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The Cabinetmaker
The cabinetmaker, Alan Jones’ first novel, tells of one man’s fight for justice when the law fails him. When his only son is brutally murdered, and the thugs who killed him walk free, he devotes his life to bringing the killers to justice. It’s young Glasgow detective John McDaid’s first murder case. He forms an unlikely friendship with the cabinetmaker, founded on their desire to see the killers punished, their love of amateur football, and by John’s introduction by the cabinetmaker to a lifelong passion for fine furniture. This is the story of their relationship, the cabinetmaker’s quest for justice, and the detective’s search for the truth.
344 pages, Paperback
First published December 27, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
April 29, 2014
John McDaid’s first day in CID and he steps straight into the middle of a murder case. A young man has been beaten to death. McDaid and his colleagues quickly catch the offenders, but they get off on a technicality. And so begins a career long case for McDaid, from the late 70’s through to the 00’s when he finally learns all the answers to what really happened that fateful night.
I really wanted to like this story, it’s exactly the sort I tend to reach for (as BigAl said, “It screamed Keith Nixon”). Unfortunately it didn’t quite match up to expectations, but it did have merit.
As the description outlines, the plot is the reminiscences of a now retired policeman as he looks back over a case which stretched back over his career. And the author does manage this aspect well. McDaid’s voice is that of an old man and is written as a reflection. Jones also deals satisfactorily with the resultant large time gaps in the narrative – in some cases years between events – and builds a warm relationship between McDaid and Francis Hare, the father of the murdered young man, that the rest of the narrative hangs off. The segments where McDaid is embroiled in a crime feels convincing.
However, the timeframe and approach in themselves create issues. There were long stretches where McDaid undertook two pastimes with Hare – cabinet making and playing football in a local team together. The former is in particular highly detailed and the construction of a piece can take page upon page. Both bring McDaid close to Hare, so it’s worth doing, but the word count to do so is far too high - in these sections I was seriously considering giving The Cabinetmaker two stars because it switched me off. The narrative wasn’t being driven along sufficiently and it floundered.
The quality of Jones’ writing veered between unpractised and excellent. Here’s an example of the latter:
Barlinnie prison is one of these places that should have the effect of discouraging criminals from their profession – the grey imposing exterior is matched inside by a cold drabness that no amount of modernization and bright paint can cover up.
I really enjoyed that paragraph. But the narrative is peppered with basic errors in punctuation, repeated words and an over use of names that undermines the enjoyment of The Cabinetmaker.
In terms of punctuation it would be rare to go a page without seeing something. Whether it was a comma the wrong side of a speech mark, speech marks on lines that weren’t dialogue or missing full stops, incorrect capitalization (e.g. Rats) and speech marks that varied between ‘ and “. A desire to underline words to emphasize them also crept in during the second half of the story.
Repeating words is quite common in self-published works. It’s something that drives me to distraction because it’s a basic error that simply isn’t necessary. Heavy use of names is less seen, but I think the author suffered from a need to tell rather than show – lots of words used to point out how he or the character was feeling also crept in. Sometimes the wrong surname was used – O’Hare instead of Hare, but I didn’t find a spelling mistake.
Here are some examples:
“That had been my first day. Naively I had thought that every day would be the same, but here we were a day later…”
“I enjoyed chatting with you yesterday, you are a nice guy, aren’t you?”
A couple of other issues – the book starts in the 1970’s and, other than a Life On Mars angle (for UK readers, yes one of the characters does drive a Capri) and runs through to the 00’s, however I got no sense of the time and very little of place. It didn’t help that characters would drop in and out of Scottish dialect, often across a single page. A language guide accompanies the novel, but I didn’t need it until the very end.
All of that being said, on balance I did enjoy the story. It kept me going through to the end which, given the above, says quite a lot. If the author wielded a knife on some of the less valuable segments and employed an editor this could be a pretty decent novel deserving of a higher rating.
**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**
I really wanted to like this story, it’s exactly the sort I tend to reach for (as BigAl said, “It screamed Keith Nixon”). Unfortunately it didn’t quite match up to expectations, but it did have merit.
As the description outlines, the plot is the reminiscences of a now retired policeman as he looks back over a case which stretched back over his career. And the author does manage this aspect well. McDaid’s voice is that of an old man and is written as a reflection. Jones also deals satisfactorily with the resultant large time gaps in the narrative – in some cases years between events – and builds a warm relationship between McDaid and Francis Hare, the father of the murdered young man, that the rest of the narrative hangs off. The segments where McDaid is embroiled in a crime feels convincing.
However, the timeframe and approach in themselves create issues. There were long stretches where McDaid undertook two pastimes with Hare – cabinet making and playing football in a local team together. The former is in particular highly detailed and the construction of a piece can take page upon page. Both bring McDaid close to Hare, so it’s worth doing, but the word count to do so is far too high - in these sections I was seriously considering giving The Cabinetmaker two stars because it switched me off. The narrative wasn’t being driven along sufficiently and it floundered.
The quality of Jones’ writing veered between unpractised and excellent. Here’s an example of the latter:
Barlinnie prison is one of these places that should have the effect of discouraging criminals from their profession – the grey imposing exterior is matched inside by a cold drabness that no amount of modernization and bright paint can cover up.
I really enjoyed that paragraph. But the narrative is peppered with basic errors in punctuation, repeated words and an over use of names that undermines the enjoyment of The Cabinetmaker.
In terms of punctuation it would be rare to go a page without seeing something. Whether it was a comma the wrong side of a speech mark, speech marks on lines that weren’t dialogue or missing full stops, incorrect capitalization (e.g. Rats) and speech marks that varied between ‘ and “. A desire to underline words to emphasize them also crept in during the second half of the story.
Repeating words is quite common in self-published works. It’s something that drives me to distraction because it’s a basic error that simply isn’t necessary. Heavy use of names is less seen, but I think the author suffered from a need to tell rather than show – lots of words used to point out how he or the character was feeling also crept in. Sometimes the wrong surname was used – O’Hare instead of Hare, but I didn’t find a spelling mistake.
Here are some examples:
“That had been my first day. Naively I had thought that every day would be the same, but here we were a day later…”
“I enjoyed chatting with you yesterday, you are a nice guy, aren’t you?”
A couple of other issues – the book starts in the 1970’s and, other than a Life On Mars angle (for UK readers, yes one of the characters does drive a Capri) and runs through to the 00’s, however I got no sense of the time and very little of place. It didn’t help that characters would drop in and out of Scottish dialect, often across a single page. A language guide accompanies the novel, but I didn’t need it until the very end.
All of that being said, on balance I did enjoy the story. It kept me going through to the end which, given the above, says quite a lot. If the author wielded a knife on some of the less valuable segments and employed an editor this could be a pretty decent novel deserving of a higher rating.
**Originally reviewed for Books & Pals blog. May have received free review copy.**
April 3, 2014
THE CABINETMAKER was offered to me as a review book, no conditions, although it did come with a warning about the inclusion of some strong language. Even allowing for a tendency to think that the pile up of bodies in crime fiction is more discomforting than the occasional burst of swearing, there's not a lot that's particularly noticeable, especially compared to the levels that you find elsewhere.
This is an unusually styled novel, focusing on the 30 year friendship between cop John McDaid and Francis, cabinetmaker, footballer and father of Patrick who was bashed to death one night. Despite a number of suspects being identified, and the case being bought to trial, somehow the likely perpetrators walked away. In an interesting twist in the Scottish legal system most of them let off with a verdict of "not proven" as opposed to "not guilty".
McDaid and Francis are drawn together from the very moment they both meet as a result of the case. That friendship expands into their shared football life, and into the workshop where McDaid steps into the role of apprentice cabinetmaker, learning the skills that Francis has honed over a lifetime. Building a touching friendship along the way, through the failure of marriages, relationships and into older age. McDaid and his colleague climb the policing ladder, and Francis quietly continues his art form of furniture making, while they both regret the lack of justice for the death of Patrick.
Whilst there is a sense of drift and lack of purpose at points in the story, there's also positives in both their lives. Francis may end up separating from his wife, but they stay friends, and his work and his love of football seems to be sustaining him. McDaid eventually seems to have found a good, albeit slightly odd, relationship with an unlikely woman. He has mates, he has his job, and he has his increasing love of furniture making and wood work.
Obviously, there is the question of where all this is heading, and despite any doubts early on, it's not long before the friendship becomes engrossing and the story of McDaid and Francis involving despite that seeming lack of an obvious direction. Of course, it's crime fiction, so you know / hope / think that perhaps eventually Patrick's death with be solved and justice served. Once the story starts to twist and turn, how that is going to be resolved becomes even more intriguing.
THE CABINETMAKER is a slow burner. There are points where some judicious editing might up the pace a little and hold the reader's attention more firmly in its grasp. But it is intricate and in the main engaging. In looking past the murder, into the lives of those left behind, the fallout from the death of a young man on his family, and on a policeman who feels some responsibility for the failure of a court case, THE CABINETMAKER was a welcome change from standard crime fiction fare.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
This is an unusually styled novel, focusing on the 30 year friendship between cop John McDaid and Francis, cabinetmaker, footballer and father of Patrick who was bashed to death one night. Despite a number of suspects being identified, and the case being bought to trial, somehow the likely perpetrators walked away. In an interesting twist in the Scottish legal system most of them let off with a verdict of "not proven" as opposed to "not guilty".
McDaid and Francis are drawn together from the very moment they both meet as a result of the case. That friendship expands into their shared football life, and into the workshop where McDaid steps into the role of apprentice cabinetmaker, learning the skills that Francis has honed over a lifetime. Building a touching friendship along the way, through the failure of marriages, relationships and into older age. McDaid and his colleague climb the policing ladder, and Francis quietly continues his art form of furniture making, while they both regret the lack of justice for the death of Patrick.
Whilst there is a sense of drift and lack of purpose at points in the story, there's also positives in both their lives. Francis may end up separating from his wife, but they stay friends, and his work and his love of football seems to be sustaining him. McDaid eventually seems to have found a good, albeit slightly odd, relationship with an unlikely woman. He has mates, he has his job, and he has his increasing love of furniture making and wood work.
Obviously, there is the question of where all this is heading, and despite any doubts early on, it's not long before the friendship becomes engrossing and the story of McDaid and Francis involving despite that seeming lack of an obvious direction. Of course, it's crime fiction, so you know / hope / think that perhaps eventually Patrick's death with be solved and justice served. Once the story starts to twist and turn, how that is going to be resolved becomes even more intriguing.
THE CABINETMAKER is a slow burner. There are points where some judicious editing might up the pace a little and hold the reader's attention more firmly in its grasp. But it is intricate and in the main engaging. In looking past the murder, into the lives of those left behind, the fallout from the death of a young man on his family, and on a policeman who feels some responsibility for the failure of a court case, THE CABINETMAKER was a welcome change from standard crime fiction fare.
http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie...
November 11, 2014
This unusual crime story is based in Partick (an area of Glasgow in Scotland) and is told from the point of view of John McDaid, who at the beginning of the story in 2008, is a retired police detective, and is burning the papers of Francis Hare.
The story then takes us back to 1978 to explain how McDaid got to know Francis, and what led to the events in the Prologue.
John was just starting out as a detective not long after Francis’s only son Patrick had been beaten to death by a gang of thugs. The Detective Inspector at the Partick Police Station had his own gang of thugs handling the investigation, and the eight boys involved in the crime got off because of police misconduct.
In the meantime, John struck up a friendship with Francis. They both played Scottish football and eventually got on the same team. But more importantly, Francis was a cabinetmaker, and from the moment John saw what beautiful pieces Francis made, he fell in love with furniture making. He became something of an apprentice to Francis, and maybe even a second son.
As the years went by, John kept Francis abreast of what happened to the members of the gang who walked free after the murder, as well as the fates of the corrupt detectives who messed up the case. There never seemed to be any closure; the murder continued to define their lives, and affected all of those involved in ways none of them could have anticipated, least of all John.
Discussion: There are many details that seem extraneous, such as blow-by-blow descriptions of some of the football games, and intricacies of woodworking, but they do figure into the plot. I think, however, those portions could have been shaved down a bit, so to speak, to improve the pacing.
The author seems to have a pretty good ear for the speech of bad people, but that means the dialogue is gritty, to say the least.
Evaluation: This is a dark and absorbing detective procedural, and raises some intriguing questions about the nature of justice and even the nature of love. While I can’t say all the twists were entirely surprising, the story is interesting nevertheless. It’s not the usual fare you read.
The story then takes us back to 1978 to explain how McDaid got to know Francis, and what led to the events in the Prologue.
John was just starting out as a detective not long after Francis’s only son Patrick had been beaten to death by a gang of thugs. The Detective Inspector at the Partick Police Station had his own gang of thugs handling the investigation, and the eight boys involved in the crime got off because of police misconduct.
In the meantime, John struck up a friendship with Francis. They both played Scottish football and eventually got on the same team. But more importantly, Francis was a cabinetmaker, and from the moment John saw what beautiful pieces Francis made, he fell in love with furniture making. He became something of an apprentice to Francis, and maybe even a second son.
As the years went by, John kept Francis abreast of what happened to the members of the gang who walked free after the murder, as well as the fates of the corrupt detectives who messed up the case. There never seemed to be any closure; the murder continued to define their lives, and affected all of those involved in ways none of them could have anticipated, least of all John.
Discussion: There are many details that seem extraneous, such as blow-by-blow descriptions of some of the football games, and intricacies of woodworking, but they do figure into the plot. I think, however, those portions could have been shaved down a bit, so to speak, to improve the pacing.
The author seems to have a pretty good ear for the speech of bad people, but that means the dialogue is gritty, to say the least.
Evaluation: This is a dark and absorbing detective procedural, and raises some intriguing questions about the nature of justice and even the nature of love. While I can’t say all the twists were entirely surprising, the story is interesting nevertheless. It’s not the usual fare you read.
February 29, 2016
Well I don't actually know where to start with this one, with it being Alan Jones debut novel and I read Alan's second book Blue Wicked first. In comparison they are both totally different kind of crime books. For me The Cabinetmaker is slower paced and not gritty, but nevertheless it has a interesting plot that I found very gripping and kept me hooked from the start.
The story is set in Glasgow starts off in 2008 thirty years after the death of Patrick who was Francis only son. Then we jump back to 1978 where we are introduced to detective John McDaid who has just been transferred from uniform to a probationary period of six months CID and this is John's first murder case. He forms an unlikely friendship with the cabinetmaker, united by a determination to see the killers punished, their passion for amateur football, and by John’s introduction to a lifelong obsession with fine furniture. So the story takes us over a 30 year time span.
Alan takes you through a steady pace unfolding the story with twists and turns of Patrick's murder and search for the truth. This is a story about friendship with and added crime element and for me I really enjoyed it. I have to admit I absolutely love Alan's style of writing the descriptions of the furniture are fantastic to the point where I would buy some. Alan certainly knows his stuff when it comes to furniture making.
And I have to say wow a ending I certainly wasn't expecting that, this is a very well written debut novel.
This is a 4.5 star from me which I highly recommend
Thank you to Alan Jones for a advanced reader's copy in exchange for a honest review.
The story is set in Glasgow starts off in 2008 thirty years after the death of Patrick who was Francis only son. Then we jump back to 1978 where we are introduced to detective John McDaid who has just been transferred from uniform to a probationary period of six months CID and this is John's first murder case. He forms an unlikely friendship with the cabinetmaker, united by a determination to see the killers punished, their passion for amateur football, and by John’s introduction to a lifelong obsession with fine furniture. So the story takes us over a 30 year time span.
Alan takes you through a steady pace unfolding the story with twists and turns of Patrick's murder and search for the truth. This is a story about friendship with and added crime element and for me I really enjoyed it. I have to admit I absolutely love Alan's style of writing the descriptions of the furniture are fantastic to the point where I would buy some. Alan certainly knows his stuff when it comes to furniture making.
And I have to say wow a ending I certainly wasn't expecting that, this is a very well written debut novel.
This is a 4.5 star from me which I highly recommend
Thank you to Alan Jones for a advanced reader's copy in exchange for a honest review.
January 29, 2014
This is a little unusual for a crime novel because it does focus more on the relationship between John and Francis, the father of the murdered boy, than on crime. It starts out with the murder, the investigation, all the police procedures and trial, then shifts to the relationship between the two men. We still get glimpses into John's work on the police force. We get to see the effects this crime and verdicts had on everyone. I really like John McDaid and his co-worker Andy. There are also several less than desirable low-life cops that you can love to hate!
Alan does a great job at describing the surroundings and the woodworking. You can really visualize the workshop and smell the sawdust. The middle did drag a bit for me. The inclusion of the football aspect of their relationship slowed down the pace a little for me. It seemed out of place, like an aside. The real focus was the cabinetry and that was fascinating to me. The cabinetry terms and descriptions were very interesting. Hidden drawers and hinges and different woods and finishes. That's where the two men really bonded for me.
The story follows a 30 year period in the lives of these two men. And I have to tell you I never expected the unbelievable twist at the end! Very clever. Excellent writing and plotting and believable characters. I will definitely be looking forward to another great read from this author!
Alan does a great job at describing the surroundings and the woodworking. You can really visualize the workshop and smell the sawdust. The middle did drag a bit for me. The inclusion of the football aspect of their relationship slowed down the pace a little for me. It seemed out of place, like an aside. The real focus was the cabinetry and that was fascinating to me. The cabinetry terms and descriptions were very interesting. Hidden drawers and hinges and different woods and finishes. That's where the two men really bonded for me.
The story follows a 30 year period in the lives of these two men. And I have to tell you I never expected the unbelievable twist at the end! Very clever. Excellent writing and plotting and believable characters. I will definitely be looking forward to another great read from this author!
May 1, 2014
I really enjoyed this book. It is different from the standard crime fiction novel. In parts I thought it lost focus somewhat, the crime and justice aspects becoming a bit lost in a wealth of detail about football and furniture making, but apart from that it is a intricately plotted book which had me totally gripped. By the end of the book I realised that there is a purpose to those chapters beyond Alan Jones’s obvious love of football and furniture making. Within them lie the clues to what was really going on in Francis and John’s lives.
I have written more about it on my blog http://www.booksplease.org/2014/04/18...
I have written more about it on my blog http://www.booksplease.org/2014/04/18...
August 5, 2016
The Cabinetmaker, a debut novel by Alan Jones, is essentially an exploration of group sanctioned violence. It follows the life of John McDaid from his first day as a detective with a corrupt and abusive police unit in Glasgow until his retirement decades later when the cabinet work he began learning as a hobby became a fulltime occupation for him.
The setting of the Cabinetmaker is Glasgow from 1978 to 2008. Like many urban areas, it is a city of tribes (if you will), with a surface peace maintained by an unofficial segregation based on socio-economic class, religion and ethnicity, and culture. The story begins with the brutal death of perhaps the most intriguing character of the book, though we never have a chance to actually meet Patrick before he dies. Like those investigating his murder, we must make do with descriptions of his friends, girlfriend, parents, and eventually, his attackers. But from them, we learn that he was a sympathetic person, a good friend, and someone who was curious about life and people beyond the narrow bounds of his place in the social order. And apparently as a result, he’s beaten to death, with the swiftness of unyielding judgment and merciless repercussions that traditional horror movies mete out to those who leave the safety of a group.
Even so, no one seems particularly happy that Patrick is dead. The substance-altered group of young men from the mean streets who wanted him to stop slumming in their neighborhoods had started out just wanting to intimidate him. They weren’t welcome in his neighborhood perhaps, so he wasn’t welcome in theirs. They had warned him before, we learn later, and yet he still came back. The roughing up got out of hand and in the particular way that group mentality can fuel the momentum of action, it quickly became vicious and gruesome. Anything Patrick did or said made it worse for him, and even the one or two people among his attackers who tried to intervene could do nothing to stop it.
The local CID detectives assigned to investigate are in essence a rival gang with an office building, official sanction, and very little oversight. They likely saw Patrick as a privileged idiot whose actions resulted in a problem that had to be solved as quickly as possible. While John and a few other sympathetic detectives attempt to do a bit of investigating, the head of the team and his cronies are busy rounding up the usual suspects. Despite having the testimony of witnesses and ample opportunity to collect forensic evidence from a messy unplanned crime of passion in a public place, they choose their usual route of beating the suspects into confessing. When one of them has life-threatening breathing problems, his inhaler is taken from him, and no medical support is offered until he agrees that he took part in the assault.
Over the years, John notices a few deaths here and there involving those who were affiliated with either the police gang or the street gang. Some are acts of senseless violence on the street or in clubs or prison and some seem to be related to natural causes (if vectors from unsafe conditions for work or residence can be considered natural). But the coincidence of the relationships of those dying leads our John to be curious and he begins a quiet investigation on his own. As the reader and John figure out, these are not random deaths, but yet another round of group-sanctioned violence. Unlike the street guys group, and the police toughs, this last group moves slowly, deliberately, and beyond much notice. I suspected at first a single serial killer, who like most serial killers I’ve read about (admittedly, very few), has chosen victims considered to be dregs of society or otherwise worthy of death. But unlike the average serial killer in crime stories, this is a group effort. And though the descriptions of beatings by the other groups were gruesome, I found this serial killer group far more sinister. In all but one case, they set up murders where they didn’t have to be present to see them.
I have to confess that I’m not generally a fan of hard detective novels, police procedurals, and any book with stereotypical or flat characters. But I chose to read The Cabinetmaker because I was trying to push myself out of my comfort zone a little, and I realize that not all books about murder and violence have to have the inner dialogue and soul searching of a Dostoevsky novel or the authenticity and even-handedness of Helen Prejean's Dead Man Walking. And since I’ve never committed murder, investigated a murder, or know anyone who’s done either (to my knowledge anyway), I have to put a certain amount of faith in a writer’s ability to portray what might be in the human heart and soul that make killing someone a compelling option. I’ve tried to do it myself in my own writing, and it’s not as easy as one might think. And I say this as someone who has had a loaded gun pointed at me three times in my life and had to negotiate myself out of the situation by finding something in the words and eyes of the strangers holding the weapon to convince them to consider other options. Humans are hard to figure out sometimes.
But Alan Jones is a very good writer and I liked the book more and more as I went on. It’s made me do a lot of thinking and remembering and weighing ideas even while I wasn’t actively reading it. I did have some trouble getting into it in the beginning. There are a slew of formatting and punctuation curiosities (at least in the version I read) that other reviewers have mentioned. They did seem to disappear as I got further along in the book, but that might have been because I was absorbed enough in the story that I didn’t notice.
I grew to like John, though they were some aspects about him that kept me at arm’s length. He has a sense of fair play and a modicum of respect for those outside his worldview, but limitations of perspective and empathy. When he interviews Patrick’s girlfriend, she is pretty and sufficiently girl-like and tragic enough that he is sympathetic to her. Her protective roommate, on the other hand, is thin and not attractive to him. She is immediately and soundly resented. He refers to her alternately as a “stick”, “an insect”, and a “dyke”. He discounts anything positive about her and assumes her concern for her friend is based on an unfounded hope for sex sometime in the future, which he rather ironically has himself for the same target.
I loved the descriptions of furniture making itself, and didn’t mind the football sequences. I’m not much familiar with either, so it was an opportunity to explore something new, and was a welcome break from fussing at the characters and cringing from the sad violence. I liked the unfolding of clues that gave glimpses of how the more subtle murders were committed over time, and the clever sequencing of the three different types of group violence that leads one to see that they were all essentially guilty of the same thing, despite each likely feeling that their crimes were surely justified and not nearly as bad as the others. If I were teaching a course on ethics, I’d probably include this book alongside of Dead Man Walking, Crime and Punishment, and the The Brothers Karamazov. But since I’m not a teacher, I’ll just post these thoughts, thank Mr. Jones for giving them life, and move on.
The setting of the Cabinetmaker is Glasgow from 1978 to 2008. Like many urban areas, it is a city of tribes (if you will), with a surface peace maintained by an unofficial segregation based on socio-economic class, religion and ethnicity, and culture. The story begins with the brutal death of perhaps the most intriguing character of the book, though we never have a chance to actually meet Patrick before he dies. Like those investigating his murder, we must make do with descriptions of his friends, girlfriend, parents, and eventually, his attackers. But from them, we learn that he was a sympathetic person, a good friend, and someone who was curious about life and people beyond the narrow bounds of his place in the social order. And apparently as a result, he’s beaten to death, with the swiftness of unyielding judgment and merciless repercussions that traditional horror movies mete out to those who leave the safety of a group.
Even so, no one seems particularly happy that Patrick is dead. The substance-altered group of young men from the mean streets who wanted him to stop slumming in their neighborhoods had started out just wanting to intimidate him. They weren’t welcome in his neighborhood perhaps, so he wasn’t welcome in theirs. They had warned him before, we learn later, and yet he still came back. The roughing up got out of hand and in the particular way that group mentality can fuel the momentum of action, it quickly became vicious and gruesome. Anything Patrick did or said made it worse for him, and even the one or two people among his attackers who tried to intervene could do nothing to stop it.
The local CID detectives assigned to investigate are in essence a rival gang with an office building, official sanction, and very little oversight. They likely saw Patrick as a privileged idiot whose actions resulted in a problem that had to be solved as quickly as possible. While John and a few other sympathetic detectives attempt to do a bit of investigating, the head of the team and his cronies are busy rounding up the usual suspects. Despite having the testimony of witnesses and ample opportunity to collect forensic evidence from a messy unplanned crime of passion in a public place, they choose their usual route of beating the suspects into confessing. When one of them has life-threatening breathing problems, his inhaler is taken from him, and no medical support is offered until he agrees that he took part in the assault.
Over the years, John notices a few deaths here and there involving those who were affiliated with either the police gang or the street gang. Some are acts of senseless violence on the street or in clubs or prison and some seem to be related to natural causes (if vectors from unsafe conditions for work or residence can be considered natural). But the coincidence of the relationships of those dying leads our John to be curious and he begins a quiet investigation on his own. As the reader and John figure out, these are not random deaths, but yet another round of group-sanctioned violence. Unlike the street guys group, and the police toughs, this last group moves slowly, deliberately, and beyond much notice. I suspected at first a single serial killer, who like most serial killers I’ve read about (admittedly, very few), has chosen victims considered to be dregs of society or otherwise worthy of death. But unlike the average serial killer in crime stories, this is a group effort. And though the descriptions of beatings by the other groups were gruesome, I found this serial killer group far more sinister. In all but one case, they set up murders where they didn’t have to be present to see them.
I have to confess that I’m not generally a fan of hard detective novels, police procedurals, and any book with stereotypical or flat characters. But I chose to read The Cabinetmaker because I was trying to push myself out of my comfort zone a little, and I realize that not all books about murder and violence have to have the inner dialogue and soul searching of a Dostoevsky novel or the authenticity and even-handedness of Helen Prejean's Dead Man Walking. And since I’ve never committed murder, investigated a murder, or know anyone who’s done either (to my knowledge anyway), I have to put a certain amount of faith in a writer’s ability to portray what might be in the human heart and soul that make killing someone a compelling option. I’ve tried to do it myself in my own writing, and it’s not as easy as one might think. And I say this as someone who has had a loaded gun pointed at me three times in my life and had to negotiate myself out of the situation by finding something in the words and eyes of the strangers holding the weapon to convince them to consider other options. Humans are hard to figure out sometimes.
But Alan Jones is a very good writer and I liked the book more and more as I went on. It’s made me do a lot of thinking and remembering and weighing ideas even while I wasn’t actively reading it. I did have some trouble getting into it in the beginning. There are a slew of formatting and punctuation curiosities (at least in the version I read) that other reviewers have mentioned. They did seem to disappear as I got further along in the book, but that might have been because I was absorbed enough in the story that I didn’t notice.
I grew to like John, though they were some aspects about him that kept me at arm’s length. He has a sense of fair play and a modicum of respect for those outside his worldview, but limitations of perspective and empathy. When he interviews Patrick’s girlfriend, she is pretty and sufficiently girl-like and tragic enough that he is sympathetic to her. Her protective roommate, on the other hand, is thin and not attractive to him. She is immediately and soundly resented. He refers to her alternately as a “stick”, “an insect”, and a “dyke”. He discounts anything positive about her and assumes her concern for her friend is based on an unfounded hope for sex sometime in the future, which he rather ironically has himself for the same target.
I loved the descriptions of furniture making itself, and didn’t mind the football sequences. I’m not much familiar with either, so it was an opportunity to explore something new, and was a welcome break from fussing at the characters and cringing from the sad violence. I liked the unfolding of clues that gave glimpses of how the more subtle murders were committed over time, and the clever sequencing of the three different types of group violence that leads one to see that they were all essentially guilty of the same thing, despite each likely feeling that their crimes were surely justified and not nearly as bad as the others. If I were teaching a course on ethics, I’d probably include this book alongside of Dead Man Walking, Crime and Punishment, and the The Brothers Karamazov. But since I’m not a teacher, I’ll just post these thoughts, thank Mr. Jones for giving them life, and move on.
November 5, 2014
The Cabinetmaker is a very well-written narrative focusing on the relationship of a murdered lad’s father and the growing friendship the cabinetmaker, Francis Hare, has with Detective John McDaid, who is working on his son’s case. It is written almost biographically from McDaid’s point of view, starting from the death of Patrick Hare in the late seventies until the present day.
Patrick’s death was violent and Alan Jones has written in a very clear and believable manner, allowing the reader to picture Patrick’s final moments. It is a very dark and pivotal moment of the story that will change Francis and his wife forever. Patrick was their only child, and the impact that his death had on both characters is devastating. To make matters worse, the culprits walk free and although seemingly calm through the best part of the story, deep down Francis longs for justice for those that caused his son’s death.
An interesting part of the story was the reasons behind the attackers walking free from court. Many of the CID officers were ‘dirty’. Their methods of interrogation and gaining evidence was unorthodox, to say the least. There was little back-up for the evidence that was present and many of the suspects were intimidated by the officers, making for poor statements. Again, I have to say the writing is effective. Without being too heavy with the description, Alan Jones writes in such a manner that is so easy and clear to follow, despite the subject matter having the potential to upset the reader. It is written with care, and allows the reader to picture their own images on just how brutal these officers could be. There is very little Scottish dialect, but when it was present I found it to be very easy to follow and added a sense of realism of the place and times that the story is set.
The main focus of the story is the relationship that grows between Francis Hare and Detective John McDaid. Francis runs his own business as a cabinetmaker, which John finds fascinating. Not only this, but they are both playing for an amateur football side, and so share similar interests besides the case. John longs for the justice that Francis wants for his son, and throughout the following years still follows the case up. You can probably guess that John is one of the good guys and disagreed with his former colleagues’ tactics, and yet had no say in the matter at the time, being it his first job with the department. And, he couldn’t afford to lose his chance working at that level by getting on the wrong side of them.
Each time John discovered something new about the people responsible he shared his knowledge with Francis, usually at the workshop. During these times John began learning about the furniture, the wood, how to make certain parts, and began to assist Francis in his spare time and become almost an apprentice. These moments of the story are some of my favourite. These two men get to know each other, almost like a father/son relationship. It is quite heart-warming and emotional at times.
I could also relate to the well-descriptive scenes where Francis is making his beautifully finished cabinets. On a personal level, it brought back a sense of nostalgia for me as I used to sit for hours watching my own father, who is a trained carpenter and joiner, DIY. Here are two examples that I thought were written clearly, beautifully and added a real profound feeling between John McDaid as he watched and worked with Francis:
“He started to fiddle with the carcase, and I’m sure he very quickly forgot that I was there. I watched him work, as he planed an edge, and even my untrained eye could see that the plane was an extension of his arm, the shavings coming from its mouth so thin as to be almost translucent. I could have watched him for hours…“
“I called round with Francis the following day, and managed to get a bit more of my bookcase done – Francis was at a point in his furniture order where I couldn’t really help. His skills in finishing his furniture almost seemed better than those he used in making it. He would spend hours applying the various shades of shellac, rubbing the surfaces with a constant, controlled series of sweeps. I lost count of the number of layers he laid down, producing that depth of surface where the grain of wood seemed to float in a clear, utterly smooth layer of varnish.“
These examples also provide an insight into Francis’ outlook and personality. He likes to see things through to the end, each element being precise, with nothing left untamed, or cared for. These finer details are quite poignant for the story as it moves on.
