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DI Frank Miller #1
Crash Point
While investigating the murder of a former detective, DI Frank Miller begins to see the connection between this and the murder of the head of Edinburgh’s Serious Crime Unit. As the investigation unfolds, a 25 year-old murder case is re-opened, and when Miller delves into the past, he finds that somebody had a secret that is costing people their lives. He also discovers the awful truth of who really killed his wife in a hit-and-run two years ago, and how his wife’s killer is coming after him…
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2014
970 people are currently reading
262 people want to read
About the author
John Carson
109 books155 followersJohn Carson is the author of the DI Frank Miller detective series. He was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and lived there most of his life. In 2006, he emigrated to New York State with his American wife and two daughters. They now live in a small town in the Hudson Valley where his wife was brought up, with a German Shepherd, a Beagle mix and four cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 15, 2021
I have only given three stars as this book could definitely have benefited from another read through before publishing. Characters have things explained to them in one chapter but then in later chapters everyone suffers from amnesia and they explain it to each other all other again. With so many characters maybe the author couldn’t remember who was told what and by whom.
I understand the author is Scottish but I couldn’t help but wonder had he actually lived in Edinburgh or just been an occasional visitor? He gave good descriptions of the main tourist areas but if you are familiar with the city you will know right away what is wrong with this description.
“Scott fought his way through the heavy traffic, coming out of the Western Approach Road into Lothian Road, the siren blaring. The snow was falling harder and covering the road quicker than it could be salted. They slid down Cockburn Street, up Waverley Bridge and along Princes Street. The Castle sat and looked down at them like a disapproving matriarch.”
He appears to be coming from two directions at the same time. I suspect the author had two routes in mind and forgot to delete the third sentence.
Other reviews have mentioned too many Americanisms. I didn’t find any. Well nothing obvious. I think Americanisms have found their way into our everyday language anyway so that wouldn’t have bothered me. I did find quite a few Scottish words scattered throughout the book though. What, in book about a Scottish detective in a Scottish city? Surely there would be. Yes, but it didn’t feel right somehow. It just didn’t feel consistently Scottish if that makes sense. Also I would have expected the main character to have a local dialect having been raised in the city. That didn’t come across, despite him using the odd Scottish word here and there (‘beamer’ - haven’t heard that word in years).
On the whole, the mystery kept me reading and the book moved along at a good pace. A major plus point was I never once guessed who the killer was (and I am very good at that!). Okay there were far too many family members involved and all working in the police. That was stretching credibility a bit. But it won’t stop me reading book two in the series. The author needs to proof read/edit his books better and work more on character dialogue/dialect but given a chance it could turn into a good series.
I understand the author is Scottish but I couldn’t help but wonder had he actually lived in Edinburgh or just been an occasional visitor? He gave good descriptions of the main tourist areas but if you are familiar with the city you will know right away what is wrong with this description.
“Scott fought his way through the heavy traffic, coming out of the Western Approach Road into Lothian Road, the siren blaring. The snow was falling harder and covering the road quicker than it could be salted. They slid down Cockburn Street, up Waverley Bridge and along Princes Street. The Castle sat and looked down at them like a disapproving matriarch.”
He appears to be coming from two directions at the same time. I suspect the author had two routes in mind and forgot to delete the third sentence.
Other reviews have mentioned too many Americanisms. I didn’t find any. Well nothing obvious. I think Americanisms have found their way into our everyday language anyway so that wouldn’t have bothered me. I did find quite a few Scottish words scattered throughout the book though. What, in book about a Scottish detective in a Scottish city? Surely there would be. Yes, but it didn’t feel right somehow. It just didn’t feel consistently Scottish if that makes sense. Also I would have expected the main character to have a local dialect having been raised in the city. That didn’t come across, despite him using the odd Scottish word here and there (‘beamer’ - haven’t heard that word in years).
On the whole, the mystery kept me reading and the book moved along at a good pace. A major plus point was I never once guessed who the killer was (and I am very good at that!). Okay there were far too many family members involved and all working in the police. That was stretching credibility a bit. But it won’t stop me reading book two in the series. The author needs to proof read/edit his books better and work more on character dialogue/dialect but given a chance it could turn into a good series.
April 17, 2015
John's first novel is a great read. The reader needs to pay attention to the cast of characters introduced in the early chapters, but the protagonist and those that really matter stand out and lead the reader through the story well. The characters are developed steadily throughout and the plot is neither overly complicated not too simple - Goldilocks: just right. I anticipate the next offering from John and highly recommend reading Crash Point.
August 26, 2016
I personally don't like books formatted into many small chapters. Other than that, the story was pretty good and had a couple of good twists.
October 16, 2021
I thought this book was going to be quite gruesome but it turned out not to be quite so bad. The first in the series,
by the time I'd read the first two or three chapters there were so many characters I needed to write myself a note to remember who was who and it didn't finish there.
