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Inspector McLean #7
Written In Bones
The roots of murder run deep . . .
When a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland, the forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Detective Inspector Tony McLean wonders whether it was an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message?
The dead man had led quite a life: a disgraced ex-cop turned criminal kingpin who reinvented himself as a celebrated philanthropist.
As McLean traces the victim's journey, it takes him back to Edinburgh's past, and through its underworld - crossing paths with some of its most dangerous and most vulnerable people.
And waiting at the end of it all, is the truth behind a crime that cuts to the very heart of the city...
Praise for the Inspector McLean series:
"Eerie…This series just keeps getting better, and loyal fans and new readers alike will be pleased."
—Publishers Weekly
"Yet another police procedural on steroids, a case made even more bizarre by Oswald’s trademark hints of the supernatural, impossible to put down."
—Kirkus Reviews
"A gritty police procedural with incredible twists."
--Robert Dugoni, #1 Amazon and New York Times bestselling author of My Sisters Grave on Dead Men's Bones
"Readers who stay the course will be rewarded with an explosive ending and will agree with McLean that the best part of the job is ‘the hunt for clues, the slow puzzling out of just what had happened.'"
--Booklist on Dead Men's Bones
"Oswald’s fourth is a house of horrors that adds an above-par mystery to the usual supernatural touches."
--Kirkus Reviews on Dead Men's Bones
“Oswald’s detective gives John Rebus a run for his money.”
--Kirkus Reviews on The Book of Souls
“Engrossing…Readers will eagerly await the next installment.”
--Publishers Weekly on The Book of Souls
'Unsettling atmosphere, strong sense of place and a canny twist: Oswald easily outstrips the formulaic work of bigger names' Guardian
'Crime fiction's next big thing'
Sunday Telegraph
'Oswald's writing is in a class above most'
Daily Express
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome'
Sunday Mirror
'The new Ian Rankin'
Daily Record
'Hugely enjoyable'
Mirror
'Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers'
Daily Mail
When a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland, the forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Detective Inspector Tony McLean wonders whether it was an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message?
The dead man had led quite a life: a disgraced ex-cop turned criminal kingpin who reinvented himself as a celebrated philanthropist.
As McLean traces the victim's journey, it takes him back to Edinburgh's past, and through its underworld - crossing paths with some of its most dangerous and most vulnerable people.
And waiting at the end of it all, is the truth behind a crime that cuts to the very heart of the city...
Praise for the Inspector McLean series:
"Eerie…This series just keeps getting better, and loyal fans and new readers alike will be pleased."
—Publishers Weekly
"Yet another police procedural on steroids, a case made even more bizarre by Oswald’s trademark hints of the supernatural, impossible to put down."
—Kirkus Reviews
"A gritty police procedural with incredible twists."
--Robert Dugoni, #1 Amazon and New York Times bestselling author of My Sisters Grave on Dead Men's Bones
"Readers who stay the course will be rewarded with an explosive ending and will agree with McLean that the best part of the job is ‘the hunt for clues, the slow puzzling out of just what had happened.'"
--Booklist on Dead Men's Bones
"Oswald’s fourth is a house of horrors that adds an above-par mystery to the usual supernatural touches."
--Kirkus Reviews on Dead Men's Bones
“Oswald’s detective gives John Rebus a run for his money.”
--Kirkus Reviews on The Book of Souls
“Engrossing…Readers will eagerly await the next installment.”
--Publishers Weekly on The Book of Souls
'Unsettling atmosphere, strong sense of place and a canny twist: Oswald easily outstrips the formulaic work of bigger names' Guardian
'Crime fiction's next big thing'
Sunday Telegraph
'Oswald's writing is in a class above most'
Daily Express
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome'
Sunday Mirror
'The new Ian Rankin'
Daily Record
'Hugely enjoyable'
Mirror
'Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers'
Daily Mail
462 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 23, 2017
117 people are currently reading
733 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 211 reviews
February 7, 2017
A really unusual and interesting mystery lies at the heart of this police procedural set in the city of Edinburgh. A body is found high up in a tree in one of the city's parks. Forensics reveal that the body was dropped from a great height, and reveal injuries consistent with having been beaten prior to falling.
Leading the investigation is DI Tony McLean, though right from the start it's an uphill climb, as police funding cuts, and the insistence from his superiors that he brings this investigation to a swift conclusion, certainly ramp up the pressure for him. Even the weather appears to conspire against him, as a prolonged spell of snow and ice threatens to lengthen the investigation process.
The victim turns out to have a very colourful past - he's a local disgraced former cop, turned criminal kingpin, turned philanthropist.
McLean has to dig deep to get to the heart of this crime, but there are those who would prefer that he just scraped the surface rather than dig too deeply where secrets like to stay hidden.
Despite the many obstacles placed in his way, DI McLean is nothing if not tenacious, working his way through numerous leads, barely giving a thought to his own needs, given that he's not in the best of health.
This was a totally absorbing read, and I love that it's set in one of my favourite cities - Edinburgh. The author has created a very unusual plot with some great characters, and even though this is part of a series and I hadn't read any of the previous ones, it read well enough as a standalone. Thinking about it, how have I missed this author? He's really good, and he's definitely piqued my interest in his earlier books.
*Thank you to Netgalley & Michael Joseph for my ARC for which I have given an honest unbiased review*
Leading the investigation is DI Tony McLean, though right from the start it's an uphill climb, as police funding cuts, and the insistence from his superiors that he brings this investigation to a swift conclusion, certainly ramp up the pressure for him. Even the weather appears to conspire against him, as a prolonged spell of snow and ice threatens to lengthen the investigation process.
The victim turns out to have a very colourful past - he's a local disgraced former cop, turned criminal kingpin, turned philanthropist.
McLean has to dig deep to get to the heart of this crime, but there are those who would prefer that he just scraped the surface rather than dig too deeply where secrets like to stay hidden.
Despite the many obstacles placed in his way, DI McLean is nothing if not tenacious, working his way through numerous leads, barely giving a thought to his own needs, given that he's not in the best of health.
This was a totally absorbing read, and I love that it's set in one of my favourite cities - Edinburgh. The author has created a very unusual plot with some great characters, and even though this is part of a series and I hadn't read any of the previous ones, it read well enough as a standalone. Thinking about it, how have I missed this author? He's really good, and he's definitely piqued my interest in his earlier books.
*Thank you to Netgalley & Michael Joseph for my ARC for which I have given an honest unbiased review*
February 21, 2017
The opening sequence to this novel has DI Tony McLean at a Edinburgh park where a gruesomely tortured and mutilated body hangs skewered onto a tree's branches. It was discovered by a young boy, the son of Tommy Johnston, a murdered crime boss. The boy described a dragon in the sky from where the body dropped. This has the media captivated and brings undue pressure from the police hierarchy on Tony to solve the case as soon as possible. The body is hard to identify but Tony begins to have a dreadful suspicion as to who it is prior to a press conference which is confirmed by Jo Dalgleish, a local reporter.
