Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Clever, funny, plausible...my only complaint is that I stumbled upon #8 in a series and there's very little help to bring a novice reader up to speed on some of the important back-story. Oh well, just one more reason to go and find numbers 1 to 7.
Look, let's just admit that I'm a huge fan of this series and get it over and done with. Love DI Steel, love her glorious over the topness, love McRae's constant sooking and all being put upon. Love the madness of the world in which they have to try to operate as functioning police members, love the supporting cast, love the gallows humour. Love the whole damn thing. Even love those that don't quite live up to the other books in the series (and let's face it - we're talking bees d's worth of not living up to that which came before).
I'll therefore plead to some lacking in objectivity.
CLOSE TO THE BONE has the requisite things going pear-shaped left right and centre - with cases piling up at the door refusing to maintain an orderly line. Including McRae balancing a personal life that almost, in the last book, accidentally veered towards normal, committed and stable. Meanwhile Steele is behaving like everyone's worst nightmare caricature. Even more-so in this book as she's dragged kicking, screaming, bitching and moaning into "Management". I even, for a very brief period in my life, found myself interested in the outcome of a wildly popular paranormal novel, but only because it looks like some nutcase is basing a series of murders on scenarios from that book.
But, more importantly, underneath the lunacy and the caricature there are little ripples in the reality. Sure Steel is considerably more over the top in the book than she's been in others. Maybe because the idea of Management scares her more than babies, shared parenthood and responsibility. Okay so McRae seems to be playing a slightly straighter bat on the one hand, and yet, maybe this settling down thing has some complications that he's not being completely up front about.
With MacBride there's often been that thing in the undercurrent, that hint of the reality underneath the gallows humour and that glimpse behind the mask that's intriguing. That and the over the top nature of the characters as a coping mechanism for what they must deal with on a day to day basis. Sure in this book some of those elements are stretched out to the point where you can actually see through the elastic. Don't care. Loved it.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/close-bone-stuart-macbride
I'll therefore plead to some lacking in objectivity.
CLOSE TO THE BONE has the requisite things going pear-shaped left right and centre - with cases piling up at the door refusing to maintain an orderly line. Including McRae balancing a personal life that almost, in the last book, accidentally veered towards normal, committed and stable. Meanwhile Steele is behaving like everyone's worst nightmare caricature. Even more-so in this book as she's dragged kicking, screaming, bitching and moaning into "Management". I even, for a very brief period in my life, found myself interested in the outcome of a wildly popular paranormal novel, but only because it looks like some nutcase is basing a series of murders on scenarios from that book.
But, more importantly, underneath the lunacy and the caricature there are little ripples in the reality. Sure Steel is considerably more over the top in the book than she's been in others. Maybe because the idea of Management scares her more than babies, shared parenthood and responsibility. Okay so McRae seems to be playing a slightly straighter bat on the one hand, and yet, maybe this settling down thing has some complications that he's not being completely up front about.
With MacBride there's often been that thing in the undercurrent, that hint of the reality underneath the gallows humour and that glimpse behind the mask that's intriguing. That and the over the top nature of the characters as a coping mechanism for what they must deal with on a day to day basis. Sure in this book some of those elements are stretched out to the point where you can actually see through the elastic. Don't care. Loved it.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/close-bone-stuart-macbride
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
It pains me to only give this 3 stars as I adore both Me MacBride and the Logan McRae character, but the truth is this book just isn't up to his usual standard.
I did enjoy reading it for the simple act of 'catching up' with Logan; what can I say, I've missed him!
But the book was disjointed and I felt the story wandered too much to hold my interest in the way that I've come yo expect from this author.
The whole Samantha thing - just daft.
I waited with anticipation for this book and on the whole I was a bit disappointed with it.
I did enjoy reading it for the simple act of 'catching up' with Logan; what can I say, I've missed him!
But the book was disjointed and I felt the story wandered too much to hold my interest in the way that I've come yo expect from this author.
The whole Samantha thing - just daft.
I waited with anticipation for this book and on the whole I was a bit disappointed with it.
More comedy than crime…
Logan McRae returns for an eighth adventure, this time as Acting DI. As a film about witchcraft is being made in the city, a series of horrific murders with an occult theme is taking place throughout the city. Meantime a young couple have gone missing and a gang war is brewing between the drug barons of the city. And as usual, every crime in Aberdeen seems to be dumped on poor McRae's desk.
As always, MacBride has come up with an interesting and complicated plot and the quality of his writing remains very high. However as the series has progressed the humour seems to have taken over more and more and while this makes the book an enjoyable read it does tend to reduce any sense of realism and detract from the flow of the story. The usual characters are there - DI Steel, now acting head of CID, Rennie and a brief return for Jackie Watson - but all the characters have become so caricatured that they seem to be more like pantomime characters than real people. This book also sees a reappearance for retired DI Insch, but his personality is so changed, mainly for comedic purposes, that he simply doesn't ring true at all.
