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Davie McCall #1
Blood City
Glasgow's mean streets just got meaner. Can Davie McCall survive?"
Meet Davie McCall - not your average henchman. Abused and tormented by his father for fifteen years, there is a darkness in him searching for a way out. Under the wing of Glasgow's Godfather, Joe "the Tailor" Klein, he flourishes.
Joe the Tailor may be a killer, but there are some lines he won't cross, and Davie agrees with his strict moral code. He doesn't like drugs. He won't condone foul language. He abhors violence against women. When the Tailor refuses to be part of Glasgow's new drug trade, the hits start rolling. It's every man for himself as the entire criminal underworld turns on itself, and Davie is well and truly caught up in the action.
But an attractive young reporter makes him wonder if he can leave his life of crime behind and Davie must learn the hard way that you cannot change what you are. Blood City is a novel set in Glasgow's underworld at a time when it was undergoing a seismic shift. A tale of violence, corruption and betrayal, loyalties will be tested and friendships torn apart.
Meet Davie McCall - not your average henchman. Abused and tormented by his father for fifteen years, there is a darkness in him searching for a way out. Under the wing of Glasgow's Godfather, Joe "the Tailor" Klein, he flourishes.
Joe the Tailor may be a killer, but there are some lines he won't cross, and Davie agrees with his strict moral code. He doesn't like drugs. He won't condone foul language. He abhors violence against women. When the Tailor refuses to be part of Glasgow's new drug trade, the hits start rolling. It's every man for himself as the entire criminal underworld turns on itself, and Davie is well and truly caught up in the action.
But an attractive young reporter makes him wonder if he can leave his life of crime behind and Davie must learn the hard way that you cannot change what you are. Blood City is a novel set in Glasgow's underworld at a time when it was undergoing a seismic shift. A tale of violence, corruption and betrayal, loyalties will be tested and friendships torn apart.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 2, 2013
39 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Skelton
41 books138 followersDouglas has been a shelf stacker, bank clerk, tax officer, factory worker, advertising salesperson, taxi driver (for two days), wine waiter (for two hours), journalist and criminal investigator. His early books were all in true crime or criminal history but now he writes fiction, beginning with the Davie McCall series. The final book in the series, OPEN WOUNDS, has been longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize 2016, alongside such authors as Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Lin Anderson, Doug Johnstone and James Oswald.
His next book is THE DEAD DON'T BOOGIE, which will kick off a new series.
His next book is THE DEAD DON'T BOOGIE, which will kick off a new series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
December 7, 2024
An origin story to start off a quartet of books featuring Davie McCall, centered around gang culture in Glasgow in 1980. Plenty of gritty action, violence and twists and turns in a familiar story of betrayal as the influx of the drug trade upsets the order of the criminal underworld. And just enough set up to make the central characters interesting to sustain into the following books.
November 28, 2024
This eventful debut crime novel is the 1st book of the in four parts consisting "Davie McCall" series.
The author's experience also as a non-fiction crime writer comes very much to the fore in this novel concerning various criminal subjects, like treachery between crime-lords, confidant and desperate foot-soldiers, and backstabbing and murder.
Storytelling is excellent, all characters are very believable in this mean world of crime and death, while the crimelike atmosphere of late 1970s and early 1980s Glasgow comes splendidly off the pages.
This book and series is set in Glasgow and is about Davie McCall, son of Danny McCall who's a most brutal killer of a man who worked for Joe Klein, aka Joe the Tailor, but who has now supposedly disappeared, and now Davie himself is working for the same Joe Klein.
Several dark figures are fighting for power and ownership of a new lucrative business, namely drugs, and this nasty business will lead to backstabbing and death within Joe Klein's criminal empire, as well as certain deaths towards Joe Klein's opponents.
Good and bad cops are also playing a very brave (Donovan) and sly (Knight) part in dealing with crime-lords and their gangs, and this last (Knight) will not be afraid to use blackmail to get certain people out of way.
What is to follow is a fast-paced and thrilling first part of this series, and where the reality of crime and death in Glasgow in the 1980s are superbly worded and pictured by the author.
Highly recommended, for this is a remarkable debut fiction novel by this author, who's known for his "Company of Rogues" series, about crime in Glasgow in the 1980s, and that's why I like to call this first episode: "A Captivating Glasgow Crime Start"!
The author's experience also as a non-fiction crime writer comes very much to the fore in this novel concerning various criminal subjects, like treachery between crime-lords, confidant and desperate foot-soldiers, and backstabbing and murder.
Storytelling is excellent, all characters are very believable in this mean world of crime and death, while the crimelike atmosphere of late 1970s and early 1980s Glasgow comes splendidly off the pages.
This book and series is set in Glasgow and is about Davie McCall, son of Danny McCall who's a most brutal killer of a man who worked for Joe Klein, aka Joe the Tailor, but who has now supposedly disappeared, and now Davie himself is working for the same Joe Klein.
Several dark figures are fighting for power and ownership of a new lucrative business, namely drugs, and this nasty business will lead to backstabbing and death within Joe Klein's criminal empire, as well as certain deaths towards Joe Klein's opponents.
Good and bad cops are also playing a very brave (Donovan) and sly (Knight) part in dealing with crime-lords and their gangs, and this last (Knight) will not be afraid to use blackmail to get certain people out of way.
What is to follow is a fast-paced and thrilling first part of this series, and where the reality of crime and death in Glasgow in the 1980s are superbly worded and pictured by the author.
Highly recommended, for this is a remarkable debut fiction novel by this author, who's known for his "Company of Rogues" series, about crime in Glasgow in the 1980s, and that's why I like to call this first episode: "A Captivating Glasgow Crime Start"!
December 5, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed the fourth book in this quartet when I read it a couple of years ago, and have intended to go back and read the first three ever since. Unfortunately, this one isn't anything like the same standard, suggesting the author developed quite a bit as the series progressed.
This is a totally standard Glasgow gangster novel - the type that really annoys me as it's full of shootouts. It's set back in the '90s when admittedly gangs were a bit more part of Glasgow culture than they are now, but they had already diminished hugely from their violent hey-day, and frankly guns have never been a big part of the culture. Gun deaths in Scotland are remarkably rare, and by halfway through this book had already used up the full quota for a few years of reality. It bores me - why write about Glasgow if you're not going to write realistically? It's the bookish equivalent of selling tartan to tourists.
Add in a bunch of standard gangster-with-heart characters, every policeman (I use the word deliberately) being violent and/or corrupt, and lots of descriptions of John Wayne-esque fist fights, and I've had enough. Abandoned at 44%. However, it's well written and will probably appeal to people who enjoy standard gang novels, especially ones who only know Glasgow from its crime fictional reputation.
This is a totally standard Glasgow gangster novel - the type that really annoys me as it's full of shootouts. It's set back in the '90s when admittedly gangs were a bit more part of Glasgow culture than they are now, but they had already diminished hugely from their violent hey-day, and frankly guns have never been a big part of the culture. Gun deaths in Scotland are remarkably rare, and by halfway through this book had already used up the full quota for a few years of reality. It bores me - why write about Glasgow if you're not going to write realistically? It's the bookish equivalent of selling tartan to tourists.
Add in a bunch of standard gangster-with-heart characters, every policeman (I use the word deliberately) being violent and/or corrupt, and lots of descriptions of John Wayne-esque fist fights, and I've had enough. Abandoned at 44%. However, it's well written and will probably appeal to people who enjoy standard gang novels, especially ones who only know Glasgow from its crime fictional reputation.
February 1, 2016
Really enjoyed this one - quick read with great characters and lots of unforeseen twists.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
November 30, 2017
Your classic noir /crime story with an excellent style.
Glasgow, 1980. Gangland tensions rise when mobster Joe "the Tailor" refuses to take part in an association to start dealing drug on a large scale. War is brooding.
All the usual suspects are in this book: Joe the old school mobster, father figure for Davie, the main character. Davie, who suffered from a violent father, faithful as a dog to Joe. Rab, his king-sized best mate. Boyle, Davie's nemesis and his mate Sinclair. Jones, who wants to run drugs in Glasgow, opposed to Joe. Not to forget Donovan and Knight as the good cop/dirty cop dynamic duo.
Sounds lousy, eh? Well, it's not. Why so?
The style, baby, the style.
Douglas Skelton actually writes with a good and concise style. Nothing too fancy. Clean and clear. Not too descriptive yet with a good sense of settings and atmosphere.
Excellent dialogues, with accent and local slang and all. It totally rang true to my ear and from other reviews I've read on GR it had the same effect on Glasgowians who should know about it.
As archetypal as they are the characters are surprisingly interesting. I've seen their kind dozens of time but still they felt almost new to me and I cared about them.
A classic plot enhanced by some nice twists, good characters, settings and dialogues. Nothing that's not been done before but done with style.
Sometimes that's all the difference you need.
Glasgow, 1980. Gangland tensions rise when mobster Joe "the Tailor" refuses to take part in an association to start dealing drug on a large scale. War is brooding.
All the usual suspects are in this book: Joe the old school mobster, father figure for Davie, the main character. Davie, who suffered from a violent father, faithful as a dog to Joe. Rab, his king-sized best mate. Boyle, Davie's nemesis and his mate Sinclair. Jones, who wants to run drugs in Glasgow, opposed to Joe. Not to forget Donovan and Knight as the good cop/dirty cop dynamic duo.
Sounds lousy, eh? Well, it's not. Why so?
The style, baby, the style.
Douglas Skelton actually writes with a good and concise style. Nothing too fancy. Clean and clear. Not too descriptive yet with a good sense of settings and atmosphere.
Excellent dialogues, with accent and local slang and all. It totally rang true to my ear and from other reviews I've read on GR it had the same effect on Glasgowians who should know about it.
As archetypal as they are the characters are surprisingly interesting. I've seen their kind dozens of time but still they felt almost new to me and I cared about them.
A classic plot enhanced by some nice twists, good characters, settings and dialogues. Nothing that's not been done before but done with style.
Sometimes that's all the difference you need.
October 11, 2015
Douglas Skelton is known as a non-fiction writer and this is his fiction book. This book is set in the Glasgow of 1970's. I could relate to the time frame and the setting. Being from Glasgow myself I had no problem imaging the places where scenes are set. This is a fast moving book and will appeal to lovers of crime fiction. I will look forward to reading the sequel and would urge you all to read this fast, easy and enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
March 9, 2020
One of the workshops I went to at Graham Smith's Crime & Publishment last month was on injecting pace into one's writing.
Douglas Skelton's Blood City demonstrated everything we were taught, in spades - a prime example of suspense, tension, characters in action - and what action, what characters - and high speed. A gripping tale set deep in Glasgow's gangster land.
And this, apparently, not the last we'll hear of Davie McCall
Douglas Skelton's Blood City demonstrated everything we were taught, in spades - a prime example of suspense, tension, characters in action - and what action, what characters - and high speed. A gripping tale set deep in Glasgow's gangster land.
And this, apparently, not the last we'll hear of Davie McCall
February 28, 2016
What a great book! Reading this was like stepping back in time to the late 70s. Lots of phrases in it that I haven't heard in years. The whole thing just reeks of authenticity in terms of the characters and the Glasgow setting. Highly recommended.
June 23, 2015
This is the first book in a new series and, as such, there is a lot of scene setting, character introductions and back story but there is also a bucket load of action. This book kicked off from the first page and didn't let go until the last, Actually, it hasn't let go yet cos there is more to be told as I believe this will be a series of four books.
I am always quite wary of books that feature bad guys as main characters but, like all good gangster types, Davie McCall et al have their own set of values and codes that they adhere to. The main story running through this book is gang rivalry and features a whole host of, what come across as, very real characters from crime lords to lackeys to sidekicks and bodyguards to reporters and police, they are all individually crafted, have their own agendas and means of getting what they want. The lines between good and evil certain blur in this book and, for a short book, there are an awful lot of major players but I never got lost or confused.
The dialogue is mostly written in the vernacular but is easy to read. I do admit to having to look up a few words, but the majority were easily guessable from the context and so none of that distracted me from the story.
The scene setting in Glasgow was also easy to picture (and I am not usually a visual reader) the author really got the tone of some of the places he was describing. All in all, a good read and a great start to a new series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I am always quite wary of books that feature bad guys as main characters but, like all good gangster types, Davie McCall et al have their own set of values and codes that they adhere to. The main story running through this book is gang rivalry and features a whole host of, what come across as, very real characters from crime lords to lackeys to sidekicks and bodyguards to reporters and police, they are all individually crafted, have their own agendas and means of getting what they want. The lines between good and evil certain blur in this book and, for a short book, there are an awful lot of major players but I never got lost or confused.
The dialogue is mostly written in the vernacular but is easy to read. I do admit to having to look up a few words, but the majority were easily guessable from the context and so none of that distracted me from the story.
The scene setting in Glasgow was also easy to picture (and I am not usually a visual reader) the author really got the tone of some of the places he was describing. All in all, a good read and a great start to a new series.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2015
Couldn't put it down!
Blood City is a fantastic novel based around gang warfare in 1970/80s Glasgow. This book brought the streets of Glasgow and their inhabitants alive and I could almost feel myself walking along Duke St and down the High Street towards the Tolbooth and Saltmarket and through the East End - living in Glasgow and having spent much of my time in these areas in my younger years this book was completely realistic - you can feel the menace as you read and the adrenaline was pumping as the story unfolded.
While the story is told through the eyes of Davie McCall there are a wealth of characters introduced some more likeable than others despite their gangland background; police brutality Nd corruption is rife and it would seem the good guys are non existent in Blood City. But Davie McCall is a strong character with his own set of values and moral code - band I am looking forward to seeing where it develops from here.
Blood City fed my visual imagination, satisfied my love of realism within the crime genre and I just couldn't put it down!
Even if you don't have connections to my beautiful city I would recommend that you read this book
Blood City is a fantastic novel based around gang warfare in 1970/80s Glasgow. This book brought the streets of Glasgow and their inhabitants alive and I could almost feel myself walking along Duke St and down the High Street towards the Tolbooth and Saltmarket and through the East End - living in Glasgow and having spent much of my time in these areas in my younger years this book was completely realistic - you can feel the menace as you read and the adrenaline was pumping as the story unfolded.
While the story is told through the eyes of Davie McCall there are a wealth of characters introduced some more likeable than others despite their gangland background; police brutality Nd corruption is rife and it would seem the good guys are non existent in Blood City. But Davie McCall is a strong character with his own set of values and moral code - band I am looking forward to seeing where it develops from here.
Blood City fed my visual imagination, satisfied my love of realism within the crime genre and I just couldn't put it down!
Even if you don't have connections to my beautiful city I would recommend that you read this book
March 15, 2019
Wow! I have only recently discovered Douglas Skelton's books and I'm hooked! Blood City is a genuine page turner. Violence, corruption, betrayal, gang warfare, they're all here in their gritty reality. The setting of 1980's Glasgow adds to the atmosphere. It's fast paced with cracking dialogue and believable characters, I couldn't put it down. Strangely, although you know Davie McCall is on the wrong side of the law with a dark and violent temperament, somehow I found myself rooting for him! I simply have to find out what happens in the next instalment. Scottish crime writing at it's best!
September 4, 2019
Davie McCall is a likeable teenage thug who is part of a crime mob headed by Joe-the-Tailor. Joe took Davie under his wing when his mother was killed and his father abandoned him. Davie is tougher than the other boys and is Joe's favorite and does what is necessary to protect Joe's interests. On Davie's softer side, he becomes interested in a girl but has to decide if he wants to bring her into his world or get himself out of his. The book was easy to read and I enjoyed it and got the feeling that there was good inside of Davie in spite of what he did.
June 29, 2015
Really enjoyed this book the story and the characters were realistic . being from Glasgow I recognized the street names and places and could visualize them being there and it was very true of the crime lords/ gangsters from back then . I can't wait to read the next book. Would recommend this .
October 24, 2016
Douglas Skelton is well versed in crime writing – as a journalist and author of true crime books. This is his first foray into fictional crime, and he doesn’t disappoint.
Davie McCall is a young man whose life was brutally torn apart when his mother is murdered. The book is about him and those he runs with – hard men, villainous, ofttimes ruthless, yet in pre-drug culture 1970’s/1980’s Glasgow there’s a sense of fairness and a twisted sense of honour in the life Davie leads. Under the care of old-time villain Joe the Tailor, Davie is a strongarm and gofer alongside his friends Rab and Bobby. But life isn’t fair, the drug scene is pounding to get in, and Joe The Tailor’s refusal to participate creates a violent backlash.
Douglas Skelton has the innate ability to bring humanity to the bad guys, to show their kindness and heart as well as their violence and brutality. His good guys are as likely to be hardmen and villains as the villains themselves are, and in a way this is more distressing, for the police are meant to be the people you turn to, and not all of them are there to help. Skelton gives depth to every character. Davie McCall’s love for an honest woman, the way he rescues a wee mistreated dog, his loyalty to surrogate father Joe The Taylor, all have the reader rooting for him. Joe The Taylor too is principled – never hit a woman or a child, don’t get involved in drugs, take care of your own. Possibly the most loathsome character is PC Jimmy Knight, an efficient police officer whose approach to law enforcement is to do what is necessary rather than what is legal.
This is a great book – the characters are believable and likeable, the story tight and well-written. There are twists and turns throughout that will keep you on your toes.
The first book in a series, Blood City is a great introduction to the twisted mind of Douglas Skelton. You’ll turn the last page and want to go out and buy the next book right away.
Davie McCall is a young man whose life was brutally torn apart when his mother is murdered. The book is about him and those he runs with – hard men, villainous, ofttimes ruthless, yet in pre-drug culture 1970’s/1980’s Glasgow there’s a sense of fairness and a twisted sense of honour in the life Davie leads. Under the care of old-time villain Joe the Tailor, Davie is a strongarm and gofer alongside his friends Rab and Bobby. But life isn’t fair, the drug scene is pounding to get in, and Joe The Tailor’s refusal to participate creates a violent backlash.
Douglas Skelton has the innate ability to bring humanity to the bad guys, to show their kindness and heart as well as their violence and brutality. His good guys are as likely to be hardmen and villains as the villains themselves are, and in a way this is more distressing, for the police are meant to be the people you turn to, and not all of them are there to help. Skelton gives depth to every character. Davie McCall’s love for an honest woman, the way he rescues a wee mistreated dog, his loyalty to surrogate father Joe The Taylor, all have the reader rooting for him. Joe The Taylor too is principled – never hit a woman or a child, don’t get involved in drugs, take care of your own. Possibly the most loathsome character is PC Jimmy Knight, an efficient police officer whose approach to law enforcement is to do what is necessary rather than what is legal.
This is a great book – the characters are believable and likeable, the story tight and well-written. There are twists and turns throughout that will keep you on your toes.
The first book in a series, Blood City is a great introduction to the twisted mind of Douglas Skelton. You’ll turn the last page and want to go out and buy the next book right away.
July 13, 2016
Absolutely loved it! Great characters, great story, great setting! Made better by the fact I was familiar with a lot of the locations. Well paced and left me wanting more. So glad I have already purchased the second in the series, moving straight onto it! I'm sure other fans of the crime genre will love it!
April 11, 2020
I really wanted to enjoy this as tartan noir is my thing but it read as designed to shock with its crudeness. I am far from shockable and just found the repeated extreme sexual references tedious. Maybe that's what it is like to be a young man in Glasgow or a middle aged man writing about young men in Glasgow at the time, but if so I'm not that interested. I've just read a review that later books in the series are much better and I might give them a try but currently am minded to read another Stuart MacBride, Denzil Meyrick or JD Kirk, all of whom combine the gritty with humour in more sophisticated ways.
February 24, 2022
Glasgow nineteen eighties gang warfare ,police corruption ,lots of violence , - all packed into a very readable and short book.Characters seem rather stereotyped ,in particular the good cop/ bad cop act while there has to be a glamorous female on the side attracted to our main hero / villain.Some clever twists as to who kills whom helps keep the book alive
Not the greatest but enough to make me buy volume two of the series
Not the greatest but enough to make me buy volume two of the series
May 10, 2021
Superb
An excellent page turner, full of vivid description of Glasgow's seedier past and the colourful characters who lived there. The interconnected lives of the "bad guys" are beautifully crafted and their relationships with the police seem realistic if not always "on the level". Douglas Skelton is an excellent author - I fully recommend this book.
An excellent page turner, full of vivid description of Glasgow's seedier past and the colourful characters who lived there. The interconnected lives of the "bad guys" are beautifully crafted and their relationships with the police seem realistic if not always "on the level". Douglas Skelton is an excellent author - I fully recommend this book.
May 31, 2020
I read this after reading the two Rebecca Connolly books which I really liked. This was good but based in a low-life Glasgow gangster setting. Not a bad plot but not completely finished in one volume.
December 18, 2017
Great tartan noir! Looking forward to the next Douglas Skelton book!!! Highly recommended
March 5, 2019
Quick read, fast paced, some twists, generic but engaging characters. Tale of loyalty amongst Glasgow criminals.
January 27, 2022
3.5*
Vivid description of time and place. Will read next in series.
Vivid description of time and place. Will read next in series.
September 12, 2023
Not bad only half the story so I'll have to read the next installment
May 12, 2025
with a 1/2
A gritty read set in grungy Glasgow.
Odd that never read any previously...found it on my kobo.
I will endeavour to read more of this series to see what Davie gets up to !!
A gritty read set in grungy Glasgow.
Odd that never read any previously...found it on my kobo.
I will endeavour to read more of this series to see what Davie gets up to !!
September 8, 2016
Gritty, realistic, absorbing…
“Blood City” is the first of a series of novels charting the life and times of one Davie McColl, a small-time crook and street-fighter. Set in 1980s Glasgow, the author paints a vivid picture of a city on the verge of change in so many ways: the demolition of the old slums, the emergence of a new, prosperous middle-class… and the decline of an old, almost honourable, gangster tradition, and the old-style police who opposed them with methods often alarmingly similar to those of the criminals.
