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DCI Lorimer #14
Still Dark
'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
'Move over Rebus' Daily Mail
'Exciting, pacey, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS
'Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere and superior writing' The Times
Don't miss Alex Gray's latest novel - WHEN SHADOWS FALL is out now in paperback
It doesn't matter whether you've read them all or whether you're discovering this bestselling series for the first time, this Lorimer mystery is the perfect winter read to cozy up with
_______________
Crime always hides in the shadows . . .
New Year's Eve should be a time for celebrating. A chance to spend time with loved ones and look forward to the year ahead. For DSI William Lorimer, however, this New Year's Eve will be one that he will never forget. Called to a house after gunshots are reported, the carnage he finds there will have a powerful impact on his life - leaving him questioning his future with Police Scotland.
Meanwhile, the man who eluded police capture during Lorimer's last investigation - the Quiet Release case involving the euthanasia of vulnerable patients - is back, and this time he's aligned with a powerful gangster from Glasgow's underworld.
As Lorimer struggles to return to duty and stop this mystery killer once and for all, he discovers that there are forces high up within Police Scotland that are protecting the gangster that holds the key to finding the man they are looking for.
Can Lorimer and his team get a killer off the streets for good before more innocent people die?
Alex Gray's new novel BEFORE THE STORM is available to pre-order now
_______________
***PRAISE FOR ALEX GRAY***
'Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere and superior writing' The Times
'Brings Glasgow to life in the same way Rankin evokes Edinburgh' Daily Mail
'Exciting, pacy, authentic' Angela Marsons
'Sums up everything that is golden and enthralling about a good book' Fully Booked
'Move over Rebus' Daily Mail
'Exciting, pacey, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS
'Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere and superior writing' The Times
Don't miss Alex Gray's latest novel - WHEN SHADOWS FALL is out now in paperback
It doesn't matter whether you've read them all or whether you're discovering this bestselling series for the first time, this Lorimer mystery is the perfect winter read to cozy up with
_______________
Crime always hides in the shadows . . .
New Year's Eve should be a time for celebrating. A chance to spend time with loved ones and look forward to the year ahead. For DSI William Lorimer, however, this New Year's Eve will be one that he will never forget. Called to a house after gunshots are reported, the carnage he finds there will have a powerful impact on his life - leaving him questioning his future with Police Scotland.
Meanwhile, the man who eluded police capture during Lorimer's last investigation - the Quiet Release case involving the euthanasia of vulnerable patients - is back, and this time he's aligned with a powerful gangster from Glasgow's underworld.
As Lorimer struggles to return to duty and stop this mystery killer once and for all, he discovers that there are forces high up within Police Scotland that are protecting the gangster that holds the key to finding the man they are looking for.
Can Lorimer and his team get a killer off the streets for good before more innocent people die?
Alex Gray's new novel BEFORE THE STORM is available to pre-order now
_______________
***PRAISE FOR ALEX GRAY***
'Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere and superior writing' The Times
'Brings Glasgow to life in the same way Rankin evokes Edinburgh' Daily Mail
'Exciting, pacy, authentic' Angela Marsons
'Sums up everything that is golden and enthralling about a good book' Fully Booked
400 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2021
75 people are currently reading
453 people want to read
About the author
Alex Gray
88 books346 followersAlex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. She worked as a folk singer, a visiting officer in the DSS and an English teacher. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
July 19, 2025
This fantastic realistic Scottish crime novel is the 14th volume of the now "DSI Lorimer" series, and this book is the perfect sequel of its predecessor called "The Darkest Goodbye".
At the the beginning of the book you'll find two short phrases, one taken from Isaiah 5:7 and one from Kabir.
This book , as well as the others in this series, are very well researched as you can read within the Acknowledgements.
Storytelling is superb, all characters come vividly to life in this story about deceit, police corruption, human depravation, old man heroism, brutal gangsters and vicious murder, while also the atmosphere of Glasgow's criminal underbelly is wonderfully described and pictured by the author.
The book starts off with an explosive bang on New Year's Eve, and this horrific lethal event will have an enormous impact on DSI Lorimer, and that impact will turn into a temporary downfall for Lorimer, so much so that he will need treatment at a place called Castlebrae, before he can head back to work fully restored of his mental and physical faculties.
Slowly but steadily Lorimer will come back into his own, and with his new team at MIT, and that also includes from Govan CID DC Kirsty Wilson, they will hunt down the perpetrator of the killings of vulnerable people, in order to steal their identity, also police corruption will come to the fore and be dealt with appropriately, while the notorious Glasgow gangster Jack Gallagher will get a much deserved treatment from Police Scotland, making these cases perfect solved ones in the end.
Very much recommended, for this is the best addition to this excellent series, so far in my opinion, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Sublime Dark Conclusion"!
At the the beginning of the book you'll find two short phrases, one taken from Isaiah 5:7 and one from Kabir.
This book , as well as the others in this series, are very well researched as you can read within the Acknowledgements.
Storytelling is superb, all characters come vividly to life in this story about deceit, police corruption, human depravation, old man heroism, brutal gangsters and vicious murder, while also the atmosphere of Glasgow's criminal underbelly is wonderfully described and pictured by the author.
The book starts off with an explosive bang on New Year's Eve, and this horrific lethal event will have an enormous impact on DSI Lorimer, and that impact will turn into a temporary downfall for Lorimer, so much so that he will need treatment at a place called Castlebrae, before he can head back to work fully restored of his mental and physical faculties.
Slowly but steadily Lorimer will come back into his own, and with his new team at MIT, and that also includes from Govan CID DC Kirsty Wilson, they will hunt down the perpetrator of the killings of vulnerable people, in order to steal their identity, also police corruption will come to the fore and be dealt with appropriately, while the notorious Glasgow gangster Jack Gallagher will get a much deserved treatment from Police Scotland, making these cases perfect solved ones in the end.
Very much recommended, for this is the best addition to this excellent series, so far in my opinion, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Sublime Dark Conclusion"!
May 31, 2017
Lovely DSI Lorimer never disappoints me and he is doing it a bit tough in the book. I think I've said it before in a review but I say again, I do wish he'd get another wife, or the one he has would get a personality. She is so simpering, and a bit pathetic. Another good read from Alex Gray, always enjoy the Lorimer series
February 26, 2021
An interesting read, book 14 out of the series but I felt like I wasn't missing any information and if there was any clues to other books than the author had written enough not to be confused.
while the story line wasn't difficult to follow along with, I did have a little trouble when it came to the Scottish dialect that the author used for some of the characters, In a way it broke me away from the story line and made it hard to fight against the want to skip ahead on the page.
I also felt like the time the main character spent away seemed pretty short for the amount of trauma that he went through, it was almost as if he was suddenly declared fit and active again without a single problem towards the job or other mentions of the incident that he went through in the first place.
while the story line wasn't difficult to follow along with, I did have a little trouble when it came to the Scottish dialect that the author used for some of the characters, In a way it broke me away from the story line and made it hard to fight against the want to skip ahead on the page.
I also felt like the time the main character spent away seemed pretty short for the amount of trauma that he went through, it was almost as if he was suddenly declared fit and active again without a single problem towards the job or other mentions of the incident that he went through in the first place.
August 6, 2019
I’m a bit ambivalent about this. The plot is gripping, and the pacing is excellent, yet somehow the actual writing is pedestrian and often repetitious – a character will appear and be described, and fit in nicely with what’s going on, then about a page later they are introduced as though they are a new person and described again in a different way (not impossibly different, just that it’s not simply a cut and paste that’s been accidentally left in). There were quite a few typos, too. I quite liked the characters though they pushed being a bit too perfect sometimes. I wouldn't mind reading more. I think 3.5*.
September 22, 2018
Possibly one of the worst books I have ever read. A slow, dull plot. Lazy, clichéd writing. If not prescribed by my book club I would have abanoned by page 20. I wish I could give it a lower rating.
August 4, 2025
"Still dark ist der direkte Nachfolger von "The darkest goodbye". Während man alle anderen Teile der Reihe um William Lorrimer alleine lesen kann, sollte man diese beiden Bücher in der richtigen Reihenfolge lesen.
Ausgerechnet am Neujahrsabend wird DSI William Lorrimer zu einer Schießerei gerufen. Sosehr er sich auch bemüht, kann er die Situation nicht zum Guten wenden. Nach diesem Erlebnis nimmt er sich zuerst eine Auszeit. Aber er muss erkennen dass er es nicht alleine schafft, wieder zu seiner Arbeit zurück zu gehen und sucht sich professionelle Hilfe.
Währenddessen gibt es eine Reihe seltsamer Todesfälle in Glasgow. Mehrere Obdachlose sind an einer Überdosis gestorben. Das ist an sich nichts Ungewöhnliches, aber die konsumierten Drogen waren von höchster Qualität. Zu gut für jemand, der auf der Straße lebt. Als Lorrimer dann auch noch bei einer Reportage im Fernsehen ein bekanntes Gesicht sieht, tut er alles um wieder auf seinen Posten zurück zu kehren.
So sehr ich die Reihe um William Lorrimer mag: dieses Buch hat gemischte Gefühle bei mir ausgelöst. Die Ermittlungen im Fall der toten Obdachlosen und alles was dahinter steckt, sind wie immer gut durchdacht und spannend geschrieben. Es gibt keine losten Enden oder Erkenntnisse, die aus der Luft gegriffen scheinen. Es gefällt mir, wie sich die alten Charaktere weiter entwickelt haben und dass ein paar neue Gesichter dazu gekommen sind.
Aber dass Lorrimer gleich am ersten Tag seiner Kur im Fernsehen ein bekanntes Gesicht sieht, das diese Ermittlungen überhaupt anstößt und er aus der Kur heraus zu ermitteln beginnt, nehme ich der Autorin nicht ab. Genauso wenig wie die Tatsache, dass Lorrimer gleich wieder der Alte ist und seine Depressionen vergessen sind. Das kann ich mir nicht vorstellen.
Fazit: die Ermittlungen sind wie immer top, die Geschichte um die Ermittlungen herum hat mich ein wenig enttäuscht.
Ausgerechnet am Neujahrsabend wird DSI William Lorrimer zu einer Schießerei gerufen. Sosehr er sich auch bemüht, kann er die Situation nicht zum Guten wenden. Nach diesem Erlebnis nimmt er sich zuerst eine Auszeit. Aber er muss erkennen dass er es nicht alleine schafft, wieder zu seiner Arbeit zurück zu gehen und sucht sich professionelle Hilfe.
Währenddessen gibt es eine Reihe seltsamer Todesfälle in Glasgow. Mehrere Obdachlose sind an einer Überdosis gestorben. Das ist an sich nichts Ungewöhnliches, aber die konsumierten Drogen waren von höchster Qualität. Zu gut für jemand, der auf der Straße lebt. Als Lorrimer dann auch noch bei einer Reportage im Fernsehen ein bekanntes Gesicht sieht, tut er alles um wieder auf seinen Posten zurück zu kehren.
So sehr ich die Reihe um William Lorrimer mag: dieses Buch hat gemischte Gefühle bei mir ausgelöst. Die Ermittlungen im Fall der toten Obdachlosen und alles was dahinter steckt, sind wie immer gut durchdacht und spannend geschrieben. Es gibt keine losten Enden oder Erkenntnisse, die aus der Luft gegriffen scheinen. Es gefällt mir, wie sich die alten Charaktere weiter entwickelt haben und dass ein paar neue Gesichter dazu gekommen sind.
Aber dass Lorrimer gleich am ersten Tag seiner Kur im Fernsehen ein bekanntes Gesicht sieht, das diese Ermittlungen überhaupt anstößt und er aus der Kur heraus zu ermitteln beginnt, nehme ich der Autorin nicht ab. Genauso wenig wie die Tatsache, dass Lorrimer gleich wieder der Alte ist und seine Depressionen vergessen sind. Das kann ich mir nicht vorstellen.
Fazit: die Ermittlungen sind wie immer top, die Geschichte um die Ermittlungen herum hat mich ein wenig enttäuscht.
October 7, 2019
Review to come.
August 5, 2025
As the blurb on the cover explains. Perhaps I should have read earlier books in the series first.
September 3, 2017
Having read every William Lorimer I was somewhat disappointed with the pace of this book. Also William Lorimer irritated me in this story.
April 22, 2018
I recently treated myself to Still Dark by Alex Gray. She is a Scottish crime writer whose books I have enjoyed in the past. Several are reveiwed on this site including Five Ways to Kill a Man https://bookreviewstoday.info/2015/09... and The Darkest Goodbye https://bookreviewstoday.info/2017/07....
Still Dark follows on from The Darkest Goodbye. Indeed, although this crime thriller has a cracking beginning. The main protagonist, Lorimer, witnesses a horrifying incident which affects his pschyche very badly. Eventually he accepts that he needs professional help to get over the trauma.
While he is receiving treatment, Lorimer sees a news programme on television in which he sees the man who he believes was involved in the crimes he investigated in The Darkest Goodbye. From this point on, the large tract in the middle of Still Dark really requires the reader to have read the earlier book. DC Kirsty Wilson re-appears and provides Lorimer with 'legs' during his treatment.
This book disappointed me. It was as if Still Dark was really the second part of the earlier novel. I felt cheated. I always thought Alex Gray respected her readers, but this book was a bit of a pot boiler: although it did have a satisfying conclusion. I cannot recommend Still Dark.
Val Penny
Still Dark follows on from The Darkest Goodbye. Indeed, although this crime thriller has a cracking beginning. The main protagonist, Lorimer, witnesses a horrifying incident which affects his pschyche very badly. Eventually he accepts that he needs professional help to get over the trauma.
While he is receiving treatment, Lorimer sees a news programme on television in which he sees the man who he believes was involved in the crimes he investigated in The Darkest Goodbye. From this point on, the large tract in the middle of Still Dark really requires the reader to have read the earlier book. DC Kirsty Wilson re-appears and provides Lorimer with 'legs' during his treatment.
This book disappointed me. It was as if Still Dark was really the second part of the earlier novel. I felt cheated. I always thought Alex Gray respected her readers, but this book was a bit of a pot boiler: although it did have a satisfying conclusion. I cannot recommend Still Dark.
Val Penny
October 25, 2017
Book 14 in the William Lorimer series and I have enjoyed every one of them. The characters, the setting, the plots and the writing all excellent. However this book nearly ended it for me. The first third of the book started to become a little tedious with the lengthy descriptions of Castlebrae and Lorimer's experience there. After all he was only there for a few days and we really did not need all that detail of his experiences of his short stay. It started to seem like it was a book sponsored by Castlbrae or a tribute to the work they do there!
When you get over this episode at Castlebrae and the investigation actually starts, it really becomes a sequel to the previous book. This part of the story is very good and redeems the earlier rather dull start of the book.
The characters are all interesting and good to read about with the exception of Lorimer's wife Maggie who seems to add nothing to the stories.
To conclude, this is a fairly weak book compared to the rest of the series and I really hope that Alex Gray is not running out of ideas for Lorimer. I will of course be buying the next book.
When you get over this episode at Castlebrae and the investigation actually starts, it really becomes a sequel to the previous book. This part of the story is very good and redeems the earlier rather dull start of the book.
The characters are all interesting and good to read about with the exception of Lorimer's wife Maggie who seems to add nothing to the stories.
To conclude, this is a fairly weak book compared to the rest of the series and I really hope that Alex Gray is not running out of ideas for Lorimer. I will of course be buying the next book.
January 9, 2018
This book had all the ingredients to be a great book, but it lacked the finesse and penmanship to put it in this category. The story is set in Glasgow and in its mixing bowl are a senior police officer who has suffered a mental breakdown and returns to work, another senior police officer who has been corrupted by Glasgow's top gangster. Add in a psychopath who likes to kill people to steal their identities and kill others who have become a burden to their relatives for financial gain. This should all add up to a pleasure dome for the reader, unfortunately it does not. It is more of a Sunday afternoon drive, rather than a world rally car on the ragged edge throwing your emotions up and down. This is an ok book but it could have been so much better.
January 19, 2018
Ok read , nothing outstanding though
April 6, 2021
SPOILER ALERT
The depth of despair to which Det Superintendent Lorimer falls in the aftermath of a shooting is a focal point and a study in the price that our police pay in the line of duty. Lorimer faces a father, a drug dealer, who is furious, and has just killed his wife and two sons. He is now holding his daughter hostage and kills her and himself in front of Lorimer, leaving the Detective with the cries of the little girl in his mind. He is unable to go on facing a serious depression, and failure to thrive. He is sent to Castlebrae, in Acuhterarder in Perthshire for recovery. Every month a tiny piece of salary is deferred to support the Police Treatment Center. Lorimer believes that it is really for those physically injured in the line of duty. Once there he begins to recognize the fundamental healing that they accomplish in the mental and physical work that each patient works on. He eventually returns to work a better man. While there, watching the news one evening he sees the man who had escaped the police net in the last case, Quiet Release, in which elderly, dying and homeless were dispatched with injections by various people. Many went to jail, one escaped.
Once back at work Lorimer is put in charge of the Major Incident Team and the case to find this man, by the Deputy Chief Constable Caroline Flint. The killer goes my many names and it is the first line of approach to find out who he is now. From Gordon Smith to Charles Graham to Richard Aitken he assumes new identities as necessary to keep out the hand of the police. He was born Oliver Nimmo, killed his parents and after dropping out of medical school, went on his spree of killing those he deemed needed to die because they were a drag on society. But he also got high from the act, and he got rich from the service. He lives a lavish life style in a penthouse apartment, with beautiful clothes, while assuming the position of a doctor, social worker, orderly or nurse to gain access to the people he wants to kill. He approaches Jack Gallagher, the drug boss in the city for the drugs.
At the same time it comes to the attention of several police officers that a colleague Detective Superintendent Mark Mitchison is dirty. DCI Niall Cameron asks a friend Paul Doherty, an It wiszard and hacker to get into the account of Mitchison to see if there is a connection to Jack Gallagher. Once found he is on Lorimer radar for later handing off to Standards, and for watching as they pursue the killer. With his team Lorimer tracks the killer, captures him, and at the same time confronts Jack Gallagher attempting to kill Mitchison.
The tackling of the issue of the mental health of police officers as they face horrific cases and the violence was brilliantly done, and made this installment particularly good. Also the methodical pace to identify and locate the killer was perfect.
The depth of despair to which Det Superintendent Lorimer falls in the aftermath of a shooting is a focal point and a study in the price that our police pay in the line of duty. Lorimer faces a father, a drug dealer, who is furious, and has just killed his wife and two sons. He is now holding his daughter hostage and kills her and himself in front of Lorimer, leaving the Detective with the cries of the little girl in his mind. He is unable to go on facing a serious depression, and failure to thrive. He is sent to Castlebrae, in Acuhterarder in Perthshire for recovery. Every month a tiny piece of salary is deferred to support the Police Treatment Center. Lorimer believes that it is really for those physically injured in the line of duty. Once there he begins to recognize the fundamental healing that they accomplish in the mental and physical work that each patient works on. He eventually returns to work a better man. While there, watching the news one evening he sees the man who had escaped the police net in the last case, Quiet Release, in which elderly, dying and homeless were dispatched with injections by various people. Many went to jail, one escaped.
Once back at work Lorimer is put in charge of the Major Incident Team and the case to find this man, by the Deputy Chief Constable Caroline Flint. The killer goes my many names and it is the first line of approach to find out who he is now. From Gordon Smith to Charles Graham to Richard Aitken he assumes new identities as necessary to keep out the hand of the police. He was born Oliver Nimmo, killed his parents and after dropping out of medical school, went on his spree of killing those he deemed needed to die because they were a drag on society. But he also got high from the act, and he got rich from the service. He lives a lavish life style in a penthouse apartment, with beautiful clothes, while assuming the position of a doctor, social worker, orderly or nurse to gain access to the people he wants to kill. He approaches Jack Gallagher, the drug boss in the city for the drugs.
At the same time it comes to the attention of several police officers that a colleague Detective Superintendent Mark Mitchison is dirty. DCI Niall Cameron asks a friend Paul Doherty, an It wiszard and hacker to get into the account of Mitchison to see if there is a connection to Jack Gallagher. Once found he is on Lorimer radar for later handing off to Standards, and for watching as they pursue the killer. With his team Lorimer tracks the killer, captures him, and at the same time confronts Jack Gallagher attempting to kill Mitchison.
The tackling of the issue of the mental health of police officers as they face horrific cases and the violence was brilliantly done, and made this installment particularly good. Also the methodical pace to identify and locate the killer was perfect.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2020
Another great read and well named 'Dark.' There were some really nasty characters in this book.
DCI Lorimer has had a breakdown following a particularly harrowing encounter with a criminal. He spends time at the police rehabilitation facility in Auchterarder. This story is linked to an earlier one (which I hadn't read, but that didn't matter) involving a rather nasty group of people who were 'dispatching' unwanted relatives for a fee, which was probably a lot less than the cost of their years of nursing home expenses would be.
Familiar characters - Kirsty, Maggie, Solly, Rosie - are all present and their own personal stories develop alongside their professional involvement.
Lorimer visits Carstairs to interview a woman linked to his previous case. Kirsty has been transferred to a new division and is really not impressed by her new boss, who is patronising, over-well dressed and rather smarmy. She decides to do a bit of her own investigating. Luckily for her, and the rest of the team Lorimer returns and the story builds to an exciting conclusion. Very satisfying.
Now where's the next one?!
DCI Lorimer has had a breakdown following a particularly harrowing encounter with a criminal. He spends time at the police rehabilitation facility in Auchterarder. This story is linked to an earlier one (which I hadn't read, but that didn't matter) involving a rather nasty group of people who were 'dispatching' unwanted relatives for a fee, which was probably a lot less than the cost of their years of nursing home expenses would be.
Familiar characters - Kirsty, Maggie, Solly, Rosie - are all present and their own personal stories develop alongside their professional involvement.
Lorimer visits Carstairs to interview a woman linked to his previous case. Kirsty has been transferred to a new division and is really not impressed by her new boss, who is patronising, over-well dressed and rather smarmy. She decides to do a bit of her own investigating. Luckily for her, and the rest of the team Lorimer returns and the story builds to an exciting conclusion. Very satisfying.
Now where's the next one?!
May 15, 2019
I was given this book & had been recommended the series by a family member, however I personally feel I may have started with the wrong book.
The novel constantly talks about characters that are obviously well established & I didn’t feel like I really knew them very well.
The plot of the story is solely based around a previous book & as I have not read it I felt that I was lacking in the knowledge of what had previously happened. That made the story drag for me quite considerably & I don’t think it reads well as a stand alone novel at all.
One of the quotes for the book states “it would take a reader with the skills of her hero to come up with the killer’s identity before the last few pages”. However you knew exactly who killer/s were all the way through the book which was a bit disappointing for me.
That said, I loved reading the Glaswegian slang (although nobody swore which was not my experience if most of the Scots I know) & I am keen to read another of these books, perhaps I should start at the beginning!!
The novel constantly talks about characters that are obviously well established & I didn’t feel like I really knew them very well.
The plot of the story is solely based around a previous book & as I have not read it I felt that I was lacking in the knowledge of what had previously happened. That made the story drag for me quite considerably & I don’t think it reads well as a stand alone novel at all.
One of the quotes for the book states “it would take a reader with the skills of her hero to come up with the killer’s identity before the last few pages”. However you knew exactly who killer/s were all the way through the book which was a bit disappointing for me.
That said, I loved reading the Glaswegian slang (although nobody swore which was not my experience if most of the Scots I know) & I am keen to read another of these books, perhaps I should start at the beginning!!
Read
September 21, 2023Crime always hides in the shadows . . .
New Year's Eve should be a time for celebrating. A chance to spend time with loved ones and look forward to the year ahead. For DSI William Lorimer, however, this New Year's Eve will be one that he will never forget. Called to a house after gunshots are reported, the carnage he finds there will have a powerful impact on his life - leaving him questioning his future with Police Scotland.
Meanwhile, the man who eluded police capture during Lorimer's last investigation - the Quiet Release case involving the euthanasia of vulnerable patients - is back, and this time he's aligned with a powerful gangster from Glasgow's underworld.
As Lorimer struggles to return to duty and stop this mystery killer once and for all, he discovers that there are forces high up within Police Scotland that are protecting the gangster that holds the key to finding the man they are looking for.
Can Lorimer and his team get a killer off the streets for good before more innocent people die?
Great.
New Year's Eve should be a time for celebrating. A chance to spend time with loved ones and look forward to the year ahead. For DSI William Lorimer, however, this New Year's Eve will be one that he will never forget. Called to a house after gunshots are reported, the carnage he finds there will have a powerful impact on his life - leaving him questioning his future with Police Scotland.
Meanwhile, the man who eluded police capture during Lorimer's last investigation - the Quiet Release case involving the euthanasia of vulnerable patients - is back, and this time he's aligned with a powerful gangster from Glasgow's underworld.
As Lorimer struggles to return to duty and stop this mystery killer once and for all, he discovers that there are forces high up within Police Scotland that are protecting the gangster that holds the key to finding the man they are looking for.
Can Lorimer and his team get a killer off the streets for good before more innocent people die?
Great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2023
Another new series for me to delve into!
This is the first Lorimer book I have read, and it covers a multitude of topics - drug dealing, murders and police corruption. After Lorimer is exposed to the brutal murders of a mother and her 3 children by their husband and father, Lorimer has a breakdown and sent to a police rehabilitation center. During his time at the center, he spots the chief suspect in a previous murder investigation on a TV news broadcast. From there on, he discovers that the old case and the new case are somehow linked.
That's where the police corruption comes into the plot.
This was an easy read, even though it's number 14, there was enough background information about Lorimer and his work within the police to really understand his work ethics and character.
Interesting point - no swearing, no heavy sex scenes.
This is the first Lorimer book I have read, and it covers a multitude of topics - drug dealing, murders and police corruption. After Lorimer is exposed to the brutal murders of a mother and her 3 children by their husband and father, Lorimer has a breakdown and sent to a police rehabilitation center. During his time at the center, he spots the chief suspect in a previous murder investigation on a TV news broadcast. From there on, he discovers that the old case and the new case are somehow linked.
That's where the police corruption comes into the plot.
This was an easy read, even though it's number 14, there was enough background information about Lorimer and his work within the police to really understand his work ethics and character.
Interesting point - no swearing, no heavy sex scenes.
February 7, 2018
An almost once famous quote, well that’s another fine book you got me into !, ok maybe it’s not verbatim but it’s almost there. William Lori era a Detective Superintendent who has a bit of a breakdown after being present whilst a madman killed his family and his baby daughter in front of Lorimer. Yep that would do it for me so he is whisked to the well known castlebrae to recoup. he still gets himself embroiled in cases he really shouldn’t be but that’s ok as it’s Lorimer after all. After saving an old dear on route back to castle Rae in the snow which he takes in his stride, he gets back to being the ace detective after his 2 weeks of re-hab. Another good read, a bit predictable in parts but still a great read if you like Lorimer’s antics.
November 15, 2022
The story line of this novel is good but i found reading this novel that it was slow moving. It felt like there were alot of repeating of thoughts and activities in the story line. This is one book in the series and it was hard to follow as i had not read any of the series before this book. i found that i could set the book down for a period of time and be able to pick up the story line quite easily.
alot of homeless addicts are being killed by a killer working for the king drug dealer. He seems to enjoy doing the killing. As he kills he takes on the name and life of whom he kills to keep changing his ID so he can go into hospitals etc to do his killing. the police detective has been hunting the leader for a long time.
alot of homeless addicts are being killed by a killer working for the king drug dealer. He seems to enjoy doing the killing. As he kills he takes on the name and life of whom he kills to keep changing his ID so he can go into hospitals etc to do his killing. the police detective has been hunting the leader for a long time.
January 24, 2019
This is the first Alex Gray I've read but it most certainly won't be the last. I thought it was fantastic. An easy read, page turner which got faster as the story progressed. The characters were superbly written and I found myself believing I was part of the team investigating these crimes. Both loving and hating characters throughout the story. I'm not familiar with Glasgow but it brought to life the underbelly of a truly magnificent city.
I must find the chronological order and start from the beginning. Like MJ Arlidge and Kerry Wilkinson, Alex has developed real characters that you want to have a drink with and spend more time with.
I must find the chronological order and start from the beginning. Like MJ Arlidge and Kerry Wilkinson, Alex has developed real characters that you want to have a drink with and spend more time with.
April 3, 2024
Well plotted crime novel set in Glasgow. It starts out with an original idea - DS William Lorimer is off work due to trauma, having witnessed a murder suicide, and is undergoing holistic treatment at a facility for police and military personnel who need physical and/or psychological healing.
Meanwhile someone posing as medical staff is killing off drug addicts and street people with high quality drugs - and of course Lorimer gets back into the fray to solve the mystery.
The point of view jumps around a bit, but it's fairly clear who's who and what's happening. I liked the Glaswegian dialect in some of the dialogue.
Meanwhile someone posing as medical staff is killing off drug addicts and street people with high quality drugs - and of course Lorimer gets back into the fray to solve the mystery.
The point of view jumps around a bit, but it's fairly clear who's who and what's happening. I liked the Glaswegian dialect in some of the dialogue.
August 15, 2018
I’m ashamed to say I never pick up books with “masculine covers” and I rarely read crime drama. Pitched this up in a hotel and although not my usual genre I really liked the descriptions of Glasgow. Assuming this type of book appeals to blokes, I salute Alex Gray for covering mental health and well-being so well. I’m sure many make make readers will find it helpful.
January 7, 2019
3.5. Good start, slows down a bit, but I liked the approach to mental health issues (even tough policemen have them, and some of their issues are caused by senior colleagues, although in Lorimer's case his breakdown is triggered by witnessing a horrible incident). This story picks up the threads from the previous book and addresses the "one who got away" - I think you need to read that one first.
September 15, 2022
It's my fault this book wasn't it for me.
I picked a book that was the fourteenth book in a series. Of course, I would not like it.
There were so many times I wanted to scream at everyone that we got it. His eyes are blue!
And he's a brilliant detective, the best on these here tracks.
But I finished it, so I guess that had to count for something.
I picked a book that was the fourteenth book in a series. Of course, I would not like it.
There were so many times I wanted to scream at everyone that we got it. His eyes are blue!
And he's a brilliant detective, the best on these here tracks.
But I finished it, so I guess that had to count for something.
May 21, 2023
Just finished this book; It is my first one from this author.
It is the 14th book in the DCI Lorimer series. I didn't feel like I had to read the other books to understand the story, which is good.
I liked the characters. It was not a surprise ending although satisfying.
I am looking forward to read the other books in the series.
It is the 14th book in the DCI Lorimer series. I didn't feel like I had to read the other books to understand the story, which is good.
I liked the characters. It was not a surprise ending although satisfying.
I am looking forward to read the other books in the series.
October 25, 2025
Good solid Scottish Detective fiction, which now seems to be a genre of its own. Picked this book up at random from the book exchange at work and was pleasantly surprised by it's quality. This is like book 14 in a long running series and a direct sequel to an earlier book, but the fact that I hadn't read any of the previous books didn't matter, I was still able to get immersed into the story.
November 24, 2017
I have read one of the series before and recognised the authors name in the library. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The research was painstakingly thorough and the plot was intriguing.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
June 27, 2018
Well, I am enjoying having discovered the William Lorimer books. I love the Glaswegian-ness of it all, and feeling that the locations are familiar. All a bit neat - it does turn out just perfectly in the end - why would it not?
October 1, 2018
Another excellent Alex Gray Lorimer novel. I think they're getting better and more substantial as the series progresses. Still Dark ties up loose ends from the previous book, with the Quiet Release case still occupying Lorimer's mind. We see more into Lorimer himself as he is forced to slow down and think about his priorities at the beginning. As always, it is heartening to see the strong relationships in these books, between Lorimer and Maggie and Rosie and Solly, and their friendships. I look forward to seeing these developing as much as I do the surrounding cases. DC Wilson is becoming a stronger character, and it was good to welcome back Niall Cameron, as a DCI now. As for Superintendent Mitchison, I hoped as I read that he would finally get his comeuppance. I was quite shocked by how that turned out. A good read.
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