Bad Blood

DS Lucy Black #4

by Brian McGilloway

A young man is found in a riverside park, his head bashed in with a rock. One clue is left behind to uncover his identity—an admission stamp for the local gay club.

DS Lucy Black is called in to investigate. As Lucy delves into the community, tensions begin to rise as the man’s death draws the attention of the local Gay Rights group to a hate-speech Pastor who, days earlier, had advocated the stoning of gay people and who refuses to retract his statement.

Things become further complicated with the emergence of a far-right group targeting immigrants in a local working-class estate. As their attacks escalate, Lucy and her boss, Tom Fleming, must also deal with the building power struggle between an old paramilitary commander and his deputy that threatens to further enflame an already volatile situation.

Hatred and complicity abound in McGilloway’s new Lucy Black thriller. Compelling and current, Bad Blood is an expertly crafted and acutely observed page-turner, delivering the punch that readers of Little Lost Girl have grown to expect.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Irish Literature, Fiction, Ireland, Mystery Thriller

368 pages, Paperback

First published May 18, 2017

About the author

Brian McGilloway is an author hailing from Derry, Northern Ireland. He studied English at Queens University Belfast, where he was very active in student theatre, winning a prestigious national Irish Student Drama Association award for theatrical lighting design in 1996. He is currently Head of English at St. Columb's College, Derry. McGilloway's debut novel was a crime thriller called Borderlands. Borderlands was shortlisted for a Crime Writers' Association Dagger award for a debut novel.

Reviews

[Magdalena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Blood hooked me from the start. I had before I read this book only read one book previous in this series (The Forgotten Ones), and that book's story was not as thrilling as in this book, but I came to like Lucy very much and I wanted to read this book to see if this story would interest me more. Now, I'm really glad that I did that and I'm looking forward to reading the first two books in the series that I own.

Bad Blood starts off with a young man being found murdered in a park. It is soon revealed that the man is gay and this could be a hate crime. At the same time, has a new pastor arrived in town and he is speaking out against the gay community and this causes a lot of problems in the town. Then, another man is found murdered...

Bad Blood is a book that highlights some major issues we have in today's society, racism and hate crimes and I found the story intriguing and sad. DS Lucy Black and another female cop also had to deal with some verbal attacks from a fellow officer who used his own shortcomings as an officer to call them things. This side of the story is very interesting, it highlights problems women have to deal with at workplaces. I like Lucy Black a lot, she has an interesting family history with a father who has Alzheimer's and a mother that walked out of them when Lucy was little (and who is also her boss) and now are they trying to reach out to each other again, to once again be mother and daughter.

Bad Blood is a great book that can be read as a stand-alone!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!

[Sushi (寿司) · Rating 3 out of 5]

È un libro che possiamo mettere sotto quelli che si leggono velocemente ma c'è qualcosa che non mi convince del tutto. Non è brutto ma non so se capita solo a me che a volte, agli inizi, ho pensato che Lucy fosse sola ma poi salta fuori che c'è pure Fleming dai dialoghi.
Mi sarà sfuggito ma non ho ben capito se Lucy è superiore a Fleming o il contrario o hanno lo stesso grado. Burns è sicuramente il capo (la Wilson che poi è la madre di Lucy è il capo del capo) e poi sotto ci sono tutti gli altri a pari merito? Lucy è un DS (Detective Sergeant) ma gli altri? Intendo Tara, Mickey e Fleming.

PS: Il traduttore ha scritto Ian Fleming in un certo punto invece che Ian Nixon. E al capitolo 62 si ripete scrivendo Andre Lupei invece che Adrian. Per fortuna che sappiamo che è Adrian che è andato a cercare Welland .... . Non incide sul voto finale anche se un giorno dovrei dare i voti anche ai traduttori.
Fa un po' pena anche l'impaginazione. Ora io non voglio i bordi perfetti dove si va a capo come si vuole perchè la parola non ci sta ma nemmeno che la parola sia spezzata a inizio frase. È fastidioso. Mi invento un esempio per farvi capire:
"Ieri sono andata a casa
per-
chè dovevo pranzare."
Si ripete spesso quindi non è una svista.

Per finire vorrei sapere che senso ha il titolo. Nessun cadavere è stato trovato in un fiume. Il titolo originale è Bad Blood quale fa pure senso visto che il libro è contornato dall'omofobia. Sebbene sbagliato preferirei traduceste i titoli letterali almeno fate una più bella figura. 🤦‍♀️

[Alan Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brian McGilloway is invisible, and that is a rare talent for a writer. There are writers, many of whose work I love, who sacrifice plot for beautifully constructed passages that warrant re-reading for the pleasure of the words; there are others for whom plot is everything and who sell millions of copies despite clunky, painfully overwrought writing. McGilloway is a storyteller who, over the course of several novels, has consistently delivered entertaining, densely plotted crime stories which simultaneously comment on current affairs, particularly post-Troubles Northern Ireland life; all without such comment getting in the way of the story. He never preaches – there are enough preachers in Northern Ireland – but, while his stories flow in a way that almost makes you forget you are reading, McGilloway is also holding up a mirror to some of the events and people still holding the country back.

‘Bad Blood’ is set in the week leading up to the Brexit referendum. The discovery of the badly beaten body of a young gay man brings DS Lucy Black into contact with a community full of suspicion and intolerance – not just the sectarianism so long prevalent in Northern Ireland society but also prejudice against homosexuals and immigrants, prejudice stirred up by firebrand preachers and ex-paramilitary community ‘leaders’.

“In Northern Ireland, you can’t have your cake at all if you’re gay…”

McGilloway’s characters are fully realised. They may have stereotypical views but there are no stereotypes. The loyalist leaders, feuding among themselves, may garner little sympathy but McGilloway captures perfectly the very real concerns in the working-class estates that keeps such figures in positions of influence. “I see the end of our culture”, says the preacher. “We’re not allowed to march. We’re not allowed to fly our flag…. This peace dividend? They never told us it was for the middle classes only. They never said that the poor would stay poor.”

The threads running through ‘Bad Blood’ come straight from the headlines in a Northern Ireland where politicians are more concerned with arguing the right of a bakery to discriminate against gay people for ‘religious’ reasons than they are with forming an effective government; where paramilitary organisations drive out ‘foreign’ drug dealers only to protect their own monopolies; where dissenters are ‘six-packed’, shot in elbows, knees and ankles; where houses are daubed with anti-Roma slogans. Brian McGilloway handles these complex issues with a masterful touch, never making them the focus of the novel, rather informing a very good police procedural which can be read and enjoyed as just that. But, if the reader is prepared to dive deeper, the story is so much more rewarding.

In a strange coincidence, ‘Bad Blood’ will be published on the day of the general election, an election informed by Brexit, an election which will likely lead to further division, perhaps particularly in the only part of the UK with a land border to the Europe we are currently divorcing…

Thanks to Corsair/Hachette and NetGalley for the advance review copy.

[Nick Davies · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was enjoyable, competent, sound, decent. I'm damning with faint praise there, it appears, but that's basically how I felt about it. All of the praise I gave the previous McGilloway novel I read (Gallows Lane) but with slightly less of that because I found the central character a little less easy to identify with. There is a mixture of crimes tied up with each other in this Ulster police procedural - pre-Brexit vote xenophobia, religious fervour and homophobia, drugs and insular fighting to alter a local pecking order. It just didn't quite spark for me, though I would perhaps happily read others by the same author.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first introduction to this series. While, I had no issues having this be my first time meeting them, I had a bit of an problem connecting with the rest of the characters and storyline. There was nothing that interesting or endearing about the other characters. Therefore, there was times when I easily lost focus on the story. Yet, I liked Lucy and her boss, Tom. They paired nicely together to solve the case. In regards to their intelligence; I found that they were both equally balanced. While, this book was just middle of the road for me, there were times when I liked what I was reading. Additionally, I want to get to know Lucy better and to do this I will consider checking out the first book in this series.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excited by an upcoming book: The One You Least Suspect, from this author; a favourite of mine in this genre, I returned to one of his most brilliant creations.

Bad Blood is the fourth Lucy Black novel and demonstrates from the start why she is such an engaging character.

The author is able to give voice to the darker societal issues and challenge subjects thought by some taboo or too controversial.

Set over a few days leading up to the Brexit vote and its results this is a forensic insight into the fears around immigrants and struggles for political influence over a community.

In my opinion few authors deliver a police procedural in such an open and logical way. This happens quickly in real time as we rapidly turn the pages of this unfolding murder mystery. What I like about the writing is that not everyone is what they appear to be. People do not tell the police the whole truth and have other ways of exacting justice. The crime is not just resolved by DNA, a bloody imprint or careless CCTV capture. Information is needed, community trust and support required and clever instinctive police work is demanded.

This is all here, interspersed with human reactions to life and death with a multilayered plot that overlays the first murder.

Cleverly, the writer uses his protagonist, Lucy Black to be the conduit and integral player in the drama. Her investigations are pivotal and her insights crucial in moving the story and plot forward.

A wonderful realistic and moving drama packed with thrills and moments of great tension. I really enjoyed that the story is conveyed and delivered by believable characters. The location resonates with me and the echoes of the country’s troubled times feel genuine and drawn from the author’s understanding rather than third party research.

Above all I enjoy sharing Lucy’s journey. Her pain and unresolved issues are clear and nuanced throughout the story. Her humanity brings empathy and a reality that she is flesh and blood. Prone to misjudgment, but instinctively good. While we she her weakness and mistakes we value her shortcomings. Above all this, through her character we find relationships drawn out within the story and wonder where her own personal connections will develop.

[Il confine dei libri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cari lettori del Confine,
ultimamente vi ho parlato sempre di libri che appartengono al genere romance, ma oggi, dopo tanto tempo, vi parlerò di un thriller che ho finito di leggere poco fa.
Si tratta di un libro pubblicato grazie alla Newton Compton editori dell'autore Brian McGilloway, dal titolo "Il cadavere nel fiume".
Questo libro fa parte di una serie di autoconclusivi che vedono come protagonista la detective Lucy Black, si possono leggere tutti separatamente e non per forza in ordine di pubblicazione.
Ci troviamo a Derry, nell'Irlanda del Nord, dove vicino al fiume viene rinvenuto il cadavere di un ragazzo con il cranio spaccato, sembrerebbe da una pietra, e neanche un documento addosso.
L'unica cosa che potrebbe aiutare il riconoscimento è il timbro di un locale gay. La detective Lucy Black, insieme al suo collega Tom Fleming, sono incaricati di svolgere le indagini.
Nel frattempo in città si sta scatendando una protesta in difesa dei diritti LGBT contro un predicatore che viene considerato la causa di questo odio alimentato da una predica in cui diceva che la lapidazione per i gay è la giusta punizione per i loro peccati.
Per Lucy e il suo capo risolvere il caso non sarà facile, anzi.
È la prima volta che leggo qualcosa di questo autore, infatti ho scoperto solo a metà della lettura che Lucy fosse la protagonista di altri tre libri precendenti a "Il cadavere nel fiume", ma questa scoperta non ha intaccato in alcun modo la lettura, anzi si possono leggere tutti i libri in modo separato senza collegamenti particolari.
La vita privata della detective viene menzionata solo in minima parte e non è una cosa fondamentale per l'andamento della storia.
Questa lettura per me è stata una bella sfida, leggere di così tanto odio ingiustificato non è stato facile, diciamo che ogni volta che leggevo commenti omofobi o si creavano delle situazioni di puro astio nei confronti di altre persone, prendevo un bel respiro e andavo avanti facendomi scivolare addosso alcune frasi poco carine. L'autore è riuscito a creare l'ambientazione perfetta e a rendere così reale e cruda la realtà del mondo d'oggi: ci troviamo in Irlanda poco prima del voto della Brexit e il clima politico è alimentato dall'odio verso quelli che vengono considerati "diversi".
C'è un personaggio in particolare, il pastore Nixon, che incita i suoi fedeli all'odio nei suoi sermoni e già dal prologo noi lettori veniamo capultati in questa realtà purtroppo non fittizia.
Tutti i dialoghi delle due fazioni, anche gli interrogatori fatti dagli agenti, sono strutturati in modo tale che ogni personaggio possa dire la sua in maniera diretta e senza filtri; l’autore ha creato discussioni reali, il più veritiere possibili, tanto che ero talmente concentrata a seguire i vari dibattiti e a cercare di capire come e da chi fosse partito il tutto, da dimenticare le indagini principali, ovvero la ricerca dell'assassino, che spesso passava in secondo piano.
Non è di certo una lettura semplice, è ricca di contenuti, a volte da risultare quasi troppi, io stessa avevo bisogno di ricordarmi quale fosse la causa principale perché ero distratta da tutto quello che veniva affrontato contemporaneamente.
Comunque consiglio ad oguno di voi di leggere questo libro, perché vi spinge a riflettere su tutte le tematiche che affronta, ma la ricerca dell'assassino non sarà la prima cosa che vorreste sapere a metà della lettura.
Bene amici, vi lascio in compagnia della bravissima detective Lucy Black.
Buona lettura e a presto.
Voto 3

[Jim Napier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derry, Northern Ireland, 2016: fiery pastor James Nixon is inciting the local population with sermons condemning homo-sexuality. Fanning the flames the upcoming referendum on Brexit has further polarized the population, and anti-immigrant sentiments are running high, the whole forming a volatile mix that threatens to lead to violence.

When the home of a family of gypsies in Derry is defaced with racist slogans, DS Lucy Black is dispatched to deal with the case. But before they can make much headway she’s called away to a nearby park, where a young man has been found beaten to death. There’s no ID on the body, but on the back of the victim’s hand is an admission stamp for a local club, one that caters to gays.
Pastor Nixon’s extremist views are finding receptive ears. Most people in Northern Ireland expected a peace dividend following devolution. It didn’t happen. Jobs haven’t materialised, and benefits haven’t improved. Moreover, the influx of “outsiders” is transforming the housing estates, leaving locals to question their identity and their prospects for the future. Fear and resentment are running high. As she struggles to bring some form of justice to the lifeless body whose identity remains unknown, Lucy Black must also try to maintain the fragile peace that masks a potentially deadly social conflict simmering just below the surface.
 
Combining layered sub-plots, convincing characters, and compelling dialogue, Bad Blood is the fourth in Brian McGilloway DS Black series, and his ninth crime novel overall. It is an informed and thoughtful novel that addresses the complex cultural tensions that beset today’s Ireland—and, it could be argued, society at large. Bad Blood is a fine read, and highly recommended.
________

Previously published on Reviewing the Evidence, July 2018.
Since 2005 more than 500 of Jim Napier's reviews and interviews have appeared in several Canadian newspapers and on such websites. His crime novel Legacy was published in the Spring of 2017, and the second in the series, Ridley’s War, is scheduled for release in 2019. He can be reached at jnapier@deadlydiversions.com

[Liz Mistry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's always a pleasure to feature Northern Irish Noir writers onto the blog and Brian McGilloway is no exception. His DS Lucy Black series of books just go from strength to strength... with the added bonus that each of them can be read as standalones. So, Bad Blood is the fourth in the series and , as we've come to expect from McGilloway, it focuses on contemporary Northern Irish issues. Here's my review...



Just when you thought you'd about recovered from Brexit, McGilloway takes us back to Northern Ireland in the run up to the referendum... and as you'd expect tensions are running high.

DS Lucy Black is called in to a racist attack on a housing estate, seemingly ruled by Ulster First. A rogue reverend, in light of recent rulings against a cake company refusing to bake cakes for gays, advocates stoning and recently illegalised, 'Legal highs' are playing havoc in the communities.
Whilst highlighting these issues, McGilloway's style is far from evangelical. He explores them with sensitivity and knowledge in and amongst a damn good police procedural. There are many things to praise about Bad Blood. For me, the main thing is the range of very human responses each character has. McGilloway says it like it is and his characters are nuanced and all the more authentic for that. The vile rhetoric of Rev Nixon, is all the more dangerous because it is delivered with such intelligence. Meanwhile, the barely concealed prejudice of fellow police officers and the senseless thuggery of the gang leaders and their supporters is convincingly portrayed. Each character reveals a little bit about the society in which we all live... and perhaps a little bit about us too.
This is thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking too. A great read from one of Ireland's finest noir writers.

[Bruce Hatton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fourth novel in this series takes place in the days leading up to the U.K. referendum on whether to Remain in or Leave the E.U. An issue that was – and still is – highly divisive on the mainland is exacerbated even further in the Irish borderlands by the continuing sectarian and political struggles. The openly racist “Ulster First” party is seeking to capitalise on growing xenophobia and a family of recently settled Romanians become their main target. Add into the mix a homophobic Christian preacher, the murder of a young gay man and local gangs vying for monopoly of the local drugs trade and there is a surefire recipe for widespread civil disorder.
As in previous McGilloway novels, fragile family dynamics play a major part here; particularly the fractious relationships between fathers and sons. As if to compensate, in this novel there is continuing evidence of the warming relationship between Lucy and her once-estranged mother ( and now ultimate boss) Assistant Chief Constable Jane Wilson.
Although I didn’t feel this novel reached the same dizzy heights as Little Girl Lost and Preserve The Dead, it was still a very well-told tale. Brian McGilloway’s assured and unpretentious writing style is always a pleasure to read.

[Linda Boa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a series whose earlier volumes I'll be reading! DS Lucy Black is an interesting, original, and appealing character, with an interesting backstory. With an up-to-date tale, involving as it does the Brexit vote, the sale of legal highs, incomers from other European countries, and homophobia in small communities, the whole book feels very "now." The writing is low key yet classy, and the whole tale seems scarily plausible. I'll certainly be reading the other titles in this series I own, as well as anything else by McGilloway, who's a naturally talented author who makes spinning a believable yarn look deceptively easy. A triumph - highly recommended.

[Alessandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mah. Piacevole ma non riesco proprio a digerire le trame "gialle" di questa serie. Lucy Black è in gamba, i comprimari sono ben caratterizzati, l'ambientazione nell'Ulster è realistica e interessante, ma di "giallo", a mio parere, hanno ben poco. Comunque una buona lettura estiva e niente più.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - didn’t enjoy this one as much but loved the overall series!

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5-star read

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It's pre-Brexit days in Northern Ireland and tensions are flying high. Anti-immigration, anti-homosexuality, and "us" first thinking are the norm. DS Lucy Black is called to investigate one apparent hate crime after another in the fourth installment in the Lucy Black series by Brian McGilloway, Bad Blood.

A young man's body is found in a park and a bloody stone is found nearby. A local pastor was heard just hours before to say that stoning of homosexuals was acceptable behavior for their sins. A local Romanian family is targeted by anti-immigrant thinkers. The same pastor has been heard saying the communities should be for "us" versus "them." Things are never quite as simple or black-and-white and DS Lucy Black and her boss DI Tom Fleming know that although this pastor has been spewing what can only be deemed "hate" speech, he's not the only one with these sentiments. Is it possible they can find the killer before another person is targeted?

As previously mentioned, Bad Blood is the fourth in the Lucy Black series and the second book that I've read. As with the previous books in this series, I found this one to be a fast-paced and engaging read. It was quite interesting to read about a pre-Brexit environment in a post-Brexit world. It's been awhile since I've read Little Lost Girl, but the dynamics between Lucy and her coworkers have developed quite nicely as has her relationship with her mother. Bad Blood features a lot more political action than I expected and although timely and topical it casts the bad guys in a strange light (politics makes for strange bedfellows my friends). Are there bad guys in this story? Oh yes. There are bad guys, guys that seemed to be sucked into bad things, and then just really, really bad and very manipulative bad guys. There's a lot of action going on in Bad Blood including the upcoming Brexit vote, hate crimes, hate speech, murder, multiple assaults, and even attempted rape (no, not going to tell you who, read the book!), and it all takes place in less than one week. The title is perfect because it refers to "bad blood" from past inflictions and the present, "bad blood" between family members, and more. If you enjoy reading crime fiction or mystery thrillers then you'll definitely want to add Bad Blood to your TBR list. Did I enjoy reading Bad Blood? Yes! I had forgotten why I enjoyed reading Mr. McGilloway's writing, but reading Bad Blood brought it back to me so much so that I'll be rereading Little Girl Lost and the remaining books in the Lucy Black series just to catch up.

This review originally posted on 07/14/2017 at http://www.thebookdivasreads.com/2017....

[Sally · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Bad Blood' starts with the murder and subsequent discovery of the body of a young man in a park and there's a parallel storyline regarding the harassment of immigrants on a local estate. These are just the first 2 things in a number of incidents, including another murder. In investigating the crimes DS Lucy Black comes across a preacher whose sermons and thoughts are anything but Christian where the gay community is concerned, and also to former paramilitary members who seem to be involved in a battle for power within their ranks. There's are a number of twists and turns in the book - not just where criminals are concerned! I hadn't come across this author before Netgalley let me have a copy to review. Now I think I'll have to read all his others! Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

[John Aitchison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being unfamiliar with the writing of Brian McGilloway I was attracted to this book by "New York Times Best Seller" and an endorsement by Lee Child on the front cover. However Bad Blood failed to meet my expectations and I gave up half way through. Perhaps it was the writer's style, the occasional laboured description of a person or scene, and a lack of flow, but I just could not get into the characters and the story.
I was intrigued by the Criticisms of The New York Times Best Seller list in Wikipedia and will be more wary in future. I also not a great fan of Lee Child!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually really like Brian McGilloway, especially the Lucy Black books, but this was my least favorite by far.

Maybe I’m just tired of the right-wing nationalism movement that’s central to the plot, but I think it was more than that.

It wasn’t good.

[Carlissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, but I liked the first 2 in the series more.

[Amanda Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for an honest review from the author and it wasn't until after I received it that I realized that it was the 4th book in the series (Whoops!). So, my book OCD made it so that I went back and actually purchased the first three books. Yes, I did this without knowing whether or not I would even like the series, my OCD is just like that. But I have to say I wasn't disappointed.

I've always liked crime/mystery novels, I like trying to figure out who did it before the end of the book but with this author, I never have any freaking clue. LOL.

Another thing I really do like about this author is that he makes the stories realistic. Like it can totally happen in real life. He utilizes real life problems in his books, missing children, domestic abuse, and even racism. It's hard not to be drawn in when you know that these problems really exist in today's world.

Once again we follow DS Lucy Black in her journey to uncover the truth. There are so many twists and turns that it's hard not to want to keep reading just to see what happens. And just when you think that you know what that is, another turn and you are majorly surprised.

I try to post reviews that won't give away any spoilers, but I will say that you will not see what's coming. There's just no way to tell and I absolutely love that!

The only problem I have had with these books is some of the words used to describe things. The book is based in Northern Ireland, I'm in the US, so some of the language is a bit different. That doesn't make it bad at all, in fact, I enjoy learning what some of the words mean! It just means that I have to stop reading for a second in order to figure it out so I'm not confused. But again, that's not a big deal in the slightest.

All in all a very interesting read! 4 out of 5 stars :)

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

McGilloway has given us a very timely novel of racism and prejudice. Although it takes place in Ireland just before the Brexit vote, many of the scenes and much of the toxic emotion can be found in the United States as well.

The novel is a good police procedure one but the themes woven within the plot are what gives readers reason to consider their own views. How would we react if a family of different color or culture moved in next door? Would we start a movement to see them forced to flee our community? What would we do when faced with those of a different sexual behavior than what we approve? Would we follow a fire and brimstone preacher who essentially calls for their stoning? Would we stand up for a fellow worker when she is the brunt of a vicious verbal attack?

I always pay attention when an author portrays a character of the opposite sex as the lead in a novel. I do the same when preachers or Christians are in a novel such as this one. I think McGilloway did a good job of developing these characters. As a Christian, the actions of the characters in this novel made me think about my own responses to similar situations.

I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a good police procedure novel yet appreciate confronting timely social issues as well. You'll be entertained while being given plenty of opportunities to think about your own attitudes and actions.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of Bad Blood, the 4th Derry based police procedural to feature DS Lucy Black.

Lucy and her boss DI Tom Fleming are extremely busy. The upcoming Brexit referendum has brought a spate of crime to the Greenway estate from new gang activity to racism and finally the murder of a gay teenager. As members of the Public Protection Unit they assist all the ongoing investigations but only have the racist attacks on the Lupei as their own.

I enjoyed Bad Blood. It is a good police procedural with plenty of plot twists and seems to be a fair representation of the uneasiness that exists in the present day, exacerbated by problems particular to Northern Ireland and its history. It is an interesting read as Lucy and Tom navigate these troubled waters and manage to pull it all together. Some of it I guessed, much of it I didn't.

The novel is well paced. It covers a lot of ground so there is always something going on but it is easy to follow and I never felt lost in the welter of situations, rather, I enjoyed all the possibilities.

Bad Blood is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Sonia (Le_sorelle_dinchiostro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il cadavere nel fiume - Brian McGilloway 


Irlanda del Nord Brexit odio contro gli immigrati e gli omosessuali ... questo è lo sfondo del nuovo poliziesco con il detective Lucy Blake! 

In questo volume l'autore è riuscito a creare l'ambientazione perfetta e a rendere così reale e cruda la realtà del mondo d'oggi: ci troviamo in Irlanda poco prima del voto della Brexit e il clima politico è alimentato dall'odio verso quelli che vengono considerati "diversi". Tutti i dialoghi delle due fazioni, anche gli interrogatori fatti dagli agenti, sono strutturati in modo tale che ogni personaggio possa dire la sua in maniera diretta e senza filtri sugli argomenti trattati, l’autore ha creato discussioni reali e il più veritiere possibili. Un thriller ricco di personaggi che si muovono in una società divisa e che fa da sfondo al movente dei vari omicidi. 

La detective Blake anche questa volta è al centro delle indagini. La serie cresce e ci si affeziona ai protagonisti inseriti in un contesto interessante dove si vedono mutare e saldarsi delle amicizie per Lucy ma anche in ambito familiare riuscirà a risolvere, forse, gli scontri con la madre.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romanzo scritto alla perfezione. Riesce a catturare l'attenzione del lettore sin da subito con una scrittura fluida e ricca e una narrazione che non da' modo di staccare gli occhi dalle pagine.
I personaggi sono perfettamente caratterizzati e ben suddivisi nei loro “ranghi”. Come ogni thriller o giallo che si rispetti, però, dobbiamo aspettarci l'inaspettato. Qui, quella che dovrebbe essere una delle sorprese finali, non ci prende così tanto alla sprovvista, ma non credo sia un caso. L'autore ci imbocca nel corso del romanzo, ci fa capire qualcosa senza dare mai conferme fino al momento che ha deciso lui.
Un bravo al signor McGilloway.
La storia narrata parla soprattutto di intolleranza verso il diverso, in questo caso verso lo straniero e l'omosessuale, e l'incapacità di accettazione di una realtà che cambia. Una lotta per la supremazia. Un ritorno al passato volto alla sottomissione di minoranze. Ma anche uno spiraglio di luce, piccoli gesti che fanno ancora credere nella bontà dell'umanità.
Con questo romanzo ci si arrabbia, si prende la parte di qualcuno e si crede fino alla fine nella giustizia.
Se amate il genere, non lasciatevi sfuggire un romanzo simile.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I need to say that I couldn't stop getting that Taylor Swift song in my head every time I looked at the cover. It's not even a particularly good Taylor Swift song. Looking at Good Reads, there seems to be rather a lot of books with this title. Maybe some more creativity is needed.

