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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I read a lot of crime fiction and desperately wanted to enjoy this more, but I found the characters frankly quite annoying, and the Aberdeen vernacular grating and forced.
An interesting premise, who is abducting, maiming and killing anti-Scottish nationalists, but though I finished the book I didn't really enjoy it
An interesting premise, who is abducting, maiming and killing anti-Scottish nationalists, but though I finished the book I didn't really enjoy it
The most recent addition to the Logan McRae series is definitely the best yet. Set in Aberdeen, (the only place to rival the county of Midsomer for serial killers and astronomical body counts), our hero is working for Professional Standards in Police Scotland and is a Inspector. He is surrounded by the usual motley crew:
Sergeant Roberta Steel (formerly DCI) - a contender for the rudest and most politically incorrect character in crime fiction, Steel nevertheless remains a firm favourite with me. I was originally shocked by her behaviour but I have become somewhat immune and now just enjoy the dark humour in each novel and wonder what she will utter next. Despite her attitude, she delivers some of the best one liners.
Detective Sergeant Simon Rennie - when we first met Rennie, he was a mere DC and had joined McRae was part of the "screwup squad" run by Steel. He is now a DS and part of the PS team. He considers himself to be the best sidekick that McRae could ever have and is rather thick but he does try his best.
And finally, my favourite of the crew, DC Stewart "Tufty" Quirrel - the lovably daft member of the team. I'm not sure how Tufty has survived this long in the series, without someone (mainly Logan) attempting to kill him. But "I is Tufty" is hilarious and his ability to ignore the obvious and focus on the topic that interest to him, serves as comic relief to the seriousness of the investigation.
In 'All That's Dead', Logan has been assigned to support the unfortunate DI Frank King as he investigates to disappearance of a well-known professor. As always, the case is not as straightforward as it initially appears and soon we learn of several subsequent disappearances - the only connection between the victims being their pro-union stance. There is definitely a more political edge to this book than in previous novels, but only from the perspective of several characters, and the author does not attempt to force any opinions on the readers.
This is a gripping tale with plenty of twists to hold the readers attention and quite a few moments that grab you by the throat and do not let go.
According to the author Stuart MacBride, he approached the first book in the series, Cold Granite as "Mind you, I wanted Cold Granite to read as if it was from the middle of a series (lots of events from the past that are never explained) so you should be able to dip in and out in any order you fancy." And this remains true, whether you read one of the novellas or start with #12.
The stories listed in in chronological order (including the short stories and novella) are as follows: Cold Granite, Dying Light, Broken Skin, Flesh House, Blind Eye, Dark Blood, DI Steel’s Bad Heir Day, Shatter The Bones, Stramash, Close to the Bone, The 45% Hangover, 22 Dead Little Bodies, The Missing and the Dead, In the Cold Dark Ground, Now we are Dead, The Blood Road and the most recent Logan novel, All That's Dead.
Sergeant Roberta Steel (formerly DCI) - a contender for the rudest and most politically incorrect character in crime fiction, Steel nevertheless remains a firm favourite with me. I was originally shocked by her behaviour but I have become somewhat immune and now just enjoy the dark humour in each novel and wonder what she will utter next. Despite her attitude, she delivers some of the best one liners.
Detective Sergeant Simon Rennie - when we first met Rennie, he was a mere DC and had joined McRae was part of the "screwup squad" run by Steel. He is now a DS and part of the PS team. He considers himself to be the best sidekick that McRae could ever have and is rather thick but he does try his best.
And finally, my favourite of the crew, DC Stewart "Tufty" Quirrel - the lovably daft member of the team. I'm not sure how Tufty has survived this long in the series, without someone (mainly Logan) attempting to kill him. But "I is Tufty" is hilarious and his ability to ignore the obvious and focus on the topic that interest to him, serves as comic relief to the seriousness of the investigation.
In 'All That's Dead', Logan has been assigned to support the unfortunate DI Frank King as he investigates to disappearance of a well-known professor. As always, the case is not as straightforward as it initially appears and soon we learn of several subsequent disappearances - the only connection between the victims being their pro-union stance. There is definitely a more political edge to this book than in previous novels, but only from the perspective of several characters, and the author does not attempt to force any opinions on the readers.
This is a gripping tale with plenty of twists to hold the readers attention and quite a few moments that grab you by the throat and do not let go.
According to the author Stuart MacBride, he approached the first book in the series, Cold Granite as "Mind you, I wanted Cold Granite to read as if it was from the middle of a series (lots of events from the past that are never explained) so you should be able to dip in and out in any order you fancy." And this remains true, whether you read one of the novellas or start with #12.
The stories listed in in chronological order (including the short stories and novella) are as follows: Cold Granite, Dying Light, Broken Skin, Flesh House, Blind Eye, Dark Blood, DI Steel’s Bad Heir Day, Shatter The Bones, Stramash, Close to the Bone, The 45% Hangover, 22 Dead Little Bodies, The Missing and the Dead, In the Cold Dark Ground, Now we are Dead, The Blood Road and the most recent Logan novel, All That's Dead.
Amazing book, dark, bloodthirsty and full of black humour, MacBride’s characters are the best in British crime fiction.
I love the descriptions of Scottish cuisine as well, a kitkat butty..... this could well replace the deep fried Mars Bar as the national dish.
I love the descriptions of Scottish cuisine as well, a kitkat butty..... this could well replace the deep fried Mars Bar as the national dish.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
After so many it’s now Like reading an old friend. Same cracking characters, bit of humour and a great who done it all rolled into one.
