Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

DI Alec McKay #4

Expiry Date

Rate this book
As a detective's personal life unravels, he must piece together the clues to a baffling series of murders in this Scottish Highlands crime thriller.

A family day out turns sour for DI McKay when he stumbles across an unidentified corpse. The day becomes darker still when his brother-in-law goes missing and is eventually found dead, the result of a seemingly accidental fall.

Meanwhile, DCI Helena Grant has a disastrous on-line date with a senior manager of a local hotel chain whose behavior escalates from pompous to downright disturbing. And, as she arrives home, she receives a threatening text from someone who has clearly been watching her. When a further body is found at the edge of the Cromarty Firth, McKay and Grant begin to piece together a grim tale of violence, human trafficking, and the darkest family secrets.

Audible Audio

Published February 27, 2020

138 people are currently reading
138 people want to read

About the author

Alex Walters

46 books127 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
397 (46%)
4 stars
309 (36%)
3 stars
120 (14%)
2 stars
17 (2%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Sandy.
872 reviews242 followers
October 31, 2019
Poor DI Alec Mckay…..the guy just can’t catch a break (plus I’m beginning to think he’s a bit of a s**t magnet). He recently reunited with his wife & in an attempt to score points, he’s spending some time off walking the grounds of a local castle with the in-laws. So he really wasn’t expecting to find the first body. As for the second one…well, that just put a damper on the whole day.

His boss DCI Helena Grant isn’t faring much better. Her latest foray into online dating was a disaster. Initially, she wrote him off as annoying (and icky). But after some disturbing events, she’s beginning to wonder if he’s as harmless as she thought.

Get ready for lots of twists & turns. Both of these plot lines head off in surprising directions that keep you reading. The story deals with some serious issues but the addition of dry humour & sharp dialogue provide some welcome breaks in the tension when things get hairy.

This is such an enjoyable series. Each can be read as a stand alone with different investigations that challenge the reader. What unites the books is the relationship between Mckay & Grant. They’ve worked together for years & are used to each other’s personality tics. Mckay loves to grumble & mutter, providing darkly funny commentary as he digs into each case with relish. Grant is the kind of boss who is smart enough to give him lots of rope. He may be a bit unorthodox but his clearance rate speaks for itself.

Last year, the author stepped away from his series to bring us Winterman, an atmospheric historical who-dun-it I really enjoyed. But it’s always a treat to catch up with Mckay. So bring on book #5!
Profile Image for Linda Strong.
3,878 reviews1,709 followers
October 7, 2019


DC Alex McKay is having a rare day off. Along with his wife, her sister and her husband, they are doing little exploring. But the day is full of surprises.

They accidentally discover a dead man with no identity. And not long after, McKay's brother in law wanders off. It's only later that his body is found. First look makes it out as accidental fall. But sometimes first looks are deceiving.

Meanwhile, DCI Helena Grant has the date from hell with the senior manager of a local hotel claim. He doesn't want to take NO for an answer, and Helena becomes nervous. Later she receives some disturbing text messages from, she assumes, the same man.

And then another body is found. McKay and Grant finally start putting the puzzle pieces together. There is more to the deaths than was first thought. There are secrets ..and some of them are much closer to home than he or anyone else suspects.

This is a well written page turner with lots of twists and turns. The separate story lines, in themselves, are exciting to read, but as they merge together, the action becomes non-stop. The ending is quite unexpected and suspenseful.

Although 4th in the series, this is easily read as a stand alone. As always I highly recommend starting at the very beginning due to the finely drawn evolving characters.

Many thanks to the author / Bloodhound Books for the digital copy of this crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, the opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Profile Image for Jenny.
2,278 reviews73 followers
October 5, 2024
Expiry Date is book four in the DI Alec McKay series by Alex Walters. DI McKay was at a local attraction with his wife and sister-law when they encountered a body and the disappearance of his brother-in-law, who turned up dead. Due to the involvement of his brother-in-law, DI McKay, he could not be involved in the investigation, so when DCI Grant was having trouble with threats, he took over the investigation. When the third murdered victim was discovered, DI Mckay realised his case overlapped with the murder of a young man. Expiry Date's readers will continue following DI McKay's investigation to discover what happened.

Expiry Date is the first book I have read by Alex Walters, and I am pleased I found it. As soon as I opened the book, I knew I would engage with the story and the characters. I enjoy how Alex Walters incorporates two plots into his stories and how both stories complement each other. I love Alex Walters's portrayal of his characters and their intertwining throughout the book. Expiry Date is well-written and researched. I like Alex Walters's description of the settings of Expiry Date, which complemented the book's plot.

The readers of Expiry Date will learn about some of the consequences of online dating and about living in the Scottish highlands, specifically Cromarty Firth.

I recommend this book.
207 reviews1 follower
April 13, 2025
Great next book in the series, did not disappoint at all. Good addition of Chrissy sister, different storyline enjoyed
Profile Image for Alyson Read.
1,155 reviews56 followers
October 7, 2019
DI Alec McKay and his team in the Scottish Police return for a fourth adventure, having finally put the events of previous books to rest. This is one reason why although this story does work as a stand alone I would recommend reading these books in order if you can. If you don't you'll certainly find yourself wanting to go back and read the rest anyway! Things are going better for McKay who is trying to make a go of it with wife Chrissie and has great support at work from his boss DCI Helena Grant who seems to be able to overlook his abrupt and acerbic nature in favour of the great detective work he does. The story starts with an innocent day out for Alec, Chrissie, her sister Fiona and husband Kevin at Fort George taking in the historical displays and artefacts of the old military barracks. It was more the idea of the quiet loner Kevin, but Alec is pleased to be making an effort in family life. That is until he stumbles upon the body of a recently deceased young man whilst they are searching for Kevin who seems to have wandered off and got lost. McKay goes into work mode, calls in the team and in the middle of all this Kevin is found dead too, although his death looks to be a tragic accident. Meanwhile DCI Helena Grant has been trying on-line dating with some pretty uninspiring results in the main. Her latest date is something else though - arriving late, pompous, misogynistic and definitely creepy. It seems her unease was justified when she arrives home and starts to get threatening text messages she believes are from him. McKay quickly unearths a loathsome suspect using a number of false names and believes he has warned him off. A second body is discovered at the edge of the Cromarty Firth by the Black Isle and McKay starts to investigate, whilst another team are delving into Kevin's life with some startling revelations. Without finding any ID on the two young men the detectives are struggling to find a motive for the killings and are not even sure if they can be linked until finally they discover that one tiny thread that begins to unravel the cases and joins up all the evidence into one big explosive case. Most of the book is told at a good steady pace revealing little bits of evidence that allows the reader to be drawn in and start making their own theories as to what has happened. Then the action racks up towards the end, with the most delicious twist completely turning everything on its head as all the earlier parts of the book fall beautifully into place and make sense.
I must admit I never knew Inverness and the surrounding area was so dangerous but I really hope there are more crimes up there in the future for Alec McKay to solve!!
Profile Image for Donna Morfett.
Author 9 books70 followers
October 2, 2019
Mckay and his wife take his sister and brother in law to some historical battlements to look around while hosting their visit in Scotland. While there McKay comes across a dead body, a hazard of his job. Not long after, his strange, quiet, boring, law abiding brother in law is also found dead.

Grant goes on a date and gets a bad feeling about the guy, and tries to get away as quickly as she can. Her feeling turns out to be spot on when she tells her date Elliot that she's a cop. He still sends her abusive texts when she gets home and the next morning.

Jana is an illegal immigrant, working in a hotel as a cleaner, knowing that something isn't quite right, and using her advanced level of English to try and understand exactly what it is that's going on.

3 seemingly entirely separate stories that all interlink as the book goes on, and make a very gripping read. The plot is detailed and there are a lot of people involved, but at no point is it difficult to follow or boring.

Mckay falls into the popular stereotype of a cop with issues but somehow this seems different. He works hard and only tries to antagonise those who have annoyed him. He seems to have a great relationship with most of his team. There are elements of humour mixed in with these interactions.

As you get towards the end, there is a massive twist which I didn't see coming, but that's not the end of it. Very cleverly done. Will definitely be reading more by this author.
Profile Image for Lel Budge.
1,367 reviews30 followers
October 8, 2019
Expiry Date is #4 in the Alec McKay series but can easily be read as a stand-alone.

This begins with a family day out for Alec McKay, his sister Fiona and their partners. Kevin wanders off, and the other three come across a body…..but where is Kevin?


Meanwhile, Chief Inspector Helena Grant is on a date, and it’s not going too well. Helena leaves after the date, but feels uneasy and she later gets threatening texts…

There is also the story of Jana, a woman trafficked to Scotland and is working in a hotel….other women are not as lucky.

Are these cases linked? DI Alec Mckay is about to find out.

As the story progresses the clever plot all comes together in this gripping crime thriller. It is well paced and the characters are all well developed and realistic. While DI Alec McKay is a typical cop with issues, this doesn’t detract from the story in any way. I found this twisty thriller thoroughly engaging and I’ll be look8ng out for the next in the series.

Thank you to Bloodhound Books for the opportunity to participate in this Publication Day Party, for the promotional materials and a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Profile Image for Ellie Shepherd.
229 reviews14 followers
October 8, 2019
I absolutely loved this book, the settings, the characters and the storyline. A big fat 5 stars from me!!!
Profile Image for Linda.
467 reviews
March 4, 2021
Once more, Alex Walters has given me a truly satisfying read. Alec McKay is just as bull-headed and dependable as always and there is no doubt, that despite his somewhat dubious methods, he gets the job done. This plot was very different and most definitely intriguing. People disappearing, bodies turning up and strange things happening, that kept the reader interested enough to turn the pages well into the night. As always, with crime novels I like to try any work out who the killer is and what their motive might be. Normally I get it wrong, but on this occasion I really had no clue whatsoever, and even when I thought I was starting to understand what was going on, I discovered that I had been lead totally up the wrong path and the truth was completely unexpected. This is what I like about Alex Walter’s novels, they never fail to capture my imagination and keep me guessing. I have already ordered the next Alec McKay book and am looking forward to reading it.
545 reviews1 follower
October 9, 2020
As good, if not better.

Again we are drawn in the private lives of McKay and that of his boss. An afternoon with McKay, his wife, her sister and husband visiting an old fort and his boss having an internet date starts a curious chain of events. Two totally separate incidents are interwoven in a spare of deaths.
As always there is the Scottish humour amongst the dark goings on to bring a touch of relief. A thoroughly enjoyable read with a lovely twist in the tail. Roll on the next in the series!
Profile Image for Pgchuis.
2,383 reviews39 followers
November 4, 2020
I think I've read too many of these in a row. I enjoyed the sections about Kevin and Fiona, but the chapters from the perspective of Jana didn't really make sense to me. I'm pretty sure trafficked women don't spend their time polishing furniture, and although the text hinted at some of the other women moving on to mysterious new locations, this strand felt a bit of a cop-out. That and the motive for the murders being that the murderer cause this to lose a star.
Profile Image for Rosemary Hughes.
4,192 reviews23 followers
August 15, 2023
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title. (Audible Membership)
No matter where DI Alec McKay goes he sees murder victims. A Sunday outing to a military museum nets not one but two corpses.
This starts a new wave of murders, that our team of detectives must find the perpetrator as the death toll rises.
This episode is so full of coincidences. It's ridiculous! But good reading non the less.
Profile Image for Mystic Miraflores.
1,402 reviews7 followers
July 14, 2022
I like how the disparate threads throughout the different cases all came together in the end. I learned a few Scottish words along the way too, such as "numpty". I feel bad for DCI Helena Grant though, that she has to do online dating. The real culprit was quite a shocker. It is the second instance of a book I recently read where an abandoned baby given up for adoption, comes back for revenge. Not a very heart-warming thought, is it? I guess it is an easy trope to fall back on, but I doubt most adopted children would be as unhinged and vengeful. I look forward to reading more McKay and Grant books in the series.
226 reviews4 followers
June 30, 2025
There are only 8 people per square kilometer in the Scottish Highlands.

Might there be a reson?
Impossible to review this without spoilers, but have you noticed? Most of the people who commit murder in Mr Walters tales have something in common.
No. I don't mean that they are psycopaths.
3 reviews
April 16, 2020
Brilliant

I've read all three books in this series. I couldn't put them down. Twist and turns. And likeable characters. Definitely going to read the rest of his books
10 reviews
May 17, 2020
Another good book. Hopefully there will be another one in the series. I will definitely read it if there is.
7 reviews
March 14, 2021
Another riveting read from the author, characters that you get to know, look forward to next one
Profile Image for Raquel Santos.
698 reviews
September 1, 2022
Mais uma obra com homicídios múltiplos, desta vez uma das vítimas é parente de um dos polícias da equipa, com tudo o que isso acarreta.
78 reviews
September 6, 2023
Better than the others in the series but common thread is that I never believe the motives for why the killer has to kill so many people!! Just doesn’t ring true
Profile Image for Kevin.
877 reviews41 followers
March 11, 2024
4.5*

It was an excellent audiobook, but feel that the book was a bit convoluted and stretched in places but it didn't spoil the overall plot.
37 reviews
January 12, 2025
Brilliant

Another great read.This series just gets better and better. I have already downloaded the next book and can't wait to get started
Profile Image for Stephen Gray.
184 reviews4 followers
May 29, 2021
This series gets better and better. Thoroughly enjoying the saga of D I McKay and his team. I like the way one book actually follows the last one - meaning that one can really get to know the characters.
I also really like the setting, it is an area of Scotland that I know and love - well actually I love everywhere in Scotland!
Profile Image for Karolyn.
1,286 reviews41 followers
October 8, 2019
This is the fourth book in the DI Alec McKay series which is set in Scotland. He works for Police Scotland and appears to be quite a character! He covers quite an area around Inverness.

In this book, DI Alec McKay was visiting the fort with his wife, her sister, Fiona and her husband, Kevin. His wife and her sister found the body of a young man laying on one of the beds inside the garrison. Alec rang it in and coordinated everything till the police arrived as he was off-duty. He then noticed another disturbance so he went over to find a group of young men surrounding a body of a man resembling Kevin. ‘Oh no’, he thought and when he got to see the face, it was him. So he had to tell them there was a second body as well as tell Fiona what had happened. Not a great day off!

DCI Helena Grant had been trying online dating without success and the latest turned out to be the worst yet! He said he was the senior manager of a local hotel chain but he was so pompous and had such disturbing behaviour, he was nothing like his profile. Initially she didn’t know what to make of him but then she became uneasy in his company and the evening ended badly. Then came the threatening texts when she got home. Someone was watching her. She wasn’t usually easily frightened but this scared her.

In the morning, she hears about Alec’s eventful day and she mentions the text’s but they are given to another team as low priority. Another male body turns up dead. Who is killing these young men and why? Intriguing details of Kevin’s life start coming out, Fiona knew nothing about it, none of the family did. What had Kevin been upto? Then Helena is out for a meal with a friend when she spotted a young girl having a meal with the man who had sent her threatening texts. The girl left the table looking distressed and went to the toilets, Helena followed, they only came out after he had left without paying the bill. Helena took details and put a complaint in the next morning on her behalf, interestingly he had used a different name!

This book is full of plenty of twists and turns which is what makes it such a great read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I liked how it was all pieced together, that was some great writing and fantastic plotting. At some point I will be looking at reading the previous books as I want to read more of DI Alec McKay! 5 out of 5 from me!
Profile Image for Lynn.
152 reviews3 followers
September 25, 2019
Do we really know our family?!

A day out for Alec McKay, ends in the discovery of two bodies, that have died in two separate incidents.

The first body, is that of a man who is found lying on a bed in one of the displays; but with no ID or phone on him, it’s a mystery, and makes finding a reason for his death difficult.

But then McKay is called to a second body, that looks like he may have fallen to his death from the wall above. It’s only as he approaches that he discovers the second body is that of his brother in law Kevin, husband to his sister Fiona.

