PRE-ORDER THE NINTH BOOK IN THE #1 AMAZON BESTSELLING DCI BONE SCOTTISH CRIME SERIES
This Is No Joyride...
When two teenage joyriders are found brutally murdered at Kilwinnoch’s Hangman’s Gorge, a remote spot deep in the heart of the Campsie Fells, DCI Duncan Bone and his team are called in to investigate what appears to be a random act of violence. But when a third young motorcyclist turns up dead in similar circumstances, Bone and his team realize they're hunting a serial killer with a deadly obsession.
Their investigation soon uncovers a web of suspects within the close-knit community, but while panic grips Kilwinnoch, and Bone struggles to find the connection between the victims, dark secrets emerge from the town's past; secrets that some would kill to keep buried. As pressure mounts and the body count rises, Bone faces one of the most heart-wrenching and difficult cases of his career – One that threatens to re-open old wounds and drive him to the very edge and beyond. Can Bone catch the predator before another innocent teenager pays the ultimate price?
'Dirt Road Dead' is the latest book in the DCI Duncan Bone Crime Thriller Series. If you enjoy atmospheric Scottish crime fiction, complex characters and edge-of-your-seat suspense, then you'll love TG Reid’s heart-thumping new thriller. Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, JD Kirk, Rhys Dylan and JM Dalgliesh.
TG Reid is a bestselling British crime novelist. His DCI Bone Scottish detective series has topped the Amazon charts in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia. Since publication of Book 1 in the series, Dark is the Grave, in 2021, he has sold over 1 million books and surpassed 200 million page reads on Kindle Unlimited.
This bestselling series continues to grow from strength to strength, with many more books still to come, and plans to adapt DCI Bone for TV. Sign up to the author’s mailing list to keep informed about future release dates, giveaways, and exclusives.
TG Reid grew up in his native Scotland and the DCI Bone series is set in and around his hometown, among the brooding hills and glens of Scotland’s Campsie Fells. After working as a musician and English lecturer, TG turned to full-time writing and has never looked back. He now lives in Bath with his wife, daughter and hyper-neurotic cat.
TG Reid’s books will appeal to readers who enjoy dark, atmospheric, edge-of-you-seat mysteries with added touches of Scottish humour.
Readers can reach him via his website at www.tgreid.com or find him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
I think that this is the most well-balanced any book in the series has been so far when it comes to the characters. Everyone had parts in the story, we even got to see more of Baxter. The growth of Bone and how he handles things is evident, Will and Catriona have their baby, and the bittersweet storyline between Mullens and his dad. Laverty brings a different edge as the knew unit chief, and I feel all the suspects and victims in this instalment were well written and complex. I will say though, that Alice is quite annoying, no matter what Bone does for her (and he has changed a lot) she never seems happy at all.
Storyline:
This is by far my favourite case in the series yet, it gripped me from cover to cover, and I was never sure of what was going to happen next (which I love). The slow build up of characters, the way in which there are more and more clues without any pieces of the puzzle being solved, and the way in which there is tension throughout. I loved the storyline with Lavery and Walker - very heartfelt and needed to add even more depth to both her character and the story. Everything made sense, nothing was too outlandish, and it still held the humour that any Scottish crime fiction does (we are very funny people).
Pacing/writing:
Not only do I feel this is the best story so far, I truly believe that this is most well-written of the books. It flows effortlessly between chapters, nothing is repetitive, there is a lot more emotion in the wording, and it is just more rounded, I am impressed.
Ending:
A good solid ending that tied everything up with the case. I also quite enjoyed that the hit-and-run from 5 years ago wasn't related, so many books go out of their way to make the most elaborate stories just to tie things together that do not need to be. It was quite a sad ending in terms of the case and for Bone. The drive behind the "baddie" in this case was nothing put pure hatred and they brought down so many people with them.
Emotional impact:
With the previous DCI Bone instalments I always tend to have an issue with the emotional aspect of it, and sometimes feel it can be missing. Not the case for this book at all. The way in which the grief, anger, sadness, and raw emotions were written felt incredibly real throughout.
Solid book. 9/10.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
In Hangman's Gorge, two teenagers are on a joy ride but only one will survive, just. Is there a connection to another murder of five years ago. Then another teenage is killed while on his bike. An enjoyable modern mystery
Book 9 in the DCI Duncan Bone Crime Thriller Series and I think my favourite so far. You can read this as a standalone although why would you when so much background to the characters in the earlier books. It really is an excellent Scottish police procedural. Well written with a great, if disturbing, plot and of course the return of so many excellent characters. Alongside the shocking storyline there is the usual humour and side stories from our intrepid team of police officers.
Briefly, two teenage boys are driving around when they see an open gate that is normally locked. They go to investigate and their car is shoved over a precipice by another vehicle. The driver ends up decapitated in a tree with the car and the passenger is thrown through the windscreen to the ground below. Bone and his team are the investigating officers and comparisons are made with a boy who died on in this area some years earlier. DSU Laverty takes Bone to one side to explain that she had a relationship with the father of one of the boys but it was over now. With the investigation ongoing there are a number of suspects and a further murder adds to the body count, and the tension.
There are some great humour moments and as usual Mullen is the main instigator, albeit sometimes unintentionally. I will never look at an ice cream van in the same way ever again. The plot is complex and compelling with great red herrings that will keep you on your toes trying to guess the killer. A very entertaining and enjoyable (gruesome crimes excepted of course) police procedural novel.
Book 9 in this fabulous crime thriller series, & I think this is the best yet. Not just for the storyline but the way it is written too. A gripping prologue pulls you in & the fast pace doesn’t let you go until you’ve finished reading. Don’t read this as a standalone, you really do need to start at the beginning, not only for the character background but also for events in previous books.
I’m not going to give much away regarding the plot. The prologue links to a similar accident 5 years earlier, which was unsolved & there are few clues on this fresh case. However, by coincidence, DSU Laverty’s private & professional lives crash together & a chink of light begins to show itself. An old adversary of Bone’s reappears, but is he to be trusted. He says he’s changed.
This book seems much tighter, & it’s all the better for it, despite the unsettling plot line. Of course, there are things going on away from the case - Bone’s family dynamics, Harper’s impending fatherhood & Mullens’ food obsession as well as his father to name but a few. Plenty of humour that I’ve come to expect too, especially an event which Mullens has organised for his father… Read it & then wait impatiently for book 10.
This is one of those series where you cant wait to get stuck in and catch up with the characters, wondering what they've been up to since last time. I was getting envious when other reviewers saying this was the best yet and I hadn't got round to it yet. Well I certainly echo their sentiment. What a ride, it started off intense and didnt let up throughout. Of course Mullens was there to provide some light entertainment, and fear I may have an image of certain boxers burned in my brain forever, and may possibly never look at an ice cream van the same way again either! There are some awful despicable people in this. The worst kind of people that I utterly despise. There is also a sympathetic and genuine look at men's mental health and the long term impact cases can have not just on police. It also shows that sometimes people can change. Only a TG Reid book can have me gripped with tension one minute, howling with laughter the next then nearly sobbing. Absolutely fantastic read, can be read as a stand alone but honestly you should read them all.
Reid has knocked it out the park with this latest instalment of his DI Bone series. The blurb and other reviewers will tell you the gist of what the book is about.
I’d like to tell you that the characters of the RCU, whom we’ve all grown to love, continue to grow, and show us how the heartache and dangers they have faced have changed them in subtle ways.
I’d like to tell you that this is the tightest and most thrilling plot Reid has written so far.
I’d like to tell you that as his confidence has grown, he makes us aware that he has researched his locations, plots, and technical details without ever doing an info dump on his reader. Unlike the Scottish writer of another series who made sure we knew he’d researched guns (iykyk).
I’d like to tell you that this is Tom’s most visceral book so far. If you’re squeamish you may find a few scenes difficult.
But most of all, I’d like to tell you to go pre-order or buy this book now.
This begins with a brutal murder when two teenagers on a joyride are forced off the road by a gorge resulting in one dead and the other seriously injured. Another motorcyclist experiencing the same fate has Bone and his team perplexed. There seems to be links to an event in the past but trying to figure out what is not proving easy.
There's a lot about PTSD here. While we know about it from Bone's perspective, it was horrifying seeing it destroying an ex policeman. There's some nasty people in here and I really liked the part that Colin McKinnon played this time, albeit briefly. As usual, Mullens is there to provide much needed humour and he does so in spades from his underwear to some scenes involving an ice cream van! Can't say much more! It's great being back with the team again and I can't wait for the tenth to come along...quickly I hope.
We have been waiting for a little while for this latest read in the DCI Bone series, set in Scotland, and it has definitely been worth the wait! It is like catching up with old friends after an absence, especially Mullens. There is so much humour in this latest episode, an ice cream van scene which left me laughing out loud! I feel the writing style is a bit different, and the pacing never lets up until the end, but this has to be the best in the series yet! Readers are in for a treat with this one and I can highly recommend the series to lovers of crime thrillers. It is up there with the best in Scottish fiction.
Another fantastic read from DCI Bone and his team. The brutal murder of two teenagers and the way they died stays with you. The underlying theme of the dark web and the dangers found therein is terrifying as this goes on under our noses. Feeding the hate. There are a lot of twists and turns as the team work the clues. Baxter is brilliant behind the scenes as usual and Walker is on hand to help Bone stay on track and his PTSD in check. Mullens provides the humour as only he can and the ice-cream van scene is hilarious and inserts some much needed humour into a grisly case. I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to Mr Reid's next!
There may have been a slightly longer gap between book 8 and 9, however it was well worth waiting for. Bone and his team are tasked with the murder and attempted murder of two 17 year old boys which may also relate to an older cold case. As per usual, they get themselves deeper and deeper into other areas making the story as twisty as the roads which they are driving on. Mullen, of course, is at his best and the scene with the ice cream van is a classic !! Read this in one sitting which is always a 5* for me.
The team face the awful task of finding out why teenagers are killed in a brutal way, they are stonewalled by the people they wish to speak to and that makes trying to solve the killings even harder, as always we are given some humour to lessen the more serious parts, with and embarrassing time with Mark and his Dad, that we can all imagine vividly, and a nervous Harper whose wife is due to deliver their first baby. A truly great 5🌟 book from TG Reid
When two teenage boys go for a joyride, they are found dead in Hangman’s Gorge the following day. DCI Bone and his team have the unenviable task of finding out why these two lads have been murdered.
When another murder occurs, it’s quickly realised that there is a serial killer out there, and the team are no closer to any answers.
As secrets come to light, Bone gets his colleagues digging into a dark past in the community.
This story started with a bang and continued in the same way. It is a difficult and extremely dark story to read but I very quickly got lost in the plot - as I always do with this series.
Thankfully, there is humour to lighten up the darkness, and Mullens didn’t let me down. One thing I have learnt from this series is not to snack while reading these stories, I’ve had a few instances where I’ve nearly choked thanks to Mullens and his fantastic sense of humour.
I like the bond that the team have, as well as the camaraderie, they are close-knit and look out for each other. They all have unique personalities, as well as flaws, which makes them come across well and likeable.
I say this every time, but this is my favourite book in the series - so far! Roll on book number 10.
We've got two boy's on a joyride, doesn't end well. A girl in hospital who can barely remember her own name, snuff films with no faces, a chat room full of unknowns, and a coded message with Nazi undertones, genecide, and man in a storage facility, also dead.
Amazing read, as all the books in this series has been.
I can't get enough! I couldn't put it down. TG REID is an amazing Author. His books are captivating. Very well written. The books capture from beginning to end, flowing effortlessly from page to page, chapter to chapter. You become so engrossed, you feel like you are right there. Can't wait for the next book in this series.. I love them all.
Two youngsters meet a violent death in an off-road incident, and later another is killed. Bone and team seem to be dealing with a serial killer. TG Reid pulls no punches in this wild rise of a thriller. It's amongst his best, in my opinion. His characters are superb, including the obnoxious lawyer father of one of the boys who made me want to smack him! This series is certainly not losing its pace and impetus. Highly recommended.
As always a well written book TG Reid! The chapters flow together and the book can not be put down. It's not binge reading, it's captivating, a chapter leads up to the ending, begging you to continue reading...and you do. Well done, like wee Oliver Twist, Please Sir - More 🙏
sorry to see the end of this series. This lived up to the previous books with interesting characters whose relationship add to the plot. The pages fly by and you are able to read this in one sitting. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep you from putting the book down because you need to find out where it is going next.
A good enough story but jumps all over the place, is full of clichés and caricatures. Expected it to be much better. Long gap since last story so difficult to remember nuances of characters. Still hate the mixture of real and fictional locations.
Oh my word, this is a brilliant hard hitting and at times hysterically funny read. I loved the unique storyline and catching up with Bone, his family and team. Can’t wait for the next in this fabulous series.
I absolutely loved this book! It kept me guessing for the whole book. DCI Bone and his team are fantastic. Even with a terrible murder, they make me laugh. I highly recommend this book. Beth P.
Absolutely page turner, love this series and all the characters contained within. Wish I didn't read so quickly so I could make it last longer. Counting the days until book 10.
I do love a Bone thriller, this outing sees him hunting a hit and run killer hider a bigger agenda. As with all the books, I couldn’t put this down as the layers kept unravelling. I love how the author manages to juxtapose the horror of the crime with the humour of the team. A fantastic bunch of characters, I’ll be looking out for the next one.
Is this the best DCI Bone thriller yet? For me it's definitely up there. A well written, captivating book that just keeps you turning the pages until there are none left to turn. Loved it.