The overall impression for me is that MacBride is bored with these characters and taking them to comedic extremes for his own amusement. And while there's no doubt it's still an amusing journey for the reader too, I no longer think of these as crime books but as fairly broad farce comedies. As a result, all the characters are there purely to be laughed at, including McRae, so I found I didn't feel any emotional involvement with them or tension as to the outcome. I'm not sure where the series is heading and I'll probably stick with it for another book or two but I think it may be close to the time that it should reach an end before it becomes too farcical. Overall then, an enjoyable read but lacking any sense of realism and with none of the grittiness of the early books. Falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me, so for old times sakes I've rounded up to 4.
NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.
Logan McRae returns for an eighth adventure, this time as Acting DI. As a film about witchcraft is being made in the city, a series of horrific murders with an occult theme is taking place throughout the city. Meantime a young couple have gone missing and a gang war is brewing between the drug barons of the city. And as usual, every crime in Aberdeen seems to be dumped on poor McRae's desk.
As always, MacBride has come up with an interesting and complicated plot and the quality of his writing remains very high. However as the series has progressed the humour seems to have taken over more and more and while this makes the book an enjoyable read it does tend to reduce any sense of realism and detract from the flow of the story. The usual characters are there - DI Steel, now acting head of CID, Rennie and a brief return for Jackie Watson - but all the characters have become so caricatured that they seem to be more like pantomime characters than real people. This book also sees a reappearance for retired DI Insch, but his personality is so changed, mainly for comedic purposes, that he simply doesn't ring true at all.
The overall impression for me is that MacBride is bored with these characters and taking them to comedic extremes for his own amusement. And while there's no doubt it's still an amusing journey for the reader too, I no longer think of these as crime books but as fairly broad farce comedies. As a result, all the characters are there purely to be laughed at, including McRae, so I found I didn't feel any emotional involvement with them or tension as to the outcome. I'm not sure where the series is heading and I'll probably stick with it for another book or two but I think it may be close to the time that it should reach an end before it becomes too farcical. Overall then, an enjoyable read but lacking any sense of realism and with none of the grittiness of the early books. Falls somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me, so for old times sakes I've rounded up to 4.
NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.
Loved it! Plot, characters - favourite of this series so far! Samantha is getting better - or is she? Murders seem to match the plot of a book that is being filmed in the city, but is there a personal connection?
I always feel like I'm in a safe pair of hands with a Stuart MacBride novel, especially those featuring the only sane in policeman in Aberdeen, Logan McRae. Close to the Bone is no exception.
In this story, the first victim we come across is a man who has been 'necklaced', which for those not up to date on their gang related terminology is when somebody's head and arm is stuck through a tyre, which is then set alight. What follows is more gruesome murder, all centred around a book called Witchfire, which is currently being made into a film. There is a certain crew member which most fond readers of the Logan McRae series will be surprised and delighted to find has returned, if only briefly.
MacBride does two things that I absolutely adore, and that balance out each other perfectly. His dark, horrific murders, described in perfect detail and the humour from his eccentric characters, particularly DCI Steel and DS Rennie. I also enjoy the fact that the characters are progressing in their careers. Logan himself is now an Acting DI.
This plot in particular is interesting and I really enjoyed how everything comes together. Every small case is all part of one big plot.
We also have to contend with Logan's personal life, and I'm personally awarding myself ten points for working out what was going on with Logan's girlfriend. (I've not read Shatter The Bones by the way.)
The writing and dialogue is quick witted, and I find myself laughing and then grimacing in horror. Stuart MacBride is a genius and I'm not far off reading all of the Logan McRae books now. I can't wait to get my hands on another!
In this story, the first victim we come across is a man who has been 'necklaced', which for those not up to date on their gang related terminology is when somebody's head and arm is stuck through a tyre, which is then set alight. What follows is more gruesome murder, all centred around a book called Witchfire, which is currently being made into a film. There is a certain crew member which most fond readers of the Logan McRae series will be surprised and delighted to find has returned, if only briefly.
MacBride does two things that I absolutely adore, and that balance out each other perfectly. His dark, horrific murders, described in perfect detail and the humour from his eccentric characters, particularly DCI Steel and DS Rennie. I also enjoy the fact that the characters are progressing in their careers. Logan himself is now an Acting DI.
This plot in particular is interesting and I really enjoyed how everything comes together. Every small case is all part of one big plot.
We also have to contend with Logan's personal life, and I'm personally awarding myself ten points for working out what was going on with Logan's girlfriend. (I've not read Shatter The Bones by the way.)
The writing and dialogue is quick witted, and I find myself laughing and then grimacing in horror. Stuart MacBride is a genius and I'm not far off reading all of the Logan McRae books now. I can't wait to get my hands on another!
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes