Murder Central: In a world where nothing is as it seems, trust is a luxury few can afford.

by Ashlie McAnally

Murder Central
When notorious gangster Josh Slaven is gunned down in a shocking assassination, all signs point to a turf war—his known enemies are the prime suspects.

Tenacious journalist April McCann is on the scene at Glasgow's Central Station with a tip-off suggesting it’s the work of rivals.


As she digs deeper into the circumstances surrounding Slaven’s death, April’s investigation uncovers a deadly betrayal, forcing her to confront the darkness lurking at the heart of the case.

PC William Field is one of the first officers to respond to the shooting. Eager to build a life and start a family, William soon finds himself haunted by a ghost from his past, facing challenges that could shatter his future.

As the truth unfolds, will April and William emerge unscathed?

In a world where nothing is as it seems, trust is a luxury few can afford.

240 pages, Paperback

Published January 31, 2025

Reviews

[Georgia Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book with so many twists and turns.

I love books set in Glasgow and this one is great for using the setting and highlighting the crime.

I loved the different characters and seeing there part in the story come to life, I especially enjoyed April the journalists input in the plot.

I had the pleasure of Ashlie being one of my lectures whilst studying for my masters in digital journalism, such a great teacher and one heck of a writer !!!

So great to see her story come to life as she spoke about writing a book in class a few times.

Well done 👏🏼👏🏼 can’t wait to see what comes next !

[Amy Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a crime novel kind of gal but I did like the twists in the story. Found things a little hard to follow initially with so many characters but grew to like the main characters as the story unfolded.

[Samantha Mulvee-Donnelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m an avid fan of true crime! So when I heard about this fictional novel, based in my home city, I had to read it!
I enjoyed the plot and had a few gasp moments, but don’t worry, it’s not a gory story - a good entry read into the crime scene, written by a crime journalist!
My only critique is how it’s written in third person and a tad repetitive with “and he said, and William said…”
Well done on your first novel Ashlie.

[Lee B · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Murder Central” by Ashlie McAnally is a genuinely gripping read from start to finish. Set in Glasgow, it follows the shocking murder of notorious gangster Josh Slaven and the relentless efforts of tenacious journalist April McCann as she uncovers the conspiracy behind it.

The author’s deep knowledge of both the subject matter and the city shines through and every scene feels authentic and vividly drawn. The pacing is excellent, with each chapter leaving me eager to read the next. Despite the dark themes, moments of humour are cleverly woven throughout, adding depth and levity to the story.

This is a fantastic debut novel from Ashlie McAnally, and I’m already looking forward to the next instalment!

[Madeleine Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book opens with a gruesome and shocking assassination at Central Station in Glasgow in front of terrified commuters of a notorious Scottish gangster, John Slaven.
Loved that it was set in my hometown of Glasgow as it's great to recognise all the locations.
It read just like a gangland film; shooting, terror, murder, fear, blackmail and so much more, with very believable characters
What an amazing debut by Ashlie McAnally!

[Sarah Barker · Rating 2 out of 5]

An entertaining enough story, this wasn't my cup of tea. The author has used her previous experience to add colour to court reporting but there seems too much detail for characters and plot points that aren't central players in the plot while others are obviously after thoughts. With some more editing this could have been a solid read. Instead I struggled to continue reading this and only finished it as it was for a book club.

[Lynn Hailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd put this on my 'to read' list a while back when I learned that the author was local to me. Read it this week in advance of an upcoming book club event.

Crime novels are not my usual genre but I did enjoy how the story was layered up from different people & their part in the story. Also nice to have familiar Glasgow haunts called out.

[Muriel Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashlie McAnally's debut crime thriller is a fabulous page-turner. Set in Glasgow, this novel is fast-paced and difficult to put down. It has a cast of engaging, believable characters, with journalist April McCann at the centre. She is a feisty lead who never misses a trick, and I’m hoping we’ll be treated to more of her adventures in future books.

[Pamela Deans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved all the Glasgow references. Although not my go-to genre I actually really enjoyed this book

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This genre isn't normally my go-to, but this book is an exception. It caught my interest early on and kept me coming back for more. No spoilers, but I'm hoping there's more to come

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

with the author’s background as a former court reporter this crime fiction offers a unique perspective into gang life in a big city

the story, set in Glasgow, mentions many familiar places, which was an interesting experience to read through

the plot was sometimes hard to follow, with so many characters being name dropped in the first chapters, however it was still a fairly good crime story with a good plot twist at the end

[Gillian Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Glasgow about rouge police officers, a journalist and drug dealers.