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DCI Logan Crime Thrillers #2
Thicker than Water
Not all monsters are make-believe.
When a badly mutilated body washes up on the shores of Loch Ness, DCI Jack Logan's dream of a quiet life in the Highlands is shattered.
While the media speculates wildly about monster attacks, Jack and the Major Investigations Team must act fast to catch the killer before they can strike again.
But with Nessie-hunters descending on the area in their dozens, and an old enemy rearing his ugly head, the case could well turn out to be the most challenging of Jack's career.
And, if he isn't careful, the last.
Death and dark humour combine in this fast-paced Tartan Noir crime thriller set in the Highlands of Scotland.
When a badly mutilated body washes up on the shores of Loch Ness, DCI Jack Logan's dream of a quiet life in the Highlands is shattered.
While the media speculates wildly about monster attacks, Jack and the Major Investigations Team must act fast to catch the killer before they can strike again.
But with Nessie-hunters descending on the area in their dozens, and an old enemy rearing his ugly head, the case could well turn out to be the most challenging of Jack's career.
And, if he isn't careful, the last.
Death and dark humour combine in this fast-paced Tartan Noir crime thriller set in the Highlands of Scotland.
338 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2019
3784 people are currently reading
2376 people want to read
About the author
J.D. Kirk
59 books1,750 followersJD Kirk is the pen name of multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, and writer of comics, Barry Hutchison.
JD Kirk lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, two children, and a number of sturdy umbrellas. Despite writing from a young age, 'A Litter of Bones' is his first novel, and combines his love of the Highlands, crime thrillers, and cats.
JD Kirk lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife, two children, and a number of sturdy umbrellas. Despite writing from a young age, 'A Litter of Bones' is his first novel, and combines his love of the Highlands, crime thrillers, and cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 697 reviews
March 9, 2023
Death, the devil, and dark humour summarise this excellent read.
4.5 stars for a Scottish noir crime thriller set in the Highlands where DCI Logan is now living. Some interesting characters, a few references to Book One and a great plot unfolds.
There were brief moments that felt shallow or maybe it was a missing Logan’s characteristic black sense of humour. Overall, JD Kirk is brilliant and I’ll be reading on with great enthusiasm!
4.5 stars for a Scottish noir crime thriller set in the Highlands where DCI Logan is now living. Some interesting characters, a few references to Book One and a great plot unfolds.
There were brief moments that felt shallow or maybe it was a missing Logan’s characteristic black sense of humour. Overall, JD Kirk is brilliant and I’ll be reading on with great enthusiasm!
December 11, 2019
Enjoyed this just as much as book #1. On to the next one!
September 30, 2025
Passable.
January 9, 2021
Thicker than Water is book two in the DCI Logan Crime Thriller series by JD Kirk. DCI Jack Logan transferred from Glasgow to the Highlands of Scotland hoping for a quieter life. However, that did not happen. On his first day, he caught a case of young mutilated body washed up on the shores of Loch Ness. The readers of Thicker than Water will continue to follow DCI Jack Logan to find out what happens.
Wow, I am so please that I found the DCI Logan Crime Thriller series. I have not been disappointed with any of the books I have read in this series. Thicker than Water continue my love affair with this series. I love JD Kirk's portrayal of her characters and how they interact throughout this book. Thicker than Water is well written and researched by JD Kirk. I like JD Kirk description of the settings of Thicker than Water that allow me to imagine being part of the plot of this book.
The readers of Thicker than Water will understand the consequences of childhood rape and how it affects everyone. The readers of Thicker than Water will learn about the Goth culture and how it can be a phase or a way of life for some people.
I recommend this book.
Wow, I am so please that I found the DCI Logan Crime Thriller series. I have not been disappointed with any of the books I have read in this series. Thicker than Water continue my love affair with this series. I love JD Kirk's portrayal of her characters and how they interact throughout this book. Thicker than Water is well written and researched by JD Kirk. I like JD Kirk description of the settings of Thicker than Water that allow me to imagine being part of the plot of this book.
The readers of Thicker than Water will understand the consequences of childhood rape and how it affects everyone. The readers of Thicker than Water will learn about the Goth culture and how it can be a phase or a way of life for some people.
I recommend this book.
