Following a convention in the Scottish Highlands, eight social media influencers vanish without a trace, leaving their followers – and families – in a state of shock, and the police clueless as to their whereabouts.
And then, the livestreams begin.
Broadcast live from their squalid underground cells, the young influencers are forced into a sadistic battle for survival.
With each livestream, their captor pits them against each other in a twisted competition for likes. The influencer with the fewest positive reactions faces a gruesome end – live on camera.
As the likes increase and the death toll rises, DCI Jack Logan and his team must traverse both the Scottish wilderness and the darkest corners of the internet to try and save the remaining captives.
But how do you catch a killer who is always one click ahead?
JD Kirk is the pen name of multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, and writer of comics, Barry Hutchison.
JD Kirk lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, two children, and a number of sturdy umbrellas. Despite writing from a young age, 'A Litter of Bones' is his first novel, and combines his love of the Highlands, crime thrillers, and cats.
Have I been checking the upcoming releases page on Audible every night for weeks because I had a feeling, or at least a hope, that we were due for a new release by JD Kirk? Yes, yes I have. No sign, but then the night before last, bam, there it was. The cliffhanger from the last book has been resolved, much to my relief. And the ending! It was so... nice. Too nice? Like, it could serve as a decent series-ender. Which would be fine, except that I'm selfish and want more, haha. I feel like there are still stories left to be told, especially with such a broad (and surprisingly well-developed, likable) cast of characters. They were all put to good use, here, and just about everyone had some character development or progress in their character arc. Even minor players like Berta Hoon (who is a delight). It can be hard to juggle such a big cast, but Kirk does it like he's a member of Cirque du Soleil. Speaking of the Hoons. So, there's a scene near the end that made me gasp. It had me squirming, thinking, oh no, you wouldn't, you can't, (name) has already been through a lot, that would just be needlessly cruel. And it looked like, it really looked like, that's what was going to happen. And then Hoon flushed the toilet. The sense of relief I felt was palpable. I could exhale. And what happened next was so incredibly satisfying. The main storyline, I'll admit, sounded kind of dry (social media influencers aren't my thing) but the way it was plotted, it was actually quite good. Everything tied together cleverly, and in a way that didn't seem forced. I really enjoyed it and I'm hoping that, despite the ending (which was heartwarming as heck), there's more to come.
I LOVED this book so much!! However, I do have to start with a confession - that I can't quite believe I'm typing so that it's out there for all to see but.... this is actually the first DCI Jack Logan book that I have read. Please accept my apologies JD Kirk.
I have given myself a talking to as I honestly have no clue where I have been but I have now just added 19 books to my TBR list! So if your wondering if it matters if you haven't read the rest - no, there are things that are referenced that had I have read the others I would have understood the background more fully but it made absolutely no difference to the enjoyment of reading this one.
Obviously this means that I have only just 'met' DCI Jack Logan and what an introduction to him! I really like his character and you can just tell that he likes to get things solved and do it well. He also because of this sounds like he has made some enemies along the way but thats life when your a successful DCI in the police. He is no holds barred and says it like it is which I love in a character, especially a police character!
The storyline itself was very clever and thought it was set up and portrayed really well. There were false clues and links along the way alongside the twists and turns that kept me guessing throughout, I honestly loved it. There were times when I thought it was all a hoax for attention, then convinced that it was all about police retaliation, then personal to Jack and then round again!
I loved the pacing of the book and it hooked me in very quickly. I also really like some of our supporting characters and cannot wait to start this series from the beginning so that I can find out more about them! What I will say is that the team seem very close and almost like family so some of the scenes I could really feel the emotion in them and felt for the team.
Whilst it was gripping and tense and twisty there were times where I literally laughed out loud at some of what came of of the characters mouths and I really liked those brief moments to break up the tension at times. I literally could not put the book down as we were getting towards the end and it was wayyyy past 1am when I finished it as I just couldn't stop and then have to finish it the next day I NEEDED to find out!
Yes - absolutely brilliant instalment in the series. Book 20 comes at you from all angles and is a real train wreck of events (in the best Jack Logan way). All the characters from across the series appear in this read.
No - is it the end? The ending rounds everything up so nicely it was devastating. The internet search began immediately- is this the last one in the series? No definitive answer…so…
Please, please, please don’t let this be the end!
If you haven’t read this author, do yourself a favour and start at Book One!
My Rating: 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ he does it again, 20 books into the series and I still sit on the edge of my seat and laugh out loud!!
I am not going to recap, the synopsis does a good job and to be honest at this point you are either all in or don’t like or don’t know about this series… and I do not recommend starting at book 20 if you haven’t read any of the others… this one actually follows on from book 19 for starters and also… its book 20 so… speaks for itself really doesn’t it.
I always start a new one of this series with trepidation… I am always worried this will be the one that lets me down… never fear - it isn’t this one. Book 20 was a cracker it had a bit of everything, I don’t know how J.D. Kirk makes them be so tense and full of thrills and so hilarious all at once but he does and I am so here for it.
