A Pound Of Flesh (DCI Lorimer) by Alex Gray

DCI Lorimer #9

by Alex Gray

In the depths of a freezing winter, Glasgow finds itself at the mercy of not one, but two serial killersThis is Detective Inspector Lorimer’s worst nightmare and beyond anything he’s faced in his many years on the force. Can he find a link between the brutal slaying of prostitutes in the back streets of the city and the methodical killing of several unconnected businessmen?When the latest victim turns out to be a prominent Scottish politician, the media’s spotlight is shone on Lorimer’s investigation. Psychologist and criminal profiler Solly Brightman is called in to help solve the cases, but his help may be futile as they realize that someone on the inside is leaking confidential police information. Meanwhile two killers haunt the snowy streets and Lorimer must act fast, before they strike again…

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Scotland, Thriller, Procedural, Mystery Thriller

Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

About the author

Alex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. She worked as a folk singer, a visiting officer in the DSS and an English teacher. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Read 4.5 STARS!**

First of all I would like to start by mentioning that this exciting crime novel is the 9th overall of the "William Lorimer" series, but the very 1st one as Detective Superintendent.

Secondly, at the beginning of the book you'll find a short part of St Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 18, Verses 12-14, and the words in this chapter will certainly have an important meaning within this excellent crime novel.

Thirdly, once again the author's storytelling is excellent, all characters are very believable and lifelike in their dealings with life and work, especially our main protagonists, William Lorimer and his teacher wife, Maggie, as well as Professor Solly Brightman and his forensic pathologist wife, Rosie, and their baby daughter, Abigail, while police procedures are very well researched and executed.

The book has two main lethal subjects that need investigating by Detective Superintendent Lorimer and his new team, a team soon again to be disbanded again due to cuts, one case being the brutal murders of innocent working street girls, while the other being the murders of men driving white Mercedes cars, men who are picking up prostitutes and one of them murdering these desperate girls, and this particular manhunt is a desperate effort by someone to avenge a murder to a loved one by someone driving a white Mercedes.

Also a lot of work is done by Professor of Psychology, Solly Brightman, and thus assisting Detective Superintendent Lorimer by making perfect profile of these killers, but leaking info from someone within the police force in an effort to do good and hope for love will turn disastrous to that same person, but eventually a force from the police past will come to the fore, all in a desperate bid to commit the ultimate revenge for a hurtful love lost.

What is to follow is a very human and entertaining police procedure, with a great storyline heading towards a superbly executed plot in the end.

Highly recommended, for this is another wonderful addition to this very enjoyable and lifelike series, and that's why i like to call this latest episode: "A Captivating Human Revenge"!

[Linda Strong · Rating 4 out of 5]

With two new books coming out in 2018 this will total 16 books in this series. Although I always recommend starting at the very beginning, this one does okay as a stand alone.

DI Lorimer is starting a new job, albeit temporary, but he's facing all kinds of problems ..getting to know all the new faces of his team is just one. There are two serial killers at play in Glasgow.

One is killing ladies of the street. There have been 4 murders so far, and most of the police don't seem that bothered considering what the ladies do for a living. Lorimer looks at it differently .... they are all victims deserving on justice.

There is also killing men in the middle of the night, during a full moon, and they all are driving a silver white Mercedes. When the last man is found, he is identified as a prominent Scottish politician.

Who wants all these men dead? Is there a connection between the killers? the victims?

And Lorimer is not happy when his supervisor pulls him off the prostitutes' killer and makes the politician his priority. But then the cases seems to connect .....

The author does a great job is putting the reader in the middle of the seedier side of Glasgow. Lorimer is a terrific series character ... he never steps over the lines and he feels all victims deserve the best he can give for them. I also enjoy the personal side ... the wife he loves, the way they have handled their childless lives. Secondary characters are well thought out and lend credibility to the story.

Many thanks to the author / Harper Collins / Edelweiss for the advance digital copy of this crime thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonable plot set in a freezing cold Glasgow where DCS Lorimer is on the hunt for two serial killers. I enjoyed the close relationship that Lorimer has with his wife who is a well developed character. There was also a sensitive handling of girls and woman who turn to prostitution to feed their drug addiction.

[Sherry Fundin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A female vigilante. I love it!

Her friends death haunts her and she can find no relief, not even in the killing. Doesn’t matter. She will not stop until she finds HIM.

DS William Lorimer has been promoted to head of the Serious Crimes Squad. What’s on the agenda? Four murdered prostitutes.

BUT, when Deputy First Minister Edward Pattison is murdered, he must pass the prostitute murders to other divisions. He is not happy with it at all. Do some see the prostitutes as less valuable? They deserve justice as much as anyone else.

Instinct and compassion are two of William’s best traits. He cares about ALL victims. He would rather be on the streets, than shuffling paperwork, doing press conferences, and playing politics.

“Killing Time” has a double meaning for HER. SHE is smart, bold, and on a mission. I feel so much compassion for her. I know she has a tragic story and I can see why she did what she did. Sometimes we have to take justice into our own hands and I love that she did just that. My biggest worry…what will happen to her in the end?

As the investigation ramps up, connections are made. Police procedures unfold, piece by piece the clues are gathered. More than one persons secrets will be exposed.

The danger is subtle, yet permeates the pages, lingering, creating tension and a sense of urgency. Lily…what will become of her? Will she make it out alive? I have much empathy and concern for this young girl who doesn’t deserve what life has dealt her.

I LOVE the ending. Alex Gray did a fabulous job of leaving me satisfied.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of A Pound of Flesh by Alex Gray.

See more at fundinmental

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was unmemorable. I have never read any of the other books in this series but seeing as it is book nine, there must be something about the characters that readers enjoy. I just did not see or experience any of that with my reading experience. It was like I was going through a fog not really seeing much of anything. This book could have had potential but where it missed the marks was the lack of depth of personalities in the characters and a strong storyline. I read that some readers had issues with the character's dialect and I may have too if I had cared about this book. I will not be reading anymore in this series.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this police procedure novel. It has a good combination of scene description, character development, and police investigation. There is not a great deal of suspense nor action in the novel. The plot centers more around the psychology of the characters involved. DI Lorimer faces a difficult investigation and he enlists his friend, Solly, to work on a psychological profile. There is much more about the lives of those pursuing the killer than there is about the killer, however.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a character driven mystery. There is much about Lorimer, his life and thoughts. You'll read about Knox, one of Lorimer's detectives whose unrestrained infatuation nearly compromises the case. You'll be a part of Solly's life too, with his wife and their new child. While the plot is engaging, it is the lives of the characters involved that drives it forward.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Nick Davies · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at ~70%. This felt like 'crime writing by numbers'- nothing particularly egregious about it, but surprisingly difficult to find the motivation to read more, considering I like the genre and like the Scottish setting. Perhaps it is that fact - in comparison with the likes of Denise Mina, Malcolm Mackay, Craig Robertson, James Oswald, Craig Russell, this was rather dull with mediocre characters and an initially interesting but rapidly stagnating plot, described with a certain lack of colour in the language. The further I got in to it, the less I got out of it. I was surprised this was #9 in a series, I would have expected more from a successful set of books - perhaps Gray is running out of steam.

[Michelle Blackburn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable but not very mysterious or thrilling. More of a character study.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reads like very basic crime fiction, very basically written. It's fine, like, but it sure ain't new or cutting-edge. Attractive, happily married cop who really cares about the less fortunate; thinky psychologist friend; TWO serial killers! Whoo!

Also, bored of lesbian stories in mediocre crime fiction now. While straight characters are ever so cool and groovy and not homophobic, every single queer and queer relationship is unattractive, fucked up or murderous. This is Not Okay.

[Kathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book as always, Alex Gray is an amazing story teller with a gift of making the reader feel like they’re walking through the streets of glasgow.

[Taylor · Rating 1 out of 5]

One word: kak

[Micky · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book.

Starting off with that I love the characters as well as despise them. This book had me guessing more than twice. Frustration does not even cover how I felt when a girl or man was killed.

I love how the accents were written, it may seem difficult to read but if you have an idea of to it misread then it isn't as hard as it seems. This was an amazing read and a lovely piece of my building collection of books

[Nancy Kavanaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters came to life in the book. They were real, warts and all. The plot seemed complicated to the players, but the reader was given inside knowledge behind the scenes, which held his/her interest in watching how the puzzle unfolded and how the the solution to it, evolved. A nice, easy read that held my attention.

[Penny Drop · Rating 2 out of 5]

A relatively good plot for me was ruined by the erratic use of a Glaswegian accent. Seemingly pages could go by without the dialogue using the accent and then, as if it was an after thought, wham, I was flooded with the ayes and ochs.

Not a huge fan.

[Maxine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable Police procedural novel., extremely well executed. Good strong characterisation, a sensible plot that had a beginning, middle and end. All in all a enjoyable series.
I will be reading more!

[Lachemae · Rating 2 out of 5]

A predictable suspense.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

The first case for DSU William Lorimer in his new position as head of the Serious Crimes Unit. It is to be a short one, as the unit is to be disbanded in the near future. The unit is called upon when another prostitute is murdered, the fourth, and the jurisdiction is not equipped to handle it with their DCI Helen James in hospital. That is quickly set aside as a Deputy minister, Edward Pattison is found shot to death in his car. Lorimer is angered that he must set aside the one for the other. Then as the investigation progresses with Solly Brightman helping the police, there seems to be a connection between the two.

The Deputy first minister is found to be a philanderer and that he sought out prostitutes when traveling to Glasgow. Two other businessmen, Matthew Wardlaw and Thomas Littlejohn also used prostitutes. The brutal slayings of the prostitutes are found to be connected, killed by the same man. Solly believes that a woman is killing the men and a psychopath is killing the women: Carol Kilpatrick, Miriam Lyons, Jenny Haslet and Tracey-Anne Geddes.

When members of the first team join Lorimer's to step up the solution of the killing of Pattison, DC Barbara Knox is one of the eager officers to show Lorimer her skills. Unfortunately the killer of Pattison, is looking for the man in a white sports Mercedes, who killed the love of her life Carol Kilpatrick. She seeks out Knox to initiate a relationship with her to get information on what the police know. Barbara is sucked in and in her enthusiasm risks both her life and her career. She is abducted and nearly killed. Diana Yeats, aka DS Claire Johnson was DCI James' right hand and had left the police after losing Carol. Now on a journey of revenge she disguises herself as a prostitute and lures men in white cars to their death hoping to hit on the man who killed Carol Lorimer contends with a nasty DI Duncan Sutherland who is one of his new team, along with Monica Proctor and Tom Armstrong. Alexander Badica, a Romanian, is the psychopath. As Lorimer accidently comes upon Yeats on her way to walk the Drag for the last time, using information from Knox about the set up to find him on this full moon, briefly away from the surprise birthday party his wife Maggie had set up, he recognizes her. He calls out and then follows. Yeats gets into the car with Badica, who has a sword, shoots him, but then is killed in the accident when the cars runs into a building.

Good story. Lorimer is such an appealing character, and has an enviable relationship with Maggie.
The descriptions of the Parliament building (that I looked up...stunning) and the other landmarks of Edinburgh was fascinating.

[Tristan Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dove into the Lorimer series at this, number nine (cue the Beatles?), and although I have confidence that I'd have much greater insight into the main character(s) had I read them in order, it did not take away my enjoyment of this book one whit. It's an interesting challenge to write what is essentially a police procedural in the manner of a suspense novel, and Ms. Gray meets it quite well.

The essential element of two serial killers is discussed in the cover-blurb and description here on Goodreads, so I don't think I'll present any spoilers here. Perhaps it's my PhD in Liberal Arts getting in the way, or I'm a little too Shakespearean today, but...! The title comes from The Merchant of Venice, of course, and it is in that play that a woman is disguised as a man (in order to plead the case in the male-dominated court), who demands that the justice be carried out without spilling a drop of blood. There was no doubt a great deal of blood spil't at these murder scenes, but my observation was more about a male and female meting out their strange version of justice as if two twisted aspects of Portia, or perhaps as separated forms of Jekyll and Hyde. I'm likely stretching a point, but it struck me as an interesting idea.

As "just" a good read, this book satisfies at all levels, with characters and wholly reasonable twists that make a (to use the cliché term gladly) ripping good yarn. Gray manages to keep you not only involved with the characters but discreetly reminded of who they are, each step of the way. As a newcomer to the series, it was a great help; had I been brought up through the other eight books, I imagine that such reminders might not have been wholly necessary, but I also imagine that they would not have detracted from my enjoyment. Such writing is a balancing act, and Gray has done well.

My excuse for starting in the middle of this series of books was that the eBook was on sale via Bookbub, and the reviews here led me to think I'd not be disappointed. I was, in fact, delighted with the bargain (on my minuscule income of late, it's a boon!) and even more so with the book itself. Don't let "jumping in the middle" deter you from starting the Lorimer books at any point; if this entry is a representative example, there's no excuse to stop you reading any and all of this series. That's certainly on my agenda now. Kudos, Ms. Gray -- excellent work.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Glasgow treiben gleich zwei Serienkiller ihr Unwesen. Oder hängen die grausamen Morde von Prostituierten und die beiden erschossenen Geschäftsleute zusammen? Gleich der erste Fall, den DI Lorrimer mit seiner neuen Einheit lösen soll, stellt ihn vor eine besondere Herausforderung.

Hier ist vieles von Anfang an klar. Der Mörder der beiden Geschäftsleute und das Motiv werden sind das Erste, was der Leser erfährt. Trotzdem wird der Krimi zu keiner Zeit langweilig. Will Lorrimer ist dabei, sich an seinem neuen Arbeitsplatz zurecht zu finden. Er sollte mehr von seinem Schreibtisch aus arbeiten, aber ihn zieht es immer wieder auf die Straße zurück. Hier fühlt er sich wohler und kann seinen Instinkten folgen.

Wieder wird er bei seinen Ermittlungen von seinem Freund, dem Psychologen Solly Brightman unterstützt. Aber im Gegensatz zu Lorrimer liegen dessen Stärken nicht bei den Ermittlungen auf der Straße, sondern beim Erstellen eines Täterprofils. In dem Moment, in dem er sich aktiv in Lorrimers Arbeit einmischt, geht meistens etwas schief.

Das neue Team von Will Lorrimer ist eine interessante Mischung der unterschiedlichsten Charaktere. Von den meisten hoffe ich, noch mehr zu hören. Nur eine Kollegin hat mir nicht so gut gefallen: Barbara Knox. Ihre Rolle war mir zu platt. Von Anfang an wußte ich, was sie vorhatte und auch, dass die Sache nicht gut ausgehen würde. Dieser Teil der Geschichte hat mir am wenigsten gefallen.

Gut gefallen hat mir dagegen, wie Alex Gray das Leben der Mädchen und Frauen auf der Straße beschrieben hat. Das fand ich sehr beeindruckend.

[Greg D · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

What potentially could easily be a 4 Star or greater novel was brought down by two unecessary items:

1) Waaay too much superfluous fluff! While I understand character development, there is a fine line between helpful information and totally over-the-top descriptions of Maggie's daily histrionics!

2) As always seems to be the case with Ms. Gray's stories, there is at least one or more instances of a contrived plot vehicle.

**** SPOILERS AHEAD ****

The idea of an otherwise very competent DC Knox putting heself in a potentially dangerous situation without making contacts to any of her colleagues is ludicrous in itself, but then to compound that error by proceeding down to an isolated garage with a huge man whom she already suspects is the killer is simply unforgivable!

Not a deal breaker from reading the next entry in the series, but possibly so if it continues.

[John Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about misguided revenge. From time to time the killer speaks to us but we learn little from these words. Bodies of prostitutes start showing up in near a railway station. A man is killed in his car in what seems to be an execution. Another follows and then, horror of horrors, a high-ranking politician becomes a victim. This changes things for the police investigation as the death of the politician is prioritised. But are all these killings linked? DCI Lorimer again refers the case to profiler Solly Brightman, a recurring character, who offers helpful opinions.
Frankly, the believability of the plot and some minor threads was low in my opinion. There also seemed to be more than usual of the personal issues of the characters. It's still not a bad read, but I have marked it down. The fact that this is the ninth in this series is beginning to show.
Rating 3.4.

[Nancy]

In the depths of a freezing winter, Glasgow finds itself at the mercy of not one, but two serial killers
This is Detective Inspector Lorimer’s worst nightmare and beyond anything he’s faced in his many years on the force. Can he find a link between the brutal slaying of prostitutes in the back streets of the city and the methodical killing of several unconnected businessmen?
When the latest victim turns out to be a prominent Scottish politician, the media’s spotlight is shone on Lorimer’s investigation. Psychologist and criminal profiler Solly Brightman is called in to help solve the cases, but his help may be futile as they realize that someone on the inside is leaking confidential police information. Meanwhile two killers haunt the snowy streets and Lorimer must act fast, before they strike again…

Great.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right up front, I've read a few of these books- completely out of order- and thanks to Edelweiss, I had an ARC of this installment which I enjoyed. It's your basic serial killer procedural but it's set in Glasgow (beware there will be dialect in some of the dialogue). Lorimer and his sidekick Solly the psychologist are trying to figure out whether the deaths of prostitutes and men are linked. No spoilers here. The characters are well done (I like Lorimer's wife Maggie) but this is very plot driven (which is why you can read this as stand alones). It's fairly basic stuff but perfect for travel, among other things. I'm looking forward to more.

[Sophie Morris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very much looking forward to the intense murder mystery plot, however, it fell short of the mark. The paragraphs and chapters felt very bitty and tended to jump from one character/situation to the next without going in-depth of what is happening. I also felt that the ending was wrapped up too quickly (don't worry, I wont give away spoilers) and could have been drawn out for dramatic effect instead of being easy to predict with a sudden ending. Despite this, I am more than willing to try again with more of her books and see what other murder mysteries are out their to be solved by Lormier.

[Morag · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy this series - the main characters have become very familiar. I have not read the books in the order they were written but that doesn't really matter.
This story contains the hunt for two serial killers - one is killing prostitutes in the centre of Glasgow and the other is killing smartly dressed men in white Mercedes who use the services of prostitutes. It did keep me wondering on different levels- who was murdering and why? However, the ending was very irritating. (No spoilers here!).
Hm. I might have a gap before my next Lorimer novel - but I will read another (or three!).

[Toni Langley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rather repetitive and, to me, really played on stereotypes. It was fast paced but sometimes it didn't feel like anything was happening and the flow felt a bit choppy. One second a character could be talking about a bird or their baby or the weather and the next it was (repeating) the terrible crime they were trying to solve. Sometimes worded differently, but basically the same thing over and over.

Two stars because I liked the idea of it, but the generalisation and stereotyping was just way over the top and the crime wasn't solved by any brilliant piece of policing (ha!) but pure coincidence where both killers died at the end, all wrapped up with a neat little bow.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like this series

To be honest, I was put off by the title and wasn't Ayre I wanted to read this book, but it was a book club choice. When I saw it was a series about a character named DCI Lorimer I decided to read the first book in the series first. I really liked it. Having just finished this book, which was great, I now plan to read the whole series start to finish! I'm so happy to have found a new series to enjoy!

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I might have read this before even though it’s not on any of my lists. Not a book i’d Read twice. Ok read but full of cliches - including a dumpy detective called Barbara (cf Elizabeth George). Don’t know if that’s a British thing that women who are fat, unfeminine, unlovable are all called Barbara?

[Michael Oxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Alex Gray's DCI Lorimer series.

The recently promoted Detective Superintendent is investigating the murders of prostitutes on the streets of Glasgow, and the seemingly unrelated killings of businessmen.

This was another enjoyable read, I found difficult to put down.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

DCI Lorimer begins a new job in charge of the serious crimes unit and is immediately dealing with two sets of murders with very different targets. With help from psychologist Solly Brightman he manages to unravel the clues, but can he do it in time to stop any more killings? Engrossing story with well described characters.