June 22, 2020
Liked this second book in the series more than the first. The first book had the predictable corrupt superiors and I was glad to see DCI Logan has moved on and his crew is much nicer and more entertaining. Good storyline, excellent narration--am I correct in thinking Angus King read Logan a bit differently in this book? Whatever the change, it was an improvement.
May 18, 2022
What an excellent read! The mystery is intriguing, the characters well fleshed-out. I didn't see the end twist coming at all. Off to read the next in the series.
August 2, 2025
(Audiobook). Interesting characters and fantastic dialogue. It’s a detective series and based in the Scottish highlands. The reader has a heavy accent. The story is good but the dialogue is really the draw to these books.
December 17, 2019
J.D. Kirk was a happy discovery for me. I enjoyed the debut thriller A Litter of Bones and this was a great follow up. It was an excellent story with a shock ending (don't you love those) and moments of humour that lighten an otherwise grim book. I will be reading more of these too.
September 4, 2019
Didn't particularly like Logan, but some of the other detectives were pretty good, especially Forde and Neish. The so-called humor was very slight, but some of the Loch Ness effects were okay. Not a great book by any means, but readable when you have a few hours.
February 8, 2021
Characters are overdone, the (not) funny banter gets tedious, it´s boring,the lead is a caricature (they all are,really). Awful.
September 21, 2019
Glad I was able to dip into the second of the series right after the first as this was another very enjoyable read and visit to Scotland. Our man DCI Logan is relocating from Glasgow back up to the highlands where the first book's action took place. He joins up with the team he had worked with and is greeted with a murder at the starting block.
The visuals are attention getting to be sure as we are given a wrapped body on the shores of Loch Ness with satanic markings, eyes gouged and initially putting the frighteners on a young lothario who steps into the waters for a wee swim when the young girl he was putting moves on rejects him.
This investigation turns out to be interesting indeed and will require teamwork to bring it to its surprising conclusion. A very good Scottish yarn!
Kindle Unlimited
The visuals are attention getting to be sure as we are given a wrapped body on the shores of Loch Ness with satanic markings, eyes gouged and initially putting the frighteners on a young lothario who steps into the waters for a wee swim when the young girl he was putting moves on rejects him.
This investigation turns out to be interesting indeed and will require teamwork to bring it to its surprising conclusion. A very good Scottish yarn!
Kindle Unlimited
June 25, 2020
Another brilliant DCI Jack Logan crime thriller! 4.5★'s
August 18, 2020
This one didn't reach the level of the first book for me. Or maybe I lightly overrated the previous book? 🤔 Anyway this thought didn't leave me the whole time through the story. I like the investigation team and a witty banter between the detectives but I didn't like Logan as much as I did in A Litter of Bones. Maybe the murder case was not very convincing to me.
It was a quick and easy read and I really enjoyed the setting of Scotland -this time Loch Ness.
Of course I am going to continue with the series and hoping the next case will be better.
July 16, 2020
Another smooth read by J D Kirk.
June 1, 2021
Thicker Than Water is the second book in J.D. Kirk’s DCI Logan series, and it was another addictive read. As with the first book, I was hooked on the story and was eager to see how all the pieces came together.
As with the first book, I drew a few more parallels between this and Stuart MacBride’s work than I probably should have, which did distract at times, but it was not enough to lessen my enjoyment of the story. The characters once again entertained, the crime gripped, and the humour had me smiling at some of the things that played out. Some of the details were a bit too obvious, but it did not remove my enjoyment of watching the pieces come together. Plus, there were new characters and elements introduced that I’m sure are going to play an interesting role going forward.
Without a doubt, I’m eager to see what else the series has in store.
As with the first book, I drew a few more parallels between this and Stuart MacBride’s work than I probably should have, which did distract at times, but it was not enough to lessen my enjoyment of the story. The characters once again entertained, the crime gripped, and the humour had me smiling at some of the things that played out. Some of the details were a bit too obvious, but it did not remove my enjoyment of watching the pieces come together. Plus, there were new characters and elements introduced that I’m sure are going to play an interesting role going forward.
Without a doubt, I’m eager to see what else the series has in store.
September 21, 2021
I'm just no sure about this series. I rated #1 at 3 star (it was pretty good for a starter in a 10+ series) and purchased #2 primarily off the very high Goodreads ratings (4.3 +). This one was as per the Goodreads definition - 'OK'. It's a fairly easy read but the conclusion let it down somewhat. It was, well, simplistic. Not alot of intrigue and it all came together almost like a YA mystery novel. I have however ordered #3 and will give the series one last chance.
January 21, 2023
I don’t know. I’m just not settling into this series yet.
September 16, 2024
След като бях заинтригувана от инспектор Джак Логан в "Котило от кости", с нетърпение посегнах към "Кръвта вода не става" от Дж. Д. Кърк
Останах разочарована този път - въпреки че се чете много по-бързо от първата книга, тук историята е някак плоска, действието е предвидимо. Има обрат, но той не е достатъчен, за да може книгата да впечатли читателя. Аз лично повече от ⭐⭐ не мога да дам.
Въпреки това ми стана някак приятно в началото на историята, защото героите са познати, има лека препратка към първата книга и това създаде известен уют. Още в първите глави е извършено убийство по особено брутален начин и главният герой започва разследване, което обещава да заинтригува читателя. Да, но не и този път...
Приготвила съм и май-новото заглавие от автора, но сега ще се разсея с няколко други книги преди да посегнах отново към Дж. Д. Кърк, в противен случай рискувам да започна да чета с някакви предубеждения!
Останах разочарована този път - въпреки че се чете много по-бързо от първата книга, тук историята е някак плоска, действието е предвидимо. Има обрат, но той не е достатъчен, за да може книгата да впечатли читателя. Аз лично повече от ⭐⭐ не мога да дам.
Въпреки това ми стана някак приятно в началото на историята, защото героите са познати, има лека препратка към първата книга и това създаде известен уют. Още в първите глави е извършено убийство по особено брутален начин и главният герой започва разследване, което обещава да заинтригува читателя. Да, но не и този път...
Приготвила съм и май-новото заглавие от автора, но сега ще се разсея с няколко други книги преди да посегнах отново към Дж. Д. Кърк, в противен случай рискувам да започна да чета с някакви предубеждения!
May 18, 2022
Loved the dry english humour between the characters here; although I feel the story despite having a gripping plot really failed to deliver a proper conclusion. I wish there was more back story.
Gonna give this series another try and see if the next book works out for me or not.
Gonna give this series another try and see if the next book works out for me or not.
February 22, 2023
Brilliant
September 24, 2025
A very enjoyable second book in the series. The irascible yet likeable DCI Jack Logan and his team are well developed and good fun. The murder itself is horrific and the background interesting!
July 4, 2019
A grisly murder, the Occult & the Loch Ness Monster
DCI Jack Logan of the Glasgow Major Investigations Team transfers up north to the Highlands, hoping for a quieter life. Logan’s newest case is a grisly mutilation murder at Loch Ness, and this investigation doesn’t proceed smoothly for Logan and his team. The storyline is intriguingly plotted. I like the police characters, but the pathologist, Dr. Shona Maguire, is a delightfully quirky character.
This police procedural has many interesting elements: a Russian drug smuggler, the Occultist Aleister Crowley’s house, Ouija boards, exorcism rituals, demon possession, and “apotropaic magic,” which was new to me. There are lighter moments, too: Logan eats mystery meat in a maybe-it’s-curry dish; Loch Ness Monster sightings; British tabloid headlines link Nessie to the murder; Logan has no clue about Subreddits postings. Plus, I wanted to try a Coke-Float with the characters.
It’s possible to read this book as a stand-alone, because the author includes enough backstory. I did read the first book of this series—“A Litter of Bones”—but I honestly couldn’t remember many details, except cats were tortured.
DCI Jack Logan of the Glasgow Major Investigations Team transfers up north to the Highlands, hoping for a quieter life. Logan’s newest case is a grisly mutilation murder at Loch Ness, and this investigation doesn’t proceed smoothly for Logan and his team. The storyline is intriguingly plotted. I like the police characters, but the pathologist, Dr. Shona Maguire, is a delightfully quirky character.
This police procedural has many interesting elements: a Russian drug smuggler, the Occultist Aleister Crowley’s house, Ouija boards, exorcism rituals, demon possession, and “apotropaic magic,” which was new to me. There are lighter moments, too: Logan eats mystery meat in a maybe-it’s-curry dish; Loch Ness Monster sightings; British tabloid headlines link Nessie to the murder; Logan has no clue about Subreddits postings. Plus, I wanted to try a Coke-Float with the characters.
