A Bad Bad Place

by Frances Crawford

A gritty and poignant debut about a young working-class girl in 1979 Glasgow who happens upon the body of a murdered woman—and must face an insular community desperate for answers, as well as herself.

Glasgow, 1979: If it hadn’t been for her wee stupid dog, Sid Vicious, twelve-year-old Janey Devine might never have stumbled upon the corpse of Samantha Watson. And then maybe she’d still be able to sleep at night. And maybe her nana wouldn’t be so worried all the time. And maybe Billy “The Ghost” Watson, a notorious gangster, wouldn’t be on her tail—for it’s Billy’s daughter who was left for dead on those train tracks, and now Billy wants answers.

Fear and gossip have spread through the tight-knit community of Possilpark, and while Janey swears she can’t remember the details of that morning, the cops think she’s hiding something—and indeed, there’s something she knows that she’s not quite ready to tell anyone, not even her nana, who won’t rest until this whole thing is behind them.

Shot through with remarkable humor, Frances Crawford’s stunning debut is a coming-of-age whodunit, an intimate portrait of a working-class neighborhood that weaves Janey’s innocent candor and her nana’s hard-earned wisdom into a sweeping tale of grief and survival that marks the arrival of a major new voice in crime fiction.

Genres: Mystery, Crime

384 pages, Hardcover

Published February 12, 2026

Reviews

[Chrystyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad, Bad Place by Frances Crawford - Very Good

I've mentioned before that I went to Bay Tales 2026 and was lucky enough to win 10 of the books discussed, signed by the authors! This is the second of them that I've picked to read and the one I was most excited for, as I'd noted it down after seeing a review in the Scotsman a few weeks earlier.

Set in Glasgow in 1979, the story is told by twelve year old Janey and her grandmother Maggie in alternating chapters. Janey found a body whilst walking her dog and the impact of that discovery is haunting her. The police haven't found the culprit and everyone wants to know what Janey knows, especially the victim's father, a local crime big man.

Unusual to read a murder mystery from this perspective. No police procedure, hardly any police at all. It's all written from the perspective of the people affected by the crime and how they deal with the situation and their own feeling.

I did feel it got a bit bogged down around 2/3rds through, but despite that, a fantastic debut. Hope there's more to come from this author.

PS Especially pleased for this author. She's a lady of more mature years who recently
graduated with MLitt (Distinction) Creative Writing from Glasgow University.

#review

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glasgow, Scotland, 1979. Janey Devine is just an ordinary 12 year-old lass out walking her dog when she stumbles upon a gruesome murder site. The victim is Samantha, 20 year-old daughter of local gangster, Billy ‘the Ghost’ Watson. The story, in alternating chapters is told from the POV of young Janey and her Nana. The police are investigating, but Janey has formed a bond with the victim, even though she didn't know her in life. So it's really up to Janey to sort through a number of suspects and motives and avoid getting herself killed in the process. Excellent murder mystery with great characters with names like Lulu, the Eggman, Skinny Jimmy (he’s fat), Sid Vicious (he’s the dog) and a family of dangerous brothers all known as Gibby.

[Millie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i loved that each chapter of this book jumped between the perspectives of janey and her grandmother, it opened up the reader to the narrative of different generations, highlighting a child’s innocence and naivety.
the writing itself was easy to digest and created a tone of suspense, i could not put this book down.
the start and the middle were incredible, however i have a few unresolved issues with the ending and hope we can hear more about the story in some of crawford’s work yet to come. now i know who’s responsible for the murder, i would like to go back and read it again from that perspective and see how different this book feels.

[Kirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely fantastic debut novel by Frances Crawford who I saw at the Bay Tales crime festival in Whitley Bay in February this year. The novel is so quintessential Glaswegian and I could hear Frances' voice throughout.
The characters of Janey and her nana Maggie are so real and authentic, they totally brought the story alive. The secondary characters and the local baddies are equally well drawn and the dark Glaswegian sense of humour and survival skills are always present.
An absolute delight to read !

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very good mystery. Told from the viewpoint of a twelve year old girl and her grandmother living in the slums of Glasgow in the 1970’s this debut novel is a page turner. I’m looking forward to this author’s next book.

[Larissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

got me hooked from the start and i dropped the other book i was reading to finish this one!!!
i love the characters, i love the plot and i love, adore, worship sid vicious!!!!

also frances' story is so spiring!

[Sheena · Rating 5 out of 5]

978-0857508003

[xanthe · Rating 3 out of 5]

nice easy read - enjoyed

[LesleyjR · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this murder mystery that kept me hooked right up to the end