Newly-wed and happy, surely criminal lawyer Robbie Munro can stay out of trouble. But a notorious child-murderer might soon be free because prosecution evidence was fabricated – and it was Robbie’s dad who secured the conviction.
With time running out, can Robbie uncover the truth?
I love this series – funny, insightful, great characters, witty and absorbing writing and always brilliant stories as we follow along in the wake of Robbie Munro, lawyer extraordinaire (sort of) and loving Husband and Father. Who consistently and hilariously finds himself in trouble all the time – but also manages somehow to get to the truth of everything.
Stitch Up finds him in not one but two sets of hot water as he tries to investigate the death of an old flame’s current flame and at the same time save his Dad from himself as he comes under scrutiny in an old serial killer case. As ever the setting pops from the page, the characters are lively and there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
The best parts of the Best Defence novels comes from within the personal relationships – Robbie and his wife (I still remember giggling at the moment he became engaged in a previous novel) his daughter, his brother (LOVE Malky, you will too) and their constant domestic shenanigans. At the same time there is always another case to solve for Robbie, the plotting is always brilliantly intelligent and these are just purely entertaining and utterly authentic. Stitch Up was possibly my favourite one yet but to be fair Willam McIntyre has yet to set a foot wrong in this series. Long may it live!
This is my first read of the series (I'll definitely be going back to read the others!) I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced and gripping read with interesting characters and storylines.
The story opens with Criminal Lawyer, Robbie Munro meeting up with old friend and acquaintance, Cammy Foster who is looking for some assistance. Ricky Hertz is getting out of prison after 18 years and Cammy is totally raging. Hertz killed three girls including his sister, whose body has never been found. He'd like to take matters into his own hands but Robbie warns him against it.
New evidence has been uncovered and the Counter Corruption Unit are looking into the case. Robbie's dad, Alex Munro was a Police Sergeant at the time and is being investigated. Some unexpected things happen which shed a whole new light on the case and could change everything..
Meanwhile, ex-girlfriend Jill wants Robbie to look at the suspicious death of her rich husband, Hercule Mercier who died suddenly in his suite at The Newberry. Jill hands Robbie a large amount of cash to pay for his time although he and others believe it was suicide rather than murder.
There are a few of twists near to the end which I didn't see coming (a couple of which I'm still thinking about now!) Would highly recommend this un-put-downable and fast-paced read.
The main character in the book, Robbie Munro, is a criminal lawyer just like the author and McIntyre’s background knowledge really shines through in the writing and makes the book feel very authentic (although I’m not sure most real lawyers would go as far as he done in the pursuit of the truth). I really enjoyed the legal spin on the traditional crime thriller, it gave an interesting and unusual perspective that was refreshing.
The characters in this book are entertaining and, on the most part, very likeable and I was drawn through the book very easily, my interest held from page to page. Robbie’s personal life features quite heavily, particularly as his father is the subject of one of the two story lines, and I really enjoyed this aspect, particularly the appearances of his daughter, who is a feisty six-year-old with a lot of opinions she is not afraid to express. It gave the book a lightness amongst the tension which was very enjoyable.
As indicated above, there are two plots running along side by side. One is the re-opening of an old case involving Robbie’s father which he gets involved in in the hopes of keeping his father from jail. The other is a recent death that he is invited to investigate by his ex-fiance. The dual story lines were both well-plotted and intriguing and kept the book interesting and moving forward. There were plenty of twists and turns to propel the book forwards and I did not see most of them coming, the writing is very clever. I really enjoyed the whole tone of the book, it was very easy to get engrossed in.
The book is set in Linlithgow, not a place I know well, and I really loved the flavour of Scotland infused throughout. Tartan Noir is a big trend at the moment and this book is a welcome addition to the genre.
I would highly recommend this book and I will definitely be going back to read the previous books in the series.
Yet another hilarious legal thriller from William McIntyre. The plot is excellent, the characters are wonderful, and I can't wait to read about what Robbie gets up to next!
Gripping, intriguing, and darkly witty at times, STITCH UP by William McIntyre is a cracking story that will leave you wanting more from the main characters.
Robbie Munro is happy. Happily married, happy with his little daughter, and happy with his work as a criminal attorney. But like all things in life you never know what lies around the corner. Suddenly the woman who dumped him turns up looking for his help in investigating the death of her partner, and when a convicted child killer finds himself released on the premise that evidence was fabricated, Robbie finds himself defending his father who was the police sergeant at the time. As Robbie tries to uncover the truth for everyone involved, he soon realises that there is a lot more hidden to these cases than meets the eye, and will the guilty be brought to justice?
I immediately got sucked into this story and with excellent pacing and dynamic prose, I was hooked to the very end. There is plenty of detective work, clues, twists, and moments of dark humour to make STITCH UP by William McIntyre a really good read and I highly recommend it to crime fiction fans everywhere.
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from the Publisher
Criminal lawyer Robbie Munro has sat in on a lot of police interviews in his time; but he never thought he’d be sitting in on one where his dad Alex was the suspect.
Child-murderer Ricky Hurtz has always protested his innocence saying the police stitched him up. Now Hurtz is due for release and Alex hasn’t just been accused of planting evidence, he’s been charged for it.
Can Robbie save Alex from being found guilty? To find out you’re just going to have to read Stitch Up; book four in the Robbie Munro series by William McIntyre.
Stitch Up is a great read. I alternated back and forward on my thoughts about whether Alex did it or not. I liked that it was so cleverly written that just when I thought I had it figured out, something would make me second guess myself.
I loved that many of my favourite characters from the previous three books were back, as they are a rich but diverse bunch of personalities that just work, despite their quirks and crazy ways.
It was also during reading Stitch Up that it dawned on me that Robbie reminded me of Saul Goodman from Better Call Saul. He’s a great guy, has a super smart lawyer as his partner, an ‘interesting’ family, and despite his boyish charm; he just can’t help but be in the wrong place at the wrong time and inevitably in over his head. It’s how Robbie manages to get out of these sticky situations that makes him so endearing and leaves you with a soft spot for him.
If you’re yet to discover the genres of tartan noir and Caledonian crime, then the Robbie Munro series is the perfect way to start. Whilst you can definitely read this as a stand alone book, the authenticity that comes from having an experienced Scottish criminal lawyer as the author means that you’re going to want to read the whole series; especially if you love a good whodunnit, mystery, crime or legal novel.
I highly recommend this engaging mystery that will suck you in, grip you tight and not let you go until they very last page. Add in a few laughs along the way and you’ll soon see why I’m binge reading this series.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
This is the third book which I have read in this series about a defense lawyer in Scotland. Robbie Munro is asked to look at a suicide case which may really be a murder while also trying to help his retired police officer father who may have caused an innocent man to be imprisoned many years ago. In this story Robbie figures out the truth without relying on points of law. The truth is pretty depressing though. The supporting characters Robbie's wife Joanna and his six year old daughter Tina add a touch of lightness to the story.
Robbie's ex, Jill, comes to him to investigate the death of her current partner (husband?) Hercule. The coroner says it's a suicide. Jill thinks it was murder.
Meanwhile, Robbie's father, who is a retired cop, is on the hot seat for supposedly falsifying evidence to send a child-murderer to prison. After having served 18 years, the convicted man claims he was innocent.
Well written and enjoyable story about a convicted child killer's appeal. Despite how it sounds, it's light hearted and fun with likeable characters. McIntyre's got a funny way with words that I'm sure more than the Scottish will find amusing.
A really good book - funny, with plenty of action showing a man trying to do his best as circumstances increasingly work against him. Interesting moral at the end - the end justified the means? I'm not sure I ever really felt Joanna was going to leave our hero, but for the rest, smashing!
Why have I never heard of the author William McIntyre or his Robbie Munro thriller series, featuring Defence Lawyer Robbie Munro ? I really enjoyed this novel which is book 9 in the series, so I have a lot of catching up to do.