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DCI Grace Macallan #3
Shores of Death
Grace Macallan is at breaking point. All around her, events threaten to run out of control – and a new investigation is testing her to the limit. An undercover officer is missing and a woman is washed up, traumatised and barely alive, on the shores of Berwickshire. She has witnessed horror on the dark waters of the North Sea, but survival turns her life from a bad dream into a nightmare. As she untangles the woman's story, Grace is drawn into a cold-blooded criminal world. At its head is Pete Handyside, a notorious gangland boss who will fight hard and dirty to control his brutal empire and keep the money flowing. But a traitor in his midst is intent upon betrayal – a betrayal that triggers an uncontrollable wave of violence. As she hones in on crucial evidence, Grace knows that one wrong move could end in tragedy. Revised edition – previously published as Red Sky in Morning
- GenresCrime
423 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 14, 2018
7 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 3, 2018
I read the paperback. Honstly my heart was hammering through this. A frightening ordeal for some women who have been held on a boat by the most dangerous men. My mouth went numb. One of the dangerous criminals thinks nothing of killing women. Luckily one woman jumps off the boat into the cold water, but will she be able to get ashore and get help for the other women and raise the alarm about the criminals on the boat? An excellent crime thriller that has been set on a boat which I thought was a fabulous fresh idea. For all crime fans if you read Shores of Death I hope you enjoy it as much as what I did and I hope it doesn't give you nightmares.
June 13, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Black & White Publishing for an advance copy of Shores of Death, the third novel to feature Edinburgh based Detective Superintendent Grace Macallan.
Grace returns to work after maternity leave unsure if she wants to or if she has the mental strength, confidence or appetite for it but a developing case is just what she needs to test herself. A drugs bust on a boat goes wrong when nothing is found, hinting that the gang has inside information, an undercover officer goes missing and an unidentified young woman is washed up on the shore near the boat. The cases seem linked but proving it may be difficult.
Full of violence and bad language I loved Shores of Death for its gritty realism and exciting plot. It kept me up late to read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. The plot concept is fairly simple, gangsters falling out and police efforts to arrest them, but the execution is anything but. It is a complex narrative of betrayal, unforgiveness and callous disregard for human life which I would like to say is overdone but unfortunately it is all too plausible and realistic. Mr Ritchie has woven a spellbinding tale, full of strong, credible characters and believable actions and motivations.
The novel revolves around Grace from her uncertainty about returning to work and her newfound happiness at home with her baby son and supportive partner to the politics of policing and the tough decisions she has to make. I like that the implications of her decisions and actions are clearly laid out and go a long way to explaining the current travails of Police Scotland who seem to lurch from one exposed failing to another. Grace is a strong, determined woman with a streak of self doubt which makes her human and likeable. She has a good working relationship with the other officers on the case and the typical cop humour leavens the darkness making the novel a pleasure to read.
Shores of Death is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
Grace returns to work after maternity leave unsure if she wants to or if she has the mental strength, confidence or appetite for it but a developing case is just what she needs to test herself. A drugs bust on a boat goes wrong when nothing is found, hinting that the gang has inside information, an undercover officer goes missing and an unidentified young woman is washed up on the shore near the boat. The cases seem linked but proving it may be difficult.
Full of violence and bad language I loved Shores of Death for its gritty realism and exciting plot. It kept me up late to read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. The plot concept is fairly simple, gangsters falling out and police efforts to arrest them, but the execution is anything but. It is a complex narrative of betrayal, unforgiveness and callous disregard for human life which I would like to say is overdone but unfortunately it is all too plausible and realistic. Mr Ritchie has woven a spellbinding tale, full of strong, credible characters and believable actions and motivations.
The novel revolves around Grace from her uncertainty about returning to work and her newfound happiness at home with her baby son and supportive partner to the politics of policing and the tough decisions she has to make. I like that the implications of her decisions and actions are clearly laid out and go a long way to explaining the current travails of Police Scotland who seem to lurch from one exposed failing to another. Grace is a strong, determined woman with a streak of self doubt which makes her human and likeable. She has a good working relationship with the other officers on the case and the typical cop humour leavens the darkness making the novel a pleasure to read.