Many more characters and as the story went on more connections to each other kept being revealed. A woman was brutally murdered followed by several others then all went quiet. Fast forward several years and more bodies are found apparently killed in the same way. A name keeps cropping up but then it turns out there's no such person. Still the killings go on and two or three families appear to be linked together. One a notorious family well used to ruining people's lives and disposing of those who get in their way and two connected with the forces of law and order, but who is related to whom? Having lived in Edinburgh years ago being able to visualise the geography of the chase added a lot to the interest of the book and it will be interesting to see how the characters that are left develop as the series goes on.
by the time I'd read the first two or three chapters there were so many characters I needed to write myself a note to remember who was who and it didn't finish there.
Many more characters and as the story went on more connections to each other kept being revealed. A woman was brutally murdered followed by several others then all went quiet. Fast forward several years and more bodies are found apparently killed in the same way. A name keeps cropping up but then it turns out there's no such person. Still the killings go on and two or three families appear to be linked together. One a notorious family well used to ruining people's lives and disposing of those who get in their way and two connected with the forces of law and order, but who is related to whom? Having lived in Edinburgh years ago being able to visualise the geography of the chase added a lot to the interest of the book and it will be interesting to see how the characters that are left develop as the series goes on.
May 17, 2020
I’m very glad I’d already read the author’s Harry McNeill series before I read this book. I found the first 40% horribly slow with an enormous cast (another reviewer says she counted 47) and if I hadn’t enjoyed the McNeill books so much I would have abandoned it at 30%. Thankfully it finally gets going and is worth the initial slog.
February 17, 2024
I wondered after reading the other reviews if this was going to be a series hard to follow because of the whining about too many characters. I guess I'm not daunted with a bad memory because I easily kept them apart and enjoyed learning about the characters...also enjoyed the short chapters....and had no problem with anything being repeated which should have been helpful for those who couldn't keep up with the characters 😂.... I mean really a good read, kept me on my toes....but I sorta figured out who the killer was but didn't get it all and totally impressed with the twisty ending. Already ordered book 2.
September 3, 2021
Poorly written.
I apologize Mr. Carson, but after 30 years of reading this is only the third book that Cant hold my attention. First of all, you introduced WAY too many characters immediately, without even allowing the reader to get a feel for who they are, their personalities, etc. The story jumps back and forth from present to past so often that I only managed to get to page 101 and finally gave up. The storyline sounded interesting, but with the way it's written I just can't continue. Best wishes for future books.
I apologize Mr. Carson, but after 30 years of reading this is only the third book that Cant hold my attention. First of all, you introduced WAY too many characters immediately, without even allowing the reader to get a feel for who they are, their personalities, etc. The story jumps back and forth from present to past so often that I only managed to get to page 101 and finally gave up. The storyline sounded interesting, but with the way it's written I just can't continue. Best wishes for future books.
October 16, 2021
Lots of backstory
So much of this book takes place in the past that I felt like I might have actually missed the first book in the series. Because of the frequent references to things that had happened years earlier I found the book kind of hard to get into. At about the midway point the story picked up and I got interested. I did figure out who the killer was but not the reason.
So much of this book takes place in the past that I felt like I might have actually missed the first book in the series. Because of the frequent references to things that had happened years earlier I found the book kind of hard to get into. At about the midway point the story picked up and I got interested. I did figure out who the killer was but not the reason.
February 17, 2022
Too Complicated
I am a big fan of John Carson's mysteries in general. But this first book in the Frank Miller series I quit reading before I was half way through. It was just too complicated to read at my usual bedtime. Too many characters to have to memorize from the get go and referred to in varying ways by the first name or last name on the same page. Then jumping back and forth across time.
I am a big fan of John Carson's mysteries in general. But this first book in the Frank Miller series I quit reading before I was half way through. It was just too complicated to read at my usual bedtime. Too many characters to have to memorize from the get go and referred to in varying ways by the first name or last name on the same page. Then jumping back and forth across time.
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March 9, 2020Good
I enjoy the author's stories . This is number 1 for Frank Miller . Ghastly murders are occurring . Frank is in charge and it is extremely puzzling . People are presumed dead. Another operation , undercover , seems to be going on also. Quite confusing at times. Still worth a read.
I enjoy the author's stories . This is number 1 for Frank Miller . Ghastly murders are occurring . Frank is in charge and it is extremely puzzling . People are presumed dead. Another operation , undercover , seems to be going on also. Quite confusing at times. Still worth a read.
April 18, 2020
Superb!
Terrific start to a new series! This is a wonderful police procedural, with real characters, excellent plot, and great writing. There mystery has depth so read carefully. This is so well done that the reader wants to savor the book, rather than race through it. Shocking conclusion --- never saw it coming!
Terrific start to a new series! This is a wonderful police procedural, with real characters, excellent plot, and great writing. There mystery has depth so read carefully. This is so well done that the reader wants to savor the book, rather than race through it. Shocking conclusion --- never saw it coming!
February 2, 2021
Enjoyed the first one in this series
Very interesting many different characters and dynamics to keep a person engaged. I like this Det. Miller. I like reading how he felt about his wife's death and moving forward with his life. All the murder and chasing a serial killer and having to deal with his own loss and grief! Great read! Thank you
Very interesting many different characters and dynamics to keep a person engaged. I like this Det. Miller. I like reading how he felt about his wife's death and moving forward with his life. All the murder and chasing a serial killer and having to deal with his own loss and grief! Great read! Thank you
December 2, 2021
This book was an ok read but not enough to make me want to read the rest of the series unfortunately. The female characters, even though in positions of power and authority, still are portrayed as damsels (holding onto their partners arms to avoid slipping, needing to be rescued etc). Too many characters too - too difficult to keep them all straight
February 22, 2022
Convolutrd
I felt there were too many twists and turns in this story. It was hard to keep track of all the characters. Some of it seemed as though there had been previous books and it was assumed we had read them. Having read other books by this author and enjoyed them, I'll give book 2 a try.
I felt there were too many twists and turns in this story. It was hard to keep track of all the characters. Some of it seemed as though there had been previous books and it was assumed we had read them. Having read other books by this author and enjoyed them, I'll give book 2 a try.
March 21, 2022
3.5/5⭐: A good read but it was a little more convoluted than it needed to be considering the killer was obvious half way through the book. Lots of back story which is always nice but it also seemed to jump around unnecessarily at times. I think people will either like it or hate, I for one will be giving book 2 a chance.
February 21, 2017
vCrash point
Sorry I have finished it kept me entertained and guessing nearly to the very end.Excellent storyline and interesting characters once you have sorted out who is who.Have already got the next one hope its as good as this
Sorry I have finished it kept me entertained and guessing nearly to the very end.Excellent storyline and interesting characters once you have sorted out who is who.Have already got the next one hope its as good as this
November 3, 2017
Great read
I'm not good at writing reviews, so here goes.....
I enjoyed this book, looking forward to the rest in the series. Good characters, good storyline, kept me guessing "whodunit." I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good, clean, well written murder mystery.
I'm not good at writing reviews, so here goes.....
I enjoyed this book, looking forward to the rest in the series. Good characters, good storyline, kept me guessing "whodunit." I would definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys a good, clean, well written murder mystery.
January 5, 2021
Another good story
Another good story by John Carson and to the first in the DI Frank Miller series.. I got a bit lost and confused in the early stages when the story kept moving back and forward in time but I persevered and enjoyed it.
Another good story by John Carson and to the first in the DI Frank Miller series.. I got a bit lost and confused in the early stages when the story kept moving back and forward in time but I persevered and enjoyed it.
March 10, 2021
Good crime story
A bit complex at the beginning which made it confusing; lots of different names and not enough context at the beginning to differentiate. Otherwise a very good easy read
A bit complex at the beginning which made it confusing; lots of different names and not enough context at the beginning to differentiate. Otherwise a very good easy read
April 6, 2021
Well readable
Good characters and interesting enough that I read it in big gulps. But had a problem with two whole families being in law enforcement in the same place. Strained credibility. Cleverly worked out though.
Good characters and interesting enough that I read it in big gulps. But had a problem with two whole families being in law enforcement in the same place. Strained credibility. Cleverly worked out though.
May 25, 2021
Didn’t get on with this book, too many characters and the family connections just weren’t credible.
Don’t normally abandon a series of books after reading just one but in this case I think my 3 star rating is a touch generous and I shan’t bother with the rest.
Don’t normally abandon a series of books after reading just one but in this case I think my 3 star rating is a touch generous and I shan’t bother with the rest.
July 30, 2021
Wow! I read through the entire Harry McNeil series and just came over to try out Frank Miller, and I have to say, I really, really like Frank! The plot is full of twist and turns. There's a lot of names to keep track of, but don't let that deter you - you miss all the twists!
January 28, 2024
A mostly solid plot with good twisty bits. The attempts at witty banter are way overdone and become tiresome after the third conversation, plus it's 12 year old boy humor. It could stand a thorough editing but I'm sufficiently entertained to continue reading the series.
August 20, 2018
Couldn't get into the story & gave up after about 10 chapters
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2018
Fast & Fun
Frank and friends keep you guessing and on your toes. Well told tale. Could almost feel cold snow of Wintery Edinbourgh. Ready for next advwnture with Frank,.
Frank and friends keep you guessing and on your toes. Well told tale. Could almost feel cold snow of Wintery Edinbourgh. Ready for next advwnture with Frank,.
January 14, 2020
really good read
I really enjoyed this book, struggled to put it down. John Carson does write a good story, have read a few now.
I really enjoyed this book, struggled to put it down. John Carson does write a good story, have read a few now.
March 26, 2020
Brilliant going on to book 2 now xx
May 3, 2020
Finished this today and quite enjoyed it, but it was not a rip roaring novel, so I had to finish it out of habit rather than love of reading now.
May 11, 2020
Fab!
Great read and I can picture some of the places I know, now onto the next book, thank you for keeping me going through this lock down period
Great read and I can picture some of the places I know, now onto the next book, thank you for keeping me going through this lock down period
September 21, 2020
Excellent book. I highly recommend this Author and this series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews