Welcome to Litsy!

A solid procedural set in 1975 Scotland. I alternated between print and audio for this one and I still think print is the way to go with this series, to absorb the details. It‘s very twisty, with multiple subplots woven throughout. While overall the ending was satisfying, the characters interesting, and the writing compelling, I‘ll probably forget it in a day. Book 3 of 2022 McIlvanney Prize longlist - good, but not exceptional.

This would be a stronger pick if my reading brain had allowed it. However, I found this book felt a lot longer than the previous book (The Quaker), and it took me a while to really buckle down and read it.

It's been almost 4 years since I read the first book, but it wasn't a hinderance in enjoying this one. It's a gritty crime novel with plenty of action & several plot strands which are slowly woven together. Although it was a little slow to get going, when things started to move it became really interesting. 4⭐

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, HarperCollins UK, for the opportunity to read an ARC.