer. Then twenty-four hours later, another child goes missing.
A COP HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD
The case's latest developments keep appearing as the next day's headlines, leading the department to believe one of their own is leaking information. Logan is keen to catch the mole as well as the killer, but even with Police Constable Jackie Watson, assigned to help "ease" him back into the job, it seems impossible.
TO ENTER A NEW HELL
From the violent world of organized crime to the dark fantasies of a murderer and the naughty games cops play to stay sane, Logan is moving through the Scottish winter in search of a few hard facts. And as the rain turns to snow, as new outrages are discovered, he begins to get his answers: one victim, one deception, and one killer at a time...
"Solid...no sooner is one crime solved than another comes up to keep you turning the pages."
--Rocky Mountain News
"MacBride is starting at the very top with his first book, which approaches the level of Michael Connelly's best work...MacBride's writing is so good here that it's hard to believe it's not a sign of staying power."
--Flint Journal
Review
"[An] edge-of-your-seat page-turner [and] impressive debut...MacBride allows his characters their humanity, while weaving intriguing subplots."--
Publishers Weekly"Macabre...MacBride's impressive first outing has plenty of atmosphere, subversive humor, and a sinuous plot reminiscent of fellow countryman Ian Rankin."--Booklist (starred review)
"Stuart MacBride is most likely to be compared to Ian Rankin, but this unbelievably assured and accomplished police story aims even higher."--Flint Journal
"McRae is an interesting and subtle detective, and his investigation is both inventive and imaginative."--Dallas Morning News
"Newcomer Stuart MacBride joins an illustrious roster of Scottish crime writers...by tangling together a half-dozen competing plot lines, MacBride keeps readers off-balance, even those who think they can see the tripwires."--Houston Chronicle
"Cold Granite is never as dark and dangerous as the work of Mina and Rankin...a solid police procedural...no sooner is one crime solved than another comes up to keep you turning the pages, and through it all, the police procedural gains a warmth and camaraderie that tougher and more cynical novels lack."--Rocky Mountain News
"Logan--a troubled man but blessedly not a suicidal booze hound like other Scots coppers of recent and current memory--does his job with skill and humanity."--Chicago Tribune
"The book's grim setting, plus the gallows humor, mordant introspection...draw inevitable comparisons to talented Scotsman, Ian Rankin. But MacBride has some neatly distinctive touches, not least among them hefty does of Aberdonian dialect and that wonderfully foul weather."--Seattle Times
"MacBride's debut is a tense police procedural/mystery set in Aberdeen, Scotland...MacBride introduces a very likeable and human protagonist whose past adventures are only hinted at in this book, leading us to hope that another McRae novel is in the works. A suspenseful and compelling mystery, this is strongly recommended."--Library Journal (starred review)
"Cold Granite is a powerful reminder that the best contemporary crime fiction is coming out of Scotland. Ferocious and funny, this is Tartan Noir at its best."
--Val McDermid, author of The Torment of Others
"Atmosphere, dazzling, and completely compelling, Cold Granite marks the debut of an amazing new voice in crime fiction. Scotland's Stuart MacBride is one of the best writers to come out of the UK in a long time."--Deborah Crombie, author of In a Dark House
Synopsis
In a stunning debut, Stuart MacBride introduces DCI Logan McRae, who returns to his job in Aberdeen CID after recuperating from a gunshot wound and finds himself assigned to a brutal serial killer case
Synopsis
In a stunning debut, Stuart MacBride introduces DCI Logan McRae, who returns to his job in Aberdeen CID after recuperating from a gunshot wound and finds himself assigned to a brutal serial killer case
Synopsis
Over nine months ago DS Logan McRae was stabbed in the abdomen by a murder suspect. Now, after a long recuperation, he's finally back on the job in Aberdeen, Scotland. His first day on duty is a long one--the body of a three-year-old boy is found on a riverbank more than three months after he was reported missing. To the horror of even the most experienced cops on the job, all the details from the crime scene and the autopsy point to a ritualistic, sadistic murder--a serial killer. And in fact, their worst suspicions are confirmed when it's not even twenty-four hours before the next child goes missing.
Adding pressure to the investigation, the department seems to have a leak--the case's latest news keeps appearing as the next day's headlines. Logan is keen to catch the mole as well as the killer, but it seems impossible. All in all, it's a heavy load for a detective still trying to get reacquainted to the back-breakingly long rainy days and the bleak rainy nights in Aberdeen CID.
In the tradition of bestselling writers from the United Kingdom like Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson comes this razor-sharp, remarkable debut.
Synopsis
After a long recuperation from a stab wound, Detective Sergeant Logan McRae's first night back on duty in Aberdeen, Scotland, takes him to a crime scene where the body of a missing boy has been found on a riverbank. To the horror of even the most experienced cops on the job, all the details point to a ritualistic murder--a serial killer. Then twenty-four hours later, another child goes missing.
The case's latest developments keep appearing as the next day's headlines, leading the department to believe one of their own is leaking information. Logan is keen to catch the mole as well as the killer, but even with Police Constable Jackie Watson, assigned to help "ease" him back into the job, it seems impossible.
From the violent world of organized crime to the dark fantasies of a murderer and the naughty games cops play to stay sane, Logan is moving through the Scottish winter in search of a few hard facts. And as the rain turns to snow, as new outrages are discovered, he begins to get his answers: one victim, one deception, and one killer at a time...
About the Author
STUART MACBRIDE lives with his wife in Aberdeen, Scotland, where he was born and raised. Dying Light is his second novel, following Cold Granite.