Bastard Verdict by James McCrone

Full disclosure: the book I chose for this month’s post is by a member of my Sisters in Crime chapter. But please rest assured that what follows is my honest review.

I might start by defining the term bastard verdict. As you may know, in American law (and without getting too technical) we generally have two outcomes to a criminal trial: guilty or not guilty. In Scotland, however, there is a third option: not proven, or the bastard verdict. The phrase was coined by Sir Walter Scott and it means that the trier of fact believes the defendant committed the crime, but that the state has failed to prove its case. It doesn’t mean the defendant is guilty, but it doesn’t mean he’s innocent, either.

On to the review.

Imogen Trager is an FBI agent who got into some trouble with the bureau in her last adventure, so now she’s on a leave of absence, working at a university in Scotland as a visiting scholar. Her plan is to do the research she came to Scotland to do, keep her head down, and stay out of (more) trouble.

But if that happened, we wouldn’t have this great thriller to read.

So when Imogen is asked by a government official to look into possible malfeasance during the referendum, she takes the chance that her career will be intact at the end of the investigation, which is a million miles outside her jurisdiction.

What Imogen finds is a conspiracy that has tentacles in the highest echelons of government. There are people who will stop at nothing to make sure she doesn’t go public with the information she’s uncovered, and she’s not sure who she can trust.

I love the setting of this book. Most of it takes place on the gritty, working-class streets of Glasgow and Dundee. The Scottish cold and rain play a role in making the atmosphere almost tactile, and the building descriptions are spot-on if you are at all familiar with Glasgow and/or Dundee. The dialect the author uses lends a layer of richness to this novel, too. The way the Scottish characters speak is real and adds to the feeling of being close to the action.

I like Imogen because she’s a calculated risk-taker, but acts decisively once she’s determined her best course of action. She’s also imperfect, with a great backstory that includes personal loss, job troubles, and lingering doubts from her previous job-related undertakings.

What’s most obvious is that the author knows his stuff. He’s clearly done a deep dive into Scottish and UK politics and election/referendum policy and procedure. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good political thriller. Especially in light of world events over the past several years, this book is especially timely.

***

See you next time,

Amy