Last to Die: A totally gripping Scottish crime thriller

DS Malkie McCulloch #2

by Doug Sinclair

On a cold New Year’s Eve night, a young woman lies slumped on a park bench. Snow gathers on her hair. If her glazed eyes were closed, she might be sleeping. Nobody will find her for hours…Thirty years later, in the Scottish town of Livingston, a retired police officer disappears from her home. A trail of blood leads from the pensioner’s doorstep to the edge of the nearby river, and as he follows it, DS Malkie McCulloch fears the worst. But at the end of the trail, instead of an elderly woman, he finds the body of a young man.The deceased is identified as a local criminal, and the case appears to be a robbery gone wrong. But Malkie isn’t convinced. How did the pensioner overcome the burglar? And where is she now?Digging into the former police officer's past, Malkie uncovers a connection with the tragic death of a young woman decades before – and the case is flipped on its head. Is the missing pensioner not as innocent as he’d assumed? Have skeletons in her closet come back to haunt her? Then another body is found, and the link between the crimes of the past and the present becomes chillingly clear…A gripping Scottish crime thriller featuring DS Malkie McCulloch, a brilliantly complex detective who will risk everything to protect the innocent, set in the shadow of the Pentland Hills. Perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, JM Dalgliesh and JD Kirk.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Scotland, Procedural, Fiction, Contemporary

336 pages, Paperback

Published April 10, 2024

Reviews

[Mags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐

Detective Sergeant Malkie McCulloch is back, and this time he's on the hunt for a killer hell bent on revenge.

When he's called to parkland near the River Almond where a body has been discovered, sitting on a bench and the assumption is the deceased has been mugged and killed for drugs.

That is until a witness mentions an elderly woman standing over the body who has since disappeared and an attending PC discovers a trail of blood leading to a nearby home which Malkie follows and what he discovers when he enters the house leaves him floored.

And when the deceased is quickly identified as a local criminal, everyone involved believes it has to be a case of robbery gone array.

However, Malkie remains sceptical. Given that a pensioner would struggle to overcome a young man brandishing a weapon, and if that had truly happened, why did she flee the scene?

Which is what Malkie is determined to uncover!

But what he doesn't expect to learn is that this particular elderly woman was once a police officer with lots of skeletons and was involved in a tragic case forty-five years ago, which flips Malkie's case on its head, especially when another body is found.

And as Malkie and Steph investigate, the links between the past and the present become disturbingly clear, and the race is on to catch a killer who will go to any lengths to exact their revenge.

And with a fast-paced storyline, great characters and a killer I did not see coming Last to Die was a gripping read and I'm really excited for what comes next!

I would also happily recommend Last to Die to all. 😊

My thanks to Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read an early copy of Last to Die. 😊

[Sally Dench · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good read, a fast paced story. The second in a series that I had not heard of before and I will definitely be reading the first to find out more about the characters and their backgrounds. The characters are interesting, very varied and have distinct personalities.
DS Malkie McCulloch starts out investigating a murder. This soon leads back to an event in the past having long lasting consequences, and to further murders. I like the different points of view from which the story is told, adds to its complexity and pace. Malkie himself is dealing with tragedy in his life and this unfolds as the book progresses.
I look forward to reading further books in this series.

Thank you to Storm, the author and NetGalley for an advance copy of this great thriller.

[Tara Cavanaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I want to thank NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Doug Sinclair for my ARC of The Last To Die.

This is my first book by Doug Sinclair but it won’t be my last! This was a fast paced, keep you on the edge of your seat book! I didn’t want to put it down. It took me a little bit to get into because there are two different POVs and two stories going on. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone. I will definitely be going back to read the first book!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is well written with plenty of plot twists and turns to keep you from guessing the ending.

Thank you to Doug Sinclair, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the arc of this book

[Deanna Loves to Read!!:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good police procedural based in Scotland. I will say, it took me a few pages to understand some of the jargon. I did not realize this is the second in the series, so I am going to look for the first!


The story opens with Billy- a 20 something man who is going to do a job for Fisher. The job? Murder Lizzie, a seventy something woman. However, things do not go as planned- the lady has skills, and she ends up taking out Billy. Enter Makie McCulloch. He has been assigned to the case with his partner Steph. He is overcoming the death of his mother in a fire, living with his father, and has heaps of guilt and insecurity about his ability to present as normal socially. He opens his mouth- a lot!