The notions surrounding the characters – loyalty, unswerving hatreds, rivalries (even among the police) and sectarian attitudes – are all handled well, bringing the feel of the old Glasgow well to the fore. Detail abounds – the feel of the tenements, the dark alleyways where much of the action takes place, the first awkward awakenings of what might be genuine human feelings within our unlikely hero at the advanced age of around eighteen. The reasons behind his actions and attitudes are well developed over the course of the story – matters which also inform his relationships in the “present day” of the narrative. I found all the main characters to be believable, very immediate, with just enough description to allow me to flesh them out in my mind’s eye without ever demanding specifics that might have detracted from the story.
I am not a great fan of crime drama, but this was a good read, very easy to follow, and full of absorbing, realistic touches. Certainly four easy stars, with a good chance of five.
“Blood City” is the first of a series of novels charting the life and times of one Davie McColl, a small-time crook and street-fighter. Set in 1980s Glasgow, the author paints a vivid picture of a city on the verge of change in so many ways: the demolition of the old slums, the emergence of a new, prosperous middle-class… and the decline of an old, almost honourable, gangster tradition, and the old-style police who opposed them with methods often alarmingly similar to those of the criminals.
The notions surrounding the characters – loyalty, unswerving hatreds, rivalries (even among the police) and sectarian attitudes – are all handled well, bringing the feel of the old Glasgow well to the fore. Detail abounds – the feel of the tenements, the dark alleyways where much of the action takes place, the first awkward awakenings of what might be genuine human feelings within our unlikely hero at the advanced age of around eighteen. The reasons behind his actions and attitudes are well developed over the course of the story – matters which also inform his relationships in the “present day” of the narrative. I found all the main characters to be believable, very immediate, with just enough description to allow me to flesh them out in my mind’s eye without ever demanding specifics that might have detracted from the story.
I am not a great fan of crime drama, but this was a good read, very easy to follow, and full of absorbing, realistic touches. Certainly four easy stars, with a good chance of five.
December 28, 2015
Only recently discovered Douglas Skelton - loved this book set in Glasgow. It captured the setting and era perfectly without being parochial. Brilliant character studies where the reader genuinely sympathises with Glasgow hard-men and some thoroughly unlikable gangsters. I fell in love with Davie McCall and my heart went out to him! Skelton writes very difficult and at times gory scenes in a very 'matter of fact' way that we can see this is a way of life for the central characters and the author's experience as a true-life crime writer is evident in his portrayal of police procedure - one wonders how much is true! I look forward to the next one...
May 12, 2014
This is a straightforward tale of loyalty and friendship among criminals and is set in the east end of Glasgow in the days before drugs took over. It was an enjoyable read with a enough twists and unexpected turns to keep it enjoyable. It was easy for me to picture the events and where they happened, having grown up in the east end of Glasgow during the 1970's. I would probably categorise this as the male equivalent of a chick-lit novel, enjoyable, easy to read and almost instantly forgettable.
August 26, 2016
This is the first of the Davie McCall series which I have had on my kindle for ages and so glad I have finally got around to reading!
Love the Glasgow patter and the realistic setting of gangland Glasgow in the 70s and 80s. The only slight criticism I have is that I found there were too many characters, and I had to go back and forward quite a bit to recap on who was who. However, I know this is the first in the series and the scene had to be set. The main characters were written brilliantly and the feel of the book is very atmospheric of the time.
Love the Glasgow patter and the realistic setting of gangland Glasgow in the 70s and 80s. The only slight criticism I have is that I found there were too many characters, and I had to go back and forward quite a bit to recap on who was who. However, I know this is the first in the series and the scene had to be set. The main characters were written brilliantly and the feel of the book is very atmospheric of the time.
January 15, 2014
A gripping, dark tale of 1970s Glasgow and the violence associated with it as told by an author who has written several true crime novels on this area.
Douglas Skelton's first foray into fictional crime writing provides enough twists and turns to leave the reader gripped while providing a fascinating tale of loyalty, deception and gang rivalry.
Douglas Skelton's first foray into fictional crime writing provides enough twists and turns to leave the reader gripped while providing a fascinating tale of loyalty, deception and gang rivalry.
July 16, 2016
A solid, well-written, crime thriller, with an interesting cast of characters. I wasn't blown away but I enjoyed it enough to read the next in the series - particularly as it was on a special offer when I downloaded it.
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