It turns out to be Bill Chalmers, a well known philanthropist and charity worker, who happens to be an ex-drug addict, ex-crime king and disgraced ex-policeman. This multiplies Tony's headaches as all the senior team have connections with Chalmers and endeavour to distance themselves from the investigation fearing what might emerge, and bullish in trying to close the case as soon as. This is a complex inquiry with numerous threads. When Tony tries to look into the connections with the unsolved murder of Tommy Johnston, he finds the files missing. He involves retired Superintendent Daguid from the Cold Case Unit which scares the senior management into closing the unit down. Tony is nothing if not persistent, he refuses to be put off, despite having to contend with the worrying ill health of his partner, Emma. With further suspicious deaths, the trail leads to deadly danger and an old foe.
This is the first book in the series that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It works okay as a standalone and I will be reading the rest of the series. I was not so enamoured of the fact that Tony is wealthy, but I will let it pass. Otherwise, a great police procedural full of thrills and spills. It is well plotted, and delivers a tense and suspenseful story. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
It turns out to be Bill Chalmers, a well known philanthropist and charity worker, who happens to be an ex-drug addict, ex-crime king and disgraced ex-policeman. This multiplies Tony's headaches as all the senior team have connections with Chalmers and endeavour to distance themselves from the investigation fearing what might emerge, and bullish in trying to close the case as soon as. This is a complex inquiry with numerous threads. When Tony tries to look into the connections with the unsolved murder of Tommy Johnston, he finds the files missing. He involves retired Superintendent Daguid from the Cold Case Unit which scares the senior management into closing the unit down. Tony is nothing if not persistent, he refuses to be put off, despite having to contend with the worrying ill health of his partner, Emma. With further suspicious deaths, the trail leads to deadly danger and an old foe.
This is the first book in the series that I have read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It works okay as a standalone and I will be reading the rest of the series. I was not so enamoured of the fact that Tony is wealthy, but I will let it pass. Otherwise, a great police procedural full of thrills and spills. It is well plotted, and delivers a tense and suspenseful story. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.
March 4, 2017
This is the 7th and most recent book in this very good series by Scottish author James Oswald. I was offered the chance to read the 1st book in this series a short while ago and after reading the first couple of chapters I was already thinking about reading the other six books in the series.
I have enjoyed this series so much I have read them consecutively due to my enjoyment of the characters, sub plots and quirky story lines. I would strongly recommend anyone wishing to read the series read them in the order they were written to really appreciate the full package.
In this latest book in the series a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland and the forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Detective Inspector Tony McLean wonders whether it was an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message? The dead man had led quite a life, a disgraced ex-policeman turned criminal who reinvented himself as a celebrated philanthropist.
I really enjoyed the book and the series generally and looking forward to future books in this series and by this author overall.
Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying this series in exchange for an honest review.
As McLean traces the victim's journey, it takes him back to Edinburgh's past, and through its underworld - crossing paths with some of its most dangerous and most vulnerable people.
I have enjoyed this series so much I have read them consecutively due to my enjoyment of the characters, sub plots and quirky story lines. I would strongly recommend anyone wishing to read the series read them in the order they were written to really appreciate the full package.
In this latest book in the series a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland and the forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Detective Inspector Tony McLean wonders whether it was an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message? The dead man had led quite a life, a disgraced ex-policeman turned criminal who reinvented himself as a celebrated philanthropist.
I really enjoyed the book and the series generally and looking forward to future books in this series and by this author overall.
Thank you to Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying this series in exchange for an honest review.
As McLean traces the victim's journey, it takes him back to Edinburgh's past, and through its underworld - crossing paths with some of its most dangerous and most vulnerable people.
February 24, 2017
This is a fantastic police crime thriller which grabs the reader and puts them right in the heart of the action from the very start! The author is skilled at bringing everything to life in the imagination of the reader - I could imagine most of the events unfolding before my very eyes, as if I actually witnessed them.
When a ten year old boy out walking his dog, runs home claiming that a body has been dropped from the sky and into a tree his Mum doesn’t believe him. When she checks, she reluctantly calls the police. Interviewed by DI Tony McLean, the boy is adamant that it was dropped but he couldn’t see what by, but it sounded like giant wings flapping- like a dragon! It turns out the boy is the son of a deceased leading figure in the criminal underworld. When the body that almost dropped on him turns out to be an ex-cop turned criminal mastermind turned local philanthropist Tony needs to investigate the deceased man’s past, venturing deeper into the dangerous underworld where secrets, deception and more will be uncovered in this fast paced plot. When the media discover the circumstances of the murder, the pressure is on to solve the case - especially once the identity of the body is confirmed.
This is a murder with a difference. The investigation is filled with intrigue, misdirection, deception and drama - and there’s even romance! I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone who enjoys reading well written murder mysteries with great characters and filled with a plethora of twists to keep you guessing just how and why the initial murder was committed.
Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review.
When a ten year old boy out walking his dog, runs home claiming that a body has been dropped from the sky and into a tree his Mum doesn’t believe him. When she checks, she reluctantly calls the police. Interviewed by DI Tony McLean, the boy is adamant that it was dropped but he couldn’t see what by, but it sounded like giant wings flapping- like a dragon! It turns out the boy is the son of a deceased leading figure in the criminal underworld. When the body that almost dropped on him turns out to be an ex-cop turned criminal mastermind turned local philanthropist Tony needs to investigate the deceased man’s past, venturing deeper into the dangerous underworld where secrets, deception and more will be uncovered in this fast paced plot. When the media discover the circumstances of the murder, the pressure is on to solve the case - especially once the identity of the body is confirmed.
This is a murder with a difference. The investigation is filled with intrigue, misdirection, deception and drama - and there’s even romance! I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone who enjoys reading well written murder mysteries with great characters and filled with a plethora of twists to keep you guessing just how and why the initial murder was committed.
Many thanks to the publishers for gifting me a copy of this novel, via NetGalley, with no obligation. This is my honest review.
March 19, 2017
There is an undercurrent of supernatural shenanigans is this series, just a trickle, a slight sprinkling if you will, one that's been building and building, ever so slowly, since the first book. It makes itself a little more aware in this one, like a half-hearted jazz hands with only one hand. This makes me excited for the next one. Please let that be soon!!
As Gary said in his wonderful review it is better to read this series in order to fully appreciate each and every thing that happens. If you read books about detectives then you need to pick this up and be swept away.
Come on book 8!!!!