Makie and the team have to chase down this lady- but she has disappeared. And now, there are other murders being committed on a group of elderly- each the same way.

This was pretty fast paced. It’s told from different POV’s: Makie, Fisher, an unknown voice from the past. We soon learn that all the victims used to be on the force together, and are tied to an incident in 1978 where they set Lizzie up for the fall.

I liked Marie, Steph, and Susan (Makie’s boss). I enjoyed Marie’s growth in his relationship with his father, and with woman he met through a case in the previous book (I think). This relationship development is a bit surprising- but the author really writes it well.

I found this to be a very good story. I thought I knew who the killer was- but NO! What a twist! I will definitely read the first, and the next because I want to see how the characters stories progress!

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC. This is my honest review.

[Heather McNicol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the first book in the series, Blood Runs Deep and I could not wait to get my hands on book number two to see what DS Malkie McCulloch would get up to next. I was definitely not disappointed!

A forty five year old case is brought to light again and must be re-investigated to piece together the current events. This takes Malkie and his partner, Steph, down a tough path having to investigate their predecessors in the police force which made for a very interesting read!

I really loved that we got to see a bit more of Malkies personal life this time around. It’s so lovely seeing his character growth over the two books and I hope that continues through the third book. I was also great to see more of Malkie and Stephs friendship and experiencing a more vulnerable side to her as she opens up about her personal life.

It’s safe to say I am a fan of Doug Sinclair and I am already looking forward to reading book number three. Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance copy.
Any opinions expressed are my own.

[Traude Ailinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed the company of DS Malkie McCulloch whose main talent is the ability to mess up but who doggedly pursues the truth even if it endangers his pension. The characters around him are also well drawn and the insights into the psyche of some of the bad guys was quite chilling. The story was gripping and the ending came as a complete surprise although I was left with the feeling that I should have guessed it. At the beginning I feared that the constant stream of bad language would spoil the story, but Sinclair very quickly achieved a good balance and the few descriptions of the Pentlands scenery were beautiful. Must go back and read the first book in the series.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was certainly a police procedural with a twist!
My first read from Doug Sinclair and it certainly won't be the last. Doug, you definitely CAN do this writing lark!

When it came to the characters, I loved reading so much from other points of view and not just the main law enforcement character. The fact that we could see inside the minds of victims and perpetrators alike as well as our main hero's, was both fascinating and in turn puzzling, as you still didn't get told 'who done it', until the end. I loved the reality of the situation too, being that sometimes the police can do a thankless and exhausting job and it feels like they are going absolutely nowhere fast. The reality of corruption in the police and the very real struggle for women in the force, especially in the 60's and 70's was well done, as was the fact that some people could do absolutely horrific things to ensure that reputations remained untarnished, and sometimes the bad will go unpunished because of modern policies and politics.

I enjoyed the pacing and found it very hard to put down. Although I hadn't read the first in the series, it wasn't necessary to, as the important information was leaked to you in bits and pieces throughout the book. Malkie was a very realistic character who (as is common in modern people) tortured himself unnecessarily with blame and other psychological factors that often weren't his fault. I liked the banter and relationship between him and Steph and appreciated that the author is revealing bits about all the main characters throughout the series that have nothing to do with the crime storyline. It makes the characters so much more realistic.

All in all, it is a book series that I can see myself following closely to make sure that I don't miss out. 4.5 stars from me!
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read and review this title.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a cold New Year’s Eve night, a young woman lies slumped on a park bench. Snow gathers on her hair. If her glazed eyes were closed, she might be sleeping. Nobody will find her for hours…Thirty years later, in the Scottish town of Livingston, a retired police officer disappears from her home. A trail of blood leads from the pensioner’s doorstep to the edge of the nearby river, and as he follows it, DS Malkie McCulloch fears the worst. But at the end of the trail, instead of an elderly woman, he finds the body of a young man.The deceased is identified as a local criminal, and the case appears to be a robbery gone wrong. But Malkie isn’t convinced. How did the pensioner overcome the burglar? And where is she now? Digging into the former police officer's past, Malkie uncovers a connection with the tragic death of a young woman decades before – and the case is flipped on its head. Is the missing pensioner not as innocent as he’d assumed? Have skeletons in her closet come back to haunt her? Then another body is found, and the link between the crimes of the past and the present becomes chillingly clear.
This is the 2nd book in the series and can be read as a standalone. It's a fast-paced read that is set in Scotland. The plot and characters are enjoyable and the story pulled me in and kept me reading until the very end. DS Malkie and his partner DC Steph did an excellent job with the case serving up revenge."The past will always catch you" is written on the cover and how true was that! I am now looking forward to the next book in the series. If you like revenge in your mystery thriller, then you will love this book.

[Desiree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last to Die was my first introduction to this author and the DS Malcolm (Malkie) McCulloch series, although it turned out that this is the second book in the series. The main character is a very outspoken detective sergeant with the Livingston police whose great sense of justice and his problem to curb his tongue when he sees injustice done brings him in regular conflict with his superiors.

When an old lady, a former police officer is attacked and goes missing and a criminal with a long criminal record is found nearby it appears to be a robbery gone wrong. But why is the old lady missing? Pretty soon other former police officers are killed and a second person goes missing. All have links to a 40 year old case where a young girl was released from prison and died of hypothermia.

This book is a fast paced story with lots of interesting characters. The plot twists are interesting although until the very last couple of pages I kept thinking that some plot lines would be unresolved but in the end the author management to bring everything together convincingly.
Apart from the main story there are also some interesting things going on in Malkies private live which give an even deeper dimension to the book and which make me want to read the first episode in the series too and makes me look forward to next instalments.

Thank you to Storm, the author and NetGalley for an advance copy of this great thriller. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Ernie Rijs]

Hmmm. Which novel to play in the car?
Doug Sinclair writes the way I like to read (well, listen in this case). I really enjoyed this novel. It carried tenderness, believable characters and plot situations which weren't over-dramatised. Sometimes I felt I was sitting in the car with Malkie or imploring him not to give in to his flaws (without success) or hoping that he and his dad would get that dammed shack fixed. The relationships Sinclair creates are real, the characters behaving as their personalities dictate and not contrived to fit the genre. They push the plot forward naturally and logically. I became invested in them, even the less savoury ones, who also had redeeming qualities that, paradoxically, added to the darkness of their decisions.
Yes, it’s a crime novel and yes, there are the compulsory twists and turns. That’s one of the reasons I selected it! But it’s no mind-numbing, don’t-have-to-think-too-much listen. It’s engaging, thoughtful and always purposeful. And I’m very glad I had the audiobook version as it gave me the added pleasure of at least feeling like I was in Scotland.
I’ll definitely have to have a look for Book 1 now!

[Sandra M. Dethlefsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Detective Malkie McCulloch is called to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a retired police officer from her home in the Scottish town of Livingston, he suspects the worst when he discovers a trail of blood leading from her home out towards a nearby river. When he follows the trail, he expects to find the woman’s body, but instead, he finds the body of a young man who is a known local criminal.
On the surface, it appears to be a case of attempted robbery, but Malkie believes it’s something more serious. The woman escaped from the burglar and now she is missing.
After digging into the former police officer’s past, he discovers her connection to the death of a young woman several years before. As he digs into her record as a police officer he finds that she is linked to the death of a teenage girl several years before. When another body is found, it soon becomes apparent that certain unsolved crimes in which she was involved are now coming back to haunt the town, and several lives are now at stake.
A fast-moving, edge-of-the-seat novel you won’t be able to put down.

[Kathleen Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last To Die by Doug Sinclair, this is book two in the series and another lovely Scottish crime thriller which has been excellently written with good strong characters. This book will keep you up well into the night as it twists and turns.

On a cold New Year’s Eve night, a young woman lies slumped on a park bench. A retired police officer disappears after she was related to the girl's murder case forty + years earlier. This leads to lasting consequences that involves more chilling murders as the plot unfolds and six other former officers who were all involved in the case are now being found murdered.
I love the honesty and friendship between Deborah and Malkie, Plus Malkie and Steph. If you like a good crime thriller then this series is for you. You can read it as a stand-alone book, but I highly recommend you read the whole series. A good and unpredictable case and a captivating read. Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers of this book for giving me a free advance copy of the book to preview and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[June Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

DS Malkie McCulloch is back with a new case. As ever, Malkie is grumpy, gobby, unkempt and couldn’t care less for authority. Despite all the warnings from his DC Steph Lang and his boss DI Susan Thompson, Malkie can’t help but open his mouth and put his foot in it. The only redeeming feature Malkie has is his ability to be a good detective. Rooting out the truth and bringing the bad guys down is his forte, despite the actions he takes to get to a result.

