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DCI Lomond #1
The Bonnie Dead: A Scottish Detective Mystery
A stolen child. A killer stalking the streets of Glasgow. A troubled detective running out of time.
Five years ago, DCI John Lomond led the search for notorious Glasgow child-killer ‘The Sandman’, until personal tragedy forced him off the case.
In Lomond’s absence, the killer was never found.
Now, with nothing but work left in his life, Lomond remains obsessed with the case – despite the nightmares it brings.
When a child is abducted in similar Sandman fashion from an affluent Glasgow suburb, Lomond is brought in to find them before it’s too late.
But the only forensic evidence belongs to a little girl who was abducted and murdered twenty years ago.
Could the Sandman’s identity lie buried in the coldest of cold cases? Or is a new killer about to claim their first victim?
Five years ago, DCI John Lomond led the search for notorious Glasgow child-killer ‘The Sandman’, until personal tragedy forced him off the case.
In Lomond’s absence, the killer was never found.
Now, with nothing but work left in his life, Lomond remains obsessed with the case – despite the nightmares it brings.
When a child is abducted in similar Sandman fashion from an affluent Glasgow suburb, Lomond is brought in to find them before it’s too late.
But the only forensic evidence belongs to a little girl who was abducted and murdered twenty years ago.
Could the Sandman’s identity lie buried in the coldest of cold cases? Or is a new killer about to claim their first victim?
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 26, 2022
1323 people are currently reading
1148 people want to read
About the author
Andrew Raymond
15 books258 followersI've been a fan of thrillers ever since watching All the President's Men when I was far too young to understand what was going on. Now every day I get to indulge in my passion for fast-paced stories, characters you really care about, and to bring you behind the scenes of the intelligence agencies and the most secretive parts of the political world (the parts they don't want you to know about).
It's often said that I write cinematically, which isn't a coincidence, as my influences are as much in cinema as literature: Daniel Craig's Bond films, Glengarry Glen Ross, Spartan. TV has also been a major factor in my writing. From the original BBC miniseries State of Play, David Simon's The Wire, and Aaron Sorkin, writer of The West Wing; and the US version of House of Cards.
I have worked in the book industry since I was 21.
It's often said that I write cinematically, which isn't a coincidence, as my influences are as much in cinema as literature: Daniel Craig's Bond films, Glengarry Glen Ross, Spartan. TV has also been a major factor in my writing. From the original BBC miniseries State of Play, David Simon's The Wire, and Aaron Sorkin, writer of The West Wing; and the US version of House of Cards.
I have worked in the book industry since I was 21.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 314 reviews
October 27, 2023
Spoilers.
So, loved reading this. Good story from the start. A few cliches but they are forgiven. (brooding detective, mean colleague, typical journalist a hole…blablablabla) the hero worship is a bit stupid too btw… never had that feeling toward any of my colleagues, no matter the size of the case they handled.
But catching storyline and I was hooked. Until the end…
Omg I don’t think the author knew who the killer was… or he kept changing his mind. It just does not make sense…
1. Author decided it was a dirty ex cop: they find liters of blood, omg it is all so bad never seen before crime scene, with the blood and dna of all the kids in that residence. Though this was all cleaned up, yet they find samples ( that should very much be compromised) that they can analyze in a day . Also who writes bloody messages on a carpet (to start with in a darn carpet??) only to clean it up again? That makes no sense at all.
2. they discover that the occupant of that residence was murdered, by a female no less ( nothing against women but considering she was all alone dragging a male corpse around) and afterwards dumped in its entirety in a tunnel that is as inaccessible as they come (author described it as such, not me) the kill was violent, loads of blood, but no cause of death given, no details on the how and when, just a guesstimate)
3. What is Sandy’s role? To date we still don’t understand. Did he kidnap most of them? Or just Jack? What was his role? How did he get involved? Also… why were they so stupid as to try and frame him AND NOT KNOW WHERE THE DUDE WAS.
4. Nice back story and reading for the actual killer except: a. The whole putting them to sleep thing does not make sense at all if scully was butchering them. B. For all hints given Scully was a paedophile so the fact that the kids were not messed with doesn’t make sense. C. Scully is everything that woman despises, heck she went to town on her father like a mad man, why would she help him do what he did? It would make more sense if she killed peadophiles. No sense at all to want to protect them from men like her dad only to give them to men like her dad. D. Who put the sand there? E. Her OWN daughter? Why? Trigger? Reason! Elaborate man.
5. Hello? You are indicating that a paedophile succumbed to his urges 20 years ago…yet somehow there are 10 years between one murder and the other. It is said the man was fired for grooming! In an online chat but no one did anything, not even open a case AND his colleague knew about his preferences but didn’t even come forward then? How did he meet Sharon? Why did the collude? There is no history behind this…
6. The whole Jack kidnapping made even less sense.. there was again no reason, no actual trigger for it five years later… had she received a death sentence by cancer or something… it would have been understandable. But no trigger at all. The way she went about it is even less understandable.
7. Why do they keep the kids alive for 5 days? Why is there blood if they are being kept sedated? What is the cause of death? Why boys and girls? The predilection seems girls? Killers have a profile, psychology. Team killers are even more bound to those rules. There must be a trust or healthy fear. One dominant one follower.. neither Scully nor Sharon seem either… there is no reason for them to be colluding.
As you can see the story is unhinged. While we have a sturdy build up of the main character and a very detailed description of Scotland’s cities and highways… the actual subject of the novel is left guessing. Almost like after thoughts they meant to work out later.
The funny part here is though, that it is written so well you keep reading to the end without question, thoroughly enjoying the read. The disappointed comes when you realize the read is over and none of your questions were answered.
Characters like mowat are introduced and then dumped when they have no more use. The man broke into a private residence (as did the cop btw) and no one does anything… when you write a police procedural… know the procedures. Lone Ranger bs is not an option.
I am very frustrated here because the read was exciting at first.
So, loved reading this. Good story from the start. A few cliches but they are forgiven. (brooding detective, mean colleague, typical journalist a hole…blablablabla) the hero worship is a bit stupid too btw… never had that feeling toward any of my colleagues, no matter the size of the case they handled.
But catching storyline and I was hooked. Until the end…
Omg I don’t think the author knew who the killer was… or he kept changing his mind. It just does not make sense…
1. Author decided it was a dirty ex cop: they find liters of blood, omg it is all so bad never seen before crime scene, with the blood and dna of all the kids in that residence. Though this was all cleaned up, yet they find samples ( that should very much be compromised) that they can analyze in a day . Also who writes bloody messages on a carpet (to start with in a darn carpet??) only to clean it up again? That makes no sense at all.
2. they discover that the occupant of that residence was murdered, by a female no less ( nothing against women but considering she was all alone dragging a male corpse around) and afterwards dumped in its entirety in a tunnel that is as inaccessible as they come (author described it as such, not me) the kill was violent, loads of blood, but no cause of death given, no details on the how and when, just a guesstimate)
3. What is Sandy’s role? To date we still don’t understand. Did he kidnap most of them? Or just Jack? What was his role? How did he get involved? Also… why were they so stupid as to try and frame him AND NOT KNOW WHERE THE DUDE WAS.
4. Nice back story and reading for the actual killer except: a. The whole putting them to sleep thing does not make sense at all if scully was butchering them. B. For all hints given Scully was a paedophile so the fact that the kids were not messed with doesn’t make sense. C. Scully is everything that woman despises, heck she went to town on her father like a mad man, why would she help him do what he did? It would make more sense if she killed peadophiles. No sense at all to want to protect them from men like her dad only to give them to men like her dad. D. Who put the sand there? E. Her OWN daughter? Why? Trigger? Reason! Elaborate man.
5. Hello? You are indicating that a paedophile succumbed to his urges 20 years ago…yet somehow there are 10 years between one murder and the other. It is said the man was fired for grooming! In an online chat but no one did anything, not even open a case AND his colleague knew about his preferences but didn’t even come forward then? How did he meet Sharon? Why did the collude? There is no history behind this…
6. The whole Jack kidnapping made even less sense.. there was again no reason, no actual trigger for it five years later… had she received a death sentence by cancer or something… it would have been understandable. But no trigger at all. The way she went about it is even less understandable.
7. Why do they keep the kids alive for 5 days? Why is there blood if they are being kept sedated? What is the cause of death? Why boys and girls? The predilection seems girls? Killers have a profile, psychology. Team killers are even more bound to those rules. There must be a trust or healthy fear. One dominant one follower.. neither Scully nor Sharon seem either… there is no reason for them to be colluding.
As you can see the story is unhinged. While we have a sturdy build up of the main character and a very detailed description of Scotland’s cities and highways… the actual subject of the novel is left guessing. Almost like after thoughts they meant to work out later.
The funny part here is though, that it is written so well you keep reading to the end without question, thoroughly enjoying the read. The disappointed comes when you realize the read is over and none of your questions were answered.
Characters like mowat are introduced and then dumped when they have no more use. The man broke into a private residence (as did the cop btw) and no one does anything… when you write a police procedural… know the procedures. Lone Ranger bs is not an option.
I am very frustrated here because the read was exciting at first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2024
3.5 Stars
Well written Scottish police procedural that manages to have well rounded characters, brutal crime but presented in a sensitive manner and good developing relationships in the cop shop.
A serial killer is sought. Brutal scenes are made digestible with careful writing.
Kindle Unlimited
Well written Scottish police procedural that manages to have well rounded characters, brutal crime but presented in a sensitive manner and good developing relationships in the cop shop.
A serial killer is sought. Brutal scenes are made digestible with careful writing.
Kindle Unlimited
September 3, 2022
I have previously read and loved this author's other books and was eager to see what this, the first book in a new series, would be like. As expected, it is a total winner.
DCI Lomond is brought back into the fold when a young child is abducted and some sand is left behind, reminiscent of the Sandman abductions and murders some years before. From that thrilling start, it never lets up. I enjoyed the different characters in the investigation team and the interactions and banter. It felt quite real like you're there with the team and part of the ongoing events.
I thought I had it figured out and was so wrong! If you haven't read anything by this author before, grab this and make a start. You won't be disappointed. Hope there's not too long to wait for the next in this series.
DCI Lomond is brought back into the fold when a young child is abducted and some sand is left behind, reminiscent of the Sandman abductions and murders some years before. From that thrilling start, it never lets up. I enjoyed the different characters in the investigation team and the interactions and banter. It felt quite real like you're there with the team and part of the ongoing events.
I thought I had it figured out and was so wrong! If you haven't read anything by this author before, grab this and make a start. You won't be disappointed. Hope there's not too long to wait for the next in this series.
February 16, 2024
2 stars
On top of being a very depressive book, the ending makes no sense. They chaise the entire time a person to do an 180 at the end, without even having an explanation for WHY all the murders happen. Very confusing and frustrating.
On top of being a very depressive book, the ending makes no sense. They chaise the entire time a person to do an 180 at the end, without even having an explanation for WHY all the murders happen. Very confusing and frustrating.
November 6, 2025
The Bonnie Dead is the first book in DCI Lomond series and it's a fantastic first outing for the Scottish detective.
Andrew Raymond writes with ease and competency bringing a story that's utterly gripping, gritty and impossible to put down.
I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read the next Lomond book.
Andrew Raymond writes with ease and competency bringing a story that's utterly gripping, gritty and impossible to put down.
I absolutely loved it and can't wait to read the next Lomond book.
October 20, 2022
Five years ago, DCI John Lomond led the search for the ‘Sandman’, a serial killer who abducted and murdered young children. Despite Lomond’s best efforts, the killer was never found. When a child is abducted in a similar fashion after a long period of calm, Lomond is brought back in to investigate.
I haven’t read any of Andrew Raymond’s books before, so I was excited to read The Bonnie Dead, the first novel in the DCI Lomond Crime Thrillers series and it was brilliant! I sometimes find it hard to get into thrillers, but I couldn’t put it down and read it within a day.
The story bowls along at a fast pace with loads of twists and turns that had me guessing until the finale. And what a finale!
The book is set between the gritty inner city background of Glasgow and the contrasting beautiful, calm island of Arran. I know both places well and the author did a great job of bringing these landscapes to life.
The author created very relatable and engaging characters that I instantly became invested in. The Glasgow team gathered along with Lomond make up a colourful and interesting group of varied personalities who were unlike the usual crime thriller police stereotypes. Their interactions felt very authentic and I loved their banter. I particularly liked Donna and look forward to seeing more of her in the future books.
The Bonnie Dead is fresh, exciting, unpredictable and gripping thriller that had me hooked from the first page. I can’t wait for book 2!
I haven’t read any of Andrew Raymond’s books before, so I was excited to read The Bonnie Dead, the first novel in the DCI Lomond Crime Thrillers series and it was brilliant! I sometimes find it hard to get into thrillers, but I couldn’t put it down and read it within a day.
The story bowls along at a fast pace with loads of twists and turns that had me guessing until the finale. And what a finale!
The book is set between the gritty inner city background of Glasgow and the contrasting beautiful, calm island of Arran. I know both places well and the author did a great job of bringing these landscapes to life.
The author created very relatable and engaging characters that I instantly became invested in. The Glasgow team gathered along with Lomond make up a colourful and interesting group of varied personalities who were unlike the usual crime thriller police stereotypes. Their interactions felt very authentic and I loved their banter. I particularly liked Donna and look forward to seeing more of her in the future books.
The Bonnie Dead is fresh, exciting, unpredictable and gripping thriller that had me hooked from the first page. I can’t wait for book 2!
February 3, 2025
Such a hard review for me to write. I was so distracted by all the places I knew that I kept forgetting about the plot, and I found the content extremely distressing, so my review may seem a little unfair but I review on enjoyment basis.
The narration was pretty good!
Currently included with audible 🎧
The narration was pretty good!
Currently included with audible 🎧
February 25, 2023
Andrew Raymond is a new author to me, and I really enjoyed this first book in a new series set in Glasgow and narrated by the wonderful Angus King. It is very well written and expertly plotted with a chilling storyline and moves along at a steady pace. DCI Lomond is an interesting, relatable character with a backstory that is gradually revealed throughout the book. I look forward to seeing what is next for him in this series.
October 24, 2022
Glasgow - when a young boy Jack Ferguson is abducted from his home whilst his parents are paralysed after being drugged witnessing the whole thing but unable to stop it, all DCI Jack Lomond’s fears are confirmed. After 5 years The Sandman is back. Suffering a personal trendiest after the loss of his wife and newborn son, this is the one case he was unable to solve, with other children taken and Turing up dead 5 days later, the clock is ticking. It’s up to DCI Lomond and the team to find the missing boy before it’s too late. But as dark secrets come to the surface, is The Sandman back or is there a copycat killer on the loose, and what is the link to the cold case of a missing girl 20 years ago?
This was the first book in what promises to be an absolutely brilliant series. The characters in this book that we were introduced to were deep in their own ways as well as relatable. The storyline was dark and chilling with plenty of twists along the way, with the conclusion finishing the story off brilliant at the end. This book was right up my street, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I can’t wait for the next instalment!
Thank you so much for letting me pre-read this book before release, and hopefully I’ll have the opportunity again to read and review the next one in the series!
This was the first book in what promises to be an absolutely brilliant series. The characters in this book that we were introduced to were deep in their own ways as well as relatable. The storyline was dark and chilling with plenty of twists along the way, with the conclusion finishing the story off brilliant at the end. This book was right up my street, I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I can’t wait for the next instalment!
Thank you so much for letting me pre-read this book before release, and hopefully I’ll have the opportunity again to read and review the next one in the series!
January 4, 2025
The Bonnie Dead is book one in the new series by Andrew Raymond called DCI Lomond. Most law enforcement officers always have a case that is always on their mind, and DCI Lomond's case was the murder of five children in Glasgow called the Sandman. The personal tragedy made him leave the case when, five years later, another boy was taken and evidence saying the Sandman was back, DCI Lomond asked his boss to be involved with the investigation. The readers of The Bonnie Dead will continue to follow DCI Lomond's investigation to discover what happens.
I found this book and its author while searching Goodreads for a book to fulfil a challenge. For this reason, I am excited to continue following this series. I love Andrew Raymond's writing style, which ensures I engage with the plot and the characters from the first page. I also love the way Andrew Raymond highlights social issues that affect communities. I love Andrew Raymond's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. The Bonnie Dead is well-written and researched by Andrew Raymond. I like Andrew Raymond's description of the settings of The Bonnie Dead, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
I recommend this book.
I found this book and its author while searching Goodreads for a book to fulfil a challenge. For this reason, I am excited to continue following this series. I love Andrew Raymond's writing style, which ensures I engage with the plot and the characters from the first page. I also love the way Andrew Raymond highlights social issues that affect communities. I love Andrew Raymond's portrayal of his characters and how they interact with each other throughout this book. The Bonnie Dead is well-written and researched by Andrew Raymond. I like Andrew Raymond's description of the settings of The Bonnie Dead, which allowed me to imagine being part of the book's plot.
I recommend this book.
January 23, 2023
Twist
Great Characters, Great Story. Well written, humerous at times, thrilling nerve jangling. Will look forward to reading more by the author.
Great Characters, Great Story. Well written, humerous at times, thrilling nerve jangling. Will look forward to reading more by the author.
February 19, 2024
As the first in a series it was OK. Obviously there is a lot of character introduction. The storyline was good and moved at a reasonable pace. There were one or two passages that diverted from the story and characters. I was a bit confused as to why they were included. Will I continue with the series, not sure.
February 16, 2023
Disappointing. Very thin characters and run-of-the-mill dialogue. I'd had enough by Chapter 8. Sorry, but it will appeal to some readers.
April 17, 2024
This is this first book I have read by this author, and I am so impressed. I thoroughly enjoy The Bonnie Dead so much so, that as soon as I had finished, I went straight onto the next in the series.
Brilliant story, excellent characters, so glad I took the plunge and read this book.
Highly recommend.
Happy Reading.
Brilliant story, excellent characters, so glad I took the plunge and read this book.
Highly recommend.
Happy Reading.
August 29, 2025
felt a bit derivative and too similar to JD Kirk's DCI Jack Logan series. enjoyable but I'll stick with one Scottish police procedural with the DCI having JL initials for now
October 24, 2024
Couldn’t finish it. It has the novelty of being set where I’m from, but that wore off fast. Reads like a first draft.
June 20, 2025
I think this was a Kindle recommendation that popped up in my timeline and I decided to give it a go as the character of the protagonist DCI Lomond quite appealed to me.
He has been hunting the serial child abductor and murderer for several years and although there have been no recent crimes, Lomond carries on his investigation in his own time. However a child is abducted and the crime bears all the hallmarks of it being the work of the Sandman. Lomond, despite some resistance from his senior officers, eventually heads up the investigation, in which the team has five days to locate the missing child before he is murdered.
As a retired Scottish Police Officer, I must admit that I do try and avoid Scottish Police procedural novels as I tend to be put off, by apparent errors in the procedure. However I’ve got to admit that I didn’t find that with this novel and I found it highly enjoyable. Lomond is a pretty dour character mainly due to a tragedy that he suffered in his past and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Despite this he does manage to form a bond with his colleagues in the Major Investigation Team and his dedication seems to rub off and inspire his young colleagues. The plot takes many twists and hits a few dead ends before climaxing on the Isle of Arran.
There are several other books in this series and I think I’ll be returning to them in the not too distant future.
He has been hunting the serial child abductor and murderer for several years and although there have been no recent crimes, Lomond carries on his investigation in his own time. However a child is abducted and the crime bears all the hallmarks of it being the work of the Sandman. Lomond, despite some resistance from his senior officers, eventually heads up the investigation, in which the team has five days to locate the missing child before he is murdered.
As a retired Scottish Police Officer, I must admit that I do try and avoid Scottish Police procedural novels as I tend to be put off, by apparent errors in the procedure. However I’ve got to admit that I didn’t find that with this novel and I found it highly enjoyable. Lomond is a pretty dour character mainly due to a tragedy that he suffered in his past and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Despite this he does manage to form a bond with his colleagues in the Major Investigation Team and his dedication seems to rub off and inspire his young colleagues. The plot takes many twists and hits a few dead ends before climaxing on the Isle of Arran.
There are several other books in this series and I think I’ll be returning to them in the not too distant future.
June 3, 2024
This reads (listens?) just like a binge-worthy crime series. Think Broadchurch with a Glaswegian flair - in fact, David Tennant’s character would fit right in as the cranky but loveable MC with the tragic backstory. Loved the team dynamic of the other detectives, especially Ross - so glad it wasn’t a one-man-super-detective show. As you can imagine, a story like this is filled with content warnings, but it dealt with them in a restrained way at least, so it never got too dark in the way that Scandi noirs usually are.
Overall, I binged this in about 2 days straight, and I’m already 20% into the sequel. Worth checking out as an audio, since the narrator does a fantastic job and the Scottish quips and sarcastic humour really shine (but my advice is to listen to it on 1.5 speed otherwise he speaks WAY too slow).
4 stars
Overall, I binged this in about 2 days straight, and I’m already 20% into the sequel. Worth checking out as an audio, since the narrator does a fantastic job and the Scottish quips and sarcastic humour really shine (but my advice is to listen to it on 1.5 speed otherwise he speaks WAY too slow).
4 stars
November 3, 2025
I listened to this after searching up other audiobooks read by Angus King as he is brilliant! Unfortunately this book was not brilliant. Another review has hit the nail on the head that I don't think the author even knew who they wanted the killer to be and it was as if they were trying to throw twists and turns but I just couldn't keep track or make sense of the reasoning. Glasgow references were cool and I might listen to another one but only because I like the narrator.
December 5, 2025
That was one hell of a ride and a series I'm surely gonna keep reading!
The plot was solid and got me hooked up from page one, the cast of characters was diverse and as close to us, humans, as possible. Each had his/her personality and faults which made the story quite realistic and relatable. Yes, I had my suspicions, but not many clues were delivered throughout the investigation, for me to draw a definite conclusion. But overall, I highly enjoyed the rollercoaster and will be back for more!
The plot was solid and got me hooked up from page one, the cast of characters was diverse and as close to us, humans, as possible. Each had his/her personality and faults which made the story quite realistic and relatable. Yes, I had my suspicions, but not many clues were delivered throughout the investigation, for me to draw a definite conclusion. But overall, I highly enjoyed the rollercoaster and will be back for more!
July 26, 2025
Simply brilliant. Lots going on throughout the book. Murders, kidnapping, revenge and a lot more.
Edge of your seat read
Edge of your seat read
August 12, 2025
Not my cup of tea. DNF
January 14, 2026
Really enjoyed this one! Had me wanting to read more from the 2nd chapter. Held my attention for the entire book. Finished in a day!
Will absolutely explore more from this author
Will absolutely explore more from this author
August 18, 2023
Really enjoyed this police procedural with a few twists and turns. It is fast paced and easy to read and is free on Prime Reading right now.
February 21, 2024
Serial murder, birth trauma, team conflict, some police procedure
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 16, 2024
I expect one or two things from mystery novels:
- an engaging plot. If the characters lack depth, the prose is mediocre, and the world building lacks charm, give me at least a plot I can devour to get to end and find out WHO did it.
- great characters. You plot is predicatable, the prose is mediocre, and the world building lacks charm? No worries, I've got this fella here I can't wait to spend time with, because it's such an engaging character, one I can actually remember the name of, and that's not a rehash of countless others that came before - a mere avatar.
- charming world building. Make the city a character. The house the murder took place in. The weather. Something. Please give me something to latch on as the predictible plot washes down the drain.
- great bloody prose. This one is like a holdal sort of thing. If you have great prose, you probably have the other three already figured out. Or not. Which is fine, I won't care as long as your words work their magic on my years. I might not even notice I don't event care about who did it.
This novel lacks all of the above. 2 stars for the effort, because wirting a novel is hard. Writing a mystery novel is even harder. Writing a great mystery novel is even harder.
I should’ve probably spend this time listening to a John LeCare or Mick Herron novel - writers this guy calls his inspiration - but those are better left to be read, not listened to.
- an engaging plot. If the characters lack depth, the prose is mediocre, and the world building lacks charm, give me at least a plot I can devour to get to end and find out WHO did it.
- great characters. You plot is predicatable, the prose is mediocre, and the world building lacks charm? No worries, I've got this fella here I can't wait to spend time with, because it's such an engaging character, one I can actually remember the name of, and that's not a rehash of countless others that came before - a mere avatar.
- charming world building. Make the city a character. The house the murder took place in. The weather. Something. Please give me something to latch on as the predictible plot washes down the drain.
- great bloody prose. This one is like a holdal sort of thing. If you have great prose, you probably have the other three already figured out. Or not. Which is fine, I won't care as long as your words work their magic on my years. I might not even notice I don't event care about who did it.
This novel lacks all of the above. 2 stars for the effort, because wirting a novel is hard. Writing a mystery novel is even harder. Writing a great mystery novel is even harder.
I should’ve probably spend this time listening to a John LeCare or Mick Herron novel - writers this guy calls his inspiration - but those are better left to be read, not listened to.
March 8, 2025
Maybe it is because I have been sick, I would say 2-2.5 stars. I read a ton and I admit to losing my place in this book several times and drifting off others. I found the characters flowing like Niagara Falls confusing and the very appropriately Scottish accent hard to understand (again I am sick and have a ton of fluid in my ear). So I did not really enjoy this. A lot of tell not show. What happened to the DCI was horrible and the all the "Bonnie Dead" are horrible. I will not continue on
Read
October 7, 2022DCI Lomond follows in the grand tradition of a flawed senior officer beset by incompetent and self serving senior officers. However, and this is where Andrew Raymond has really lifted the genre, his John Lomond is intelligent, unbiased and nuanced. Even his senior officers have shades of humanity at times. The team are inclusive , driven and look out for each other - no time wasters or story suckers here. The Bonnie Dead is a great read full of spirited characters , story twists with the West of Scotland as heroine. I highly recommend this book.
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