*Huge thanks to James Oswald, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
As Gary said in his wonderful review it is better to read this series in order to fully appreciate each and every thing that happens. If you read books about detectives then you need to pick this up and be swept away.
Come on book 8!!!!
*Huge thanks to James Oswald, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for this copy which I chose to read and all opinions are my own*
February 9, 2023
DI Tony McClean is great antihero. He does not need to work, he has inherited great wealth and this gives him the power to question and indeed show 2 fingers to his superiors if they hinder his doggedness to solve a case. He is a typical good cop working on instinct, living close to the edge, taking risks and acting like an arse😀although he would use the word maverick. An explosive start sees a body dropped from a great height entangled in a tree before smashing to the ground. With few leads to rely on and a police hierarchy increasingly at odds with McClean, the DI begins to smell the stench of a coverup. What is the relationship between a wealthy entrepreneur, a renowned gangster and an ex policeman. A solid read with strong characters, excellent plot, and explosive finish kept me enthralled and engrossed until the final page.
October 4, 2021
This series is addictive, extremely entertaining and smart. McLean is a very sympathetic character, a goodhearted loner who seems fated to get all the weird and disturbing cases, putting him at odds with his bosses and making him a bit of a pariah on the job. This latest book is probably my favorite so far. And on to the next!
October 28, 2019
There is always a whiff of the supernatural throughout this series that makes the stories take on the flavor of the unbelievable for some readers. If you are expected the final pages to be "by the book" you are going to be in for a bit of a disappointment. if you are willing to go with the flow then you are in for a a wild ride. This book as well as the last 6 in the series is a well-constructed...with very well-rounded characters and an unfolding plot which remains a mystery right to the end. You have corruption... you have murder and mayhem...and you have a big surprise at the end that will more than please fans of Tony McLean.
April 16, 2017
I have never read any of James Oswald's McLean books which is a shame as I think I would have got more out of it as there were a lot of references to things that had happened in previous stories. That said it didn't take me long to warm to the character of Tony McLean and become involved in the story. Any story that starts with a body descending from a great height & becoming entangled in a tree has certainly got to grab the attention!
This was an gripping police procedural tale. There were lots of ins & outs and lots to keep you guessing. The characters were interesting and engaging. All in all a satisfying read. I think I need to go back & read some more in this series!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
This was an gripping police procedural tale. There were lots of ins & outs and lots to keep you guessing. The characters were interesting and engaging. All in all a satisfying read. I think I need to go back & read some more in this series!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book.
October 28, 2019
When a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland, the forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height. Detective Inspector Tony McLean wonders whether it was an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message? This is another great installment from James Oswald. Some of the old characters but some new characters which are an added asset. The supernatural aspect of the book is good and not overdone. His plots are always entertaining and it's fun to watch McLean work through things to solve the crime. His relationship with Emma is getting more and more interesting and I am looking forward to the next book. I would recommend this series to those who love police procedurals but best to start with book one.
August 13, 2019
This had all the aspects I have enjoyed previously within the series - an Edinburgh setting brought to life by well-judges description, a cast of characters with good balance of new and recurring, and a plot which was complex yet believable. In addition, the supernatural themes were kept to a bare minimum, which worked for me. This all combined to produce a very smooth and enjoyable read - 400 pages in a day and a half’s commute - and a continuation of the high standards of the Tony McLean series. This novel starts with a jolt - a body is recovered from a tree in to which it has been apparently dropped and impaled. McLean and his team work to tie together the reasons why, as well as other deaths in the city - all the while battling the usual internal politics and conflicts.
January 31, 2020
Good plot, too much detail, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Looking forward to the next one.
March 19, 2017
enjoyed the latest in the series and felt the darkside fall over Edinburgh again as the team looks for a the murder of an ex policeman found impaled in a tree but so many red herring until it becomes clearer what it is all about. felt that the series is getting better with each book.
March 21, 2017
I thought this was a fairly competent but rather uninspiring police procedural. It is the seventh in a series which I hadn't come across before but it can be read as a stand-alone book.
It's a good opening: a body falls and is impaled on a large tree in Edinburgh, and it's unclear how or why he got there and even who the victim is. A story then unfolds of murder, drug gangs, suspicions of police corruption and so on. To me the whole thing felt a bit clunky and artificial, from the hostile senior officer to "the press are going to be all over this" and the inevitable Maverick Investigator with Complications In His Personal Life in DI Tony McLean. There are also some pretty gaping plot holes (What was the significance of the samples on McLean's handkerchief? Why were places turned over? etc. etc.) At one point McLean is explaining things to his team and we're told, "The more McLean spoke it out loud, the more outlandish it sounded." Well, quite. And the climax (you've guessed it, a One-To-One confrontation with the True Arch-Villain) is simply ludicrous, I'm afraid. (It would be too much of a spoiler to list all the absurdities, but I honestly said "Oh, for heavens' sake!" out loud several times.)
The writing is OK but there is some very clunky structure and dialogue; for example, people say "You know as well as I do…" an awful lot (on one occasion it happens twice in the same conversation, in the space of just a couple of paragraphs). Hardly anyone says that in real life; it's just a clumsy device to get information to the reader by having one character tell another something they already know. An experienced author should be able to do better – and there are a lot of other things about which I felt the same. Stale usages like "his bundle of joy" and "the bowels of the earth," for example, crop up far too often and dreadful clichés like "they were as different as chalk and cheese" really won't do in any serious piece of writing.
I did finish the book because I wanted to know the answer to the mystery, but it was so unsatisfactory that in the end I wasn't sure I should have bothered. Penguin are shortly to reissue the whole series but after I don't think I'll be reading the earlier ones, and I can't really recommend Written In Bones.
It's a good opening: a body falls and is impaled on a large tree in Edinburgh, and it's unclear how or why he got there and even who the victim is. A story then unfolds of murder, drug gangs, suspicions of police corruption and so on. To me the whole thing felt a bit clunky and artificial, from the hostile senior officer to "the press are going to be all over this" and the inevitable Maverick Investigator with Complications In His Personal Life in DI Tony McLean. There are also some pretty gaping plot holes (What was the significance of the samples on McLean's handkerchief? Why were places turned over? etc. etc.) At one point McLean is explaining things to his team and we're told, "The more McLean spoke it out loud, the more outlandish it sounded." Well, quite. And the climax (you've guessed it, a One-To-One confrontation with the True Arch-Villain) is simply ludicrous, I'm afraid. (It would be too much of a spoiler to list all the absurdities, but I honestly said "Oh, for heavens' sake!" out loud several times.)
The writing is OK but there is some very clunky structure and dialogue; for example, people say "You know as well as I do…" an awful lot (on one occasion it happens twice in the same conversation, in the space of just a couple of paragraphs). Hardly anyone says that in real life; it's just a clumsy device to get information to the reader by having one character tell another something they already know. An experienced author should be able to do better – and there are a lot of other things about which I felt the same. Stale usages like "his bundle of joy" and "the bowels of the earth," for example, crop up far too often and dreadful clichés like "they were as different as chalk and cheese" really won't do in any serious piece of writing.
I did finish the book because I wanted to know the answer to the mystery, but it was so unsatisfactory that in the end I wasn't sure I should have bothered. Penguin are shortly to reissue the whole series but after I don't think I'll be reading the earlier ones, and I can't really recommend Written In Bones.
May 11, 2017
I'm a big fan of the DI McLean series and I await each new addition in February with abated breath. James Oswald has also become one of my favourite authors.
The premise of the story was quite fetching: a dead body found in a very unusual location - the perfect case for Inspector Tony McLean to be stuck with by his superiors with whom he has never gotten along. Constantly being called out for being a rebel and a magnet for trouble, McLean must solve this case with a small team of very inexperienced detectives and constant pressure from his senior officers who all seem to want to make the whole nasty business disappeared quickly and quietly as the victim was a former policeman turned drug deal turned good Samaritan they were all acquainted with.
To say that a can of worms is usually unleashed when McLean gets involved is an understatement and this book was no different. Known as a pariah (for attracting the weird), he is drawn into a world of secrets and cover-ups by a whole bunch of influential people, including a couple of Police Scotland's finest. And of course there's always that hint of the supernatural which is what attracted me to this series in the first place.
Yet, unlike the previous books in the series, I found the first 2/3s of the novel rather boring as nothing interesting seemed to happen up until around pg. 232. It felt as if the book was dragging off in no particular direction and the investigation only got turned around because of Tony's long-time arch nemesis, reporter Jo Dalgliesh - ironically, around pg. 232.
Very little of interest seem to be happening in the book, except for a lot of roughing up of people's homes / offices and the actions of some of the protagonists felt somehow detached from the overall storyline. I still can't figure out what the tattoos meant and why Bo's Inks was so viciously defaced. Sadly there are so many of these detached events linked to the case that remain unexplained. I really wished the author spent more time explaining these elements instead of expecting the reader to figure it all out or remain in the dark.
I missed certain familiar faces from previous novels like DS Stuart McBride, whom the author simply explains has "moved on". And Madam Rose who hadn't featured in the last 3 books of the series. She was one of my favourite characters and I hope the author will bring her back in future instalments. Grumpy Bob's part in the novel was negligible which I found a bit sad and I can't say that I liked any of the new characters much either.
Emma's return at the end of the previous novel adds more pressure to Tony's already stressed life as his erratic working hours put strain on their relationship and the fact that Emma's health seems to be deteriorating isn't helping matters at all.
The editing has improved immensely from the first book (which is my favourite in the series but was at times hard to read because grammatical "etiquette" wasn't adhered to).
I look forward to the 8th book in the series in February 2018, but I do hope the author remembers what got his readers hooked on the series in the first place and move closer to it rather than abandoning it.
The premise of the story was quite fetching: a dead body found in a very unusual location - the perfect case for Inspector Tony McLean to be stuck with by his superiors with whom he has never gotten along. Constantly being called out for being a rebel and a magnet for trouble, McLean must solve this case with a small team of very inexperienced detectives and constant pressure from his senior officers who all seem to want to make the whole nasty business disappeared quickly and quietly as the victim was a former policeman turned drug deal turned good Samaritan they were all acquainted with.
To say that a can of worms is usually unleashed when McLean gets involved is an understatement and this book was no different. Known as a pariah (for attracting the weird), he is drawn into a world of secrets and cover-ups by a whole bunch of influential people, including a couple of Police Scotland's finest. And of course there's always that hint of the supernatural which is what attracted me to this series in the first place.
Yet, unlike the previous books in the series, I found the first 2/3s of the novel rather boring as nothing interesting seemed to happen up until around pg. 232. It felt as if the book was dragging off in no particular direction and the investigation only got turned around because of Tony's long-time arch nemesis, reporter Jo Dalgliesh - ironically, around pg. 232.
Very little of interest seem to be happening in the book, except for a lot of roughing up of people's homes / offices and the actions of some of the protagonists felt somehow detached from the overall storyline. I still can't figure out what the tattoos meant and why Bo's Inks was so viciously defaced. Sadly there are so many of these detached events linked to the case that remain unexplained. I really wished the author spent more time explaining these elements instead of expecting the reader to figure it all out or remain in the dark.
I missed certain familiar faces from previous novels like DS Stuart McBride, whom the author simply explains has "moved on". And Madam Rose who hadn't featured in the last 3 books of the series. She was one of my favourite characters and I hope the author will bring her back in future instalments. Grumpy Bob's part in the novel was negligible which I found a bit sad and I can't say that I liked any of the new characters much either.
Emma's return at the end of the previous novel adds more pressure to Tony's already stressed life as his erratic working hours put strain on their relationship and the fact that Emma's health seems to be deteriorating isn't helping matters at all.
The editing has improved immensely from the first book (which is my favourite in the series but was at times hard to read because grammatical "etiquette" wasn't adhered to).
I look forward to the 8th book in the series in February 2018, but I do hope the author remembers what got his readers hooked on the series in the first place and move closer to it rather than abandoning it.
February 5, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
"The roots of murder run deep . . .
When a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland, the forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Detective Inspector Tony McLean wonders whether it was an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message?
The dead man had led quite a life: a disgraced ex-cop turned criminal kingpin who reinvented himself as a celebrated philanthropist.
As McLean traces the victim's journey, it takes him back to Edinburgh's past, and through its underworld - crossing paths with some of its most dangerous and most vulnerable people.And waiting at the end of it all, is the truth behind a crime that cuts to the very heart of the city . . .
Inspector McLean is back in the next gripping instalment in James Oswald's bestselling crime series."
This is the seventh book in the McLean series and I was made aware that I had not read any of the other series by the referencing of histories and past cases throughout. However, the book was not completely nonsensical to me.
I followed along with a strange murder and an even stranger unfolding storyline. Oswald manages to keep you guessing until the end but I did feel like the villian was sprung on us at the very last moment, leaving me a bit confused by the end of the book.
I am a thriller nut but I felt that I was unable to see the book in its full potential because I was missing the rest in the series (completely my fault and not the books!). I would definitely recommend this to lovers of the series and crime thriller fans but I do suggest starting from #1 instead of half way through like I did.
3.5/5* with anticipating change once I complete the series.
"The roots of murder run deep . . .
When a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland, the forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Detective Inspector Tony McLean wonders whether it was an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message?
The dead man had led quite a life: a disgraced ex-cop turned criminal kingpin who reinvented himself as a celebrated philanthropist.
As McLean traces the victim's journey, it takes him back to Edinburgh's past, and through its underworld - crossing paths with some of its most dangerous and most vulnerable people.And waiting at the end of it all, is the truth behind a crime that cuts to the very heart of the city . . .
Inspector McLean is back in the next gripping instalment in James Oswald's bestselling crime series."
This is the seventh book in the McLean series and I was made aware that I had not read any of the other series by the referencing of histories and past cases throughout. However, the book was not completely nonsensical to me.
I followed along with a strange murder and an even stranger unfolding storyline. Oswald manages to keep you guessing until the end but I did feel like the villian was sprung on us at the very last moment, leaving me a bit confused by the end of the book.
I am a thriller nut but I felt that I was unable to see the book in its full potential because I was missing the rest in the series (completely my fault and not the books!). I would definitely recommend this to lovers of the series and crime thriller fans but I do suggest starting from #1 instead of half way through like I did.
3.5/5* with anticipating change once I complete the series.
February 28, 2017
Visit Edinburgh in all its gritty glory Written in Bones
James Oswald gets under the skin of Edinburgh’s dark side. The trail of clues he spread across the city are in real places, real alleyways and have real historical significance. This novel is set largely on The Meadows, a lovely park land area not far from the city centre, but which is located in a lovely part of town. I used to live in a flat overlooking the Meadows so this novel was really chilled me from the start as I not only know the place well but like the boy who finds the body, I used to walk with friends and their dogs on the moors here.
The city comes into its own here – there is a large dark and mysterious history to the story – not your regular crime story that’s for sure. We’ve had the supernatural in some of his earlier novels and this has signs of a very bizarre message of a dead man dropped into a tree, according to the young witness, “A dragon”
This series has all the hallmarks of a really unique set of police characters, an investigation into some of the city’s darkest shadows with some fantastically gritty and unusual crimes. They can be read in any order but to get the full delight especially the changing moods of Grumpy Bob – then read from the first.
The crime of how the man in the tree came to be there was skillfully done – a whole case unravelled and brought in some really dubious characters in the city living in some of its dark parts but also some of its nicest. Just goes to show that evil can lurk anywhere.
Oh and the end? I mentally high-fived James Oswald at this – can’t wait to see how THAT pans out!
Written in Bones? A cracking addition to a brilliant series and that’s written in stone.
James Oswald gets under the skin of Edinburgh’s dark side. The trail of clues he spread across the city are in real places, real alleyways and have real historical significance. This novel is set largely on The Meadows, a lovely park land area not far from the city centre, but which is located in a lovely part of town. I used to live in a flat overlooking the Meadows so this novel was really chilled me from the start as I not only know the place well but like the boy who finds the body, I used to walk with friends and their dogs on the moors here.
The city comes into its own here – there is a large dark and mysterious history to the story – not your regular crime story that’s for sure. We’ve had the supernatural in some of his earlier novels and this has signs of a very bizarre message of a dead man dropped into a tree, according to the young witness, “A dragon”
This series has all the hallmarks of a really unique set of police characters, an investigation into some of the city’s darkest shadows with some fantastically gritty and unusual crimes. They can be read in any order but to get the full delight especially the changing moods of Grumpy Bob – then read from the first.
The crime of how the man in the tree came to be there was skillfully done – a whole case unravelled and brought in some really dubious characters in the city living in some of its dark parts but also some of its nicest. Just goes to show that evil can lurk anywhere.
Oh and the end? I mentally high-fived James Oswald at this – can’t wait to see how THAT pans out!
Written in Bones? A cracking addition to a brilliant series and that’s written in stone.
January 1, 2023
This is the 7th in the McLean series but the first one I've read but I'll be going back to read the other six really soon. There are intriguing things I need to know the answers to...how did his house burn down? How did his girlfriend end up in a coma and who is the mysterious Mrs Scaifre???
The last one is quite important as she pops up towards the end of this book and ends up with quite a big part to play.
I liked this...quite a lot. But then a body falling out of the sky is always a good way to get me interested in a story. I enjoyed all the characters, by now quite well rounded and fleshed out with their seventh outing. Everything really gels well. I read it fast but it's not fast paced. Oswald gets over the constant lack of movement with the case without really slowing down the pace of the book.
The plot is unusual with modern day opium dens, the guy falling out of the sky, some very odd polismen (it's set in Edinburgh). And despite my opening comments does work well as a stand alone novel. Although I will go back and read the other works I don't feel I missed out on not reading them before picking this up.
Recommended.
The last one is quite important as she pops up towards the end of this book and ends up with quite a big part to play.
I liked this...quite a lot. But then a body falling out of the sky is always a good way to get me interested in a story. I enjoyed all the characters, by now quite well rounded and fleshed out with their seventh outing. Everything really gels well. I read it fast but it's not fast paced. Oswald gets over the constant lack of movement with the case without really slowing down the pace of the book.
The plot is unusual with modern day opium dens, the guy falling out of the sky, some very odd polismen (it's set in Edinburgh). And despite my opening comments does work well as a stand alone novel. Although I will go back and read the other works I don't feel I missed out on not reading them before picking this up.
Recommended.
January 3, 2018
I love this series so much and this is a corker!
June 19, 2020
All of my reviews can be found at https://damppebbles.com/
I chose to read and review an eARC of Written in Bones but that has in no way influenced my review.
Oh the perils of NetGalley. Imagine the scene. Wherever you look, crime fiction readers are raving about an author and your FOMO seriously kicks in. Everywhere I looked on social media, the name James Oswald was being mentioned. The need to read a book by Oswald went from being ‘vaguely intrigued’ to ‘epically strong’, so I toddled off to NG and requested Written in Bones. Only to discover that it’s the seventh book in the DI Tony McLean series 🤦. Book seven. Now, I don’t mind going into a series partway through, but knowing I had missed out on six earlier books had me worried. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with DI McLean and team, but I did feel a little lost at times. If you’re coming to this series for the first time, then I would strongly suggest that you start at the beginning as I felt I struggled a little not knowing the history of these characters.
McLean is called to a crime scene in The Meadows and what he finds is like nothing he’s seen before. An ex-police officer with a notorious past is found dead in a tree. By the looks of things, Bill Chalmers was dropped from a great height. The 10-year-old boy who discovered the body tells of hearing a dragon whilst out walking his dog. But surely that can’t be the case, can it…? McLean is at a loss. Taking a microscope to Chalmers’ colourful life, they struggle to find why anyone would want him dead and in such an elaborate fashion to boot! Staff shortages, the sudden retreat of many of the senior officers and an eye witness account of a mythical beast, all muddy the waters. How far does McLean have to dig into the past to discover what really happened to Bill Chalmers and more importantly, why…?
I really liked DI Tony McLean. I read a lot of crime fiction, particularly police procedurals, and I enjoy it when an author gives their lead detective a different spin. McLean’s wealth and his determination to get the job done at any cost made him a memorable character. He doesn’t need to keep the bosses onside, and does whatever it takes and upsets whoever he needs to, to get the job done. I can see why this is such a popular series and why Oswald is a much-admired writer. I absolutely loved the cold, snowy setting of Edinburgh and could easily picture the scene as McLean drove through the streets in his vintage Alfa. I liked the way the treacherous weather hampered the investigation. It was almost a character in itself!
I found the plot a little confusing but I think that’s because there are quite a few key characters at play and I was meeting them for the first time. Had I had some experience or knowledge of the cast, then perhaps I would have been able to get to grips with the plot a little quicker. Rather than having to refer to my notes a lot of the time to remind myself who was who and what I knew about them up until that point.
Would I recommend this book? Sort of. I would recommend that you start at the beginning of the series with Natural Causes and work your way up to Written in Bones. There’s a lot of pressure on authors to make sure each of their books ‘stand alone’ but I feel there’s been too much water under the bridge for that to be the case with this book. I came into Written in Bones expecting to not fully understand all of the references to previous cases and to not be familiar with the characters. That’s what you get when you start a series partway through. But I felt I had been left out of the cool group at school, a little on the periphery and watching the action from afar. Not really understanding exactly what was going on. I loved Oswald’s writing, his characters and his bitterly cold Edinburgh, and would happily (gladly!) read more. Just in the right order this time.
**3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Amazon & Goodreads**
I chose to read and review an eARC of Written in Bones. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
I chose to read and review an eARC of Written in Bones but that has in no way influenced my review.
Oh the perils of NetGalley. Imagine the scene. Wherever you look, crime fiction readers are raving about an author and your FOMO seriously kicks in. Everywhere I looked on social media, the name James Oswald was being mentioned. The need to read a book by Oswald went from being ‘vaguely intrigued’ to ‘epically strong’, so I toddled off to NG and requested Written in Bones. Only to discover that it’s the seventh book in the DI Tony McLean series 🤦. Book seven. Now, I don’t mind going into a series partway through, but knowing I had missed out on six earlier books had me worried. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with DI McLean and team, but I did feel a little lost at times. If you’re coming to this series for the first time, then I would strongly suggest that you start at the beginning as I felt I struggled a little not knowing the history of these characters.
McLean is called to a crime scene in The Meadows and what he finds is like nothing he’s seen before. An ex-police officer with a notorious past is found dead in a tree. By the looks of things, Bill Chalmers was dropped from a great height. The 10-year-old boy who discovered the body tells of hearing a dragon whilst out walking his dog. But surely that can’t be the case, can it…? McLean is at a loss. Taking a microscope to Chalmers’ colourful life, they struggle to find why anyone would want him dead and in such an elaborate fashion to boot! Staff shortages, the sudden retreat of many of the senior officers and an eye witness account of a mythical beast, all muddy the waters. How far does McLean have to dig into the past to discover what really happened to Bill Chalmers and more importantly, why…?
I really liked DI Tony McLean. I read a lot of crime fiction, particularly police procedurals, and I enjoy it when an author gives their lead detective a different spin. McLean’s wealth and his determination to get the job done at any cost made him a memorable character. He doesn’t need to keep the bosses onside, and does whatever it takes and upsets whoever he needs to, to get the job done. I can see why this is such a popular series and why Oswald is a much-admired writer. I absolutely loved the cold, snowy setting of Edinburgh and could easily picture the scene as McLean drove through the streets in his vintage Alfa. I liked the way the treacherous weather hampered the investigation. It was almost a character in itself!
I found the plot a little confusing but I think that’s because there are quite a few key characters at play and I was meeting them for the first time. Had I had some experience or knowledge of the cast, then perhaps I would have been able to get to grips with the plot a little quicker. Rather than having to refer to my notes a lot of the time to remind myself who was who and what I knew about them up until that point.
Would I recommend this book? Sort of. I would recommend that you start at the beginning of the series with Natural Causes and work your way up to Written in Bones. There’s a lot of pressure on authors to make sure each of their books ‘stand alone’ but I feel there’s been too much water under the bridge for that to be the case with this book. I came into Written in Bones expecting to not fully understand all of the references to previous cases and to not be familiar with the characters. That’s what you get when you start a series partway through. But I felt I had been left out of the cool group at school, a little on the periphery and watching the action from afar. Not really understanding exactly what was going on. I loved Oswald’s writing, his characters and his bitterly cold Edinburgh, and would happily (gladly!) read more. Just in the right order this time.
**3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Amazon & Goodreads**
I chose to read and review an eARC of Written in Bones. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.
February 5, 2017
Very enjoyable. Tony McLean is a likeable lead character, and this series hasn't disappointed yet. It all gets wildly improbable towards the end, but I kind of like that.
August 1, 2018
#7 in Oswald's entertaining Tony McLean series set in Scotland and it was very enjoyable again. A very strange opening scene sees a body falling from a great height and landing in a tree with, well, disastrous results. When Tony and his team discover the criminal identity of the victim the case takes a very weird turn. A police procedural with the usual hint of the supernatural, I really enjoy visiting with these characters, including one who returns after being away for a while and one who mysteriously we don't see at all.
February 23, 2017
I absolutely love this series. It is one of the series which I would credit with enticing me back to reading in earnest. It is certainly the series that introduced me to the works of Stuart MacBride (readers of the series will understand why) and to be honest, since I started reading again, I have never looked back. And it’s proven to be a very popular series among friends and family too. I passed the bug onto my sister, who passed it onto a friend at work, who passed it onto her husband… Well, you get my drift.
So, I was absolutely stoked to lay my hands on an ARC of this just before Christmas, but knowing I would have to wait a time for the next instalment, I tried my hardest to hold off reading. And I did. For over a month. But then I gave into temptation. And for me, with these wonderful books, it is very much like opening a tub of Pringles. Once I pop, I can’t stop.
Oh, oh, oh what a story. Following on from the events in The Damage Done, Tony McLean has been on extended leave from the force and it is his first day back when he is called out to a suspicious death. Suspicious in as much as the body is skewered on the branch of a tree, several feet up in the air, and eye witness reports about how he got there are beyond belief. As they learn more about both victim and witness, the ties extend not only to the community but to the police force. McLean’s intuition kicks in and the strange coincidences surrounding the case start to become too frequent and much too suspicious to dismiss.
Now when we pick up the story, McLean’s life has been in disarray due to his suspension. The Cold Case Unit he had been temporarily reassigned to is under threat, and he has been trying to find his stride in his rekindled personal relationship. He comes up against antagonists galore, all trying to derail his investigation for reasons unknown and all of his allies seem to be pulled away from Edinburgh, perhaps as a means to isolate him. So it is with a very strange feeling in both my heart and my head when I say that as I read, I actually found myself starting to like Duguid. Yes. Seriously. The man who used to make McLean’s life hell… Well, he’s actually a real straight talker, totally old school but against corruption and, in this book especially, the man done good.
The tension in the story is palpable. You can feel the undercurrent of corruption, and McLean’s investigations once again bring him close to uncovering the true extent of the lies and deception rife within the upper echelons of the force. There were so many times when I felt my heart was in my mouth, partly because of the way people were trying to stop or misdirect the investigation, but also because of the moments where McLean’s life is placed in absolute peril. I am not sure whether he is the luckiest or unluckiest Detective on the planet, but the little bubble of protection he finds within his home needs to come in a handy travel pack I think. Either that or he should consider a job where he can work from home.
There are some very familiar characters who resurface in this book, some good and some very, very bad. I kind of miss MacBride (he could be a muppet but he was fun) and there was a lot less of the old guard with Grumpy Bob Laird, Dalgliesh and Ritchie taking more of a back seat. That said, the characters we were introduced to were great and very well developed, even in the short window we had with them. But the pièce de résistance is the reemergence of perhaps one of McLean’s greatest antagonists, as he crosses swords once more with ‘the one that got away’. At least, that is to say… well you’ll see when you read it. And you must, must read it. It’s full of all the twists and turns you would expect from this author; the beautiful supernatural come otherworldly tones that I adore and a few other surprises to make you smile along the way. And maybe it’s fair to say our author was missing one his other fabulous creations when he wrote this as there are echoes of the tales throughout.
And then that final bombshell. Oh poor, McLean. That’s a game changer for sure.
So, I was absolutely stoked to lay my hands on an ARC of this just before Christmas, but knowing I would have to wait a time for the next instalment, I tried my hardest to hold off reading. And I did. For over a month. But then I gave into temptation. And for me, with these wonderful books, it is very much like opening a tub of Pringles. Once I pop, I can’t stop.
Oh, oh, oh what a story. Following on from the events in The Damage Done, Tony McLean has been on extended leave from the force and it is his first day back when he is called out to a suspicious death. Suspicious in as much as the body is skewered on the branch of a tree, several feet up in the air, and eye witness reports about how he got there are beyond belief. As they learn more about both victim and witness, the ties extend not only to the community but to the police force. McLean’s intuition kicks in and the strange coincidences surrounding the case start to become too frequent and much too suspicious to dismiss.
Now when we pick up the story, McLean’s life has been in disarray due to his suspension. The Cold Case Unit he had been temporarily reassigned to is under threat, and he has been trying to find his stride in his rekindled personal relationship. He comes up against antagonists galore, all trying to derail his investigation for reasons unknown and all of his allies seem to be pulled away from Edinburgh, perhaps as a means to isolate him. So it is with a very strange feeling in both my heart and my head when I say that as I read, I actually found myself starting to like Duguid. Yes. Seriously. The man who used to make McLean’s life hell… Well, he’s actually a real straight talker, totally old school but against corruption and, in this book especially, the man done good.
The tension in the story is palpable. You can feel the undercurrent of corruption, and McLean’s investigations once again bring him close to uncovering the true extent of the lies and deception rife within the upper echelons of the force. There were so many times when I felt my heart was in my mouth, partly because of the way people were trying to stop or misdirect the investigation, but also because of the moments where McLean’s life is placed in absolute peril. I am not sure whether he is the luckiest or unluckiest Detective on the planet, but the little bubble of protection he finds within his home needs to come in a handy travel pack I think. Either that or he should consider a job where he can work from home.
There are some very familiar characters who resurface in this book, some good and some very, very bad. I kind of miss MacBride (he could be a muppet but he was fun) and there was a lot less of the old guard with Grumpy Bob Laird, Dalgliesh and Ritchie taking more of a back seat. That said, the characters we were introduced to were great and very well developed, even in the short window we had with them. But the pièce de résistance is the reemergence of perhaps one of McLean’s greatest antagonists, as he crosses swords once more with ‘the one that got away’. At least, that is to say… well you’ll see when you read it. And you must, must read it. It’s full of all the twists and turns you would expect from this author; the beautiful supernatural come otherworldly tones that I adore and a few other surprises to make you smile along the way. And maybe it’s fair to say our author was missing one his other fabulous creations when he wrote this as there are echoes of the tales throughout.
And then that final bombshell. Oh poor, McLean. That’s a game changer for sure.
February 22, 2017
Set in Edinburgh, with a lead character, Inspector Tony Mclean, it soon becomes obvious that there were previous stories in the series, which I’ve never read. But this can be enjoyed as a stand alone tale. However I did find the prose clunky. The lead character is a disappointment, seeming to achieve little day after day so it’s a wonder anything gets solved. It completely lacks the urgency and pace of the best police procedurals. Ian Rankin has no need to worry.
DI Tony Mclean, at times, doesn’t seem over bright. Used to Edinburgh all his life and it’s cold winters, he doesn’t seem to have an adequate overcoat or even gloves and a hat and mentally mocks colleges who do. I’m not interested in how bitingly cold he is or the number of times that we are told about his ancient Alvis car. He is supposedly very wealthy. Get a decant set of wheels then. He fights against the authority of higher ranking officers and goes off doing his own thing in the best tradition of fictional police heroes. But this time it just doesn’t seem convincing. He apparently has a huge house and he and his girl friend both have pressurised jobs. Who does the essential cleaning, washing, shopping for this big property. None of it rings true. Groups of constables are to be found standing around with nothing to do, just awaiting directions.. In this day of police cut backs and tight budgets ? ? I know one police officer very well who would say, they should be so lucky. I just got more and more irritated. And the ending, I found pretty silly too.
I requested this novel from NetGalley on the strength of its description. As I plodded through the book, plodded being an accurate description of my progress, my anticipated star rating slowly fell from five to four to three. In the end I was tempted by two and a half. I just found no reason to keep turning the pages. I’ll not say that I won’t be reading other books in this series, but there are quite a few more that I’d read first.
DI Tony Mclean, at times, doesn’t seem over bright. Used to Edinburgh all his life and it’s cold winters, he doesn’t seem to have an adequate overcoat or even gloves and a hat and mentally mocks colleges who do. I’m not interested in how bitingly cold he is or the number of times that we are told about his ancient Alvis car. He is supposedly very wealthy. Get a decant set of wheels then. He fights against the authority of higher ranking officers and goes off doing his own thing in the best tradition of fictional police heroes. But this time it just doesn’t seem convincing. He apparently has a huge house and he and his girl friend both have pressurised jobs. Who does the essential cleaning, washing, shopping for this big property. None of it rings true. Groups of constables are to be found standing around with nothing to do, just awaiting directions.. In this day of police cut backs and tight budgets ? ? I know one police officer very well who would say, they should be so lucky. I just got more and more irritated. And the ending, I found pretty silly too.
I requested this novel from NetGalley on the strength of its description. As I plodded through the book, plodded being an accurate description of my progress, my anticipated star rating slowly fell from five to four to three. In the end I was tempted by two and a half. I just found no reason to keep turning the pages. I’ll not say that I won’t be reading other books in this series, but there are quite a few more that I’d read first.
July 18, 2018
Having read this novel immediately after reading Ian Rankin’s Rather Be The Devil, I couldn’t help but compare and contrast the two series of crime novels set in the same city; i.e. Edinburgh, Scotland.
The two main differences for me are the emphasis on location and the central character. For Ian Rankin, Edinburgh is so central to his plots, one gets the impression that the crimes happening in his novels couldn’t happen elsewhere. Although James Oswald doesn’t shy away from geographical details, I get the impression his Edinburgh is just another medium-sized city with similar problems to any other medium-sized city.
The central characters are pretty much chalk and cheese: Rankin’s John Rebus is the archetypal cynical grizzled veteran, whereas Oswald’s Tony McLean is much younger and, despite some harrowing personal experiences, more idealistic. I could hardly imagine McLean cozying up to some villian he’d love to put behind bars, as Rebus occasionally does to “Big Ger” Cafferty.
James Oswald began his writing career with fantasy novels and there is something “almost supernatural” in some of his crime writing too. The body of an ex-cop, former drug-addict turned philanthropist is dropped over an Edinburgh park and lands in a tree. The only witness, a 10 year old boy, claims it was dropped by a dragon. Despite a multitude of problems, both professional and personal, Tony McLean does eventually manage to discover what really happened and why, although he comes close to death several times in the process.
I’d say, as well as using the same location, the other thing Messrs Rankin and Oswald have in common is an ability to craft a well-plotted, highly engaging crime thriller.
The two main differences for me are the emphasis on location and the central character. For Ian Rankin, Edinburgh is so central to his plots, one gets the impression that the crimes happening in his novels couldn’t happen elsewhere. Although James Oswald doesn’t shy away from geographical details, I get the impression his Edinburgh is just another medium-sized city with similar problems to any other medium-sized city.
The central characters are pretty much chalk and cheese: Rankin’s John Rebus is the archetypal cynical grizzled veteran, whereas Oswald’s Tony McLean is much younger and, despite some harrowing personal experiences, more idealistic. I could hardly imagine McLean cozying up to some villian he’d love to put behind bars, as Rebus occasionally does to “Big Ger” Cafferty.
James Oswald began his writing career with fantasy novels and there is something “almost supernatural” in some of his crime writing too. The body of an ex-cop, former drug-addict turned philanthropist is dropped over an Edinburgh park and lands in a tree. The only witness, a 10 year old boy, claims it was dropped by a dragon. Despite a multitude of problems, both professional and personal, Tony McLean does eventually manage to discover what really happened and why, although he comes close to death several times in the process.
I’d say, as well as using the same location, the other thing Messrs Rankin and Oswald have in common is an ability to craft a well-plotted, highly engaging crime thriller.
March 5, 2017
One cold morning a dragon flies over Edinburgh and a man falls from the sky to his death. Of course things are not what they seem at first, the dead man is a former cop and current philanthropist, and dragons don't exist. Recently returned to work after traumatic events in his last case, Tony Maclean is keen to see that the crime is solved. However investigation leads down many paths, uncovering corruption in the force and bringing him closer to his nemesis, Mrs Saifre.
I was drawn to read this book as Oswald had been flagged up as a writer who was developing a niche for gritty police procedurals, in that respect I was not disappointed. Having not read the previous books in the series I was at a disadvantage with regards to characters and references to to previous events but that did not spoil the enjoyment of this book. At its heart this is a standard crime novel but the main protagonist is well realised and the plot is sensible, it doesn't have slightly unrealistic twists that sometimes accompany this genre.
I was drawn to read this book as Oswald had been flagged up as a writer who was developing a niche for gritty police procedurals, in that respect I was not disappointed. Having not read the previous books in the series I was at a disadvantage with regards to characters and references to to previous events but that did not spoil the enjoyment of this book. At its heart this is a standard crime novel but the main protagonist is well realised and the plot is sensible, it doesn't have slightly unrealistic twists that sometimes accompany this genre.
June 25, 2019
This is one of the more "rational and sane" McLean mysteries right up to the end when it goes off the track and has all kinds of "supernatural" aspects. The formula is getting a bit wearisome. McLean always behind in paperwork. He always needs sleep. The top brass is always harping on him. And he seldom puts any criminal behind bars even if the "mystery" may have been explained. It is also true that he is seldom the superhero in these stories. He does not beat up the bad guys. He is always about to be killed at the end unless somebody saves him. There did seem to be some new characters introduced and some of the old "mean" bosses appear to be leaving the saga. The reappearance of the woman personification of evil is a bit of a problem for me. And there does seem to be a trend towards the current mysteries are always leading to very old problems.
March 24, 2018
The next one in this slightly off-kilter police procedural series, with the usual hint of the supernatural which is not enough to turn this into a horror story but is just enough to make you wonder whether, in fact, it might not after all be possible that there really is something demonic at work in high places. (I particularly like the hint of its involvement in the privatisation/outsourcing of the forensic science service!) Edinburgh in the snow, and corruption everywhere, especially in the police force. Tony McLean's private wealth makes him the focus for jealousy from his police colleagies, but also puts him beyond the reach of bribery.
December 18, 2019
7th in the series of crime novels with a supernatural element and a very enjoyable read it was. Inspector McLean is investigating a bizarre murder of a former police officer turned drug dealer turned charity boss and it draws him into the murky world of police cover ups but more sinisterly a character from a previous book who when last seen caused havoc in McLean's life and those of his colleagues. Added to the plot is the return of Emma , McLean's love interest and some interesting new characters. I will definitely be reading book 8 soon.
March 3, 2017
Detective Inspector Tony McLean has returned to duty after recovering from his previous exploits and the subsequent inquiry. At once he is into the mysterious death of a former policeman, reformed drug addict, and charity worker Bill Chalmers whose body has been dropped into the top of a tree. This leads him to corruption and malpractice. A supernatural ending that leaves unanswered questions. About 3.5 stars for me.
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