This is the second in the DS McCulloch series and such an improvement on the first book, Blood Runs Deep. Sad to say I gave the first book a really poor rating, I really didn’t like it. I felt it was poorly written with unlikeable characters and a tedious plot. However, this one is good. A proper page turner and an enjoyable read. So glad that I have been proved wrong with this series, just hope the next book continues in the same way.

3.5*

[lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. This story demonstrates how Police procedures can both help and hinder the solving of a murder. Set in Scotland, Malkie is a DI who operates on his own agenda, which has irritated his colleagues and the senior officers. He has been told to curb these tendencies or risk losing his future. He is also dealing with personal trauma surrounding his role in the death of his mother. This case is a mystery, why did he find a dead man, when it was an old lady who had been reported to have been a victim? Several more bodies are found before the case is solved. Athough I found the story gripping, I did quite quickly guess who might be at the top of the chain, although not all of it was so clear cut. Malkie and his DS Steph are well written. Their relationship and back stories are incorporated well & I'm sure we will learn more in the next book.

[Deb McIlroy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was something else. I really enjoyed this fast-paced read. I didn't know, however, that this is the 2nd book in a series. But…but…but…the good thing is that I have another book I need to read. I liked that the story was set in Scotland, something different than England or the US. The characters were likeable and I enjoyed their complex layers, especially from the MMC. It's a win when a book makes me think and try to figure out the characters. The story dragged me in and I couldn't put this one down. The story was fast-paced and I enjoyed the different POVs. A nice and easy Crime Thriller that will keep you turning the pages.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Storm Publishing for this ARC.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

DS Malkie McCulloch is a mess. Nearly buried in PTSD complete with horrible nightmares and still battling the depression that came with the events that fried his mother, left his father still grieving, and himself with overwhelming financial burden. But he's been cleared to return to work with his old partner DC Steph Lang. As if. Malkie seems to get the job done, but he is not a by-the-rules team player and seems to have very little control over his tongue. We hear his point of view, his superiors point of view and several of the criminals who initiated this series of events that originated nearly a lifetime ago. The due diligence is as good as it can be, all things considered. Twisty and twisted to the point of belief, this is one unputdownable book!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, this was a fantastic book! DS McCulloch has his good days and bad days. There are some memories that he is trying to forget, but he is not able to. He keeps trying to remember, but the memories remain elusive. But now, there is another case to solve, and this one is going to take all the talent he has to figure out.
When an elderly police woman goes missing, everyone fears the worst, but when a younger criminal is found, instead of the body of the elderly woman, McCulloch is confused at first. How could an older woman get the jump on a much younger man? Is there something that they don't know about this woman?
As more bodies begin to turn up, the case takes a more serious turn, and there are some clues hidden in blood - clues that lead back to where they started.

Could not put this one down! I was hooked from the start. Look forward to reading more in this series.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book, the second to feature our troubled detective, Malkie Mc Culloch and this was even better than the first read. What a complex, loveable character he is too! The Scottish setting of Livingston is brought alive with the author's descriptions, as Malkie and his long suffering partner Steph investigate a series of murders. I immersed myself in this read, I so want to be Steph and get to know how Malkie's troubled mind works, as well as giving him a huge hug to ease his hurt. The plotting and characterisation is excellent and I highly recommend the author, he is fast becoming one of my favourites in the genre and up with the best. Please bring us more Malkie soon! Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow, an excellent follow up to Blood Runs Deep, the first book in the series. Malkie and Steph get called to a death in a park, which leads them to an old lady with a grudge. What follows is a twisty, turning story involving a senior officer in Police Scotland. Revenge is best served cold, in this case, 45 years cold. Malkie is far less troubled in this story and its great to see him more settled. Although, he really needs to stop opening his mouth just to change feet! Him and Steph are great characters and this was a superb thriller. I look forward to more cases for Malkie and Steph to solve.
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing and Doug Sinclair for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Paulette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for an early copy. The following comments and review are my opinion.
DS Malkie McCulloch and DC Steph Lang have been called to a scene that looks to be a home invasion. The burglar is dead and the 70 year old homeowner is missing. After more digging, the homeowner was found to be a former police officer and she and six other officers were involved in a tragic case over forty years ago. As bodies begin to pile up Malkie is even more determined in his investigation to find out what exactly happened so many years ago and why are people dying now? A twisted case that serves up revenge in a most interesting and enjoyable book.