The plot: Hate crimes begin increasing in severity in the Northern Irish down of Derry.

The protaganist of DS Lucy Black and McGilloway's sympathetic portrayal of the victims make this rise above the usual British police novel.

The book is set in the leadup to the Brexit vote, but it's not a huge plot point that overshadows everything else. Rather, it's a background event, which works well. (Here I shamefully admit it took me far too long in 2016 to work out that Brexit stood for "British Exit" rather than a place or person).

The storyline goes at a good pace, although there are a couple of plot turns that stretch the incredulity a bit and stop it from being a five-star novel.

I look forward to reading more DS Lucy Black novels in future.

[Janice Staines · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lust for power and hatred are never good bedfellows.

This is the second in the DS Lucy Black series. It opens with a young man found dead in a local park. He is
covered in blood and his head has been caved in. DS Lucy Black is tasked with finding his killer.

The story that follows is set in Northern Ireland at the time of the Brexit referendum, but it also harks back to ‘The Troubles’. It is about police procedure and corruption on one hand and a lust for power, drug dealing, homophobia and hatred of immigrants on the other.

It is a thrilling, well told story, full of unexpected twists and turns. It introduces the reader to some new and interesting characters - some of whom are likeable, some pitiful and others who are just totally full of Nile and hatred.

It is, a novel that you will be driven to read - but, unlike ‘Little Girl Lost’, it is more about the perpetrators of crime and their motives, than the victims.

I look forward to reading more DS Lucy Black books very soon.

[Julie Spratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love an sort of crime novel but I had not read this author before. I am glad I did as I raced through the book to get to the end. Lucy Black is an intersting detective in a male dominated police force although her mother is in charge. They do not seem to have a very good relationship but I need to go back and read earlier novels to find out why.

The story centres on a nasty murder of a man who is thought to be gay. The story is set in Northern Ireland and therefore homosexuality does not go down well with some of the characters and they make their feeling known. There is also the theme of race and immigration throughout the story along with gangs, Brexit and drugs all of which make a headt mixture which mean that the story can take many paths. An enjoyable book and I now want to read some of the earlier books to see what had happened to Lucy Black and her family in the past.

[BoardInMalibu · Rating 4 out of 5]

DS Lucy Black is one of my favorite protagonists. Lucy is a very well developed character, her childhood may not have been ideal but she remains an average, well balanced person which is such a great departure from the predictable bitter female characters that populate police procedurals. This book was timely and incorporated many controversies. I enjoyed this fourth installment very much and would encourage new readers to the series to read the books in order. This is a stand-alone book but it's much more fun if you are familiar with DS Black. Note to the fabulous author: Brian, love your writing and am looking forward to the next installment of DI Devlin! You are fantastic! Keep writing!!!

[Bill Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've not read any McGilloway for a few years, but my memories were good. This was my first in the Lucy Black series and as good as my memories of the Inspector Devlin series. I don't know other authors who are writing about the Northern Ireland experience, and McGilloway does not shy away from the hard issues. He also sets it within the 7 days before the Brexit referendum and throws in barnstorming anti-gay preachers, as well as immigrants being targeted by local activists. So a lot of core issues. I think he knits it all together really well and with clarity. Lucy is a good character with background and issues, but nothing cliched. My only negative feeling was that it felt one paced, the plot was short on momentum. But that may have been me, after New Year.

[John McAllister · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a soft spot for author Brian Gilloway’s main character, DS Lucy Black, because I have my own Lucie of approximately the same age and, dare I say, the same spikey temperament. The sort of temperament that gets DS Black into all sorts of scrapes and out of them again. This time she is involved in the world of closet gays and former terrorists trying to be what the ‘General’ called ordinary decent criminals. A sign painted on a wall ‘Romans out’ also gets Black involved in racial tensions and intolerance. Bad Blood is a great swirl of a book that I thoroughly enjoyed.