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The Dead of Winter
It was supposed to be an easy job.
All Detective Constable Edward Reekie had to do was pick up a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him somewhere to live out his last few months in peace.
From the outside, Glenfarach looks like a quaint, sleepy, snow-dusted village, nestled deep in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, but things aren't what they seem. The place is thick with security cameras and there's a strict nine o'clock curfew, because Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for people who've served their sentences but can't be safely released into the general population.
Edward's new boss, DI Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen before the approaching blizzards shut everything down, but when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow, someone needs to take charge.
The weather's closing in, tensions are mounting, and time's running out - something nasty has come to Glenfarach, and Edward is standing right in its way...
All Detective Constable Edward Reekie had to do was pick up a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him somewhere to live out his last few months in peace.
From the outside, Glenfarach looks like a quaint, sleepy, snow-dusted village, nestled deep in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, but things aren't what they seem. The place is thick with security cameras and there's a strict nine o'clock curfew, because Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for people who've served their sentences but can't be safely released into the general population.
Edward's new boss, DI Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen before the approaching blizzards shut everything down, but when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow, someone needs to take charge.
The weather's closing in, tensions are mounting, and time's running out - something nasty has come to Glenfarach, and Edward is standing right in its way...
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2023
398 people are currently reading
1402 people want to read
About the author
Stuart MacBride
87 books2,722 followersAka Stuart B. MacBride
The life and times of a bearded write-ist.
Stuart MacBride (that's me) was born in Dumbarton -- which is Glasgow as far as I'm concerned -- moving up to Aberdeen at the tender age of two, when fashions were questionable. Nothing much happened for years and years and years: learned to play the recorder, then forgot how when they changed from little coloured dots to proper musical notes (why the hell couldn't they have taught us the notes in the first bloody place? I could have been performing my earth-shattering rendition of 'Three Blind Mice' at the Albert Hall by now!); appeared in some bizarre World War Two musical production; did my best to avoid eating haggis and generally ran about the place a lot.
Next up was an elongated spell in Westhill -- a small suburb seven miles west of Aberdeen -- where I embarked upon a mediocre academic career, hindered by a complete inability to spell and an attention span the length of a gnat's doodad.
And so to UNIVERSITY, far too young, naive and stupid to be away from the family home, sharing a subterranean flat in one of the seedier bits of Edinburgh with a mad Irishman, and four other bizarre individuals. The highlight of walking to the art school in the mornings (yes: we were students, but we still did mornings) was trying not to tread in the fresh bloodstains outside our front door, and dodging the undercover CID officers trying to buy drugs. Lovely place.
But university and I did not see eye to eye, so off I went to work offshore. Like many all-male environments, working offshore was the intellectual equivalent of Animal House, only without the clever bits. Swearing, smoking, eating, more swearing, pornography, swearing, drinking endless plastic cups of tea... and did I mention the swearing? But it was more money than I'd seen in my life! There's something about being handed a wadge of cash as you clamber off the minibus from the heliport, having spent the last two weeks offshore and the last two hours in an orange, rubber romper suit / body bag, then blowing most of it in the pubs and clubs of Aberdeen. And being young enough to get away without a hangover.
Then came a spell of working for myself as a graphic designer, which went the way of all flesh and into the heady world of studio management for a nation-wide marketing company. Then some more freelance design work, a handful of voiceovers for local radio and video production companies and a bash at being an actor (with a small 'a'), giving it up when it became clear there was no way I was ever going to be good enough to earn a decent living.
It was about this time I fell into bad company -- a blonde from Fife who conned me into marrying her -- and started producing websites for a friend's fledgling Internet company. From there it was a roller coaster ride (in that it made a lot of people feel decidedly unwell) from web designer to web manager, lead programmer, team lead and other assorted technical bollocks with three different companies, eventually ending up as a project manager for a global IT company.
But there was always the writing (well, that's not true, the writing only started two chapters above this one). I fell victim to that most dreadful of things: peer pressure. Two friends were writing novels and I thought, 'why not? I could do that'.
Took a few years though...
The life and times of a bearded write-ist.
Stuart MacBride (that's me) was born in Dumbarton -- which is Glasgow as far as I'm concerned -- moving up to Aberdeen at the tender age of two, when fashions were questionable. Nothing much happened for years and years and years: learned to play the recorder, then forgot how when they changed from little coloured dots to proper musical notes (why the hell couldn't they have taught us the notes in the first bloody place? I could have been performing my earth-shattering rendition of 'Three Blind Mice' at the Albert Hall by now!); appeared in some bizarre World War Two musical production; did my best to avoid eating haggis and generally ran about the place a lot.
Next up was an elongated spell in Westhill -- a small suburb seven miles west of Aberdeen -- where I embarked upon a mediocre academic career, hindered by a complete inability to spell and an attention span the length of a gnat's doodad.
And so to UNIVERSITY, far too young, naive and stupid to be away from the family home, sharing a subterranean flat in one of the seedier bits of Edinburgh with a mad Irishman, and four other bizarre individuals. The highlight of walking to the art school in the mornings (yes: we were students, but we still did mornings) was trying not to tread in the fresh bloodstains outside our front door, and dodging the undercover CID officers trying to buy drugs. Lovely place.
