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Anna Scavolini #7
The Cracks Beneath
A single push is all it takes…
When a young woman’s body is found at the bottom of a flight of steps, suspicion quickly lands on her volatile boyfriend, Sean Kerevan. The evidence is damning, but Sean swears he didn’t do it.
Convinced Sean isn’t getting a fair hearing, solicitor Pamela Macklin asks criminologist Anna Scavolini to investigate the case. Anna has every reason to refuse – from Sean’s violent past to her young son’s ongoing behavioural issues… to the worrying health problems she’s trying her hardest to ignore.
But Anna can’t resist the pull of the mystery. Soon, she’s caught in a web of shifting alibis, family feuds and dangerous men with secrets worth killing for.
To uncover the truth, Anna must face the possibility that Sean’s not the only one with something to hide. And unless she works fast, her search for justice may just cost her more than she’s willing to give…
When a young woman’s body is found at the bottom of a flight of steps, suspicion quickly lands on her volatile boyfriend, Sean Kerevan. The evidence is damning, but Sean swears he didn’t do it.
Convinced Sean isn’t getting a fair hearing, solicitor Pamela Macklin asks criminologist Anna Scavolini to investigate the case. Anna has every reason to refuse – from Sean’s violent past to her young son’s ongoing behavioural issues… to the worrying health problems she’s trying her hardest to ignore.
But Anna can’t resist the pull of the mystery. Soon, she’s caught in a web of shifting alibis, family feuds and dangerous men with secrets worth killing for.
To uncover the truth, Anna must face the possibility that Sean’s not the only one with something to hide. And unless she works fast, her search for justice may just cost her more than she’s willing to give…
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2026
About the author
M.R. Mackenzie
11 books70 followersTo get the latest news and your FREE sample chapters from the McIlvanney Prize-nominated In the Silence, join the M.R. Mackenzie Readers’ Club:
https://www.mrmackenzieauthor.com/rea...
M.R. Mackenzie is the author of several gritty, character-driven crime fiction novels set mainly in his native Glasgow, including an ongoing series of mysteries featuring criminology lecturer Anna Scavolini.
The first book in the series, In the Silence, was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year and longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2019.
The sixth, The Secrets We Keep, featured in the Financial Times’ Best Summer Books of 2025 (Crime and Thrillers) and IngramSpark’s 2025 Editorial Selection (Mystery/Thriller).
PRAISE FOR M.R. MACKENZIE:
“One of the most consistently accomplished writers on the current scene.” — Financial Times
“Brings a fresh new voice to the field of Tartan Noir.” — James Oswald
“Writes with precision and passion.” — Caro Ramsay
“An immersive slow burn of a tale, peppered with disquieting fire-crackers of revelation.” — Gordon J. Brown
“Mackenzie has come up with something that defies easy definition and is truly original.” — NB Magazine
“Up there with the best contemporary authors working today.” — David B. Lyons
https://www.mrmackenzieauthor.com/rea...
M.R. Mackenzie is the author of several gritty, character-driven crime fiction novels set mainly in his native Glasgow, including an ongoing series of mysteries featuring criminology lecturer Anna Scavolini.
The first book in the series, In the Silence, was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Scottish Crime Debut of the Year and longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2019.
The sixth, The Secrets We Keep, featured in the Financial Times’ Best Summer Books of 2025 (Crime and Thrillers) and IngramSpark’s 2025 Editorial Selection (Mystery/Thriller).
PRAISE FOR M.R. MACKENZIE:
“One of the most consistently accomplished writers on the current scene.” — Financial Times
“Brings a fresh new voice to the field of Tartan Noir.” — James Oswald
“Writes with precision and passion.” — Caro Ramsay
“An immersive slow burn of a tale, peppered with disquieting fire-crackers of revelation.” — Gordon J. Brown
“Mackenzie has come up with something that defies easy definition and is truly original.” — NB Magazine
“Up there with the best contemporary authors working today.” — David B. Lyons
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 14, 2026
Another belter in an absolutely fabulous series.
This is one of my favourite series of books, which just keep getting better and better. The latest book is the best yet. A brilliant main character in Anna, with a fantastic storyline. That said Zoe will always remain my favourite character. She is some wumin! I can’t recommend this series of books highly enough and am already looking forward to the next instalment.
This is one of my favourite series of books, which just keep getting better and better. The latest book is the best yet. A brilliant main character in Anna, with a fantastic storyline. That said Zoe will always remain my favourite character. She is some wumin! I can’t recommend this series of books highly enough and am already looking forward to the next instalment.
May 24, 2026
4.5/5 stars
I’ve been following this series for a while now and The Cracks Beneath is another solid entry, though not quite my favourite of the bunch.
The main thing that held it back for me was that the different storylines took longer to come together than in the previous books – in those, everything seemed to weave into each other really naturally. Here it felt a bit stop-start in the middle, and I found myself less gripped than usual. That said, the last few chapters completely made up for it and I ended up flying through the end.
What I love about Makenzie as a writer is that he never lets you get comfortable with your own opinions. The ethical questions he raises are genuinely murky and I kept going back and forth on how I felt about the characters’ choices. That’s rare, and it’s why this series keeps me coming back.
Anna’s storyline this time around felt really fresh – she’s fighting for her life, but for very different reasons than before, and I appreciated that Makenzie didn’t just repeat the formula.
Hopefully not the last we’ll read of her.
I’ve been following this series for a while now and The Cracks Beneath is another solid entry, though not quite my favourite of the bunch.
The main thing that held it back for me was that the different storylines took longer to come together than in the previous books – in those, everything seemed to weave into each other really naturally. Here it felt a bit stop-start in the middle, and I found myself less gripped than usual. That said, the last few chapters completely made up for it and I ended up flying through the end.
What I love about Makenzie as a writer is that he never lets you get comfortable with your own opinions. The ethical questions he raises are genuinely murky and I kept going back and forth on how I felt about the characters’ choices. That’s rare, and it’s why this series keeps me coming back.
Anna’s storyline this time around felt really fresh – she’s fighting for her life, but for very different reasons than before, and I appreciated that Makenzie didn’t just repeat the formula.
Hopefully not the last we’ll read of her.
March 14, 2026
Amazing, As Usual
Poor Anna...always some crisis happening to her while she soldiers on unpaid. Zoe is such a trooper. I am devastated that I have to wait forEVER for the next in the series.
Poor Anna...always some crisis happening to her while she soldiers on unpaid. Zoe is such a trooper. I am devastated that I have to wait forEVER for the next in the series.
March 2, 2026
Not the best in this series, but good enough to read through to the end. The plot seemed to drag in places for me, but overall readable.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews