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J. McNee #1
The Good Son
"THE GOOD SON is the most exciting, and gripping, Scottish crime fiction debut of recent years. Stylish and atmospheric, it marks the arrival of a exceptional talent." --John Connolly â McLean has all the merits of this brilliant writer [Jean-Patrick Manchette] with the added bonus of a Scottish sense of wit that is like no other.â --Ken Bruen "Scottish crime fiction is entering a new era and Russel McLean is at the vanguard. A thrilling new writer, a brilliant debut...The Good Son is very good indeed." --Tony BlackRecipient of widespread praise for his award-winning crime short stories, Russel McLeanâ s full-length debut has been characterized by key crime authors and critics alike as the emergence of a major talent. There is something rotten behind the apparent sucide of Daniel Robertson and itâ s about to come bursting into the life of J. McNee, a Scottish private investigator with a near-crushing level of personal baggage. James Robertson, a local farmer, finds his estranged brotherâ s corpse hanging from a tree. The police claim suicide. But McNee is about to uncover the disturbing truth behind the death. With a pair of vicious London thugs on the move in the Scottish countryside, itâ s only a matter of time before people start dying. As the body count rises, McNee finds himself on a collision course with his own demons and an increasing array of brutal killers in a violent, bloody showdown that threatens to leave none involved alive. Plumbing the depths of love, loss, betrayal, and one broken manâ s attempt to come to terms with his past, The Good Son successfully blends the classic style of the gumshoe era with the outer edges of modern noir.
240 pages
First published January 1, 2008
11 people are currently reading
175 people want to read
About the author
Russel D. McLean
16 books46 followersRussel McLean has written for Crime Spree Magazine, The Big Thrill (the newsletter of the International Thriller Writers Association), At Central Booking and Crime Scene Scotland. His short fiction has been published in crime fiction magazines worldwide.
The first three novels featuring Dundonian PI J McNee are, THE GOOD SON, THE LOST SISTER and FATHER CONFESSOR.
His early short stories have been collected digitally in the collection, THE DEATH OF RONNIE SWEETS (and other stories).
Russel twitters constantly on @russeldmclean and if you want to go "like" him, his official facebook fanpage can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russel...
The first three novels featuring Dundonian PI J McNee are, THE GOOD SON, THE LOST SISTER and FATHER CONFESSOR.
His early short stories have been collected digitally in the collection, THE DEATH OF RONNIE SWEETS (and other stories).
Russel twitters constantly on @russeldmclean and if you want to go "like" him, his official facebook fanpage can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Russel...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
March 28, 2012
J. McNee is a former Scottish cop who has left the force and become a private investigator. McNee is even more emotionally wounded than most other depressed PIs and is still mourning the loss of his fiance who was killed in an accident nine months earlier. One suspects that McNee was never the most sociable person to begin with, but he has now become almost totally anti-social and rejects everyone who attempts to help ease his grief.
McNee is hired by a farmer, James Robertson, whose brother, Daniel, had apparently committed suicide. The two brothers hadn't seen each other in thirty years until Daniel came home to kill himself. James Robertson wants answers. In particular, he wants to know who his brother had become in the intervening years.
McNee takes the case and uncovers some very uncomfortable truths about Daniel Robertson who had become a thug employed by a London mobster. Things are further complicated when two other brutal thugs, employed by the same mobster, appear on the scene. Pretty soon the bodies are dropping left and right and McNee is up to his neck in a difficult and very dangerous situation.
The reader, of course, is supposed to be rooting for McNee, but it's sometimes hard to do. The man is so withdrawn and so indifferent to anyone who reaches out to him that the reader (or at least this reader) finds it very hard to sympathize with him or to care about him. This is a very dark, moody book that is redeemed more by the atmosphere that the author creates than by the protagonist who inhabits it.
McNee is hired by a farmer, James Robertson, whose brother, Daniel, had apparently committed suicide. The two brothers hadn't seen each other in thirty years until Daniel came home to kill himself. James Robertson wants answers. In particular, he wants to know who his brother had become in the intervening years.
McNee takes the case and uncovers some very uncomfortable truths about Daniel Robertson who had become a thug employed by a London mobster. Things are further complicated when two other brutal thugs, employed by the same mobster, appear on the scene. Pretty soon the bodies are dropping left and right and McNee is up to his neck in a difficult and very dangerous situation.
The reader, of course, is supposed to be rooting for McNee, but it's sometimes hard to do. The man is so withdrawn and so indifferent to anyone who reaches out to him that the reader (or at least this reader) finds it very hard to sympathize with him or to care about him. This is a very dark, moody book that is redeemed more by the atmosphere that the author creates than by the protagonist who inhabits it.
December 21, 2014
Dundee is on the eastern coast of Scotland, north of St. Andrews. It's by no means a tourist destination like the big metropolises of Edinburgh and Glasgow far to the south. Its apartness is further demarcated by the Firth of Tay, which can be crossed by bridge or ferry. Yet it is also a town in transition, gentrification not quite eradicating its working class substrate. A dormant vigilantism and a historic intimacy with criminal elements lies just below the surface.
The narrator, McNee, was formerly a Dundee police detective. Now, he makes a marginal living as a private detective as he deals with the loss of his wife Elaine in an automobile accident, caused by an apparent drunk who fled the scene. McNee narrates the story in first person, giving it an intensely subjective feel. McLean skillfully exploits this viewpoint to reveal in gradual stages McNee's conflicted and volatile emotions. McNee was never easygoing. Some might call him rude. Since the accident he has been particularly withdrawn, rejecting closure out of both grief and self-blame. He still lives in the apartment he and Elaine shared; he still imagines the form and feel of Elaine's body. Closure would be surrender to the finality of death, or so he tells himself. Meltdown was an inevitability. Breaking the nose of his boss, Detective Inspector Lindsay, was the event that triggered his departure from the Dundee police force.
The story opens with a new client. James Robertson, a farmer from across the Tay hires him to investigate the life of his estranged brother Daniel. Daniel left the farm at 16, and James has not seen him since, although he did receive brief, uninformative posts. Then, last week, Daniel committed suicide. He hung himself from a tree on James' farm. It was James who discovered the body. McNee learns Daniel was working as an enforcer for a London gangster named Gordon Egg. ”Even north of the border, I'd heard of him. A new wave London gangster, born too late to have power when the Krays ruled the underworld, but old enough to have amassed a reputation and even make a late grab at respectability.” (p.17) McNee views his new client within the framework of his own grief, and concludes Robertson is seeking closure. Why else would he ask for the sordid details of the violent misspent life his brother led? McNee concludes: ”He was my client. I wanted to serve his best interests, but it was hard when he failed to appreciate my efforts. He didn't really want an investigation. He wanted someone who would reassure him that his brother's life had been peaches and cream, and what happened out in the woods was an aberration, perhaps even some perversely heroic gesture.” (p.37-38)
The author has an excellent sense of pacing. At first he moves the events forward swiftly, then slows the pace as he introduces new characters and focuses on the puzzle of their relationship to the case. Action scenes are described with almost blow-by-blow detail. There is nothing flamboyant about the writing. It's workmanlike. Speculative assessments float across McNee's consciousness. Conversations are terse confrontations of verbal sparring.
McLean holds the reader's interest by seeding the plot with new revelations, overturning what first seemed an obvious interpretation of events. He does this right up to the final chapter of this convoluted thriller. By the end, McNee has not only uncovered the truth about Daniel Robertson, but a truth about himself.
The narrator, McNee, was formerly a Dundee police detective. Now, he makes a marginal living as a private detective as he deals with the loss of his wife Elaine in an automobile accident, caused by an apparent drunk who fled the scene. McNee narrates the story in first person, giving it an intensely subjective feel. McLean skillfully exploits this viewpoint to reveal in gradual stages McNee's conflicted and volatile emotions. McNee was never easygoing. Some might call him rude. Since the accident he has been particularly withdrawn, rejecting closure out of both grief and self-blame. He still lives in the apartment he and Elaine shared; he still imagines the form and feel of Elaine's body. Closure would be surrender to the finality of death, or so he tells himself. Meltdown was an inevitability. Breaking the nose of his boss, Detective Inspector Lindsay, was the event that triggered his departure from the Dundee police force.
The story opens with a new client. James Robertson, a farmer from across the Tay hires him to investigate the life of his estranged brother Daniel. Daniel left the farm at 16, and James has not seen him since, although he did receive brief, uninformative posts. Then, last week, Daniel committed suicide. He hung himself from a tree on James' farm. It was James who discovered the body. McNee learns Daniel was working as an enforcer for a London gangster named Gordon Egg. ”Even north of the border, I'd heard of him. A new wave London gangster, born too late to have power when the Krays ruled the underworld, but old enough to have amassed a reputation and even make a late grab at respectability.” (p.17) McNee views his new client within the framework of his own grief, and concludes Robertson is seeking closure. Why else would he ask for the sordid details of the violent misspent life his brother led? McNee concludes: ”He was my client. I wanted to serve his best interests, but it was hard when he failed to appreciate my efforts. He didn't really want an investigation. He wanted someone who would reassure him that his brother's life had been peaches and cream, and what happened out in the woods was an aberration, perhaps even some perversely heroic gesture.” (p.37-38)
The author has an excellent sense of pacing. At first he moves the events forward swiftly, then slows the pace as he introduces new characters and focuses on the puzzle of their relationship to the case. Action scenes are described with almost blow-by-blow detail. There is nothing flamboyant about the writing. It's workmanlike. Speculative assessments float across McNee's consciousness. Conversations are terse confrontations of verbal sparring.
McLean holds the reader's interest by seeding the plot with new revelations, overturning what first seemed an obvious interpretation of events. He does this right up to the final chapter of this convoluted thriller. By the end, McNee has not only uncovered the truth about Daniel Robertson, but a truth about himself.
July 3, 2011
McNee. That’s his name, don’t wear it out. The name used by his wife, her family and his police colleagues. At least that’s what his wife called him before she died in an accident as she was driving him home, McNee riding shotgun, her father in the back. And it’s what the police still call him even though he left the force under a cloud of depression, a weight of guilt following said wife’s death and san incident where he smacked one of his superiors in the nose.
Since the accident, he’s not been able to talk to his father-in-law who blames him for it all and he’s had a bad leg which doctors think might be psychosomatic rather than physical. Great name for a Scot with a gammy leg then, McNee, like some joke from fifty years ago.
The man’s been carrying that weight of guilt around with him since the accident. It fuels him. Gives him a reason to get up in the morning. Helps him in his work as a Private Investigator.
As we get to know him, we’ll realise that his wife’s accident has little to do with the way he is, that he’s always been burdened, always been socially inept and difficult to get to know. A hard man in respectable clothing.
The more I got to know this guy, the more I liked him.
We met in the first pages. Everything was kicking off.
McKnee has a gun pointed at someone’s head. He’s already killed someone, he tells us that, so one more might not make any difference.
Those opening pages are full of madness and rage, confusion and adrenalin. It’s a great way to get to know a bloke and had me hooked from the off.
Backtrack to the beginning of the story.
Farmer James Robertson comes to McNee, asks him to find out why his brother Daniel (not been home for 30 years) has returned to Dundee and hung himself from a tree.
As McNee digs, he’ll find that Daniel Robertson was not a nice guy. Was the right hand man of a London gangster (Egg, and definitely one of the bad variety) and was sleeping with the gangster’s wife.
Gangster’s wife heads north and is soon brutally dispatched by person or person’s unknown.
Dundee, unsexy place for a PI, bursts into action and adventure as the local hard-men try to see off the London mob invasion.
McNee’s colleagues on the force get on to his back and resurrect ghosts from his time on the job and his wife’s sister and an ex-one-night-stand try and patch things together.
He’s like a leaky boat our protagonist. It’s why I liked him so much.
There’s never a dull moment as he bails like hell to get rid of all the water even as it’s rising above his neck.
It’s like McLean started to write the character and McKnee decided to go it his own way, ignoring his creator and doing what he pleased. What fun.
This is a first novel, which is hard to believe.
The plot, characters and dialogue are superb. The Dundee setting works surprisingly well and the author shows of an intimate knowledge of the type of city it is. The twists and turns are unpredictable and that’s the way I like it.
Each chapter ends with a sentence that uses the first person narrative to good effect and owes something to the classic PIs of our American brothers and sisters. You feel an uneasy resolution and a need to move on quickly.
McLean’s touch is interesting. Mostly I found it easy and flowing, one of those page-turners that brings a constant source of pleasure. He almost fooled me with that, for he also has a range of weapons at his disposal. He has blunt which he uses now and then to stun as he throws in a cold, hard phrase to unsettle. There are the sharp objects in there, descriptions and force that cut as the phrase turns. There are guns and fists lurking too. And there’s a little wry-smile that jumps out when you’re least expecting it as if Harry Lime’s lurking in the shadows and having a bloody good time.
I read this before my summer break, but I reckon this is the perfect book for a holiday- you don’t have to put in much effort to get an awful lot of satisfaction.
If the character’s name amuses, get this. The author, McLean has written a story that’s anything but.
And something else that made me chuckle, it only cost me 99p for the Kindle.
Fantastic.
Since the accident, he’s not been able to talk to his father-in-law who blames him for it all and he’s had a bad leg which doctors think might be psychosomatic rather than physical. Great name for a Scot with a gammy leg then, McNee, like some joke from fifty years ago.
The man’s been carrying that weight of guilt around with him since the accident. It fuels him. Gives him a reason to get up in the morning. Helps him in his work as a Private Investigator.
As we get to know him, we’ll realise that his wife’s accident has little to do with the way he is, that he’s always been burdened, always been socially inept and difficult to get to know. A hard man in respectable clothing.
The more I got to know this guy, the more I liked him.
We met in the first pages. Everything was kicking off.
McKnee has a gun pointed at someone’s head. He’s already killed someone, he tells us that, so one more might not make any difference.
Those opening pages are full of madness and rage, confusion and adrenalin. It’s a great way to get to know a bloke and had me hooked from the off.
Backtrack to the beginning of the story.
Farmer James Robertson comes to McNee, asks him to find out why his brother Daniel (not been home for 30 years) has returned to Dundee and hung himself from a tree.
As McNee digs, he’ll find that Daniel Robertson was not a nice guy. Was the right hand man of a London gangster (Egg, and definitely one of the bad variety) and was sleeping with the gangster’s wife.
Gangster’s wife heads north and is soon brutally dispatched by person or person’s unknown.
Dundee, unsexy place for a PI, bursts into action and adventure as the local hard-men try to see off the London mob invasion.
McNee’s colleagues on the force get on to his back and resurrect ghosts from his time on the job and his wife’s sister and an ex-one-night-stand try and patch things together.
He’s like a leaky boat our protagonist. It’s why I liked him so much.
There’s never a dull moment as he bails like hell to get rid of all the water even as it’s rising above his neck.
It’s like McLean started to write the character and McKnee decided to go it his own way, ignoring his creator and doing what he pleased. What fun.
This is a first novel, which is hard to believe.
The plot, characters and dialogue are superb. The Dundee setting works surprisingly well and the author shows of an intimate knowledge of the type of city it is. The twists and turns are unpredictable and that’s the way I like it.
Each chapter ends with a sentence that uses the first person narrative to good effect and owes something to the classic PIs of our American brothers and sisters. You feel an uneasy resolution and a need to move on quickly.
McLean’s touch is interesting. Mostly I found it easy and flowing, one of those page-turners that brings a constant source of pleasure. He almost fooled me with that, for he also has a range of weapons at his disposal. He has blunt which he uses now and then to stun as he throws in a cold, hard phrase to unsettle. There are the sharp objects in there, descriptions and force that cut as the phrase turns. There are guns and fists lurking too. And there’s a little wry-smile that jumps out when you’re least expecting it as if Harry Lime’s lurking in the shadows and having a bloody good time.
I read this before my summer break, but I reckon this is the perfect book for a holiday- you don’t have to put in much effort to get an awful lot of satisfaction.
If the character’s name amuses, get this. The author, McLean has written a story that’s anything but.
And something else that made me chuckle, it only cost me 99p for the Kindle.
Fantastic.
July 29, 2011
Russel D. McLean
The Good Son (2008) introduces J. McNee, a former cop now working as a private investigator in Dundee, Scotland. McNee is tortured by the death of his wife and estranged from her father who blames him for the car accident that killed his daughter a year earlier. McNee’s injured leg has never recovered, though the doctors can find no physical reason for his continued limp and pain. McNee reluctantly takes up an investigation for local farmer James Robertson, whose brother Daniel returned home for the first time in 30 years to hang himself from a tree. James tells McNee that he needs to understand his brother’s motivation, and McNee discovers that Daniel has been working as an enforcer for Gordon Egg, a London gangster turned club owner. The combination of McNee’s personal demons and the violence he incites by provoking Egg’s thugs makes for an exciting debut noir novel, a finalist for the 2010 Shamus Award for Best First Novel.
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/M_A...
The Good Son (2008) introduces J. McNee, a former cop now working as a private investigator in Dundee, Scotland. McNee is tortured by the death of his wife and estranged from her father who blames him for the car accident that killed his daughter a year earlier. McNee’s injured leg has never recovered, though the doctors can find no physical reason for his continued limp and pain. McNee reluctantly takes up an investigation for local farmer James Robertson, whose brother Daniel returned home for the first time in 30 years to hang himself from a tree. James tells McNee that he needs to understand his brother’s motivation, and McNee discovers that Daniel has been working as an enforcer for Gordon Egg, a London gangster turned club owner. The combination of McNee’s personal demons and the violence he incites by provoking Egg’s thugs makes for an exciting debut noir novel, a finalist for the 2010 Shamus Award for Best First Novel.
http://www.stopyourekillingme.com/M_A...
September 11, 2017
J McNee is an ex policeman who having left the Dundee force sets up as a private investigator.
He is visited by a local farmer who has discovered his long estranged brother dead on his land from an apparent suicide. He asks McNee to investigate as he does not believe this explanation.
The subsequent story sees the hero clashing with London gangsters and the local crime lord as he comes up against his old police officer rivals and friend. Many demons and pacy writing gave me enough in this very quick page turner to want to read more in the series and overall it was an enjoyable read.
He is visited by a local farmer who has discovered his long estranged brother dead on his land from an apparent suicide. He asks McNee to investigate as he does not believe this explanation.
The subsequent story sees the hero clashing with London gangsters and the local crime lord as he comes up against his old police officer rivals and friend. Many demons and pacy writing gave me enough in this very quick page turner to want to read more in the series and overall it was an enjoyable read.
June 26, 2019
Based in Dundee this is an interesting start to the tales of PI dealing with the bad guys , his ex colleagues and his own demons. Good for a day on the sunbed.
March 12, 2021
A good one
May 12, 2021
Another good Scottish crime writer. Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh are well covered, but this is based in Dundee. In this case the main character is a dysfunctional PI rather than the usual DI!
February 22, 2010
“I’ve already shot a man this evening, so what’s the difference now? Like smoking, it gets easier after the first one, right?” – J. McNee
Dundee, Scotland based J. McNee (full first name never given) is not at a good place in his life when we meet him in author Russel D. McLean’s debut novel, The Good Son. Formerly on the Dundee police force, McNee was forced into early retirement following a car crash that killed his fiancée and left him physically disabled and psychologically crippled.
Now working as a private investigator, McNee receives a visit from local farmer James Robertson whose estranged brother, Daniel, was found hanging from a tree on the family’s farm. Though the police have it down as suicide, James is convinced his brother did not kill himself and hires McNee to investigate what Daniel had been up to during the 30 years since James last saw him.
In addition to putting him at odds with his former colleagues on the police force, McNee’s investigation opens up a Pandora’s box of local thugs, London gangsters and a mysterious woman with connections to both, as a visit to London reveals that Daniel had been working for one of that city’s most notorious gangsters, Gordon Egg.
Not pleased with either Daniel’s unexplained disappearance from London, with a substantial sum of Egg’s money, or McNee’s visit inquiring about him, Egg sends two of his thugs to Dundee to get to the bottom of things. And that’s when things go seriously sideways, as Egg’s thugs, Ayer and Liman, cut a bloody path through Dundee in their efforts to retrieve the missing money.
Convinced that James Robertson knows where the money is, and that he told McNee, Ayer and Liman pay a visit to McNee’s office that results in him being beaten and his office assistant shot. Already burdened with almost incapacitating guilt over his fiancée’s death, the shooting of his friend pushes McNee over the edge, to the point he’s determined to stop Ayer and Liman no matter the cost… and McNee is willing to pay quite a high price.
In McNee, author McLean has done a spectacular job of portraying a man in the seemingly contradictory position of being incapacitated by apathy for his own life, yet driven by guilt over the loss of his fiancée’s. The blunt, edgy dialogue and outbursts of pull no punches violence in The Good Son bring to mind the hard-boiled writing of the legendary Ken Bruen, and I believe it’s a well-deserved comparison. But make no mistake about it, McLean has demonstrated with his debut offering that he has a fresh, unique voice all his own. The Good Son is very, very good indeed.
Dundee, Scotland based J. McNee (full first name never given) is not at a good place in his life when we meet him in author Russel D. McLean’s debut novel, The Good Son. Formerly on the Dundee police force, McNee was forced into early retirement following a car crash that killed his fiancée and left him physically disabled and psychologically crippled.
Now working as a private investigator, McNee receives a visit from local farmer James Robertson whose estranged brother, Daniel, was found hanging from a tree on the family’s farm. Though the police have it down as suicide, James is convinced his brother did not kill himself and hires McNee to investigate what Daniel had been up to during the 30 years since James last saw him.
In addition to putting him at odds with his former colleagues on the police force, McNee’s investigation opens up a Pandora’s box of local thugs, London gangsters and a mysterious woman with connections to both, as a visit to London reveals that Daniel had been working for one of that city’s most notorious gangsters, Gordon Egg.
Not pleased with either Daniel’s unexplained disappearance from London, with a substantial sum of Egg’s money, or McNee’s visit inquiring about him, Egg sends two of his thugs to Dundee to get to the bottom of things. And that’s when things go seriously sideways, as Egg’s thugs, Ayer and Liman, cut a bloody path through Dundee in their efforts to retrieve the missing money.
Convinced that James Robertson knows where the money is, and that he told McNee, Ayer and Liman pay a visit to McNee’s office that results in him being beaten and his office assistant shot. Already burdened with almost incapacitating guilt over his fiancée’s death, the shooting of his friend pushes McNee over the edge, to the point he’s determined to stop Ayer and Liman no matter the cost… and McNee is willing to pay quite a high price.
In McNee, author McLean has done a spectacular job of portraying a man in the seemingly contradictory position of being incapacitated by apathy for his own life, yet driven by guilt over the loss of his fiancée’s. The blunt, edgy dialogue and outbursts of pull no punches violence in The Good Son bring to mind the hard-boiled writing of the legendary Ken Bruen, and I believe it’s a well-deserved comparison. But make no mistake about it, McLean has demonstrated with his debut offering that he has a fresh, unique voice all his own. The Good Son is very, very good indeed.
May 1, 2010
J. McNee, P.I. is a man with demons of his own, and when the opportunity arises to investigate an apparent suicide at the request of the deceased's brother, he takes it and finds himself in for a world of hurt.
This book was certainly a quick read. It was barely 200 pages long and packed with action and dialogue. It was very "noir", I could almost year the raspy voice narrating the story and picture everything in black and white. The language was pretty foul, especially towards the end and the mystery itself was pretty straight-forward - with a nice twist at the end.
What I did not like much about the book was that, try as I might, I just couldn't feel anything for any of the characters - and when you have characters getting hurt in a book, one would hope that your audience would feel some kind of connection to them. I felt as if I was held at arms length through the story and, when trying to figure out just what was McNee's story, I felt as if I was banging my head against a brick wall. (I still don't quite understand what happened, anyone care to enlighten me?)
If you are into mysteries and suspense, this certainly is a worthy read and I don't regret having spent a few hours of my time reading it.
This book was certainly a quick read. It was barely 200 pages long and packed with action and dialogue. It was very "noir", I could almost year the raspy voice narrating the story and picture everything in black and white. The language was pretty foul, especially towards the end and the mystery itself was pretty straight-forward - with a nice twist at the end.
What I did not like much about the book was that, try as I might, I just couldn't feel anything for any of the characters - and when you have characters getting hurt in a book, one would hope that your audience would feel some kind of connection to them. I felt as if I was held at arms length through the story and, when trying to figure out just what was McNee's story, I felt as if I was banging my head against a brick wall. (I still don't quite understand what happened, anyone care to enlighten me?)
If you are into mysteries and suspense, this certainly is a worthy read and I don't regret having spent a few hours of my time reading it.
July 29, 2013
A smart Scottish crime thriller with a bit more introspection and twist than others I have read. I enjoyed McLean's writing style from the protagonists perspective and the way he chose to gradually reveal information over the course of the novel rather than move through the tale chronologically. I wasn't as wowed as others seemed to have been by the premise or the delivery - it was ok for me. I liked how he attempted to tell two stories about loss through the tale rather than just one typical story of crIme, but I didn't feel that the overall mirroring of the two stories was really successful. Was a quick read and I might try another of his short crime novels to get more of a sense of his work since people love him so much.
March 16, 2011
Opening with a wonderfully unique premise, THE GOOD SON is a welcome addition to the private eye genre. As much character study as crime novel, we are introduced to a world of guilt and pain that I can't help but think is very Scottish.
I've always claimed that the Irish and the Scottish really get bleak, maybe due to the weather (Icedlandic authors, as well), but while this story opens in the darkness of the characters' present, glints of humanity and hope keep the story from pulling the reader too deep into the dark.
