Кръв и измяна

DCI Logan Crime Thrillers #4

by J.D. Kirk, Дж. Д. Кърк, Йоана Гацова (Translator)

Колко далеч би стигнал, за да погребеш истината?
Докато издирват изчезнал катерач, планинските спасители от Гленко откриват труп… ала не този, който търсят.

Едва успели да се съвземат от предишния си случай, главен инспектор Джак Логан и екипът му се залавят да разнищят жестоката екзекуция в планините южно от Инвърнес.

Зловещите тайни на жертвата една по една излизат наяве и Джак открива, че зад спиращия дъха пейзаж дебне поквара, а той самият е мишена за далеч по-опасен престъпник, отколкото си е представял.

Ако не внимава, ще си има работа не просто с убийство, а с истинско клане.

„Следващата ти мания.“

Майкъл Уд

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Scotland, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

408 pages, Paperback

First published December 13, 2019

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The trouble with reading a series back-to-back very quickly is that you run out of things to say in your reviews. At least I do.

This was as good as all the others. J.D. Kirk writes these crime thrillers consistently well. In this one the police follow a false trail that leads to a really tragic outcome. And then I read the next one.

[Terence M [Quot libros, quam breve tempus!] · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-Stars ^^ 4.0-Stars - I liked It A Lot"
- Blood and Treachery (DCI Logan, #4)
"Blood and Treachery" was my first full read/listen after about six weeks of illness, during which time the lack of desire or inclination to put on my headphones sadly left me bereft of my favourite form of entertainment.

This was another excellent episode of the DCI Logan series. I confess that I struggled a little with concentration while listening to Angus King's superb narration. I can only assume King's Scottish brogue is the real thing; if not, it doesn't matter, because he sounds terrific and concentration is necessary at the best of times with DCI Logan's exploits!

DCI Logan #5, "The Last Bloody Straw" is cued up and ready to go🤩!

[Alisonbookreviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Loving this detective series set in the Highlands of Scotland.
DSI Logan is on the case of a young hiker found dead or most likely murdered.
When he discovers what had been done to the body from the county coroner things start taking a turn for the worst.
It seemed to be the young hiker had been moved to the spot he was found after he was murdered.
The DCI had his work cut out for him.
This detective series is really good so far and J.D Kirk is an excellent character writer.
Jack Logan being quite the character himself.
I'd recommend this series to any detective lovers

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate that I jumped into the middle of a series but overall I was a bit disappointed with this book. It has a wonderful Highland setting but unfortunately I found the story rather bland and predictable. However I will try another book in the series as the author has attracted many positive reviews.

[Siobhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Blood and Treachery is the fourth book in the DCI Logan series, and I was eager to dive into this one after enjoying the prior books in the series. While this did make for a quick and easy read, I did not love it in the way I enjoyed the prior books.

For me, this one felt a little too easy. There were plenty of interesting elements throughout, yet things were a bit too obvious from early on. I kept waiting for a big twist to happen, yet the twist at the end was not big enough for me. In fact, it was not overly shocking at all. Add in the fact that there were a few things in this one that I dislike in stories, and the fourth book in the series did not wow me to the degree I had hoped.

Although not my favourite in the series, I remain invested and am eager to dive into the next.

[Li'l Owl · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Audiobook

[Michael Scofield · Rating 5 out of 5]

За пореден път Дж. Д. Кърк е написал книга, която не можете да оставите, голям поглед върху героите и невероятни описания, които ви позволяват действително да си представите историята, която съчетава много ироничен хумор с някои зрелищни убийства. Толкова ми харесва тази поредица. Чувствам се присъщ на историята и напълно губя представа какво се случва около мен. Нищо друго не съществува.

Влюбен съм в тази поредица и героите. Обратът тук е перфектно направен и отново прекрасните герои наистина карат историята да блести. Това е четвърта книга, героите са се разширили, така че с всяка книга да станете малко по-ангажирани в живота им.

Тази история има някои действия, но по-малко от другите, които съм чел в поредицата досега. По отношение на историята имаше всичко, което очаквах. Това е сложна мистерия, с няколко нишки, които могат или не могат да се отнасят един към друг. За щастие всичко се събира до края на книгата. Докато е доста тъмен сюжет като цяло има моменти на хумор, които помагат да се облекчи натоварването. Нямам търпение за следващата книга :)

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fast moving plot that starts with a buried body and turns into a hunt for a drug ring. The book has plenty of humour and sarcasm from the main character which I really loved.

I am enjoying the development of Jack Logan’s personality and the supporting cast very much. I find it never gets too personal to be overly dramatic, there’s just enough to give you a sense of the people in the story and their daily lives. There’s not a lot of police jargon to bog down the story. I think it’s a wonderful look at policing without the grind.

To some up another very enjoyable read but with a shocking development. The story is full of interesting characters, Scottish whit, sarcasm and a plot that’s exciting and gripping. I would highly recommend this series of books to those new to crime/thrillers as they are really easy to get into but very hard to put down.

[ЙОАНА МАНДЖУКОВА · Rating 5 out of 5]

Прекрасна криминална поредица, прекрасен Кърк! Отново интересен сюжет, четивен и последователно развит без нищо излишно. И отново преплетено с точното количество тънък хумор, запазена марка на автора. Даже на няколко места се изхилих с глас. 😁 Всички герои си имат своите странности и няма как да не станат симпатични на читателите. Малко ми липсваше мафиота Боско ( очаквах да се появи в някой момент) и жалко, че един от героите си замина без време, но пък има още доста книги от поредицата и се надявам да ги издадат всичките. Заслужени пълни 5 ⭐️

[Pat K · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those thrillers that actually is a thriller. Suspenseful with unexpected twists.

[Kexx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yea, as I surmised after number 3, becoming more outrageous, more violent. Close to the edge of my acceptance. On to number 5 eventually.

[Genevieve Paquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah, this was a good one. A nice, solid procedural with great writing and the odd comic moment to break the tension.
This installment features a primary character death, and I should not have been surprised at who it was, but... I honestly expected it to be someone else and I'm (as bad as it makes me sound) glad I was wrong.
I'm looking forward to the next book. I hope it'll be released in audiobook format because they really are perfect to listen to at work.

[Dee (readaholic_dee) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome book, J D Kirk writes like no another! The words he uses, the banter between colleagues, how I can visualise each of the characters shows how great the descriptive writing is, I cannot praise highly enough. The story line is gripping, nothing is ever what it seems, the books just draw you in. 5 Stars plus. You will not be disappointed with this series.

[Kieran · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved reading the DCI Jack Logan up series and can't wait for the next book to be out. Once again JD Kirk has written a book that you can't put down; a great insight into the characters, and amazing descriptions which allow you to actually picture the story.
These books are a must read!

[Erin B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still enjoying this series four books in. It's nothing spectacular, I'm a little pissed that they announced a lesbian character and killed her in essentially the same breath, and the cases are getting a little predictable, but I just downloaded the next two audiobooks so I guess I'm not done yet.

[Jake Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jd Kirk is fully mister consistent. Man just doesn’t seem to miss

[Евелин Василева · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Кръв и измяна“ ми хареса – историята е увлекателна, героите са изградени убедително и лесно се потапяш в мрачния, дъждовен шотландски пейзаж. Въпреки това ми липсваше повече действие и екшън сцени, които биха направили преживяването още по-интензивно и напрегнато.

[Wayne Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such good books

[Alan Greaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having retired 18 months ago (at age 75) from careers in the police (30 years) and defence solicitor (28 years) reading has become a major pastime. The books of several Scottish crime writers fill the shelves of my Kindle and bearing in mind the current social circumstances, they have been a Godsend. Having read all Denzil Meyrick and TF Muir, I got started on James Oswald, and on Ann Cleeves' Shetland series and then looked out for the next good reads. I found them in the DCI Logan series written by JD Kirk which I have almost finished. The books are not major tomes (about 350 pages) and so I can read a book in a day and a half which is just about right. The plots and stories themselves, the portrayed camaraderie within the job and the investigations detailed fit my reading requirements like an old glove and bring back my memories of a police service of old, or, should I say, traditional policing methods which seemingly no longer exist. What strikes me particularly is that JD Kirk has woven all his plots and investigations together without detailing the infinite number of legal rules and procedures which tend to merely clog up the plot. There are some Scottish literary delights that I didn't quite get but they didn't spoil the flow. I guessed at their meanings. The books of JD Kirk are excellent and brighten up my days. I hope he keeps them coming.

[Soo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Notes:

Another great addition to the series. The case was pretty good! Though, these stories are not the kind where you are given clues to figure it out easily on your own. It's more like a story in progress that you can watch.

[Peter Reeves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can’t agree with the overall rating, it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t to the level of say Peter Grainger either.

[Helene Schlichter · Rating 4 out of 5]

JD Kirk discovers the word 'niggling'

[Lucie Aran · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** Mělký hrob ***
Tato kniha nabízí několik akčních scén, i když jich je méně než v předchozích dílech série. Co však opravdu vyniká, je precizně napsaný konflikt Logana s alkoholem, který byl zpracován velmi citlivě a realisticky. Příběh se zaměřuje na případ nalezeného těla během pátrání po jiném zmizelém člověku. Vyšetřování odhalí, že jde o mladého muže s rodinou, což přináší mnoho otázek. Postupně se však ukazuje, že některé stopy do sebe nezapadají. Logan a jeho tým narazí na rodinu, která má problémy se zákonem, a zjistí, že ji vyšetřuje jiný tým. I přesto, že dostanou pokyn se stáhnout, stopy je stále vedou stejným směrem. Když se tým rozdělí, aby prověřil různé stopy, věci se dramaticky zkomplikují a Logan se ukáže ve velmi primitivní podobě. Brutální, zlomyslný, a přesto naprosto se ovládající, což mi hodně připomíná Jacka Reachera v momentě ztráty kontroly.

Příběh je napínavý, od začátku jsem měla pocit, že Loganovo vnitřní napětí neustále roste, což nakonec přispívá i k velmi silné atmosféře. Postavy jsou věrohodné, a bohužel i události, které se v příběhu odehrávají. Zvrat na konci mě opravdu překvapil.
Po přečtení prvních čtyř knih o DCI Loganovi vím, že si ráda přečtu i další díly této série.

[Debbie DiFiore · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sad

This one was hard. First off Logan wouldn't get away with doing everything he does. He's not politically correct and he can be downright combative with people. But I really like him. I am having trouble picturing him however. I know he's tall and big but I can't remember his hair color or age from previous books. I know he's older but just not a clear picture of his looks. But his determination is what I like. He fights for justice and he really does love his staff. And there is a very sad and depressing scenario towards the end of the book that totally shocked me. I cried a little even. It was horrid and I wish it didn't happen, but the book was still excellent. I habe no idea why I love this crabby old man but I do. He's far from perfect but he's relatable. And a good man.

[Anetq · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mountain rescue discovers a murder victim, and one of the team is related to ID is easy, but the rest gets complicated with a non-existent workplace, drug runners, a competing case in the station and a shotgun putting an end to a great carrier. Logan seem to beat up more people - and get beaten up more than usual in this one...

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are quick and easy reads and I slotted back into the characters and stories - but, like the last couple I figured out very early on whodunnit which did make it a bit less fun to work through.

[Claire Chibi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5

It's a good thing that I love this series' writing, characters, and sense of humour, because I felt that the plotlines in this book (both the main mystery as well as a certain character's side plot) were rather uninspired. It also doesn't help that I did not find the victims/suspects in this case to be particularly interesting nor likable.

(Also, I found 2 errors in this book where characters are referred to with the wrong name, which really threw me off. It definitely could have used another round of editing)

I was able to figure out the motive/culprit for the murder quite early on in the book just based on familiarity with cliches. Reading the rest of the book, seeing my predictions come true one by one, was a bit of an eye-roller at times. The second that 'Oswatt' was mentioned as a foreign company that the victim had to travel to work for, I called that he was a drug smuggler, and that he was an abusive piece of shit, and that naturally, the father in law was the murderer because he's a good man who loves his poor wee baby girl. I was honestly hoping that my guess would be wrong, because holy mother of cliches, could the plot be any MORE obvious???

Also regarding the side plot, I almost facepalmed when it turned out that I managed to predict every last detail of it. Again, be more obvious, why don't you? (To be fair, familiarity with the series helped me a bit here too) The second that Caitlyn started being shown as being happier than usual, I knew that she'd met someone special, that the someone would be a woman, and that she's likely doomed. Because duh. I'm sure everyone with any media literacy knows the old cliche of 'the soldier/policeman looking at a photo of his wife and kids seconds before getting shot', it was incredibly obvious that's what the author was going on here, especially the conversation with Hamza. All of Jack's protegees have had their turn being in grave danger, so by this book, it was obviously Caitlyn's turn. Unlucky 4th.

I'm not saying that either of these plotlines are necessarily badly written, I think they're both perfectly serviceable. They were just so painfully predictable.

I did still enjoy this book overall, so here's some things I enjoyed to offset my complaining:
- The sense of humour is absolutely on point on usual! I got a particularly good kick out of the return of the sheep dude from the first book, as well as the Pokemon joke (I'd literally had the exact same thought a few chapters earlier).
- Tyler and Sinead are so cute uwu, if bad anything happens to them, I'm going to be mad.
- We're finally getting a look into Jack's previous marriage, which we've only received crumbs about in the previous books.
- Ben has really grown on me. I never disliked him, but compared to protegees, he just seemed like a gruff old man type that didn't particularly interest me right off the bat. I absolutely love his friendship and banter with Jack.

Onto the next book!

[Abigail Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

When a body is found, DCI Logan and his team are thrown into a world of drugs and mayhem. However, the more Logan delves into the case, the more it’s clear that everything isn’t as it appears. The victim has been abusing his wife, so was he really killed based on his dealing, or was his murder much more personal? Logan has to figure this out, but when another body is discovered the case becomes more complicated than ever.

This was another great plot and, like book three of the series, this novel has helped me warm more toward Logan. He has clear love for his team and that shows more with each book.

However, as much as I enjoyed the storyline, I wasn’t as keen on the ending. It always frustrates me when certain elements of cases are left unresolved, and this book ends with many questions unanswered which was a bit annoying.

SPOILER AHEAD! One thing I really disliked about this book was that DS Caitlyn McQuarrie told one of her colleagues she was dating a woman, but no sooner is she revealed as being a queer character she is murdered in the very same chapter! Kirk shows her as all excited about her new relationship only to kill her off right away! It’s one of my biggest pet peeves that queer characters always seem to get killed off quickly and I was looking forward to finally having one in the book. Now she is gone there are only two other female characters, so I think it was a mistake to kill off one of the only female characters.

Overall, a thrilling case, but several elements of the book frustrated me.

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is basically a penny dreadful western novel with a Scottish accent. It’s a pity. I was looking for something lightweight, but this is positively airborne.

The author writes well, but knows almost nothing about character development. DCI Logan is a cardboard cutout John Wayne wannabe who spends most of his time looming over people to intimidate them - that’s when he’s not losing his temper. I read two of these before giving up on him. I can read no more.

[Laura Akers · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story of a body found buried on a mountain and the aftermath set up a great story that became slow and predictable. The alcoholic cop with anger issues and a bad prior marriage is typical of many real life police, but becoming a cliche.
After a while, the characters tutting or blowing their cheeks out got old. This book is fine for a quick police procedural read, but just didn’t do it for me.