But university and I did not see eye to eye, so off I went to work offshore. Like many all-male environments, working offshore was the intellectual equivalent of Animal House, only without the clever bits. Swearing, smoking, eating, more swearing, pornography, swearing, drinking endless plastic cups of tea... and did I mention the swearing? But it was more money than I'd seen in my life! There's something about being handed a wadge of cash as you clamber off the minibus from the heliport, having spent the last two weeks offshore and the last two hours in an orange, rubber romper suit / body bag, then blowing most of it in the pubs and clubs of Aberdeen. And being young enough to get away without a hangover.
Then came a spell of working for myself as a graphic designer, which went the way of all flesh and into the heady world of studio management for a nation-wide marketing company. Then some more freelance design work, a handful of voiceovers for local radio and video production companies and a bash at being an actor (with a small 'a'), giving it up when it became clear there was no way I was ever going to be good enough to earn a decent living.
It was about this time I fell into bad company -- a blonde from Fife who conned me into marrying her -- and started producing websites for a friend's fledgling Internet company. From there it was a roller coaster ride (in that it made a lot of people feel decidedly unwell) from web designer to web manager, lead programmer, team lead and other assorted technical bollocks with three different companies, eventually ending up as a project manager for a global IT company.
But there was always the writing (well, that's not true, the writing only started two chapters above this one). I fell victim to that most dreadful of things: peer pressure. Two friends were writing novels and I thought, 'why not? I could do that'.
Took a few years though...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 449 reviews
October 28, 2022
Snow has fallen, snow and snow in this deadly Winters Tale. The ensuing gritty violent story all starts when DI Victoria Elizabeth Montgomery – Porter AKA “Bigtoria“ (top tip, don’t call her that to her face if you want your bits to remain intact) and DC Edward Reekie collect ageing con Mark Bishop from HMP Grampian after serving a 25 year sentence. They’ve to take him to Glenfarach, a quaintly pretty Scottish village with CCTV cameras everywhere, literally everywhere. This place is as creepy as it gets, think Village of the Damned as everyone here is out of prison on license, ankle monitors and all and they don’t get to leave. These are people who are not considered safe to return to society - scared much?? Unfortunately, neither Bigtoria and Teddy get to leave either as within its joyful environs a dead body is found. It’s a horrifying murder and the beginning of all hell breaking loose.
Right from the very beginning Stuart MacBride yanks you into the intriguing storyline and keeps you gripped in the icy hands of a tense, fast paced and unpredictable plot. It’s a very clever combination of excellent humour (I laugh out loud, titter and snort my way through the blood and gore!) and a darkly enigmatic puzzling mystery with an investigation that seems hindered at every turn.
Glenfarach is something else, the place gives off a very foreboding atmosphere like that of a Grimm fairytale village with cold and snow blanketing all and then there’s the surrounding encroaching forest where you could believe monsters lurk and yes, they probably do. There’s snow, fire, incompetence about 200 ex-cons, I mean, what could possibly go wrong? Oh yes, they’re also cut off by the snow I keep mentioning! Yikes. The plot keeps thickening like the white stuff.
There are some really good, creative and colourful scenes with multiple twists and turns all written in a smart ironic, sardonic tone with excellent dialogue to match. There’s multiple double , treble, quadruple crossings so you have no idea which colourful character to trust, not that I would dare to say that Bigtoria’s face!
Yes, it’s probably a lot bonkers but it’s also a highly entertaining, mad caper which I enjoy from start to finish.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
Right from the very beginning Stuart MacBride yanks you into the intriguing storyline and keeps you gripped in the icy hands of a tense, fast paced and unpredictable plot. It’s a very clever combination of excellent humour (I laugh out loud, titter and snort my way through the blood and gore!) and a darkly enigmatic puzzling mystery with an investigation that seems hindered at every turn.
Glenfarach is something else, the place gives off a very foreboding atmosphere like that of a Grimm fairytale village with cold and snow blanketing all and then there’s the surrounding encroaching forest where you could believe monsters lurk and yes, they probably do. There’s snow, fire, incompetence about 200 ex-cons, I mean, what could possibly go wrong? Oh yes, they’re also cut off by the snow I keep mentioning! Yikes. The plot keeps thickening like the white stuff.
There are some really good, creative and colourful scenes with multiple twists and turns all written in a smart ironic, sardonic tone with excellent dialogue to match. There’s multiple double , treble, quadruple crossings so you have no idea which colourful character to trust, not that I would dare to say that Bigtoria’s face!
Yes, it’s probably a lot bonkers but it’s also a highly entertaining, mad caper which I enjoy from start to finish.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Transworld for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
November 9, 2022
If you are a fan of Stuart MacBride, then much will feel familiar in his latest offering, the black humour, the characters, and the twisty, farce of a narrative. Having said that, this is still a great fun, thrilling and entertaining read, and the atmospheric location of a remote sinister village with a difference in the Cairngorms, Glenfarach, in the frozen depths of winter, experiencing non-stop heavy snow blizzards, is enough to give anyone the shivers. It begins with a horrifying scenario, and the story goes back in time to show how events led to this dreadful nightmare. The put upon DC Edward Reekie unexpectedly finds himself accompanying his new, tough, hard to please boss, DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter, known behind her back as 'Bigtoria'.
They leave Aberdeen and have the apparently straight forward task of transporting an ageing and dying prisoner, the notorious Mark Bishop, from HMP Grampian to live out his final days at Glenfarach. The weather is atrocious but they manage to make it to what looks like a picturesque place, but take a closer look and you might notice the huge number of CCTV cameras, that all the residents are tagged, and a strict curfew of 9pm is enforced. Yes, Glenfarach is home to ex-prisoners who have served their time, but whose release into the community is problematic, so you have a concentration of brutal, violent, hardened criminals, paedophiles, sexual offenders, etc.. After dropping off Bishop into the care of DS Erin Farrow, they are forced amidst worsening weather conditions to return after a resident is discovered murdered, having been tortured to death in his home, and this will not be the only death.
Glenfarach is cut off from the outside world, surrounded by menacing woods that harbour who knows what horrors, and all communications are down, everyone is a suspect, and matters begin to swiftly unravel with rising tensions in a terrifyingly dangerous case, of murders, arson, where a social worker has gone missing, where no-one, but no-one, can be trusted and lives are at stake. Once again the author delivers a wonderful crime read that his fans are likely to love, as will many new readers reading him for the first time. There are twist and turns and laughs galore in this dark, gory, stylish and gripping novel with its fabulous location. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
They leave Aberdeen and have the apparently straight forward task of transporting an ageing and dying prisoner, the notorious Mark Bishop, from HMP Grampian to live out his final days at Glenfarach. The weather is atrocious but they manage to make it to what looks like a picturesque place, but take a closer look and you might notice the huge number of CCTV cameras, that all the residents are tagged, and a strict curfew of 9pm is enforced. Yes, Glenfarach is home to ex-prisoners who have served their time, but whose release into the community is problematic, so you have a concentration of brutal, violent, hardened criminals, paedophiles, sexual offenders, etc.. After dropping off Bishop into the care of DS Erin Farrow, they are forced amidst worsening weather conditions to return after a resident is discovered murdered, having been tortured to death in his home, and this will not be the only death.
Glenfarach is cut off from the outside world, surrounded by menacing woods that harbour who knows what horrors, and all communications are down, everyone is a suspect, and matters begin to swiftly unravel with rising tensions in a terrifyingly dangerous case, of murders, arson, where a social worker has gone missing, where no-one, but no-one, can be trusted and lives are at stake. Once again the author delivers a wonderful crime read that his fans are likely to love, as will many new readers reading him for the first time. There are twist and turns and laughs galore in this dark, gory, stylish and gripping novel with its fabulous location. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
March 30, 2023
It is a bold move to bury one of your main characters in the opening pages of your book. A good technique though since it forces your reader to gallop through the pages in order to discover what awful event could have led to this final situation. This is McBride's twisted sense of humour at work.
Our main characters are D.I. Victoria Montgomery-Porter and D.C. Edward Reekie, whose job it is to deliver an aging criminal from prison to Glenfarach, a town built to house people who have served their time but cannot be allowed back into the general population. Once they arrive a snowstorm settles in, roads are cut and telecommunications are all down. And then of course there is a murder, several actually and all of them particularly gory.
Edward spends most of his time in snowdrifts and it was amazing he did not get frost bite. Victoria is hell to work for and most of the other characters are ex prisoners with very unpleasant crimes listed in their pasts. Of course this is McBride so the humour is black and frequently very funny. Edward maintains a sort of running commentary under his breath of what he would like to say out loud which is very entertaining.
It goes without saying that there were many possible culprits and with hindsight I realised I should have guessed who the murderer was. In fact I was completely surprised. The ending is very exciting.
Another great read from this excellent author!
Our main characters are D.I. Victoria Montgomery-Porter and D.C. Edward Reekie, whose job it is to deliver an aging criminal from prison to Glenfarach, a town built to house people who have served their time but cannot be allowed back into the general population. Once they arrive a snowstorm settles in, roads are cut and telecommunications are all down. And then of course there is a murder, several actually and all of them particularly gory.
Edward spends most of his time in snowdrifts and it was amazing he did not get frost bite. Victoria is hell to work for and most of the other characters are ex prisoners with very unpleasant crimes listed in their pasts. Of course this is McBride so the humour is black and frequently very funny. Edward maintains a sort of running commentary under his breath of what he would like to say out loud which is very entertaining.
It goes without saying that there were many possible culprits and with hindsight I realised I should have guessed who the murderer was. In fact I was completely surprised. The ending is very exciting.
Another great read from this excellent author!
March 25, 2023
EXCERPT: Bigtoria sank into an office chair, pulled the phone towards her and dialled. Sat there with the handset to her ear, frowning. Then hung up and had another go. More frowning. This time, instead of returning the handset to the cradle, she clicked the button-thing up and down a few times.
Edward wandered over. 'Problem, Guv?'
'Nine for an outside line?' She poked the button again. 'Not even getting a dialling tone.'
Sergeant Farrow tried another phone. 'Fudge.'
Edward joined in, but the receiver just hissed in his ear. 'This one's buggered too.'
'Honestly!' Sergeant Farrow picked up another handset, jaw working on something tough as she listened. 'How are we supposed to work like this? "State-of-the-art operation, designed to handle one of the country's most challenging offender-management environments" my . . . bottom.' Slamming the handset down.
'OK . . .' Edward raised his eyebrows at Bigtoria. 'So we've no mobile signal, the Airwaves are shagged, and the landlines are down. We're completely cut off, aren't we.' In a village populated with sex-offenders, murderers, and the general dregs of the criminal justice system.
'Bastard.'
And then some.
ABOUT 'THE DEAD OF WINTER': It was supposed to be an easy job.
All Detective Constable Edward Reekie had to do was pick up a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him somewhere to live out his last few months in peace.
