A review by andrew61
Strange Loyalties by William McIlvanney

dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It is a rare book in the crime genre to which I will give 5* but the third in the Laidlaw trilogy combined a brilliant plot with wonderful writing that explored the fragility of the human experience and the flawed hero.
Laidlaw is struggling in his personal and professional life, so when his brother inexplicably appears to have killed himself, he takes leave to explore why the death has occurred. As he peers under the stone of the community where his brother lived secrets and lives emerge.