[Mike Stafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The past will always catch you," is the tagline on the front cover of Last to Die and it is certainly appropriate. Doug Sinclair does a fantastic job of capturing just how chilling that revenge can be in his latest DS Malkie McCulloch tale. Our protagonist is an interesting character and the book is helped by a solid supporting cast of characters. Storm Publishing has proven to be adept at gifting us entertaining reads and Last to Die is no exception. It is engaging from start to finish. It is a well paced adventure with a wholly satisfying conclusion. I promise you'll be looking forward to Malkie McCulloch #3 after reading this one.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Case interesting but pace off🤔

2.5-3🌟stars
I love a Scottish setting and that and the crime spree itself in Doug Sinclair's Last to Die were good, but I had an issue with the story's pace, largely due to the frequent turn to DS Malkie McCulloch's personal life. I felt the balance between investigation business and personal issues was weighted too much in McCulloch's life not relevant to the case and, as a result, the plot was long and choppy. I never clicked with any of the characters.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, the next book to this series is here!!!!

last to Die by Doug Sinclair is the second book in a new DS Malkie McCulloch crime series which is set in Livingston West Lothian in Scotland, with this book I was totally gripped from the beginning till the very end. It had it all lots of suspense, murders, serial killers and action, with great twists and turns that bought this book alive!
I loved it especially the two main characters DS Malkie McCulloch and DS Malkie McCulloch. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

I highly recommend this book A 5 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my ARC.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to see that there is a follow up book to the first one and if anything, this book is better! Again, happy to see that it isn't Edinburgh based although it does get the odd mention. The characters are really enjoyable and those from book 1 you get into right away and although this is a follow up book, you could easily read this one as a standalone. The main storyline was utterly captivating - I really didn't want to put the book down until I had finished it, my sign of a great book! Highly recommended.

[Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Storm publishing, the author and NetGalley for an advance copy of this fast paced thriller. This is the second book to feature troubled DS Malkie McCulloch. I hadn't read the first one but managed very easily to get into the story (and I've now got the first book to look forward to!! ) Set in Scotland and told from different POV's Doug Sinclair has written an exciting and well thought out murder mystery that keeps your interest to the very end. Great characters and a great book that I highly recommend.

[Texas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last to Die - I had to finish this entertaining story in one sitting. I found it predictable because this is how I would have written the story. Interesting and intriguing story lines blended with a variety of interesting characters wove an immersing tapestry of justice, revenge and murder. The last chapter was a perfect ending to this well written book. I enjoyed the fact that although this is the second book of a series, there was no rehashing of the first book, which I have not read; just an interesting story on its own. Source: Netgalley. 15*

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book two of DS Malkie McCulloch who works alongside DC Steph Lang and their boss DI Susan Thompson. A case from 45 years ago comes to light after a unexpected death in the present. How does this death tie in with an incident of a body found on New Year's Day 45 years.? Well, what can I say, this book was well written and it was very descriptive. I loved seeing how Malkie interacted with Steph and Susan! We saw a bit more of his personal life and it was lovely to see how he is with his Dad. I hope there is a book 3. I will be recommending this book.

[Bryngel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book about DS Malkie McCulloch as well as I did Blood Runs Deep mainly because Sinclair's writing is repetitive, and perhaps he is trying too hard. The idea is fine, the characters are interesting, it's just not quite "there". Something that always smoothen the read is a setting in Scotland though!

(Please forgive my poor English, my excuse is I’m Swedish).

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book (and the first one in the Malkie series), and I thought the story was really engaging, I wanted to keep reading. My only gripe is the storyline mistakes that appear throughout and timeline errors - e.g. Malkie finding out his ex had been pregnant, then thinking about what his daughter had been up to for past couple of decades, but he actually only found out later in the book that the baby was a girl, or one of the 1978 officers told Fisher about Ben's sister, but it was the wrong character that was mentioned. I've already got book 3 to read and looking forward to that one.