The question is,, Two deaths at the same place, on the same day, are the deaths linked?

Its when we meet Jana, that the story takes us in a completely different direction.

It becomes clear that she is in the country illegally, and for her, she keeps her head down, does what is required of her, and has this desire to make sure that she survives.

There are almost three separate stories running through the book and the feeling eagerness increases to find what it is that connects them.

As the coincidences start to merge, it’s then they come crashing into one another. The body count continues to rise and no one really knows where this is all actually going.

As the tension builds, escalating into a bloody crescendo, you think there are no more surprises.!! But…..!

For me, this was not a book that had me gripped from the start, it was more of a “pick me up and enjoy the read”; that was until I reached that moment of; “okay, now you’ve got me hooked”

It is clever writing, I loved the characters, and would definitely read more from this author.

On the last page you read “The End”, but truly hoping that there is a follow on to this.
1,050 reviews11 followers
October 1, 2019
The story opens with a day out for 2 couples at Fort George near Inverness and I enjoyed not only the description of that site but also the weather as it was so true to life. First of all one body is found curled up like a mannequin on a bed  and then having tried to find his brother in law, Alec McKay is drawn to a commotion on the other side of the fort walls , where another body has been found – that of his brother in law. What connection , if any, do the two bodies have?  We are then introduced to Jana who has been trafficked into Scotland along with others and is currently cleaning a local hotel until a buyer can be found for her and the other women. 

We also have a womanising leech (  any female who has dated on the internet is likely to have come upon one of these at some point) who dates Alec’s superior however she soon lets him know what she does for a living but does that mean he will back off?  Lots of interesting characters who are neatly drawn together at the end of the book.  Alex’s writing is very descriptive and this means you can empathise with many of the people and although some of the subject matter is not pleasant, he writes in a non confrontational style, making the reader aware but not uncomfortable.  I hadn’t read this author before however I will be looking out for him in the future.  4* given veering towards 4.5*!

Thanks to Bloodhound Books for the ARC to review.
874 reviews9 followers
September 24, 2019
This is a new author to me and I found Expiry Date to be an enjoyable read full of mystery and murder with plenty of twists. Not too bloody and gory, so perfect for the more sensitive reader, but plenty of action along the way. An intriguing and cleverly written plot with interesting characters. I especially took a shine to Alec Mckay, a very solid and likable copper, and the interaction with his boss Grant was spot on! Good banter. This is not the first in the series but held well for me as a stand alone however, I am now looking forward to seeing these characters develop further, as well as some great investigations as the series continues. Thanks to Bloodhound books for giving me the ARC in return for an unbiased and honest opinion.
Profile Image for Sharon Rimmelzwaan.
1,454 reviews42 followers
October 8, 2019
Well, I have read a few of Alex Walters books and this one did not disappoint. The 4th in the series, which can be read alone,but if you are like me you really need to get "under the characters skin" sort if thing, then you will read em all!

Expiry date begins with a rare day off which turns into the day from hell! Accidentally finding dead bodies, to deaths that look accidental and turn out not to be.This sets up the story which pulls all different events together ramping up the story which you can't put down, AT ALL! A big thank you to Bloodhound books and Alex Walters for an ARC, in return for my honest review.
782 reviews26 followers
September 27, 2019
The DI Alec McKay series by Alex Walters is always enjoyable and this latest instalment is no exception. McKay himself is an interesting and complex character, and the interaction with his colleagues and his attempts to rebuild his relationship with his wife Chrissy are well depicted. There are several interwoven strands to this novel, with Alec's own family involved, and although the plot throws up a number of interesting issues, I was not convinced that everything was fully resolved in the end.
Profile Image for Miki Jacobs.
1,452 reviews11 followers
September 25, 2019
An innocent day out with the in-laws starts a series of seemingly unconnected events. There is murder, possible suicide, assault and bad dates. Alex Mckay, not the most personable of people, has to take a side step and allow Charlie Farrow, his nemisis, to carry out the investigation. That is until another dead body is found. The ties that bind are bringing isolated incidents together and the team need to connect the dots. A very enjoyable read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.