Everyone is back (again why you shouldn’t start here if you are new) so all the faves are here. Hoon of course makes an appearance and even the Gozer is here … I remember him from earlier books (hmmm looking at you trying to start at book 20 🤣).
I actually love the character of DCI Jack Logan and its almost its own universe and all the characters make little guest appearances from other books which is cool. But actually cool, not fake cool like super heroes hahaha I know I know… I am sure everyone wants to shoot me for saying that.
These books are rude though… there is swearing and rude insults. It is very Scottish, so those of you who don’t like books written as they are spoken in their home tongue this will not be for you… the slang will not be familiar to those lovely people from the US, but google is right there so I mean all is not lost. I do recommend but not to everyone - and for those who weren’t paying attention do not start here.
I was super worried one of my fave chracters was going to die and I’ll be honest when… uh uh uh… not so fast I am not going to spoil it you will have to read it to find out if anyone gets knocked off the list.
Some nasty business is at Jack’s doorstep… an unpleasant blast from the past… to be fair the twist for this section was a bit meh for me but it didn’t ruin it, I was pretty ok with the deep dark secret … but I get it.
There are some hilarious quotes in this book, I highlighted one to share but its incredibly crass… so I will just let you read the book and not ruin It 🤣
As I said before… make sure you know yourself if you hate lots of “unnecessary” swearing in books this won’t be for you, if you don’t like books from Scotland this won’t be for you and I don’t know if I mentioned it but if you haven’t read the first 19 this is also not for you hahaha. If those things don’t bother you and you are already a super fan then dive in…wait no longer I am here to tell you this is not the book to let us down it is solid and I am here for it.
Also, this is available on Kindle Unlimited which is pretty cool, there is also an extra chapter that J.D Kirk has written to go in between chapter 50 and 51 that you get if you got his latest newsletter, I don’t know if you can get it on social media (I don’t have it so can’t check) but I would guess is available on Facebook or something like that.
Classic book from start to finish, proper police procedural. Whilst I’ve picked this book and the series up for the first time I was able to pick up on the team’s relationship and characters easily. I did find some parts of the book to be slower than the others, but overall it’s a thrilling read. There isn’t anything negative to say but it’s a classic book you go to for a good read. There wasn’t anything bad in this book, but there isn’t anything that shines brightly.
The book centres around DCI Jack Logan who is tasked with solving a crime broadcasted from underground cells, where online influences are forced into a sadastic battle for survival. Almost like SAW but less gore. It’s up to Logan to figure out the mastermind behind as well, where time is in the essence. The lowest rank livestream is killed off live on camera.
It’s gripping and thrilling, great read. Interested to see how this series develops.
A Killer of Influence is book twenty in the DCI Logan Crime Thrillers by J.D. Kirk. When eight social media influencers vanished from a convention in the Scottish Highlands, DCI Logan caught the case. At first, the team was not sure what the reason for the kidnapping was until live video turned up on the web, where each victim was made to fight in a sadistic battle for survival. However, what was the underlying reason for this barbaric form of torture? Will this case be the end of DCI Jack Logan? Readers of A Killer of Influence will continue to follow DCI Jack Logan and his team as they discover what happens.
I like the way JD Kirk incorporated the role of social media influencers in the community. In addition, the danger of other childhood trauma on people and how it can affect them when they get older. I engaged with this book from the first page to the end. A Killer of Influence is another fantastic addition to this excellent series.
I love JD Kirk's writing style and the way he portrays his characters and their interactions throughout this book. A Killer of Influence is well written and researched by JD Kirk. I like JD Kirk's description of the settings of A Killer of Influence, which allows me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
Absolutely brilliant! I love this series and this one continued it with the great story, characters and humour. A really enjoyable novel which keeps up with the society of today but never loses sight of what came before. I also love the characters and the way the author weaves some of the ones we've met before into the narrative. Of course, the main characters are fantastic and you continue to find yourself groaning with them, laughing with them and caring about them. Looking forward to the next one in the series already!
Wow. This plot was well done! I really enjoyed this one. I didn't expect another original plot after so many books. This series is all that and a bag of chips.
I reallyyyy enjoyed this book, and may have read all of it in one day! I will admit I haven’t read any of the others in this series but that now NEEDS to change, and I can also say that this is also perfect as a standalone book! I really like Jack as a character and am excited to read more of these books so I can get to know him even more. The plot was full of many twists and turns, I can honestly say I didn’t expect how it was going to end, but with that I thought it was a brilliant ending! I definitely recommend this book (and I’m certain the others in the series are equally as great), for all crime book fans!
Brilliant as ever!!! Alas always over too quickly because you can't put it down. Maybe a double-length book would be fab, we know you could easily do that, Mr Kirk 😀 No one could have guessed that one, that's what I love about the books. The twists and turns and the wtf moments. And the laugh out loud moments - who else would consider sticking someone's head down the toilet after a particularly revolting deposit, but Hoon, and so well deserved of his victim. In a theatre, there would have been cheers!
Thankyou JD Kirk for your books, the joy you bring to so many people, bringing our friends back time and again. Xx
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I was looking forward to reading this since i finished the last book. (Months ago)
And it did not dissapoint, brilliant gripping storyline, from the first page to the last i was hooked, one of my favourite books in the series, hope there is more, i was not expecting the massive turn of events! Wow! How does Kirk do it?
PS there was a mention of a certain Harry Grimm aswell which was nice, Logan was mentoined in one of Gatward (Harry Grimm) books. Was nice to return the name drop!
Brilliant as always! If you haven't read the whole series, start with book 1 and enjoy. The characters feel like old friends at this point. Any book that can make you laugh, cry, and cheer is a keeper, and this book 20 did all three for me.
I also highly recommend the Bob Hoon side series... absolutely hilarious and completely ridiculous from start to finish. If you are sensitive to swearing, maybe give it a miss!
This was an interesting read! I haven’t read many police procedures that have a modern twist like this, so it was intriguing. It took me a minute to get into it, but it was fast paced and quickly pulled me in after I got going. This worked well as a standalone, but I think I would have been pulled in quicker had I known all of the characters in play. Overall a good read, and I’m looking forward to going back and reading others in this series!
DCI Logan has a lot going on. Bodies were found near an old crime scene, 8 in total. And he just got a big case pushed off on his, missing influencers. As they start tracking them down, they show up on their social media feeds. Lives, where they are in cages forced to perform, with terrifying consequences for the one who gets the least amount of likes. Add in his past coming to haunt him, and he can’t catch a break in any of the cases he has going on.
Thank you to Love Books Tours for the copy, all thoughts are my own.
A Killer Of Influence by JD Kirk, book 20 of the DCI Kogan crime series, has to be the best yet, although I may have said that each time I have read any book in the series. I was enthralled by this story from beginning to end, I really enjoy reading this series of crime thrillers. Highly recommended
You don't realize you miss someone until they are gone and that's how I feel about the characters. They are so real to me and I missed them all very very much. This was an awesome story. From the past someone is coming for jack and they know a secret. And they are killing people to get what they want. Jack Logan going down for murder. It was quite the plot with twists and turns and old friends and grief and it was just so good. I loved it. Great ending too! Hope there will be more one day!
Absolutely brilliant. This and the one before it must be the author at his prime. Superb. Really enjoyed it etc. just can’t wait to see what comes next.
Amazing , love DCI Logan and his team, read the whole series, so cleverly wrote, characters amazing, and the series has never disappointed as always hope there’s another book and cant wait
***A book truly for his fans*** (But you can start with this book) (But don't)
Book 20 of the DCI Jack Logan did not disappoint. This was a big case. Lots of guest stars and notable mentions helped make this the best book of the series, a book truly for the fans.
As we’ve come to expect, the humor was perfect throughout the novel. One scene caught me off guard with its brilliance, I nearly wrecked my car in laughter. Then, there were tears. Not a few stray drops running down the cheeks but full on ugly crying.
All I can say is JD Kirk is a national treasure and since I’m not a Scottish national, I’d say he’s a global treasure.
If you’re reading this and haven’t read the previous 19 books, along with the 5 Hoon books, and 2 Filson books….STOP!
Yes everyone can enjoy this installment as their first foray into the Logan-verse, BUT, you will enjoy this book a thousand times more if you knew all the background information. That’s why I say this book is truly one for the fans.
Chapter 24 I’m bawling and nothing catastrophic or cataclysmic has even happened. But an important scene. Jesus. This is fiction.
My only defense is this world is my escape and now even it is under threat…temporarily, I know but damn. This is what a good author does.
I exercised some insane Hoonian (or more aptly anti-Hoonian) restraint to go a bit slower with this one. It is the best book of the series. I’ve experienced every emotion.
Harris and Olivia! 😳😳😳
End of chapter 28: WTF! but OMG!
And the bathroom scene...since there's more than one, you'll have to figure out which one.
And the conclusion, so glad you did't go there Mr. Hutchinson (Kirk), you know what I mean.
Finally, the extra bonus chapter provided to fans is sheer brilliance and all things wonderful.
If you search for the book on Amazon, the first sentence is: What price would you pay for fame? Intriguing, isn't it? Do you want fame?
In this book, we get reacquainted with DCI Jack Logan. A man with many flaws, less than perfect, troubled by his past. Not unlike my favourite "police" Harry Hole (@jonesboauthor ). Well... acquainted for me as I have not read the other books in the series yet, which I will start on based on this book.😊
I know this is a thriller. However, the book is funny as well. I love the comradery of the group. The smart comments. The family they have selected.
The plot is intriguing, there were moments when I really thought there were going to be more victims, almost holding my breath.
We have a nice build up. Every time I was going to put the book down as soon as I reached the next chapter, I ended up forgetting and reading too many chapters before putting it down. As in, I do have other things to do. That is what we want from a book, isn’t it?😄