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
I would say that this is one of the weaker books in an overall excellent series.
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#1-11 - Haven't read yet
#12 All That's Dead - ★★★
All That’s Dead is book number 12 in the Logan McRae series, however, each of these books can be read as a standalone, as it features Inspector Logan McRae in different situations. This was my first novel from the series, as well from Stuart MacBride, and I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve only just met the hero that is Logan McRae and I’m planning on hanging out with him more in the future.
Synopsis:
Scream all you want, no one can hear…
Inspector Logan McRae is looking forward to a nice simple case – something to ease him back into work after a year off on the sick. But the powers-that-be have other ideas…
The high-profile anti-independence campaigner, Professor Wilson, has gone missing, leaving nothing but bloodstains behind. There’s a war brewing between the factions for and against Scottish Nationalism. Infighting in the police ranks. And it’s all playing out in the merciless glare of the media. Logan’s superiors want results, and they want them now.
Someone out there is trying to make a point, and they’re making it in blood. If Logan can’t stop them, it won’t just be his career that dies.
My Thoughts:
I had the pleasure to listen to the audiobook by a narrator with a Scottish accent and I loved it! It managed to bring Stuart MacBride’s humour and beautiful writing to life like I wouldn’t be able to do it myself by simply reading.
It took me a while to fully get into the story, and to be quite honest, I never truly did. Mostly it’s because the political aspect of the book was not interesting to me, and I was merely into it from the investigation side of things. This is also the only reason I gave this book a 3-star rating.
Aside from the political aspect, I enjoyed the thriller elements in the book. I was hooked on the investigation scenes, and there were many plot twists that kept me intrigued. Same goes for the storytelling. Stuart MacBride did an amazing job there. I could vividly imagine the scenes only from his descriptions and I really enjoyed his hilarious metaphors. Each character was amazingly done, with their own little storylines and personal development, all culminating into a great ending to sum everything up.
Even though my first, this book will definitely not be my last from the author. If you are looking for a gripping political mystery thriller with a witty inspector, read All That’s Dead!
#1-11 - Haven't read yet
#12 All That's Dead - ★★★
All That’s Dead is book number 12 in the Logan McRae series, however, each of these books can be read as a standalone, as it features Inspector Logan McRae in different situations. This was my first novel from the series, as well from Stuart MacBride, and I was pleasantly surprised. I’ve only just met the hero that is Logan McRae and I’m planning on hanging out with him more in the future.
Synopsis:
Scream all you want, no one can hear…
Inspector Logan McRae is looking forward to a nice simple case – something to ease him back into work after a year off on the sick. But the powers-that-be have other ideas…
The high-profile anti-independence campaigner, Professor Wilson, has gone missing, leaving nothing but bloodstains behind. There’s a war brewing between the factions for and against Scottish Nationalism. Infighting in the police ranks. And it’s all playing out in the merciless glare of the media. Logan’s superiors want results, and they want them now.
Someone out there is trying to make a point, and they’re making it in blood. If Logan can’t stop them, it won’t just be his career that dies.
My Thoughts:
I had the pleasure to listen to the audiobook by a narrator with a Scottish accent and I loved it! It managed to bring Stuart MacBride’s humour and beautiful writing to life like I wouldn’t be able to do it myself by simply reading.
It took me a while to fully get into the story, and to be quite honest, I never truly did. Mostly it’s because the political aspect of the book was not interesting to me, and I was merely into it from the investigation side of things. This is also the only reason I gave this book a 3-star rating.
Aside from the political aspect, I enjoyed the thriller elements in the book. I was hooked on the investigation scenes, and there were many plot twists that kept me intrigued. Same goes for the storytelling. Stuart MacBride did an amazing job there. I could vividly imagine the scenes only from his descriptions and I really enjoyed his hilarious metaphors. Each character was amazingly done, with their own little storylines and personal development, all culminating into a great ending to sum everything up.
Even though my first, this book will definitely not be my last from the author. If you are looking for a gripping political mystery thriller with a witty inspector, read All That’s Dead!
Logan McRae is one of my favourite fictional detectives, and I’m always eager to dive into a Stuart MacBride book. With All That’s Dead, we have a great addition to the series that will have you happy to devour the story.
Although this one is a bit more political than I would have liked, it was an addictive story filled with what Stuart MacBride does best. It’s a story with many layers, ensuring you’re hooked on all that is playing out. The humour is great, ensuring you’ll giggle away at the events. The characters are fabulous, and it was great to see how their stories develop.
As is always the case with the Logan McRae books, I devoured this one in no time as I was hooked on every page. Without a doubt, it’s a great addition to the series. It’s not my favourite in the series, but it’s well worth the read.
Although this one is a bit more political than I would have liked, it was an addictive story filled with what Stuart MacBride does best. It’s a story with many layers, ensuring you’re hooked on all that is playing out. The humour is great, ensuring you’ll giggle away at the events. The characters are fabulous, and it was great to see how their stories develop.
As is always the case with the Logan McRae books, I devoured this one in no time as I was hooked on every page. Without a doubt, it’s a great addition to the series. It’s not my favourite in the series, but it’s well worth the read.
This was brilliantly written, not just because of all the action but because of all the humour too! I know it's supposed to be serious, what with all the grisly crimes, but honestly there were times when I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the one liners...Oh and it of course helps that Inspector Logan McRae is soooo likeable. First one I've read in this series and after that, I'm definitely hoping to read the rest of the books in the series! Would definitely recommend this to others!