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J. McNee #5
Cry Uncle
Dundee-based private investigator J. McNee finds himself way out of his depth in his latest undercover assignment"
Working undercover on behalf of the police, McNee s mission is to get close to aging gangster David Burns and uncover his secrets. In his role as Burns new right hand man, he s expected to follow orders and get his hands dirty. But how far can he go before he crosses the line? With the murder of Burns nephew supposedly under McNee s protection at the time the tension ratchets up to breaking point, and McNee finds himself in the midst of a vicious turf war. His cover at risk of being blown at any moment, in this deadly game McNee is beginning to realize he s expendable. To survive, he s going to have to change the rules Dark, violent and psychologically gripping, Cry Uncle blends the grit of classic American hardboiled fiction with a distinctly Scottish voice and attitude.
Working undercover on behalf of the police, McNee s mission is to get close to aging gangster David Burns and uncover his secrets. In his role as Burns new right hand man, he s expected to follow orders and get his hands dirty. But how far can he go before he crosses the line? With the murder of Burns nephew supposedly under McNee s protection at the time the tension ratchets up to breaking point, and McNee finds himself in the midst of a vicious turf war. His cover at risk of being blown at any moment, in this deadly game McNee is beginning to realize he s expendable. To survive, he s going to have to change the rules Dark, violent and psychologically gripping, Cry Uncle blends the grit of classic American hardboiled fiction with a distinctly Scottish voice and attitude.
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2015
1 person is currently reading
18 people want to read
About the author
Russel D. McLean
16 books46 followersRussel McLean has written for Crime Spree Magazine, The Big Thrill (the newsletter of the International Thriller Writers Association), At Central Booking and Crime Scene Scotland. His short fiction has been published in crime fiction magazines worldwide.
The first three novels featuring Dundonian PI J McNee are, THE GOOD SON, THE LOST SISTER and FATHER CONFESSOR.
His early short stories have been collected digitally in the collection, THE DEATH OF RONNIE SWEETS (and other stories).
Russel twitters constantly on @russeldmclean and if you want to go "like" him, his official facebook fanpage can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russel...
The first three novels featuring Dundonian PI J McNee are, THE GOOD SON, THE LOST SISTER and FATHER CONFESSOR.
His early short stories have been collected digitally in the collection, THE DEATH OF RONNIE SWEETS (and other stories).
Russel twitters constantly on @russeldmclean and if you want to go "like" him, his official facebook fanpage can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russel...
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 31, 2015
David Burns is a hard man of the old-fashioned variety. He believes there’s honour among thieves and has been the ruthless leader of Dundee’s underworld for many years.
In steps Craig Nairn, the new contender for the Burns’s crown. Nairn is growing arms and legs and when his tentacles reach into Burns’s turf, tensions soon grow out of hand.
Sandwiched in between them is private investigator McNee who is working as one of Burns’s henchmen while undercover for the police.
Cry Uncle is a story that is full of drama, action and tension. It’s a book that had me craving slots of spare time so that I could continue reading and I made sure that I carved out those slots wherever I could. The chapters are perfectly bite-sized to suit these purposes, satisfying the appetite for the book and keeping the pace and momentum high, yet never quite fully sate the appetite until the final pieces are put into place.
McNee is a terrific first-person narrator. His voice is compelling and he’s articulate enough to take us through the ins and outs of the plot with ease. We follow him through a series of events in which he is always weighing up his moral position and, more often than not, considering how he can survive in a world where his friends and enemies all seem to find him expendable. He offers glimpses into Dundee past and present that paint a very vivid picture. He also takes us through the landscape of his internal workings, which is like taking a walk along cliffs that are at once beautiful and treacherous. McNee has limits and also has the capacity to cross them; it’s a moral ambiguity that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I loved Cry Uncle and urge you to check it out. It works on so many different levels that I’m sure it has a broad appeal. Those who like a thriller, a PI novel, a police story or a brutal gangland battle should be fully engaged. As a bonus there are great character studies, curve-balls and tender moments. There’s even an ending that has something about the Count Of Monte Cristo to it and that’s saying something.
Really great stuff.
In steps Craig Nairn, the new contender for the Burns’s crown. Nairn is growing arms and legs and when his tentacles reach into Burns’s turf, tensions soon grow out of hand.
Sandwiched in between them is private investigator McNee who is working as one of Burns’s henchmen while undercover for the police.
Cry Uncle is a story that is full of drama, action and tension. It’s a book that had me craving slots of spare time so that I could continue reading and I made sure that I carved out those slots wherever I could. The chapters are perfectly bite-sized to suit these purposes, satisfying the appetite for the book and keeping the pace and momentum high, yet never quite fully sate the appetite until the final pieces are put into place.
McNee is a terrific first-person narrator. His voice is compelling and he’s articulate enough to take us through the ins and outs of the plot with ease. We follow him through a series of events in which he is always weighing up his moral position and, more often than not, considering how he can survive in a world where his friends and enemies all seem to find him expendable. He offers glimpses into Dundee past and present that paint a very vivid picture. He also takes us through the landscape of his internal workings, which is like taking a walk along cliffs that are at once beautiful and treacherous. McNee has limits and also has the capacity to cross them; it’s a moral ambiguity that I thoroughly enjoyed.
I loved Cry Uncle and urge you to check it out. It works on so many different levels that I’m sure it has a broad appeal. Those who like a thriller, a PI novel, a police story or a brutal gangland battle should be fully engaged. As a bonus there are great character studies, curve-balls and tender moments. There’s even an ending that has something about the Count Of Monte Cristo to it and that’s saying something.
Really great stuff.
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March 29, 2015Review is forthcoming. Also check TerrificReads.com
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews