The Storm Without

Doug Michie #1

by Tony Black

Doug Michie returns home and begins investigating the murder of a young girl, but before he knows it, he is embroiled in a complicated web of corruption. This is a new novel by the acclaimed Scottish writer Tony Black who Irving Welsh described as his "favorite British crime writer."

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Scotland, Fiction

186 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Tony Black is the author of more than 20 books, most recently Her Cold Eyes. He has been nominated for eight CWA Daggers and was runner up in The Guardian's Not the Booker prize for The Last Tiger.

He has written three crime series, a number of crime novellas and two collections of short stories. His acclaimed author interviews series was collected under the title, Hard Truths.

His novella, The Ringer, was adapted for the stage and the Ayr Gaiety performance can be found on YouTube.

A former Young Journalist of the Year, he still writes for the press regularly.

For more information, and the latest news visit his website at: www.tonyblack.net or his blog: www.pulppusher.blogspot.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter or Linked-In.

Reviews

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

This bleak homecoming novella originally appeared as a serial within the Ayrshire Post newspaper. As far as I’m aware it’s one of the few crime novels set in the South-West coastal town of Ayr, which like any other Scottish town appears to be riddled with violence and political corruption.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Echoes of Ken Bruen are deafening throughout this windswept, damp, and cold slice of crime by Tony Black. Once removed from a police procedural yet close enough to the beat to give protagonist Doug Michie a dose of blue blood. As a former law abiding officer of the peace, his view on the greater good is jaded having fallen out with his former employer for doing the job he'd been paid to do. No longer with shield, his bravado and hard man persona lead him to troubles from childhood as he revisits his hometown of Ayr to start afresh.

Upon entering his former stomping ground without a cause or purpose, he sights a familiar figure in Lyn (a flame long extinguished) at a bus stop. The decision to engage in conversation draws Michie into a murder investigation; helpless against the tears of a former friend, he stands to prove her sons innocence for the alleged murder of his girlfriend. From that moment forth, author Tony Black engulfs Michie in all kinds of hurt and cover-up - police, local hoodlums, power brokers and general scum all cross paths with the PI-by-default in his search for answers.

The plot, stylistic in its simplicity, strictly lone-wolf without the extravagance is moody and chill inflicting. Yet the raw and atmospheric whodunit tends to give depth (scene explanation and outcomes) a mere glance at a time while maintaining the place setting in explicit detail. Personally I would've liked to have know a little more of the criminal element with the bit players mostly without feeling in comparison to hard-done-by, damaged and vigilant Michie.

'The Storm Without' is taut and unflinching with appeal for the poetic and pulp alike. This is a solid building block for future Doug Michie escapades. If not for the lean storytelling and look-away resolutions to some of the action sequences, this would've been an instant classic. While comparable to Bruen, Black is a unique voice that gives genre fans sometime a little different to digest. 3 stars.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, so I came to The Storm Without 'cause Ken Bruen called it "the Great Scottish Novel, got it all and just a wee shade more ... Classic." Well, I like crime novels and I like most things Scottish, so this seemed like the book for me.

But apparently not. Nothing wrong with Black's writing (I'll probably try another of his books before long), but to me, The Storm Without seemed just a wee shade less.

Doug Michie returns to his home town of Ayr, Scotland having been divorced from his wife and tossed from his job with the Royal Ulster Constabulary. He's got no job, his mum's an alcoholic wreck, his sisters not talking to him, and an old girlfriend he meets first moment back in town is all upset 'cause her son's being held by the cops for a murder he, well, certainly didn't commit. So what's a down-trodden ex-cop supposed to do?

I get a distinct impression that there's supposed to be something in The Storm Without that speaks to the Scottish condition. Unfortunately, just being an American wannabe, I suppose I just don't connect the way true Scottish readers might. Told in first person, Doug has plenty to say about the state of Ayr and Burns country, and the weather and his feelings, which I gather are supposed to be reflective of contemporary Scotsmen of a certain age. But the murder and Doug's investigation just seem a bit cut and dried. A little too matter of fact. And a bit too unsatisfying.

All in all, Tony Black's The Storm Without reads a lot like a more sober, but light-weight version of one of Ken Bruen's superior Jack Taylor books.

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a deceptive beauty to THE STORM WITHOUT. Think of it as a lyrical spin on a Lawrence Block-like detective story. It's both a very conventional, straightforward detective story and an amazing feat of writing haunting atmospheres and deep, multifaceted characters. It's a pleasure for any reader to feel a text that's been crafted and loved with so much patience. Tony Black's style is economical, cerebral and very, very visual. Doug Michie is a tremendous creation and I hope this is not the end of the road for this character. If a hardboiled character deserves a series, it's him. Hard to imagine where he can go from here, but if you want to treat yourself to something very good, read THE STORM WITHOUT.

[Jim McGowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of an ex-policeman returning to his hometown of Ayr and getting caught up in some nasty business when helping an old friend. I liked reading this book set in the next-town-over from where I grew up, especially as I picked it up just as I came back for a holiday. I've seen the labels 'tartan noir' and 'scottish noir' stuck on a few scottish novels, but this is the first that I've felt is actually reminiscent of the hardboiled/noir style. Unfortunately I found the narrative to be too heavy on 'oh how things have changed' and too light on actual story - especially at the end where the penultimate chapter ends with the protagonist drowning with no hope of rescue, and the final chapter opens with him recovering in hospital and all the bad guys arrested with no whiff of an explanation as to how these two events came to pass.

[Midnight · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always thoroughly enjoyed and admired Tony Black's work to the extent as soon as I hear he has a new book published, I cannot wait to get 'my next fix'.

This story about a new protagonist, Doug Michie, is based around Ayr, the heart of Burns Country. Doug's returned home after putting a police career in Belfast and the RUC behind him. He'd learnt the hard way that experience was the name a man gives to his mistakes.

It's not long before Doug is drawn into the world of murder and corruption and..............well, you'll need to read the book yourself to find out the rest!

I can highly recommend this as another superb tale from this talented author - I hope there's another book in the pipeline so it's not too long until I can get my next fix! I am hoping there are to be more, as it seems to be termed 'the first Doug Michie Crime Thriller'?

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I have Tony Black figured out - he likes to write about train wrecks!

This novella wasn't too bad but very predictable. The main character "Doug Michie" is likeable but like the rest of the main characters Mr. Black writes about, he is terribly flawed and being an ex-cop should be better prepared for what lies ahead.

Another "fault" of this novella was that it is incomplete - "Doug's" rescue is never dealt with!

Would I recommend this to anyone - yes, if you wanted a quick, easy read - then go for it.

Would I read any more of Tony Black's books - unlikely, at least I won't make a big effort to.

[Christie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I good story, possibly too many mention of street names etc in Ayr where story is set. Fine if you know the town but if not I think it would be confusing

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a dreadful book! I was tempted by the ‘rave reviews’ comparing the author to Ian Rankin and Irvine Welsh - what a mistake. Cliched wooden characters and boringly predictable plot. It’s the old story - I only gave it one star because I couldn’t see an option to give none!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good mystery, I did enjoy the nostalgia for old Ayr town as Doug wandered through places from his childhood and reminisced about the past

[margaret thomson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good mix of family life and the horror of work life very enjoyable looked forwarded to each chapter as I read a great of horror in his books but also some humour to break up the tension.

[John Newall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun for me as its the only book I've read set in my home town. Still a really good read. I want to read more from Tony Black.

[Jack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scottish crime thriller featuring a disillusioned ex copper. Interesting plot although somewhat far fetched.

[Nigel Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Black’s book ‘The Storm Without’ takes a slight deviation from the police procedurals he’s been releasing of late.
It’s tells the story of a man returning to his home town of Ayr, having made decisions in the past that leave him unsure of his direction in life.

As he arrives in the town, he sees a familiar face, that of an ex-girlfriend. She’s waiting at the bus stop, so he pulls over to offer her a lift. The old chemistry hasn’t completely gone and they end up going for coffee. Turns out her son is being charged for murder and that he needs some help to prove his innocence.

The good news is that our man Doug Michie is a seasoned hard-man who has spent time in Ulster working for the RUC in Belfast. It means that when the trail leads him to some powerful and dangerous people, he’s not entirely out of his depth.

There are many things in this book that will seem familiar to fans of lone-wolf detectives and private-investigators. These will make you feel very much at home. You may get whiffs of Ken Bruen or fleeting moments of déjà vu from older stories.

How then, does Black make his character stand out from the rest?

Michie is partial to Robbie Burns. He knows his work and likes to quote him from time-to-time to illustrate his thinking. He’s also a guy who pays attention to the world and will use the things he remembers to illustrate his points. And he’s a pretty reflective sort, finding that returning to his home town raises questions about his life, his value to the world and his mortality.

It’s also slightly different in that this was first released in serial form. This has some impact on the style and means that new chapters occasionally revisit previous ones to make sure the reader is clear about where they are in the story.

Telling a story in the first person isn’t an easy thing; Tony Black pretty much gets the balance of introspection and action right.

‘The Storm Without’ is another example of Black’s talent and it’s a rather pleasing tale. If you’re short of holiday reading this summer, this book will certainly help to fill the hole.

A fine addition to the Blasted Heath collection.

[Keith Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doug Michie, ex copper, returns to his home town of Ayr. He's been away a long time. The place has changed and so has he. Almost immediately Doug happens past an old flame, Lyn. But she's in trouble, her son Glenn is in prison, accused of murdering his girlfriend - a crime Lyn is convinced Glenn didn't and couldn't commit. Doug can't help but investigate. He calls on old friends and enemies alike to get to the truth, not all of which he will want to know...

Another excellent story from Tony Black, this one reasonably short at approximately 170 pages. It cracks along at pace and increasing tension as the revelations roll off the pages. I couldn't help but stay up late (again) to finish it. It's a degree of departure from his more recent work in terms of both protagonists (Gus Drury and Rob Brennan) and location (Edinburgh). Ayr is painted graphically (in black and white) - a run down, shadow of its former self and inhabited by low lives on both sides of the law. I wouldn't choose the place to go on holiday, in fact I'd drive straight through with the windows up and the door locks firmly down. The characters are colourfully unpleasant, tightly described and rich in dialogue. A small amount of local slang is used, just enough to add interest without being distracting.

There's a teasing reference to Michie's past in the RUC. He's tough, experienced and sharp. Hopefully we'll see more of him in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed The Storm Without. Top drawer writing, top draw writer.

[Peter Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short, punchy and hugely enjoyable novel(la). It follows disgraced ex-cop Doug Michie as he returns from Belfast, to his home town of Ayr in Scotland. He bumps into an old flame who asks for his help and a tale of murder, corruption, and cover-ups unfolds.

The book is set in Ayr and Black does describe the place in detail at times. Would this alienate the International audience? The same logic could be applied to any novel not set in Paris, Rome, New York or London and therefore, no novel set outside these places would have any International appeal. Clearly, this is a fallacy. It's the quality of the description and the sense of place evoked that matter, and this novel transplants you to Ayr (which could be an allegory for any small, once prosperous and now declining town) with aplomb. Sure, if you were a native it might add to your enjoyment but it definitely would not preclude anyone who had no idea where Ayr was.

The prose is not pretentious or overdone but sparingly clever and thought-provoking. It helps the pace of the story immensely. We don't spend page after page getting inside Michie's head but we certainly get to know what makes him tick. The back story is drip fed and resolved neatly as it builds to a tense climax, with a nice twist included.

It's got a slightly different feel and approach to most crime thrillers and is highly recommended.

[Zogman · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a reasonable story about an ex policeman, Michie, who returns to his hometown of Ayr, but it's written by an "AUTHOR". Similar to some actors who are "ACTORS", full of self-importance. It would appear that Mr Black finds it necessary to use obscure words purely to show how clever he is and not to explain or expand on the dialogue. I think this was his first novel and that may explain his need to write in this way, but it does nothing to make the book readable, or make me want to read another.

Lots of holes in the plot. Without spoiling the book, I'll just say there were quite a few instances where things just happen, people appear or disappear without explanation. You get the feeling Black just couldn't be bothered.

No reason given why Michie has been sent home from Ireland. Maybe this is meant to whet our appetite. It didn't work for me.

Too many quotes from Burns. Some were appropriate, some were not.

Lots of references to places in Ayr, but to the worldwide audience these will mean nothing.

I thought this would be a good read, but it wasn't. Michie is touted as the "New Ian Rankin".
Aye Right!

[Gareth Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Black picks you up, puts you in the eye of the storm and then drops you back down to earth with this tale of Doug Michie returning, reluctantly, back home to Ayr after his police career in Ulster ends in disaster. He's barely been back for two minutes before he has agreed to help old friend, Lyn, with her sons recent arrest for the murder of his girlfriend. As Doug starts asking questions details of drug smuggling, Police corruption, local Government corruption and collusion with local gangsters all start to rear their ugly heads.

So far, so familiar for this type of story but Tony Black manages to make it believable and fresh with his descriptions of Dougs feelings of coming back home after so long and is devastating when describing Dougs relationship with his alchoholic mother and estranged sister. The fact that he manages to wrap it all up in a novella sized Hurricane Katrina is testament to the power of this very accomplished writers talent. Storming

[Simon Perkins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel I may have picked up Tony Black at a low point, I have bought other books of his and hope that the standard is better than this. The Storm Without centres on a stereotypical ex-policeman with drinking problems, this I could forgive if the plot and the detection werent so telegraphed. The main suspect happens to be a stereotypical bad guy who the ex-policeman knew as a bad guy 20 years ago so has a hunch that he must therefore be at fault for the latest crime, so he follows him. His sole line of enquiry is a hunch and not one bourne out of any reasonable detection and never deviates (nor does it need to). I feel that this was rushed, the plot was an afterthought and the only reason for this book is to introduce a new character. I will read another of Mr Black's novels from earlier with a different character, hopefully my assumption that this is an abberation (based on reviews of other books) will be proved correct but after this I will be a lot quicker to walk away.

[Janine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doug Mitchie is a police officer with the RUC but his career is over so he returns to his birth place Ayr back to where his career first started.

He's picked up his car and driving back to the town but along the way his recognises a face at the side of the road, an old school friend so pulls over to speak to her. The conversation that takes place next drags him into the criminality elelment of the town which leaves his with broken bones and near death.

As well as this happening he has to come to terms with family issues which makes him relfect on his life.

Loved this book as usual great standards by this author.

Looking forward to reading another story of Doug.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 1 out of 5]

An ex-policeman goes back to his old home town and gets involved in a murder investigation.

The writing was poor. The characters are underdeveloped / stereo-typical (a drunken ex-detective with family problems, corrupt police / councillors and stupid / viscous criminals). The only character that I could engage with was the old dog. The plot wasn’t involving.

If you read the first ten pages of this book and don’t like it, I’d advise you to give up as the standard remains the same / gets worse (especially the ending).

[Colin David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Black's style of writing, and the storyline is good with "damaged" detective returning to his home town of Ayr and getting involved with an old flame and her son held on a murder charge. The book is quite short and he doesn't reveal the clues he is given along the way, which is a bit frustrating. If he had filled it out more and developed the characters it would have been a 4 star. I will look to read his other books.

[Martin Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doug Michie has had an interesting life. Ex policeman in his native Ayrshire and then a spell in Belfast. To say he's unconventional wouldn't be an exaggeration.
This first story in the Michie series rattles along with plenty of action and some fantastic plot twists. As ever, Tony Black has excellent characterisation, authentic dialogue and lots of action. Highly recommended

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A former police officer goes back to his home town to start over. The son of an old school mate is being held under suspicion of having murdered his girlfriend. The ex-cop turns private investigator in an attempt to solve the crime and find the real murderer.

[Rkb 2015 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A former police officer goes back to his home town to start over. The son of an old school mate is being held under suspicion of having murdered his girlfriend. The ex-cop turns private investigator in an attempt to solve the crime and find the real murderer.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dark, deep and thoughtful.