I found the pace of the story to be perfect. During times of action it quickens up, but throughout some it is a nice slow-but-steady pace that meets the needs for the emotional element. The pace also provides the reader with the true feel of John McDaid ageing, following John throughout his various police roles, as well as following the lives of the suspects responsible for Patrick’s murder and, most of all, building up the long-lasting friendship he has with Francis.
The ending is wrapped up just right, as everything falls into place. The Cabinetmaker, as a story, grows just like the relationship between Francis and John. It keeps getting better and better, deeper and deeper. It draws you in with a nasty, violent attack on a young lad, but then transforms into a beautiful tale of two best friends, a father/son bond. I LOVED this book and would strongly recommend it to readers who enjoy a good drama, a character-based story, as well as crime fans. It is a superb all-rounder!
The CabinetmakerA copy of The Cabinetmaker was provided by the author in return for an honest and fair review.
Patrick’s death was violent and Alan Jones has written in a very clear and believable manner, allowing the reader to picture Patrick’s final moments. It is a very dark and pivotal moment of the story that will change Francis and his wife forever. Patrick was their only child, and the impact that his death had on both characters is devastating. To make matters worse, the culprits walk free and although seemingly calm through the best part of the story, deep down Francis longs for justice for those that caused his son’s death.
An interesting part of the story was the reasons behind the attackers walking free from court. Many of the CID officers were ‘dirty’. Their methods of interrogation and gaining evidence was unorthodox, to say the least. There was little back-up for the evidence that was present and many of the suspects were intimidated by the officers, making for poor statements. Again, I have to say the writing is effective. Without being too heavy with the description, Alan Jones writes in such a manner that is so easy and clear to follow, despite the subject matter having the potential to upset the reader. It is written with care, and allows the reader to picture their own images on just how brutal these officers could be. There is very little Scottish dialect, but when it was present I found it to be very easy to follow and added a sense of realism of the place and times that the story is set.
The main focus of the story is the relationship that grows between Francis Hare and Detective John McDaid. Francis runs his own business as a cabinetmaker, which John finds fascinating. Not only this, but they are both playing for an amateur football side, and so share similar interests besides the case. John longs for the justice that Francis wants for his son, and throughout the following years still follows the case up. You can probably guess that John is one of the good guys and disagreed with his former colleagues’ tactics, and yet had no say in the matter at the time, being it his first job with the department. And, he couldn’t afford to lose his chance working at that level by getting on the wrong side of them.
Each time John discovered something new about the people responsible he shared his knowledge with Francis, usually at the workshop. During these times John began learning about the furniture, the wood, how to make certain parts, and began to assist Francis in his spare time and become almost an apprentice. These moments of the story are some of my favourite. These two men get to know each other, almost like a father/son relationship. It is quite heart-warming and emotional at times.
I could also relate to the well-descriptive scenes where Francis is making his beautifully finished cabinets. On a personal level, it brought back a sense of nostalgia for me as I used to sit for hours watching my own father, who is a trained carpenter and joiner, DIY. Here are two examples that I thought were written clearly, beautifully and added a real profound feeling between John McDaid as he watched and worked with Francis:
“He started to fiddle with the carcase, and I’m sure he very quickly forgot that I was there. I watched him work, as he planed an edge, and even my untrained eye could see that the plane was an extension of his arm, the shavings coming from its mouth so thin as to be almost translucent. I could have watched him for hours…“
“I called round with Francis the following day, and managed to get a bit more of my bookcase done – Francis was at a point in his furniture order where I couldn’t really help. His skills in finishing his furniture almost seemed better than those he used in making it. He would spend hours applying the various shades of shellac, rubbing the surfaces with a constant, controlled series of sweeps. I lost count of the number of layers he laid down, producing that depth of surface where the grain of wood seemed to float in a clear, utterly smooth layer of varnish.“
These examples also provide an insight into Francis’ outlook and personality. He likes to see things through to the end, each element being precise, with nothing left untamed, or cared for. These finer details are quite poignant for the story as it moves on.
I found the pace of the story to be perfect. During times of action it quickens up, but throughout some it is a nice slow-but-steady pace that meets the needs for the emotional element. The pace also provides the reader with the true feel of John McDaid ageing, following John throughout his various police roles, as well as following the lives of the suspects responsible for Patrick’s murder and, most of all, building up the long-lasting friendship he has with Francis.
The ending is wrapped up just right, as everything falls into place. The Cabinetmaker, as a story, grows just like the relationship between Francis and John. It keeps getting better and better, deeper and deeper. It draws you in with a nasty, violent attack on a young lad, but then transforms into a beautiful tale of two best friends, a father/son bond. I LOVED this book and would strongly recommend it to readers who enjoy a good drama, a character-based story, as well as crime fans. It is a superb all-rounder!
The CabinetmakerA copy of The Cabinetmaker was provided by the author in return for an honest and fair review.
September 17, 2017
Really enjoyed this book, not a typical police procedural but great how the characters build a relationship away from work
September 20, 2022
I found myself completely immersed in this book by this author. It was totally different from the usual crime and police procedurals and I loved the relationship between John and Francis. I think I know a little more about the Scottish dialect now and it did not detract from my enjoyment if the book. Thanks for a super read.
December 10, 2015
The Cabinetmaker is the authors debut novel and though not as fast paced as I would normally expect from a crime thriller, it is still one that I enjoyed very much.
The story is set in Glasgow and spans nearly over thirty years. Though the story centres on detective John McDaid, it doesn't actual feel like your standard crime novels.
Through Patricks murder, his dad Francis and John strike up a life long friendship. For Francis I think John becomes almost like a surrogate son. He is happy to pass on his knowledge of furniture making and John very much enjoys spending his free time with him. Their friendship was very heart warming to read and my heart very much went out to Francis for the loss of his son. I think what was worse was that even though they had caught the culprits, due to a technicality they were all released, so Francis and his wife never got the satisfaction of seeing them punished for their crimes.
From the start Francis has been very much interested in the findings by the police from that devastating night and to a certain extent he does abuse his friendship with John to get information a civilian would normally not be entitled to. John is only to happy to help though and to keep him up to date with any information as he thinks Francis though obviously devastated is handling his loss relatively well.
When Francis dies unexpectedly John is devastated. Clearing out the house ready for it to go up for sale, John begins to realise that he may not have known Francis as well as he thought he did.
As I mentioned earlier, The Cabinetmaker isn't your usual fast paced crime thriller, the story slowly unfolds and I did worry that I might start getting restless, I didn't though as the story was so intriguing and I actually enjoyed the pace that the author set as I think when everything is revealed to us later on, I could appreciate more the position that it left John in as I could fully understand the relationship that him and Francis had.
A good debut with quite a few surprises and will certainly be reading more by this author.
Many thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The story is set in Glasgow and spans nearly over thirty years. Though the story centres on detective John McDaid, it doesn't actual feel like your standard crime novels.
Through Patricks murder, his dad Francis and John strike up a life long friendship. For Francis I think John becomes almost like a surrogate son. He is happy to pass on his knowledge of furniture making and John very much enjoys spending his free time with him. Their friendship was very heart warming to read and my heart very much went out to Francis for the loss of his son. I think what was worse was that even though they had caught the culprits, due to a technicality they were all released, so Francis and his wife never got the satisfaction of seeing them punished for their crimes.
From the start Francis has been very much interested in the findings by the police from that devastating night and to a certain extent he does abuse his friendship with John to get information a civilian would normally not be entitled to. John is only to happy to help though and to keep him up to date with any information as he thinks Francis though obviously devastated is handling his loss relatively well.
When Francis dies unexpectedly John is devastated. Clearing out the house ready for it to go up for sale, John begins to realise that he may not have known Francis as well as he thought he did.
As I mentioned earlier, The Cabinetmaker isn't your usual fast paced crime thriller, the story slowly unfolds and I did worry that I might start getting restless, I didn't though as the story was so intriguing and I actually enjoyed the pace that the author set as I think when everything is revealed to us later on, I could appreciate more the position that it left John in as I could fully understand the relationship that him and Francis had.
A good debut with quite a few surprises and will certainly be reading more by this author.
Many thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 19, 2014
“The Cabinetmaker” on the surface is a solid police procedural. We get the good, bad and very ugly face of a 1970’s Scottish police precinct. At its heart it’s the story of a bond built between a victim and a man who desperately wants to help him but isn’t sure the police are in the business of the public best interest. Jones does a stunning job of portraying a gritty Glaswegian force. Jones gives readers the feel of a real and unfiltered look into the inner workings of a murder case that seems to have little hope of being solved. People are unwilling to talk and respect for the law is low.
In the passing of decades there are inevitably points where a story might start to drag. Jones maintains a logical pace. Francis is hesitant at first, as any victim might be, but recognizes the innocence in McDaid and the value of making him think about what he’s seen.
On the negative side for US readers, a certain word considered too foul on this side of the pond for many Americans to even contemplate using appears again and again in regular speech. After several paragraphs, this reader became somewhat inured to the word. While terrible to read it is essential to add a certain element to the story.
The cumulative effect of “The Cabinetmaker” is masterful. Alan Jones gives readers an imperfect story but a solid and entertaining read that will appeal to fans of police procedurals.
In the passing of decades there are inevitably points where a story might start to drag. Jones maintains a logical pace. Francis is hesitant at first, as any victim might be, but recognizes the innocence in McDaid and the value of making him think about what he’s seen.
On the negative side for US readers, a certain word considered too foul on this side of the pond for many Americans to even contemplate using appears again and again in regular speech. After several paragraphs, this reader became somewhat inured to the word. While terrible to read it is essential to add a certain element to the story.
The cumulative effect of “The Cabinetmaker” is masterful. Alan Jones gives readers an imperfect story but a solid and entertaining read that will appeal to fans of police procedurals.
January 4, 2016
John McDaid is starting out in CID when he becomes involved in the investigation into Francis Hare's son, Patrick. disillusioned and disappointed in the lax attitude shown by his superiors, John becomes friendly with Francis and his wife. over the years their friendship develops and John is soon spending much of his time learning the skills of cabinet making under the watchful eye of Francis while at the same time keeping an eye on those who had walked free for the murder of Patrick.
This isn't a traditional tale of police procedural and crime but more focus is given to the relationship that built up between the two men and a quest for justice when our system lets us down. I thought this was a deeply thought provoking story, I warmed to all the main characters and completely understood their reasons for doing what they did.
As the main part of the story starts off in 1970s Glasgow be prepared for strong and gritty language and some very non pc methods to policing - but this is what makes the story real and plausible because we know that this was the,way things were then.
I really enjoyed The Cabinetmaker - completely different from Alan's next book Blue Wicked but one I'd highly recommend
This isn't a traditional tale of police procedural and crime but more focus is given to the relationship that built up between the two men and a quest for justice when our system lets us down. I thought this was a deeply thought provoking story, I warmed to all the main characters and completely understood their reasons for doing what they did.
As the main part of the story starts off in 1970s Glasgow be prepared for strong and gritty language and some very non pc methods to policing - but this is what makes the story real and plausible because we know that this was the,way things were then.
I really enjoyed The Cabinetmaker - completely different from Alan's next book Blue Wicked but one I'd highly recommend
July 30, 2016
This starts off as what seems to be a run of the mill 70s Glasgow police procedural. It is John's first week in CID, where the other officers make Gene Hunt look like a by the book type of policeman. A lad has been murdered on the street by a gang of yobs and the cops think it's an easy case.
Whilst the language in the scenes at the police station is the worst you can read, this story moves away from there. The basis of the story is a boy's death, but the heart of the story is John's developing relationship with the boy's father, Francis. In fact the story spans decades and becomes gentler as it goes on and John's career develops.
When I first looked at this book I wasn't sure I fancied it, but I was recommended it and as I read more and more, I didn't want to put it down. The relationship between John and Francis as Francis teaches John to be an expert craftsman was very heartwarming. I really enjoyed this story, it had heart in a cruel world and was well told.
Whilst the language in the scenes at the police station is the worst you can read, this story moves away from there. The basis of the story is a boy's death, but the heart of the story is John's developing relationship with the boy's father, Francis. In fact the story spans decades and becomes gentler as it goes on and John's career develops.
When I first looked at this book I wasn't sure I fancied it, but I was recommended it and as I read more and more, I didn't want to put it down. The relationship between John and Francis as Francis teaches John to be an expert craftsman was very heartwarming. I really enjoyed this story, it had heart in a cruel world and was well told.
May 31, 2017
The Cabinetmaker by Alan Jones - a Review
I came to this book having just finished a rather strange and rambling, reflective work, and was surprised to find that it had prepared me rather well for The Cabinetmaker. This is not a thiller, not really even a murder mystery (although it also is in a way), but very much a lovely, deep, rich and considered set of character studies, around which some nasty events occur and some rather unsettling discoveries are made.
Told in the first person, which for this sort of thing works so well, Jones quickly and effortlessly crafts an exploration of our hero, an initially young new detective on the force, and his relationship over the next few decades with the father of his first murder victim. There is no mystery as to who committed the murder: it’s routine police work, even if there is a further twist within that further on in the tale. No, it’s far more the story of a deepening friendship between the two that shapes and moulds our hero’s life in ways that never even occur to him within the story, and for me, this is a huge strength for the book. I’m not a great fan of thrillers, and procedurals for me can only ever be driven by the engagement I feel (or not) with the characters. The Cabinetmaker excels here in spades; John the hero, Francis the murdered boy’s father, even Andy the friend and Sarah the former girlfriend - not to mention the neds, low-lifes and jaded, dodgy coppers we meet along the way - are all richly drawn, fleshed out and given substance. If books could be described with words such as thick, thin, deep, shallow, etc, then The Cabinetmaker is one of the thickest, richest and deepest I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long while. I look forward to reading more from Jones, and he is set to become a favourite author.
I came to this book having just finished a rather strange and rambling, reflective work, and was surprised to find that it had prepared me rather well for The Cabinetmaker. This is not a thiller, not really even a murder mystery (although it also is in a way), but very much a lovely, deep, rich and considered set of character studies, around which some nasty events occur and some rather unsettling discoveries are made.
Told in the first person, which for this sort of thing works so well, Jones quickly and effortlessly crafts an exploration of our hero, an initially young new detective on the force, and his relationship over the next few decades with the father of his first murder victim. There is no mystery as to who committed the murder: it’s routine police work, even if there is a further twist within that further on in the tale. No, it’s far more the story of a deepening friendship between the two that shapes and moulds our hero’s life in ways that never even occur to him within the story, and for me, this is a huge strength for the book. I’m not a great fan of thrillers, and procedurals for me can only ever be driven by the engagement I feel (or not) with the characters. The Cabinetmaker excels here in spades; John the hero, Francis the murdered boy’s father, even Andy the friend and Sarah the former girlfriend - not to mention the neds, low-lifes and jaded, dodgy coppers we meet along the way - are all richly drawn, fleshed out and given substance. If books could be described with words such as thick, thin, deep, shallow, etc, then The Cabinetmaker is one of the thickest, richest and deepest I’ve had the pleasure to read in a long while. I look forward to reading more from Jones, and he is set to become a favourite author.
August 3, 2017
This is an unusual book, in that it falls into the crime thriller category, but is far slower paced than you would imagine. This is not a bad thing, however, and is, in fact, a brilliant storytelling tool. In the 1970's, John McDaid is a new detective and his first case involves the brutal murder of a young man called Patrick Hare. A local gang of thugs is suspected of the crime, but McDaid fears his superior officers will bungle the case with their typically heavy handed ways. He's not wrong, and during the trial, the entire gang is let off, even though everyone knows they are guilty. Throughout this time, McDaid starts up an unlikely friendship with Patrick's father, Francis, a cabinetmaker and local football enthusiast. They have football in common, and McDaid joins his team, but furniture making is new to McDaid who soon develops a passion for it. The story then spreads over several decades, following the fortunes of Francis and John McDaid and their friendship. One by one, it appears the people responsible for Patrick's death meet sticky ends or are otherwise unfortunate. Eventually, McDaid suspects something is going on. It takes a while to get there, and I did find the narrative detailing furniture making very slow, but the ending is worth it. I did guess what was going on. There were a few unexpected twists, such as McDaid's involvement with Patrick's girlfriend, and the part she plays in the entire plot. A gentle book, despite its violent storyline, I felt engaged with both main characters and enjoyed the span of decades. My only issue really was how certain scenes really slowed things down and made me want to skim read. I'd recommend it though, because it is really something quite different
August 23, 2021
Thank you Alan Jones for the opportunity to win a signed copy of this book. John McDaid has just joined CID when a young lad id brutally killed by a gang. Due to a bungled case the case is dropped and the gang ealk free. McDaid strikes up a friendship with the lads Dad Frances that involves football and cabinet making. He also keeps tabs on the gang and is shocked when they start to die young. When Frances dies alongside his wife and a member of the gang in a car accident McDaid takes over his cabinet making business and makes some shocking discoveries. A brilliant thriller highly recommended.
July 16, 2019
This is the debut novel by Alan Jones, and having read and enjoyed his other books I have to say that this is actually my favourite of the three.
Francis is the father of Patrick who was brutally murdered in the late 1970s. Following the collapse of what should have been an open and shut court case, Patrick's family are devastated when justice has not been served. The story concentrates on the friendship that develops over the years between Francis, an expert craftsman, and John who was a rookie detective at the time of the murder.
I absolutely loved the relationship between the two men and the the way that John almost becomes Francis's apprentice. It is not a straightforward police procedural, which I often find a bit too formulaic, it is so much more than that. It went in a direction I certainly didn't expect and it took me a wee while to realise what was actually going on in the second half of the book! Quite a few surprises and twists!
Very cleverly written and the characterisation is just wonderful. The book had such an authentic sense of time and place and I loved the Glasgow setting and dialect. A book that really stayed with me.
Francis is the father of Patrick who was brutally murdered in the late 1970s. Following the collapse of what should have been an open and shut court case, Patrick's family are devastated when justice has not been served. The story concentrates on the friendship that develops over the years between Francis, an expert craftsman, and John who was a rookie detective at the time of the murder.
I absolutely loved the relationship between the two men and the the way that John almost becomes Francis's apprentice. It is not a straightforward police procedural, which I often find a bit too formulaic, it is so much more than that. It went in a direction I certainly didn't expect and it took me a wee while to realise what was actually going on in the second half of the book! Quite a few surprises and twists!
Very cleverly written and the characterisation is just wonderful. The book had such an authentic sense of time and place and I loved the Glasgow setting and dialect. A book that really stayed with me.
June 29, 2016
I have read Alan Jones' later books and know that I like his writing so this has been on my reading list for a while. I'm pretty certain I've never read another book that linked murder, football and cabinetmaking. An unlikely trio perhaps but it worked and I was transported into that workshop and really enjoyed the descriptions of the furniture. Francis was a great character and I felt like I would like to meet him. I thought I had worked out where the plot was headed but I'm happy to say I wasn't completely right and there were a few twists. This was a strong 4 star for me and if I had any interest at all in football it may have rated higher. I definitely recommend it particularly to fans of Alan's other books.
April 30, 2021
This is a seriously great book. I enjoyed it so much, I slowed down so I could enjoy it longer. You will be extremely fluent in Glaswegian slang when you're done. Really, really great characters. And the storyline is braw. (Sorry, had to try out my newly acquired Scottish slang.)
August 30, 2016
A brilliant first novel
A brilliant first novel that grips from the first word and immerses you as it unfolds until the final word.An Author to follow for definite
A brilliant first novel that grips from the first word and immerses you as it unfolds until the final word.An Author to follow for definite
March 16, 2017
I thought I knew how this book would end but no. I didn't see that coming. without spoiling it for everyone I knew he had to be playing a part in it but I didn't see the rest. A brilliant read.
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