Well-written and well-paced, I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series.
I've always claimed that the Irish and the Scottish really get bleak, maybe due to the weather (Icedlandic authors, as well), but while this story opens in the darkness of the characters' present, glints of humanity and hope keep the story from pulling the reader too deep into the dark.
Well-written and well-paced, I'm definitely going to read the next book in the series.
Read
August 9, 2011I really like Scottish crime fiction (Ian Rankin, Christopher Brookmyre) so had to check out this new author. This is even darker than the genre usually is -- and is full of characters even less likeable than usual. The main character is supposed to be rude, disconnected, and self distructive as he copes with the loss of his fiance in an auto accident. But compared to everyone else in the novel his behaivior is only a matter of relative degree. Not for everyone for the reasons stated -- but I'll definitely keep my eye out for McLean's second novel.
November 1, 2010
Interesting character study. Our hero is a Scottish, former cop who's now doing PI work. He's suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress after the car crash that killed his fiancee. Into his life comes a client looking for the history of his estranged brother's life and extreme, ugly violence ensues. Twists and turns and lots of man's inhumanity to man that I found disturbing but compelling.
May 4, 2011
Solid, if unspectacular, debut. I thought it was a little emotionally overwraught, especially the part where McNee feels all guilty about his wife's death (no spoiler there). The cause of her death, and his reasons for feeling guilty, don't seem to match the near suicidal grief. The mystery itself wasn't much of a mystery. I think it has some potential though and will try the next one in the series.
July 27, 2021
Read in one sitting, short pacey chapters, McNee a complex character whose fate and thought processes begin to matter very early on in the book. I don't know Dundee at all but its differences to Edinburgh and Glasgow, and Aberdeen were made obvious. Good to know there are more to read.
A second read, a sort of research, but nevertheless enjoyed again. Except that what should've been 'puss' was 'pus'.
A second read, a sort of research, but nevertheless enjoyed again. Except that what should've been 'puss' was 'pus'.
July 14, 2013
I was pretty underwhelmed with this debut PI book that was nominated for the Shamus Award for best first novel. The plot was frankly mediocre and while the main character had the requisite tortured back story his willingness to just wallow in his grief made him not someone I wanted to spend time with. I did like the Dundee setting though.
September 29, 2010
A good tale told in a compelling voice. What it's like to be a "hard man" when you have feelings? This example of Scottish crime fiction introduces a lot of us to Dundee. A good addition for us to Rankin's Edinburgh and Mina's Glasgow. Where will McLean take his damaged protagonist, McNee? Does McNee know Jack Taylor? (LOL) McLean has, I think, a fine start for a series that I would follow.
February 6, 2010
I can't recommend this book. In fact, I had to give up on it. I just couldn't get interested in the main character. I'd read a good review, and that's why it was on my list to read, but there are just too many other books on my list right now!
January 14, 2010
A Scottish detective mystery that is well written. The main detective is grief stricken over the death of his wife. A client comes in who is trying to find out about his brother who just committed suicide. But, all is not what it seems.
Fantastic book.
Fantastic book.
February 16, 2010
I enjoyed this book so much that I even read through the acknowledgments! Fast paced with a great story line and twist at the end- everything required for a good satisfying thriller. This was the author's debut, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of his work.
October 1, 2011
McNee is is an ex-cop turned investigator in Dundee. He's seriously guilt ridden, rejecting all offers of help or friendship, not a very nice guy, and his client isn't a very nice guy either. Bad things happen, but not to good people because there really aren't any. It's a decent noir piece.
January 4, 2010
Nice plot twist at the end - just when you thought the story was over......
March 10, 2010
Great piece of noir...McLean is writer with a future as brilliant as noir is dark!
March 11, 2010
Too much foul language for my taste - also, as others have said, I couldn't bring myself to care that much for any of the characters.
April 7, 2010
I liked the Scottish-ness of the book and the crime was intersting, but not captivating. It had great descriptions and a couple of really bad thugs, but otherwise a quick easy read.
April 30, 2010
pretty good, quick read
July 21, 2010
Quick read, lots of fun. A good vacation read.
December 18, 2010
One of the best Scottish crime books I have read
April 11, 2011
Loved this book! Based in Dundee so recognised a lot of the landmarks! Amazing read! Well worth a read!
Met the author himself and what a lovely shy guy he is!
Met the author himself and what a lovely shy guy he is!
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