From the outside, Glenfarach looks like a quaint, sleepy, snow-dusted village, nestled deep in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, but things aren't what they seem. The place is thick with security cameras and there's a strict nine o'clock curfew, because Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for people who've served their sentences but can't be safely released into the general population.
Edward's new boss, DI Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen before the approaching blizzards shut everything down, but when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow, someone needs to take charge.
The weather's closing in, tensions are mounting, and time's running out - something nasty has come to Glenfarach, and Edward is standing right in its way...
MY THOUGHTS: Black humour is Stuart MacBride's speciality, and he delivers it in spades - along with a rollicking good novel laced with crime and corruption.
The storyline is unique and intriguing and I was instantly drawn in. To be honest, I've never before read anything quite like this.
Edward Reekie - I bet he had a hard time at school - is treated appallingly by his boss DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter, aka Bigtoria. She's a horrible woman. Yet he doggedly continues to do his job, albeit with a fair bit of moaning and whingeing when he's in her company. But when your backs are against the wall, he's the one to rely on.
Initially, I thought the idea of a 'retirement' village for criminals who can't, for one reason or another, be released back into the community when they have served their sentences was a good idea. I have since changed my mind.
The Dead of Winter is fast-paced, entertaining and unpredictable. I loved it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheDeadofWinter #NetGalley
I: @stuart.macbride @randomhouse
T: @StuartMacBride @randomhouse
#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery #scottishnoir #thriller #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Stuart MacBride lives in the northeast of Scotland with his wife Fiona, cats Gherkin, Onion and Beetroot, some hens, some horses and an impressive collection of assorted weeds.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Dead of Winter by Stuart MacBride for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Edward wandered over. 'Problem, Guv?'
'Nine for an outside line?' She poked the button again. 'Not even getting a dialling tone.'
Sergeant Farrow tried another phone. 'Fudge.'
Edward joined in, but the receiver just hissed in his ear. 'This one's buggered too.'
'Honestly!' Sergeant Farrow picked up another handset, jaw working on something tough as she listened. 'How are we supposed to work like this? "State-of-the-art operation, designed to handle one of the country's most challenging offender-management environments" my . . . bottom.' Slamming the handset down.
'OK . . .' Edward raised his eyebrows at Bigtoria. 'So we've no mobile signal, the Airwaves are shagged, and the landlines are down. We're completely cut off, aren't we.' In a village populated with sex-offenders, murderers, and the general dregs of the criminal justice system.
'Bastard.'
And then some.
ABOUT 'THE DEAD OF WINTER': It was supposed to be an easy job.
All Detective Constable Edward Reekie had to do was pick up a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him somewhere to live out his last few months in peace.
From the outside, Glenfarach looks like a quaint, sleepy, snow-dusted village, nestled deep in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, but things aren't what they seem. The place is thick with security cameras and there's a strict nine o'clock curfew, because Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for people who've served their sentences but can't be safely released into the general population.
Edward's new boss, DI Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen before the approaching blizzards shut everything down, but when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow, someone needs to take charge.
The weather's closing in, tensions are mounting, and time's running out - something nasty has come to Glenfarach, and Edward is standing right in its way...
MY THOUGHTS: Black humour is Stuart MacBride's speciality, and he delivers it in spades - along with a rollicking good novel laced with crime and corruption.
The storyline is unique and intriguing and I was instantly drawn in. To be honest, I've never before read anything quite like this.
Edward Reekie - I bet he had a hard time at school - is treated appallingly by his boss DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter, aka Bigtoria. She's a horrible woman. Yet he doggedly continues to do his job, albeit with a fair bit of moaning and whingeing when he's in her company. But when your backs are against the wall, he's the one to rely on.
Initially, I thought the idea of a 'retirement' village for criminals who can't, for one reason or another, be released back into the community when they have served their sentences was a good idea. I have since changed my mind.
The Dead of Winter is fast-paced, entertaining and unpredictable. I loved it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
#TheDeadofWinter #NetGalley
I: @stuart.macbride @randomhouse
T: @StuartMacBride @randomhouse
#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #murdermystery #scottishnoir #thriller #suspense
THE AUTHOR: Stuart MacBride lives in the northeast of Scotland with his wife Fiona, cats Gherkin, Onion and Beetroot, some hens, some horses and an impressive collection of assorted weeds.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Dead of Winter by Stuart MacBride for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
September 3, 2024
**Read 3.5 STARS!**
This standalone crime novel is another offering from the formidable Scottish author, Stuart MacBride.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a short tribute to Victoria Wood, a British comedian of a very high standard.
Storytelling is wonderful, the wintry atmosphere and landscape at Glenfarach, Scotland are superbly pictured, but only some characters are believable and lifelike with life and work, while plenty are one dimensional characters in this tale of deceit and death.
This story is about DC Edward Reekie who's heading from Aberdeen in company of DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter, aka "Bigtoria", to pick up Marky Bishop and take him to Glenfarach, a place where he can spent his final living days on earth.
After arriving in wintry conditions and getting acquainted with the place and their police-officers, DS Farrow, and DCs Harlaw and Sansom, all of a sudden certain individuals are getting killed, and for DC Reekie and DI "Bigtoria" time to investigate these cases, until a, for me personally, surprising and disappointing turn of event when DI "Bigtoria" seems to be in league with master criminals Marky Bishop and Razor Richards leaving DC Reekie for dead, and so turning this police procedure/mystery from a good investigation into an fanciful anti-climax.
