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antiopelle's review
2.0
2,5 stars
A midnight murder in a secluded and overgrown cemetery. On one of the graves you'll find the words: "this grave must never be opened". The story starts out with an atmospheric opening and I only wished it would have stayed that way, but almost immediately we are sucked in a high octane propulsion of action scenes all over Scotland.
The premise is interesting, certainly with a two-hundred years old family feud still acted out to this day, and the book is generally well written. The big letdown for me was the main character, Max. He is your prototype macho who has fought in Afghanistan and came back with PTSD. Then he went working for London police where he shot a suspect and now goes rogue after shouting at the big boss. Being put on leave, he has all the time he wants to do his own investigation, as he is so certain that no-one can be trusted within the police force because everybody is a potential rat and he is the only one who gets the clear picture. The only one he trusts is his poor little damsel-in-distress sidekick. And yes, you will get about ten police acronyms per page. It is a world apart from my favorite detective, Vera Stanhope who does her policing based on facts and intelligence and where there is a bit of mystery that you need to find out.
Highly recommended for lovers of Lee Childs' Jack Reacher - I actually pictured Max as Tom Cruise - but alas not for me.
A sincere thanks to Netgalley, HQ Digital and the author for an advance copy in exchange of an honest review.
A midnight murder in a secluded and overgrown cemetery. On one of the graves you'll find the words: "this grave must never be opened". The story starts out with an atmospheric opening and I only wished it would have stayed that way, but almost immediately we are sucked in a high octane propulsion of action scenes all over Scotland.
The premise is interesting, certainly with a two-hundred years old family feud still acted out to this day, and the book is generally well written. The big letdown for me was the main character, Max. He is your prototype macho who has fought in Afghanistan and came back with PTSD. Then he went working for London police where he shot a suspect and now goes rogue after shouting at the big boss. Being put on leave, he has all the time he wants to do his own investigation, as he is so certain that no-one can be trusted within the police force because everybody is a potential rat and he is the only one who gets the clear picture. The only one he trusts is his poor little damsel-in-distress sidekick. And yes, you will get about ten police acronyms per page. It is a world apart from my favorite detective, Vera Stanhope who does her policing based on facts and intelligence and where there is a bit of mystery that you need to find out.
Highly recommended for lovers of Lee Childs' Jack Reacher - I actually pictured Max as Tom Cruise - but alas not for me.
A sincere thanks to Netgalley, HQ Digital and the author for an advance copy in exchange of an honest review.
kristel1010's review
3.0
Some of the time reading this book I spent wondering two things - whether the author has actual police work experience (later learning that indeed he does) and whether he wrote the character of Max as an idealised version of himself (answer still pending). Decent book but a bit more procedural crime than I personally prefer.
booksbybindu's review
5.0
‘Dead Man’s Grave’ is the first in a new series for Neil Lancaster featuring DS Max Craigie who works in the Serious Organised Crime (SOC) out of Gartosh. This was a tour de force of how to do a stunning piece of crime fiction. It was slick, action-packed, fast paced, and darn right funny! There will be obvious comparisons to Line of Duty and Rankin’s Malcolm Fox character but I sincerely hope that this is going to be a best-seller for Neil as I believe it is on par if not better. I was hoping for one ‘Now we’re sucking diesel’ quote though!
There is an author’s note at the end of the book which explains how he got the idea of the opening of the book. I too wish there was someone who would have been able to read this book, my dad. He owned the dog kennels in Dunbeath until last year and was a huge crime fiction fan and was also ex-military SAS and an ex cop. Seeing the wee area he lived in and loved for 20 years was a real treat and Neil got everything spot on - yes the pub in Dunbeath does look that shit from the outside! He would have loved this book.
DS Max Craigie and his colleague DC Janie Calder are asked to work on a missing person’s case, that of Tam Hardie, who happens to be Scotland’s top gangster. For the family to call in the people is mind-boggling and Max knows they will have to be very careful when handling this. They both head up to Caithness, Dunbeath as Tam was supposedly looking into his family history there. They follow his movements to a deserted graveyard and a grave which only has the inscription ‘This Grave Never To Be Opened’. What occurs is a murder investigation, a familial fued going back decades, ruthless OCG activity, a police anti-corruption investigation and so much more!
I loved the main characters of Max and Janie. Maybe, because I could see a lot of the characteristics of my dad in Max, well life experiences shall we say. Ex forces, suffering from PTSD, hard-working, doesn't suffer fools easily and have a built-in sense of justice. Max is a strongly drawn character and I can see this series going from strength to strength. Plus, he has a cute dog! Janie is a high-flyer on the accelerated promotion programme and is a bit ‘odd’. She is intelligent, a history buff and is determined to prove herself. The relationship between the two of them is amazing and I'm so pleased that Neil didn't go down the romance front as it would have spoiled it in my opinion. Having each other back, amazing banter and a strong trust in the other is so much more fruitful.