Shores of Death is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
June 17, 2018
I have a huge confession to make (I know this is becoming a habit). Although I have the other books in the Grace Macallan series on my huge ‘To Be Read’ pile, I haven’t actually read them. Eeek. When I was invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘Shores Of Death’, I thought that it would be the ideal opportunity to get to know Grace Macallan and her colleagues. It was with some excitement that I opened the book and began to read. I was not to be disappointed as I really enjoyed it but more about that in a bit.
‘Shores Of Death’ opens with Grace Macallan taking part in her final police operation before she goes on maternity leave. The main body of the story sees Grace return to work and straight away she becomes involved in a difficult case. Talk about jumping straight into the deep end. The start of the book sees Grace unsure as to whether or not she ever wants to go back to work or she stays at home and bring up her child. She doesn’t have to think for too long. I think that Grace is dedicated to her job. She loves her job although her confidence in herself has taken a rather severe knock. An incident in a previous case led to Grace being badly injured. Although she has recovered physically, mentally she still has a fair way to go. Grace is a feisty, strong, determined, stubborn, loving and caring lady. She always seems to put others before herself. Grace can work well as part of a team but equally she can work well on her own. Grace has a loyal team around her. Grace has a reliable gut instinct and if something doesn’t seem right to her then it usually isn’t and warrants further investigation. I have to say that Grace is the sort of person that I would like to work for.
I have to say that I was hooked on this book from the moment I picked the book up and started to read. To start with I found that the main part of the story took a little while to get going but blimey, when it got going it just took off at speed. The pace of the story gathered in speed and led to a tense conclusion. As the story developed I found that I was reading more quickly. The pages flew past in a blur and before I knew what was happening I had read a fair chunk of the book, but because I was enjoying the story I genuinely hadn’t realised how much I had read.
I particularly loved the fact that part of the book is set in the North East of England, which is where I live. Different places were mentioned and I loved the fact that I knew where they were and I had visited them. I also really enjoyed the parts of the book that were set in Scotland. I haven’t been fortunate enough to tour Scotland as such although I did have a day trip to Edinburgh in the distant past. Reading this book was just like going on a tour with a tour guide.
I found the parts dealing with the criminal underworld to be very interesting. This book deals with certain topics that are prevalent in real life such as drug trafficking, people trafficking and drug dealing. Of course I know that organised crime is out there, which involves some particularly nasty characters and equally nasty crimes. Lots of people find the criminal underworld to be exciting and fun but I think that it is too scary for this wimp so I will be happy enough to go along in blissful ignorance with eyes and ears shut in that respect.
In conclusion, I think that ‘Shores Of Death’ is a very good book, which is perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and Martina Cole. It’s a gritty and realistic read. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Peter Ritchie but in the meantime I am going to dig the other books out of my ‘to be read’ pile to get to know Grace Macallan even better. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.
‘Shores Of Death’ opens with Grace Macallan taking part in her final police operation before she goes on maternity leave. The main body of the story sees Grace return to work and straight away she becomes involved in a difficult case. Talk about jumping straight into the deep end. The start of the book sees Grace unsure as to whether or not she ever wants to go back to work or she stays at home and bring up her child. She doesn’t have to think for too long. I think that Grace is dedicated to her job. She loves her job although her confidence in herself has taken a rather severe knock. An incident in a previous case led to Grace being badly injured. Although she has recovered physically, mentally she still has a fair way to go. Grace is a feisty, strong, determined, stubborn, loving and caring lady. She always seems to put others before herself. Grace can work well as part of a team but equally she can work well on her own. Grace has a loyal team around her. Grace has a reliable gut instinct and if something doesn’t seem right to her then it usually isn’t and warrants further investigation. I have to say that Grace is the sort of person that I would like to work for.
I have to say that I was hooked on this book from the moment I picked the book up and started to read. To start with I found that the main part of the story took a little while to get going but blimey, when it got going it just took off at speed. The pace of the story gathered in speed and led to a tense conclusion. As the story developed I found that I was reading more quickly. The pages flew past in a blur and before I knew what was happening I had read a fair chunk of the book, but because I was enjoying the story I genuinely hadn’t realised how much I had read.
I particularly loved the fact that part of the book is set in the North East of England, which is where I live. Different places were mentioned and I loved the fact that I knew where they were and I had visited them. I also really enjoyed the parts of the book that were set in Scotland. I haven’t been fortunate enough to tour Scotland as such although I did have a day trip to Edinburgh in the distant past. Reading this book was just like going on a tour with a tour guide.
I found the parts dealing with the criminal underworld to be very interesting. This book deals with certain topics that are prevalent in real life such as drug trafficking, people trafficking and drug dealing. Of course I know that organised crime is out there, which involves some particularly nasty characters and equally nasty crimes. Lots of people find the criminal underworld to be exciting and fun but I think that it is too scary for this wimp so I will be happy enough to go along in blissful ignorance with eyes and ears shut in that respect.
In conclusion, I think that ‘Shores Of Death’ is a very good book, which is perfect for fans of Stuart MacBride and Martina Cole. It’s a gritty and realistic read. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Peter Ritchie but in the meantime I am going to dig the other books out of my ‘to be read’ pile to get to know Grace Macallan even better. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 4* out of 5*.
July 3, 2018
Peter Ritchie does it again!!
A truly gripping read from the first page to the very last and no detail is left out, which is what i love about Peter’s books. I know what i’m getting myself into as soon as i sign up for his tours, i’m intrigued by his knowledge and the passion he has had for this series so far.
I have to admit i have a soft spot for our leading lady, never to shy away even when the tough gets tougher, and this book is certainly the most grittiest for me. She's been trough so much in this series and just when i think she's beat she surprises me, I'll be rooting for her until the very end!
Handyside definitely had my skin crawling, i never want to meet him at the end of a dark ally, that’s for sure….or any of his hunch men! It’s full of violence from the start and plenty of squeamish moments….certainly not for the faint hearted.
If you love your books with gripping plot lines that have you up until all hours, so much detail that it reads as a film in your head and bad guys that could be a line up for crime watch then this book…. and series is totally for you!!
I’ve recommended this series to many of my friends, one is even stalking the end of this tour so she can borrow my book! As a stated at the start of my review, this is 3 for 3 and the easiest 5 golden apples I've ever had to give. Here’s hoping for more Grace Macallan in the not too distant future.
A truly gripping read from the first page to the very last and no detail is left out, which is what i love about Peter’s books. I know what i’m getting myself into as soon as i sign up for his tours, i’m intrigued by his knowledge and the passion he has had for this series so far.
I have to admit i have a soft spot for our leading lady, never to shy away even when the tough gets tougher, and this book is certainly the most grittiest for me. She's been trough so much in this series and just when i think she's beat she surprises me, I'll be rooting for her until the very end!
Handyside definitely had my skin crawling, i never want to meet him at the end of a dark ally, that’s for sure….or any of his hunch men! It’s full of violence from the start and plenty of squeamish moments….certainly not for the faint hearted.
If you love your books with gripping plot lines that have you up until all hours, so much detail that it reads as a film in your head and bad guys that could be a line up for crime watch then this book…. and series is totally for you!!
I’ve recommended this series to many of my friends, one is even stalking the end of this tour so she can borrow my book! As a stated at the start of my review, this is 3 for 3 and the easiest 5 golden apples I've ever had to give. Here’s hoping for more Grace Macallan in the not too distant future.
December 1, 2018
Book 2 in the Detective Grace Macallan series , Shores of Death was gripping. The characters were dynamic, the read thrilling and the overall storyline well written, I will definitely be reading more by this author and recommending this series to others.
October 22, 2018
The Shores of Death follows Grace McCallan, a fierce female detective who is out on leave after having her first baby, a son named Adam. Grace is at a transitional phase in her life where she isn’t quite sure she has a want to return to her old job on the force. Grace suffered a lot of emotional scars following an on the clock bombing that injured her and several of her co workers. With the birth of her son, her priorities have changed and as much as she loves the job, she doesn’t know if she wants to go back into the daily grind.
Meanwhile, in a harbor in Berwickshire, a fishing trawler is being ushered into shore under the guidance of Eric Gunderson. The trawler has a hot cargo of drugs and women who are to be delivered into the booming trade of sex trafficking. The whole operation is being overseen by Pete handyside, the hardest, most ruthless gangster in all of England and Scotland combined. The trawler is interrupted on its way into port when one of Handyside’s men on the trawler gets word that the police have been alerted to their operation and are waiting for the boat to come into port. They are given orders to dispose of the evidence completely. They dump the drugs in the bay, and then make it a point to execute each girl and send her to a watery grave. The men meet their match with Ingrid Richter, a well bred student from Prague who seizes a moment of opportunity, and makes a five for freedom into the cold waters of the bay. The men are caught off guard by her flight attempt and are unsuccessful at stopping her. All they can do is hope that she doesn’t survive the swim to shore. The trawler ultimately comes ashore, and the crew is arrested. The boat is searched and comes up clean of drugs or women. The men are questioned and released. The next morning, the lifeless body of Ingrid Richter washes ashore and despite her ordeal she is still alive. She is taken to the hospital in the hopes that she can recount her tale.
At this time Grace McCallan receives the call about Ingrid Richter. She makes a decision to come back to the force to help solve Ingrid’s case. The story is told from the perspective of all the characters in the story, which is different. I did not enjoy the multi sided views the omnipotent perspective gives us as the reader. The characters are well developed and the descriptives are excellent. The storyline gives us a few surprises along the way, and is paced well, and kept me interested. There are so many characters some of them became a little hard to follow. Overall, an enjoyable, fast paced police procedural. Copy provided by Netgalley.
Meanwhile, in a harbor in Berwickshire, a fishing trawler is being ushered into shore under the guidance of Eric Gunderson. The trawler has a hot cargo of drugs and women who are to be delivered into the booming trade of sex trafficking. The whole operation is being overseen by Pete handyside, the hardest, most ruthless gangster in all of England and Scotland combined. The trawler is interrupted on its way into port when one of Handyside’s men on the trawler gets word that the police have been alerted to their operation and are waiting for the boat to come into port. They are given orders to dispose of the evidence completely. They dump the drugs in the bay, and then make it a point to execute each girl and send her to a watery grave. The men meet their match with Ingrid Richter, a well bred student from Prague who seizes a moment of opportunity, and makes a five for freedom into the cold waters of the bay. The men are caught off guard by her flight attempt and are unsuccessful at stopping her. All they can do is hope that she doesn’t survive the swim to shore. The trawler ultimately comes ashore, and the crew is arrested. The boat is searched and comes up clean of drugs or women. The men are questioned and released. The next morning, the lifeless body of Ingrid Richter washes ashore and despite her ordeal she is still alive. She is taken to the hospital in the hopes that she can recount her tale.
At this time Grace McCallan receives the call about Ingrid Richter. She makes a decision to come back to the force to help solve Ingrid’s case. The story is told from the perspective of all the characters in the story, which is different. I did not enjoy the multi sided views the omnipotent perspective gives us as the reader. The characters are well developed and the descriptives are excellent. The storyline gives us a few surprises along the way, and is paced well, and kept me interested. There are so many characters some of them became a little hard to follow. Overall, an enjoyable, fast paced police procedural. Copy provided by Netgalley.
December 17, 2018
Shores Of Death definitely builds on the brilliance of the other books in this series, I knew I was in for a good story but this one exceeded my already high expectations.
I was especially looking forward to this book because of the big announcement made at the end of the last book (I’m not telling you you’ll just have to read it). I knew that this instalment would see Grace struggle with her priorities and I was keen to see how this would be handled.
Grace has always been a smart and strong character but it was nice to see some vulnerability. I felt like we started to see it a little in the last book but this time there is a lot more at stake for her and you can really feel the weight of her decisions and the difference in her confidence.
What I have always felt is great about this series is that it isn’t just one problem or criminal that the team are ever dealing with or focussing on, for me, it just feels a lot more realistic and more interesting. This book went one step further and used adversaries from the previous books, such an ingenious move, this reference back to characters we’ve already come across gives this book and the series a tension that you don’t always find with books that are a new criminal every time.
I have to admit that I did think that maybe this time that Grace wouldn’t come out on top because the main target of this book was very clever, it made for some tense and almost obsessive reading, of course, I needn’t have worried too much.
Another stellar book to add to the collection, I’m looking forward to my next Ritchie book already.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
I was especially looking forward to this book because of the big announcement made at the end of the last book (I’m not telling you you’ll just have to read it). I knew that this instalment would see Grace struggle with her priorities and I was keen to see how this would be handled.
Grace has always been a smart and strong character but it was nice to see some vulnerability. I felt like we started to see it a little in the last book but this time there is a lot more at stake for her and you can really feel the weight of her decisions and the difference in her confidence.
What I have always felt is great about this series is that it isn’t just one problem or criminal that the team are ever dealing with or focussing on, for me, it just feels a lot more realistic and more interesting. This book went one step further and used adversaries from the previous books, such an ingenious move, this reference back to characters we’ve already come across gives this book and the series a tension that you don’t always find with books that are a new criminal every time.
I have to admit that I did think that maybe this time that Grace wouldn’t come out on top because the main target of this book was very clever, it made for some tense and almost obsessive reading, of course, I needn’t have worried too much.
Another stellar book to add to the collection, I’m looking forward to my next Ritchie book already.
Originally posted on everywhere and nowhere
June 20, 2018
Review by Nicola
Peter Ritchie does it again!!
A truly gripping read from the first page to the very last and no detail is left out, which is what i love about Peter’s books. I know what i’m getting myself into as soon as i sign up for his tours, i’m intrigued by his knowledge and the passion he has had for this series so far.
I have to admit i have a soft spot for our leading lady, never to shy away even when the tough gets tougher, and this book is certainly the most grittiest for me. Shes been trough so much in this series and just when i think shes beat she surprises me, i’ll be rooting for her until the very end!
Handyside definitely had my skin crawling, i never want to meet him at the end of a dark ally, that’s for sure….or any of his hunch men! It’s full of violence from the start and plenty of squeamish moments….certainly not for the faint harted.
If you love your books with gripping plot lines that have you up until all hours, so much detail that it reads as a film in your head and bad guys that could be a line up for crime watch then this book…. and series is totally for you!!
I’ve recommended this series to many of my friends, one is even stalking the end of this tour so she can borrow my book! As a stated at the start of my review, this is 3 for 3 and the easiest 5 golden apples ive ever had to give. Here’s hoping for more Grace Macallan in the not too distant future 😀
Peter Ritchie does it again!!
A truly gripping read from the first page to the very last and no detail is left out, which is what i love about Peter’s books. I know what i’m getting myself into as soon as i sign up for his tours, i’m intrigued by his knowledge and the passion he has had for this series so far.
I have to admit i have a soft spot for our leading lady, never to shy away even when the tough gets tougher, and this book is certainly the most grittiest for me. Shes been trough so much in this series and just when i think shes beat she surprises me, i’ll be rooting for her until the very end!
Handyside definitely had my skin crawling, i never want to meet him at the end of a dark ally, that’s for sure….or any of his hunch men! It’s full of violence from the start and plenty of squeamish moments….certainly not for the faint harted.
If you love your books with gripping plot lines that have you up until all hours, so much detail that it reads as a film in your head and bad guys that could be a line up for crime watch then this book…. and series is totally for you!!
I’ve recommended this series to many of my friends, one is even stalking the end of this tour so she can borrow my book! As a stated at the start of my review, this is 3 for 3 and the easiest 5 golden apples ive ever had to give. Here’s hoping for more Grace Macallan in the not too distant future 😀
June 17, 2018
A very good police procedural with plenty of bad guys, justified (in the gangsters' eyes) murders and some heart breaking ones too. It takes into account both sides of the police force - the corrupt and the straightforward good detectives. The book is mainly set in Scotland with areas in the North East of England taking their place too. It covers the evil act of trafficking of young women into sexual slavery and much more. The most innocent of all Gnasher is a worry all the way through the book, though other innocents drop by the wayside earlier in the book
Loved it
Loved it
June 27, 2018
I enjoyed reading Evidence of Death, book two in the Grace Macallan series a few months ago so was looking forward to reading this next book on the series. I do advise that you read these books in order. Some of the storyline and many of the characters do appear in both books. And there are a lot of characters.
The start of the novel is harrowing when the crew of an incoming fishing boat have to change their plans. The rest of the novel deals with the consequences of what happened.
Much of it is gang related and shows who is the most powerful in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle. It’s grim, violent but also has the same type of humour that was evident in the earlier book. The glossary that shows Scottish slang at the beginning of the novel did come in handy for some of this.
Grace is a character I really like. The personal battle she went through when trying to choose between family life in Ireland or her career in Scotland was realistic but she showed that it could be done if both in the relationship was willing. The same could be said for her friend and colleague Jimmy McGovern whose wife also appeared at intervals. It was refreshing to read that marriages could work alongside a career in the police.
With a few threads being resolved in this novel I would be interested in seeing what will happen next. I’m aware that there are at least two more books to come.
The start of the novel is harrowing when the crew of an incoming fishing boat have to change their plans. The rest of the novel deals with the consequences of what happened.
Much of it is gang related and shows who is the most powerful in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle. It’s grim, violent but also has the same type of humour that was evident in the earlier book. The glossary that shows Scottish slang at the beginning of the novel did come in handy for some of this.
Grace is a character I really like. The personal battle she went through when trying to choose between family life in Ireland or her career in Scotland was realistic but she showed that it could be done if both in the relationship was willing. The same could be said for her friend and colleague Jimmy McGovern whose wife also appeared at intervals. It was refreshing to read that marriages could work alongside a career in the police.
With a few threads being resolved in this novel I would be interested in seeing what will happen next. I’m aware that there are at least two more books to come.
September 11, 2024
This is the third book in this series (six books so far) and the third book which I have read. Grace Macallan is a Detective Superintendent in Edinburgh. Grace has just returned from maternity leave and has to deal with some ruthless gangsters. There are quite a few violent incidents as the criminals are extremely vicious. This is a readable book but it did not grip me as much as the previous book "Evidence of death".
July 14, 2018
Book 3 in the Grace Macallan series and it's a cracker of a read! Set mainly in Edinburgh, the subject is human trafficking. The story moves between Edinburgh and Newcastle and the plot is gritty, realistic and full of excitement. I have no hesitation in recommending this series of books. They are great. My thanks to Net Galley for my copy.
May 3, 2024
Book 3 - many, many unsavoury, violent characters, bent cops, informants and handlers but O’Connor is being lovely ….. Grace’s circumstances have changed but her techniques too. After loving books 1&2, this one disappointed.
March 6, 2019
Gruesome start to the story which then unravels into complex underworld dynamics. Very readable.
August 9, 2020
Another brilliant read
January 28, 2021
Great series highly recommended
October 19, 2018
When we join this book Grace Macallan is at a crossroads in her life. Now a happily settled family woman, her relationship with her partner Jack is going from strength to strength and their new son Adam has opened up her heart in a way she had not known possible. But with her maternity leave due to end soon she has to make a decision - does she return to the job she once loved, or are the memories of all she went through just too much to handle now? To help her make a decision she agrees to take on one, potentially final, definitely harrowing case - that of a young woman found washed up on a beach, barely alive but most certainly with a story to tell, a story we, as readers, are already privy to.
Now after the break neck pace of Evidence of Death, and the constant feeling of threat and menace from the gang that Grace was trying to track down, I have to be honest and say that Shores of Death did feel a slower read to me and certainly didn't feel quite as, I don't know - gory(?) - as its predecessor. That is not to say that the violence wasn't there - it most certainly was - but it seemed far less gratuitous than before. There are certainly plenty of killings going on, especially amongst the gangs Grace and her team are trying to track down, and the action moves along at a fair pace for the story, perhaps reflecting the nature of the case and the lack of evidence that they have to work with, in spite of great suspicions along the way. They are hampered by fear, corruption and a lack of credible, or living, witnesses as the number of victims increases, so does the frustration.
What this book lacks in pace it makes up for in plotting and character. This is certainly an intricate tale, action moving from Edinburgh to Eyemouth to Newcastle and even further up into Scotland as Grace tries to catch her man, or men or even lady in this case (I use lady in the loosest sense of the word ...) As its core, this is a story of gang culture and the firms that run parts of Glasgow and Edinburgh may not be quite as in control as they would like to believe. The real power - the fear - derives from Newcastle and a gangster called Pete Handyside, a man with skewed morals and sense of justice, albeit that he does stand true to them, limited compassion for anyone aside from his wife and child and absolutely no hesitation to kill, although only if deserved.
Handyside is quite the formidable opponent for Grace and she has her work cut out for her in pinning him down. He is behind the trafficking of young girls from Europe and also behind a rather disturbing order which kicks off the action in the book, starting an unstoppable chain of events that left me wondering whether these gangs weren't just going to do Grace's job for her.
Grace is a brilliant protagonist and in this book we see an even more human side, her mind adrift with thoughts of her new family and all she is missing by being tied to the job. Much like Handyside, her sense of justice drives her on, although in a much more virtuous vein of course. She is intelligent, strong, determined and patient and has the full respect of her team. She has been through a lot but even when things are working against her she pushes onward. This case really gets under her skin, a it does her colleagues, and it is easy to understand why. Certainly the story of Ingrid Richter, the woman washed up on the beach, is very sensitively handled and you can truly feel her despair and her guilt as she slowly gives into a kind of depression.
Once again Grace is ably supported by McGovern who has his own life changing decisions to make but you'll have to read to find out what. And rather than working against her, O'Connor is finally in her corner, realising the error of his ways courtesy of a mutual friend.
In contrast to our heroes, the villains in this book are a true mixed bag. From the inexperienced and out of their depth Flemings who took over the business after their father and brother's gruesome demise to the more over the top and certainly much harder McMartin's from Glasgow, they run the full gamut of brains and thuggery but none of them are a match for the chilling and merciless Handyside. He really is a villain of the most cruel nature. Intelligence and brutality in one neat package and not one you should underestimate for one moment.
All in all this was a great addition to the series, a lot more contemplation going on from a team of people who had big decisions to make about their futures, and not just Grace and McGovern. I think nearly every character reached a turning point in their careers and personal lives which is reflected in the narrative in a very convincing way. Great stuff.
Now after the break neck pace of Evidence of Death, and the constant feeling of threat and menace from the gang that Grace was trying to track down, I have to be honest and say that Shores of Death did feel a slower read to me and certainly didn't feel quite as, I don't know - gory(?) - as its predecessor. That is not to say that the violence wasn't there - it most certainly was - but it seemed far less gratuitous than before. There are certainly plenty of killings going on, especially amongst the gangs Grace and her team are trying to track down, and the action moves along at a fair pace for the story, perhaps reflecting the nature of the case and the lack of evidence that they have to work with, in spite of great suspicions along the way. They are hampered by fear, corruption and a lack of credible, or living, witnesses as the number of victims increases, so does the frustration.
What this book lacks in pace it makes up for in plotting and character. This is certainly an intricate tale, action moving from Edinburgh to Eyemouth to Newcastle and even further up into Scotland as Grace tries to catch her man, or men or even lady in this case (I use lady in the loosest sense of the word ...) As its core, this is a story of gang culture and the firms that run parts of Glasgow and Edinburgh may not be quite as in control as they would like to believe. The real power - the fear - derives from Newcastle and a gangster called Pete Handyside, a man with skewed morals and sense of justice, albeit that he does stand true to them, limited compassion for anyone aside from his wife and child and absolutely no hesitation to kill, although only if deserved.
Handyside is quite the formidable opponent for Grace and she has her work cut out for her in pinning him down. He is behind the trafficking of young girls from Europe and also behind a rather disturbing order which kicks off the action in the book, starting an unstoppable chain of events that left me wondering whether these gangs weren't just going to do Grace's job for her.
Grace is a brilliant protagonist and in this book we see an even more human side, her mind adrift with thoughts of her new family and all she is missing by being tied to the job. Much like Handyside, her sense of justice drives her on, although in a much more virtuous vein of course. She is intelligent, strong, determined and patient and has the full respect of her team. She has been through a lot but even when things are working against her she pushes onward. This case really gets under her skin, a it does her colleagues, and it is easy to understand why. Certainly the story of Ingrid Richter, the woman washed up on the beach, is very sensitively handled and you can truly feel her despair and her guilt as she slowly gives into a kind of depression.
Once again Grace is ably supported by McGovern who has his own life changing decisions to make but you'll have to read to find out what. And rather than working against her, O'Connor is finally in her corner, realising the error of his ways courtesy of a mutual friend.
In contrast to our heroes, the villains in this book are a true mixed bag. From the inexperienced and out of their depth Flemings who took over the business after their father and brother's gruesome demise to the more over the top and certainly much harder McMartin's from Glasgow, they run the full gamut of brains and thuggery but none of them are a match for the chilling and merciless Handyside. He really is a villain of the most cruel nature. Intelligence and brutality in one neat package and not one you should underestimate for one moment.
All in all this was a great addition to the series, a lot more contemplation going on from a team of people who had big decisions to make about their futures, and not just Grace and McGovern. I think nearly every character reached a turning point in their careers and personal lives which is reflected in the narrative in a very convincing way. Great stuff.
July 5, 2018
Not my cup of tea
September 13, 2018
Thankyou to NetGalley, Black and White Publishing and the author, Peter Ritchie, for the opportunity to read a digital copy of Shores Of Death in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I thought this book was a really good read. It was well written with a storyline that gets you in from the start.
Well worth a read for fans of the genre.
I thought this book was a really good read. It was well written with a storyline that gets you in from the start.
Well worth a read for fans of the genre.
December 2, 2018
What will your choice be? Grace Macallan doesn't know if she wants to go back to the force after having her baby, She is stronger now but the bombing effected her badly. And now they want her back to head up a case of trafficking. Can she do this or is it time to call it a day? The case is even more complicated they have one survivor but they haven't been able to find the other girls and the main suspects have gone missing. But Grace knows that the crime boss Pete Handyside is involved in this latest case but he has too many people covering for him. Peter Handyside never got this far by being stupid and there is no way that he is going to be taken down by her. He knows that it is time to start covering his tracks and to make his final move.
Does Grace really think that she is going to be able to stop the crime wave that is coming and will this be what helps make up her mind about the future? As everyone in Handyside's world wants to be top dog and they are too busy trying to kill each other to notice that they are all counting down their last days.
A good read nice pace. Some of the characters were interesting especially Swan as he is such a wuss even though he thinks that he is all important. Feel sorry for his dog though. In the crime world it looks like you need to look out for yourself as you never know who is going to take you out.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley and the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.
Does Grace really think that she is going to be able to stop the crime wave that is coming and will this be what helps make up her mind about the future? As everyone in Handyside's world wants to be top dog and they are too busy trying to kill each other to notice that they are all counting down their last days.
A good read nice pace. Some of the characters were interesting especially Swan as he is such a wuss even though he thinks that he is all important. Feel sorry for his dog though. In the crime world it looks like you need to look out for yourself as you never know who is going to take you out.
I was lucky enough to receive a copy via Netgalley and the publishing house in exchange for my honest review.
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