It’s possible to read this book as a stand-alone, because the author includes enough backstory. I did read the first book of this series—“A Litter of Bones”—but I honestly couldn’t remember many details, except cats were tortured.
September 30, 2022
I am rounding up what I feel is really a 2.5 stars rating. This was a good enough read to keep me somewhat entertained, but not a great one by a long shot. The characters seem a bit like cardboard cut-outs with little depth and not much personality, though I believe the author tries to add a bit of humor to help make them seem more endearing. The protagonist came off a bit dim, while he is portrayed as a top notch detective in his force. Some things he didn't notice or catch on to left ME scratching my head, and I am no detective. The storyline began with some promise but digressed as I went along becoming a bit too predictable and read more like a TV detective drama for me. I don't think I'll be likely to pick up another in this series, but perhaps, if I am REALLY in need of a book!
March 25, 2024
След като прочетох първата, нямах търпение да прочета и втората. Тази втора книга от поредицата за Джак Логан има същите качества, които ме привлякоха и в първата книга. Удоволствие за четене. Сюжетът ви държи ангажирани от първата глава до последния ред на книгата. Героите, включени в историята, наистина се чувстваха триизмерни и историята беше интригуваща и завладяваща. Адски ме грабнаха книгите за Джан Логан. Комбинацията от герои и техните взаимоотношения е просто безупречнам, защото всички герои са интересни сами по себе си. Беше вълнуващо, правдоподобно и на места много смешно. Тази нотка на хумор и сарказъм издига тези книги от мрачните истории за убийства, които някои други пишат. Каквото и да кажа за Бари Хътчисън ( това е истинското му име на автора), все ще е малко. Невероятна книга, наистина се наслаждавам на тази поредица, надявам се останалите да са толкова завладяващи, колкото беше тази!
December 8, 2023
Ghastly case.
Far too obvious who the perpetrator. Also, I think between frustrating characters and the level ofーlet's just say disturbingness of the 3 books in the series I've read so far, I'm thinking this series/author just might not be for me.
Far too obvious who the perpetrator. Also, I think between frustrating characters and the level ofーlet's just say disturbingness of the 3 books in the series I've read so far, I'm thinking this series/author just might not be for me.
January 5, 2022
Another gripping and fantastic read. Really loved the character development in particular and the twists and turns in this book. Astouned by that plot twist at the end... was not expecting that! Onto the next one, excited to read what more lies ahead with DCI Jack Logan 😎👊🏽
March 28, 2023
It was a good page turner. The main character DCI Logan is back with the team on a second murder case I like how they are all gelling together.
August 5, 2023
Picks up where the first leaves off. Interesting twists along the way. Leaves you looking forward to the next one
May 19, 2024
Труп изплува от езерото Лох Нес: https://knigolandia.info/kruvta-voda-...
Заварваме многострадалния Джак в процес на преместване сред провинциалния пейзаж, доминиран от езерото, но няма кой да му даде време да се настани удобно. Вместо това от езерото изплува зловещо изтезаван труп на млада жена и той мигом е хвърлен в динамично разследване, в което подчинените му ще се надпреварват да правят грешки – отчасти обусловени от кървавите събития в края на предната книга. Логан се оказва лъган от всички страни, след като се опитва малко по малко да разплете какво се е случило с тази млада жена, а скоро на фокуса на диренията се оказва стар негов познайник, който определено не се занимава със законни дейности.
Artline Studios
https://knigolandia.info/kruvta-voda-...
Заварваме многострадалния Джак в процес на преместване сред провинциалния пейзаж, доминиран от езерото, но няма кой да му даде време да се настани удобно. Вместо това от езерото изплува зловещо изтезаван труп на млада жена и той мигом е хвърлен в динамично разследване, в което подчинените му ще се надпреварват да правят грешки – отчасти обусловени от кървавите събития в края на предната книга. Логан се оказва лъган от всички страни, след като се опитва малко по малко да разплете какво се е случило с тази млада жена, а скоро на фокуса на диренията се оказва стар негов познайник, който определено не се занимава със законни дейности.
Artline Studios
https://knigolandia.info/kruvta-voda-...
May 26, 2023
I liked this one more than the first. The mystery was extremely engaging.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 697 reviews