This is a stunning start to a series and I for one will be promoting the heck out of it! It's certainly the best crime book in Scotland so far this year.
There is an author’s note at the end of the book which explains how he got the idea of the opening of the book. I too wish there was someone who would have been able to read this book, my dad. He owned the dog kennels in Dunbeath until last year and was a huge crime fiction fan and was also ex-military SAS and an ex cop. Seeing the wee area he lived in and loved for 20 years was a real treat and Neil got everything spot on - yes the pub in Dunbeath does look that shit from the outside! He would have loved this book.
DS Max Craigie and his colleague DC Janie Calder are asked to work on a missing person’s case, that of Tam Hardie, who happens to be Scotland’s top gangster. For the family to call in the people is mind-boggling and Max knows they will have to be very careful when handling this. They both head up to Caithness, Dunbeath as Tam was supposedly looking into his family history there. They follow his movements to a deserted graveyard and a grave which only has the inscription ‘This Grave Never To Be Opened’. What occurs is a murder investigation, a familial fued going back decades, ruthless OCG activity, a police anti-corruption investigation and so much more!
I loved the main characters of Max and Janie. Maybe, because I could see a lot of the characteristics of my dad in Max, well life experiences shall we say. Ex forces, suffering from PTSD, hard-working, doesn't suffer fools easily and have a built-in sense of justice. Max is a strongly drawn character and I can see this series going from strength to strength. Plus, he has a cute dog! Janie is a high-flyer on the accelerated promotion programme and is a bit ‘odd’. She is intelligent, a history buff and is determined to prove herself. The relationship between the two of them is amazing and I'm so pleased that Neil didn't go down the romance front as it would have spoiled it in my opinion. Having each other back, amazing banter and a strong trust in the other is so much more fruitful.
This is a stunning start to a series and I for one will be promoting the heck out of it! It's certainly the best crime book in Scotland so far this year.
hellsie's review
5.0
I haven't read anything by this author before, so I came to this book blind as it were. While I enjoy reading them, a lot of police procedurals can end up a bit samey in my opinion. This book, however, was a breath of fresh air.
Max Craigie returns to his Scottish home under a bit of a cloud after working for the Met, and finds himself investigating the murder of the biggest and nastiest crime boss in Scotland. Along the way he uncovers a 200 year old blood feud, and corruption at the heart of the Scottish police service, making it impossible for him to know who to trust.
What makes this book different for me is its characterisation and credibility. I loved the relationship and banter between Max and Janie Calder, his partner, and the action in this book came across as being very believable - as it turns out the author has the policing experience to back up his writing and it shows.
I am very happy to discover that Book 2 in this series will be out soon, and even happier to discover that the author has a solid back catalogue for me to read while I'm waiting! Thanks to Pigeonhole and the author for allowing me to read this book.
Max Craigie returns to his Scottish home under a bit of a cloud after working for the Met, and finds himself investigating the murder of the biggest and nastiest crime boss in Scotland. Along the way he uncovers a 200 year old blood feud, and corruption at the heart of the Scottish police service, making it impossible for him to know who to trust.
What makes this book different for me is its characterisation and credibility. I loved the relationship and banter between Max and Janie Calder, his partner, and the action in this book came across as being very believable - as it turns out the author has the policing experience to back up his writing and it shows.
I am very happy to discover that Book 2 in this series will be out soon, and even happier to discover that the author has a solid back catalogue for me to read while I'm waiting! Thanks to Pigeonhole and the author for allowing me to read this book.
ozzit's review against another edition
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
thistlereads's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Angus King terrific Scottish accent and narration as always.
dogearedandfurry's review
4.0
I’m long overdue reading this, but it quickly pulled me in and I really enjoyed reading it once it got past the initial feud bit and into the investigation. I do like a good police procedural, and with Lancaster’s policing background, he skilfully walks the tightrope between sharing his expertise without losing the accessibility for the lay person to read and enjoy. This had an interesting plot, good characters, and a decent amount of tension and pace, and I look forward to the rest of the series.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Sincere apologies for the long delay in providing this review.
I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review. Sincere apologies for the long delay in providing this review.
charf47's review
5.0
Dead Man’s Grave is a wonderfully written, gripping crime thriller. It is one of the best thrillers I have read in years. I consumed each chapter greedily, desperate to find out how the story played out, and at no time did it disappoint – I was kept on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. The characters are well-developed and the story-line believable, despite the many unexpected and exciting twists and turns. I am so looking forward to the next book in this series. Highly recommended. Thanks to Neil Lancaster and Pigeonhole for the ARC.
emma6544's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Mental illness and Gun violence