In the meantime several other cases of drugs, drink and sex offences will come into play, and these will be dealt with by DC Reekie after his remarkable escape from being buried alive by DI "Bigtoria.
What is to follow is an exciting crime novel, that will sadly after two thirds of the book turn into a kind of fantasy deal between undercover DI "Bigtoria and hard criminals, Bishop and Richards, and ending in a dramatic fashion with DC Reekie as the true devoted police-officer and unsung hero.
Highly recommended to anyone who likes a crime novel filled with good cops and bend cops, black humour, sarcasm, some dark moments of death and with a surprising end to finish this tale, then I will say you are here in the right place, but for me I have to say that I have read much better books by Stuart MacBride, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Decent Wintry Murder Tale"!
This standalone crime novel is another offering from the formidable Scottish author, Stuart MacBride.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a short tribute to Victoria Wood, a British comedian of a very high standard.
Storytelling is wonderful, the wintry atmosphere and landscape at Glenfarach, Scotland are superbly pictured, but only some characters are believable and lifelike with life and work, while plenty are one dimensional characters in this tale of deceit and death.
This story is about DC Edward Reekie who's heading from Aberdeen in company of DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter, aka "Bigtoria", to pick up Marky Bishop and take him to Glenfarach, a place where he can spent his final living days on earth.
After arriving in wintry conditions and getting acquainted with the place and their police-officers, DS Farrow, and DCs Harlaw and Sansom, all of a sudden certain individuals are getting killed, and for DC Reekie and DI "Bigtoria" time to investigate these cases, until a, for me personally, surprising and disappointing turn of event when DI "Bigtoria" seems to be in league with master criminals Marky Bishop and Razor Richards leaving DC Reekie for dead, and so turning this police procedure/mystery from a good investigation into an fanciful anti-climax.
In the meantime several other cases of drugs, drink and sex offences will come into play, and these will be dealt with by DC Reekie after his remarkable escape from being buried alive by DI "Bigtoria.
What is to follow is an exciting crime novel, that will sadly after two thirds of the book turn into a kind of fantasy deal between undercover DI "Bigtoria and hard criminals, Bishop and Richards, and ending in a dramatic fashion with DC Reekie as the true devoted police-officer and unsung hero.
Highly recommended to anyone who likes a crime novel filled with good cops and bend cops, black humour, sarcasm, some dark moments of death and with a surprising end to finish this tale, then I will say you are here in the right place, but for me I have to say that I have read much better books by Stuart MacBride, and that's why I like to call this book: "A Decent Wintry Murder Tale"!
February 6, 2023
Marky Bishop is dying. That's why they've given him a compassionate early release, only where a career criminal like him go to spend his final months. From the outside, Glenfarach looks like a quaint. sleepy, snow-dusted village, nestled in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park, but things aren't what they seem. The place is thick with security cameras, and there's a strict nine o'clock curfew, because Glenfarach is the last safe haven for people who've served their sentences but can't be safely released into the general population. For DC Edward Reekie, this was supposed to be a simple delivery job - drive his new boss up to HMP Grampian and collect Marky Bishop, take him to Glenfarach, then head back home again. Nothing dangerous or complicated. so how could it all go so horribly wrong?
This is the first Stuart MacBride book that I've read in a long while. I don't actually know why I stopped reading them as I love his quick wit and dark twisted sense of humour. There is quite a lot of gore throughout the story. It's also quite violent and has a few tense situations. The characters are mostly dangerous, living in their own village in the Cairngorms. The story pulled me in from the first page. DC Edward Reekie and his boss, DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (aka Bigtoria) have an easy job to do - pick up a dying prisoner and take him to spend what time he has left at Glenfarach. But things don't go to plan. Reekie and Bigtoria get more than they bargained for. They find themselves snowed in and they have a crime to solve while they are there. I loved everything about this book. It's tense, atmospheric, well written and twisted read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #StuartMacBride for my ARC of #TheDeadOfWinter in exchange for an honest review.
This is the first Stuart MacBride book that I've read in a long while. I don't actually know why I stopped reading them as I love his quick wit and dark twisted sense of humour. There is quite a lot of gore throughout the story. It's also quite violent and has a few tense situations. The characters are mostly dangerous, living in their own village in the Cairngorms. The story pulled me in from the first page. DC Edward Reekie and his boss, DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (aka Bigtoria) have an easy job to do - pick up a dying prisoner and take him to spend what time he has left at Glenfarach. But things don't go to plan. Reekie and Bigtoria get more than they bargained for. They find themselves snowed in and they have a crime to solve while they are there. I loved everything about this book. It's tense, atmospheric, well written and twisted read.
I would like to thank #NetGalley #RandomHouseUK #TransworldPublishers and the author #StuartMacBride for my ARC of #TheDeadOfWinter in exchange for an honest review.
March 23, 2023
You cannot say the Stuart MacBride writes ‘easy to read’ thrillers. I’m happy with that because I like to be challenged by a good story, with an intricate plot and surprising characters.
The Dead of Winter is a very complicated story that in the end is not so complicated if you think it through. It’s just that it’s full of twists and turns and red herrings. It’s also full of interesting characters, starting with DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter and DC Edward Reekie – on the good side. There are a lot – and I mean a LOT – of criminals in this book but the most important one is Mark Bishop and frankly… he’s as interesting as Victoria and Edward. Maybe even a little more interesting even.
The village of Glenfarach doesn’t sound like a bad place to live in. Certainly better than a prison cell. But now it’s the dead of winter and the weather is absolutely horrible, there is not much fun to be had. No, the fun is entirely for the reader of this very entertaining book, full with wet and cold and criminals – and humour, because that’s what MacBride does best. There are so many horrible things going on, and all you can do is smile while reading about it. It just loved it!
The Dead of Winter is a very complicated story that in the end is not so complicated if you think it through. It’s just that it’s full of twists and turns and red herrings. It’s also full of interesting characters, starting with DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter and DC Edward Reekie – on the good side. There are a lot – and I mean a LOT – of criminals in this book but the most important one is Mark Bishop and frankly… he’s as interesting as Victoria and Edward. Maybe even a little more interesting even.
The village of Glenfarach doesn’t sound like a bad place to live in. Certainly better than a prison cell. But now it’s the dead of winter and the weather is absolutely horrible, there is not much fun to be had. No, the fun is entirely for the reader of this very entertaining book, full with wet and cold and criminals – and humour, because that’s what MacBride does best. There are so many horrible things going on, and all you can do is smile while reading about it. It just loved it!
March 13, 2023
About three years ago I discovered Stuart MacBride’s Logan McRae novels, and devoured the entire 12-novel series within a year. Since then, I’ve read his Ash Henderson series and several standalone books. MacBride has become one of my favourite authors.
I read THE DEAD OF WINTER in two days, but it has taken me four weeks to write a review. The problem was not the rating. I knew as soon as I’d finished that I would give it four stars. It wasn’t as good as his very best, but it was a solid four-star read.
A brief synopsis for those who haven’t yet read it: DC Edward Reekie, the primary protagonist, unexpectedly accompanies his new, hard-as-nails boss, DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (called “Bigtoria” by everyone, but not to her face) on a trip that is supposed to take only a few hours. The two police officers are to pick up an infirm, dying prisoner, the notorious Mark Bishop, from HMP Grampian where he was serving a life sentence. He has been released to live out his final days in Glenfarach, a community consisting of 200 “special” prisoners—sex offenders, arsonists, and others who would not be welcomed in the regular prison community. They are supervised by relatively few guards and have access to regular nursing and social counselling services. Bigtoria and Reekie quickly drop Bishop off, trying to outrun an incoming storm. Then, the Sergeant in charge of running the village discovers that one of the inmates was murdered a few hours earlier. Bigtoria is needed to oversee the investigation until a team can be sent to the nearly snowed-in village. Another murder occurs, a cottage burns down (arson), and a social worker disappears.
There are a few plot twists, although I guessed who the murderer was very early in the tale. Other revelations were somewhat of a surprise, but were not completely startling. Most of the readability comes from the dilemmas that Reekie lands in. He is continually cold, miserable, and wet. (There are 285 references to “snow” in THE DEAD OF WINTER, 62 references to “cold”, and numerous mentions of related concepts such as “freezing”, “wet”, “shiver”, etc.)
Some reviewers have complained that MacBride is only recycling his Logan McRae series by changing the character names. Yes, Reekie is rather a close match for McRae, but Bigtoria is not at all like McRae’s nemesis DI Roberta Steele—other than the fact that both are high-ranking female officers. There is the comedy, true, which comes mainly at the expense of placing Reekie in untenable situations. And this is primarily why I can only give THE DEAD OF WINTER four stars. I prefer the edgy directions that MacBride has been exploring in his latest novels, which are not just comedy cop sagas. They provide comedy plus social commentary. The social commentary is missing here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for other Stuart MacBride novels:
Shatter The Bones (Logan McRae, #7)
The Missing and the Dead (Logan McRae, #9)
In the Cold Dark Ground (Logan McRae, #10)
The Blood Road (Logan McRae, #11)
All That’s Dead (Logan McRae, #12)
A Dark So Deadly
No Less the Devil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I read THE DEAD OF WINTER in two days, but it has taken me four weeks to write a review. The problem was not the rating. I knew as soon as I’d finished that I would give it four stars. It wasn’t as good as his very best, but it was a solid four-star read.
A brief synopsis for those who haven’t yet read it: DC Edward Reekie, the primary protagonist, unexpectedly accompanies his new, hard-as-nails boss, DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (called “Bigtoria” by everyone, but not to her face) on a trip that is supposed to take only a few hours. The two police officers are to pick up an infirm, dying prisoner, the notorious Mark Bishop, from HMP Grampian where he was serving a life sentence. He has been released to live out his final days in Glenfarach, a community consisting of 200 “special” prisoners—sex offenders, arsonists, and others who would not be welcomed in the regular prison community. They are supervised by relatively few guards and have access to regular nursing and social counselling services. Bigtoria and Reekie quickly drop Bishop off, trying to outrun an incoming storm. Then, the Sergeant in charge of running the village discovers that one of the inmates was murdered a few hours earlier. Bigtoria is needed to oversee the investigation until a team can be sent to the nearly snowed-in village. Another murder occurs, a cottage burns down (arson), and a social worker disappears.
There are a few plot twists, although I guessed who the murderer was very early in the tale. Other revelations were somewhat of a surprise, but were not completely startling. Most of the readability comes from the dilemmas that Reekie lands in. He is continually cold, miserable, and wet. (There are 285 references to “snow” in THE DEAD OF WINTER, 62 references to “cold”, and numerous mentions of related concepts such as “freezing”, “wet”, “shiver”, etc.)
Some reviewers have complained that MacBride is only recycling his Logan McRae series by changing the character names. Yes, Reekie is rather a close match for McRae, but Bigtoria is not at all like McRae’s nemesis DI Roberta Steele—other than the fact that both are high-ranking female officers. There is the comedy, true, which comes mainly at the expense of placing Reekie in untenable situations. And this is primarily why I can only give THE DEAD OF WINTER four stars. I prefer the edgy directions that MacBride has been exploring in his latest novels, which are not just comedy cop sagas. They provide comedy plus social commentary. The social commentary is missing here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for other Stuart MacBride novels:
Shatter The Bones (Logan McRae, #7)
The Missing and the Dead (Logan McRae, #9)
In the Cold Dark Ground (Logan McRae, #10)
The Blood Road (Logan McRae, #11)
All That’s Dead (Logan McRae, #12)
A Dark So Deadly
No Less the Devil
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 12, 2022
“A claw-foot bath dominated one wall, topped by a mildewed shower-curtain. Crusts of dark-orange and brown limescale around the drain. Lid and seat up on the toilet, showing off a whole Formula-One- season of skid marks.” There you have it, the writing style of Stuart MacBride enriched with toilet humour, rude rather than crude remarks, a list of very colourful and dur Scottish characters hidden loosely under crime/noir. Now let me say from the start I have been reading this authors books from the early days of Cold Granite, the first Logan McCrea novel and have always found his style refreshing and indeed at times highly amusing (who could forget DCI Roberta Steel and her testing sense of humour most of it at the expense of Logan who she rather fondly called Laz :)
In “The dead of Winter '' two officers DC Reekie and his boss DI Victoria (Bigtoria) Montgomery-Porter are delivering a dying prisoner Mark Bishop to the remote Scottish village of Glenfarach to live his remaining short years in a more open environment. There are 200 other offenders incarcerated here, having committed many crimes of a sexual nature, murder, and embezzlement. The weather is closing in and the officers wish to return asap to Aberdeen before threatened blizzards make an appearance. Unfortunately this will not happen as a murder in the style of an execution has occurred and with 200 (now 199!) suspects Reekie and Porter will need to be resolute and strong before the perpetrator strikes again. There is very little hope of any outside help arriving as Glenfarach quickly becomes snowbound. I am afraid what I once found exciting and new in the author’s writing I now find laborious and tedious. What once was crisp and humorous has now become lewd and tired. The crime and noir has been replaced by a slapdash style as our 2 headless chickens investigate in a way reminiscent of the Marx Bros. Thank you to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in return for an honest review and that is what I have written.
In “The dead of Winter '' two officers DC Reekie and his boss DI Victoria (Bigtoria) Montgomery-Porter are delivering a dying prisoner Mark Bishop to the remote Scottish village of Glenfarach to live his remaining short years in a more open environment. There are 200 other offenders incarcerated here, having committed many crimes of a sexual nature, murder, and embezzlement. The weather is closing in and the officers wish to return asap to Aberdeen before threatened blizzards make an appearance. Unfortunately this will not happen as a murder in the style of an execution has occurred and with 200 (now 199!) suspects Reekie and Porter will need to be resolute and strong before the perpetrator strikes again. There is very little hope of any outside help arriving as Glenfarach quickly becomes snowbound. I am afraid what I once found exciting and new in the author’s writing I now find laborious and tedious. What once was crisp and humorous has now become lewd and tired. The crime and noir has been replaced by a slapdash style as our 2 headless chickens investigate in a way reminiscent of the Marx Bros. Thank you to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in return for an honest review and that is what I have written.
November 6, 2022
I am very familiar with Stuart MacBride’s writing and used to the mixture of interesting characters, twisty plots and zany dialogue so I was really looking forward to his latest offering, This was a novel that the more I read the more I enjoyed it. The characters grew as the story developed and became a very enjoyable read.
What should have been a straight forward assignment for Detective Constable Edward Reekie turned out to be far more. His task was to collect a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him to Glenfarach to live out his last remaining days in peace.
Glenfarach looked to be a very quiet peaceful place to live but looks can be very deceiving. Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for ex prisoners who have served their time but are still seen as unfit to be released into the general community. With blizzards approaching, Edward’s boss DI Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen straight away but that changes when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow and someone needs to assume command.
A good read.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
What should have been a straight forward assignment for Detective Constable Edward Reekie turned out to be far more. His task was to collect a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him to Glenfarach to live out his last remaining days in peace.
Glenfarach looked to be a very quiet peaceful place to live but looks can be very deceiving. Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for ex prisoners who have served their time but are still seen as unfit to be released into the general community. With blizzards approaching, Edward’s boss DI Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen straight away but that changes when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow and someone needs to assume command.
A good read.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Random House UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
May 24, 2023
The Dead of Winter unfortunately was a massive disappointment for me. This is only my second MacBride novel but again like his last one – No Less the Devil, I’m left wondering if there’s something I’m missing. I’ve been reliably told that his Logan series is very good, so perhaps that’ll be the next one I attempt to pick up.
I pushed through the story, but had it not been an advanced reader’s copy I’d have likely DNF’d it. The prologue was intriguing, and I was genuinely interested in seeing where the story would lead me. I am a complete aficionado when it comes to Scottish crime. I really enjoy reading about places I’ve seen and travelled to, that’s why I thought MacBride’s work would’ve been a good punt – I used to live in Aberdeen and I had my second child there, and although I cannot fault his picture setting of the location I just couldn’t find myself caring about the characters – something that is an absolute must for me to be able to enjoy a story.
So, into The Dead of Winter itself. DC Edward Reekie and DI Montgomery-Porter are tasked with picking up a dying convict from HMP Grampian and escort him to Glenfarich. A community for released prisoners who cannot be released back into the general community. It’s a community made up of sex offenders and violent criminals. Located in the Cairngorm national park, it sets an impressive locale if it is largely unbelievable. When one of the inhabitants is found murdered, with his eyeballs torn out and tied to a table, instead of feeling shocked at the finding I just found myself rolling my eyes. I just felt flabbergasted that someone could get away with this – the police are in situ, the police seems hugely inexperienced and making stupid mistakes, honestly. I wanted to get stuck into the story but just found myself becoming more frustrated with each chapter.
Now onto my biggest issue – DI Montgomery-Porter. My god, that woman is absolutely insufferable. She’s ratty, defensive, and just a good old-fashioned bitch. I really felt for DC Reekie, not only did he have to manage the problems that the case brought but having to constantly apologise for his DI’s unacceptable behaviour. I mean, I get that the constant problems that kept cropping up is infuriating but my god the woman took it out on everyone. I found myself muttering to my kindle “stop yelling at everyone.”
All in all, was a massive let down. Will I read any more Stuart MacBride novels, yes, I likely will because the writing is pretty solid and he knows his stuff but his last two books really failed to float the boat.
I pushed through the story, but had it not been an advanced reader’s copy I’d have likely DNF’d it. The prologue was intriguing, and I was genuinely interested in seeing where the story would lead me. I am a complete aficionado when it comes to Scottish crime. I really enjoy reading about places I’ve seen and travelled to, that’s why I thought MacBride’s work would’ve been a good punt – I used to live in Aberdeen and I had my second child there, and although I cannot fault his picture setting of the location I just couldn’t find myself caring about the characters – something that is an absolute must for me to be able to enjoy a story.
So, into The Dead of Winter itself. DC Edward Reekie and DI Montgomery-Porter are tasked with picking up a dying convict from HMP Grampian and escort him to Glenfarich. A community for released prisoners who cannot be released back into the general community. It’s a community made up of sex offenders and violent criminals. Located in the Cairngorm national park, it sets an impressive locale if it is largely unbelievable. When one of the inhabitants is found murdered, with his eyeballs torn out and tied to a table, instead of feeling shocked at the finding I just found myself rolling my eyes. I just felt flabbergasted that someone could get away with this – the police are in situ, the police seems hugely inexperienced and making stupid mistakes, honestly. I wanted to get stuck into the story but just found myself becoming more frustrated with each chapter.
Now onto my biggest issue – DI Montgomery-Porter. My god, that woman is absolutely insufferable. She’s ratty, defensive, and just a good old-fashioned bitch. I really felt for DC Reekie, not only did he have to manage the problems that the case brought but having to constantly apologise for his DI’s unacceptable behaviour. I mean, I get that the constant problems that kept cropping up is infuriating but my god the woman took it out on everyone. I found myself muttering to my kindle “stop yelling at everyone.”
All in all, was a massive let down. Will I read any more Stuart MacBride novels, yes, I likely will because the writing is pretty solid and he knows his stuff but his last two books really failed to float the boat.
March 24, 2023
2/5 ok
So I’m a huge Stuart MacBride Fan. I’ve read all the Logan books. Enjoyed them all. I didn’t even mind the last standalone which was pretty wild. So I knew what to expect. I was excited so why do I feel so disappointed?
What starts out with a great first chapter, very slowly descends into a somewhat tired and unbelievable tale. With characters very clearly mimicking the Logan characters - if it ain’t broke and all that - and more toilet humour - if it ain’t broke….. - I just couldn’t get excited by it.
It lacks the usual pace, the jokes just feel old, the characters aren’t as good as who they are based on and it all just feels flat.
Twists are there but really not overly shocking as there was simply no other option than what they turned out to be.
I feel sad I didn’t love this. I feel like MacBride is trying to transition away from Logan and Steele now, yet this book clearly shows he still has them in his head and if this was written as Logan and Steele, it would have been an altogether different proposition. As it is .. Meh
So I’m a huge Stuart MacBride Fan. I’ve read all the Logan books. Enjoyed them all. I didn’t even mind the last standalone which was pretty wild. So I knew what to expect. I was excited so why do I feel so disappointed?
What starts out with a great first chapter, very slowly descends into a somewhat tired and unbelievable tale. With characters very clearly mimicking the Logan characters - if it ain’t broke and all that - and more toilet humour - if it ain’t broke….. - I just couldn’t get excited by it.
It lacks the usual pace, the jokes just feel old, the characters aren’t as good as who they are based on and it all just feels flat.
Twists are there but really not overly shocking as there was simply no other option than what they turned out to be.
I feel sad I didn’t love this. I feel like MacBride is trying to transition away from Logan and Steele now, yet this book clearly shows he still has them in his head and if this was written as Logan and Steele, it would have been an altogether different proposition. As it is .. Meh
December 12, 2023
Congratulations This 2023 Top UK crime Book.and my Top book of 2023.
It's snowing a blizzard and the Hero of this book is been buried in middle of nowhere, that's no spoiler because it is in opening chapter.
Set around budget cuts a village of crime were nobody is worth anything once again stand alone flashback crime novel set in Scotland.
It's snowing a blizzard and the Hero of this book is been buried in middle of nowhere, that's no spoiler because it is in opening chapter.
Set around budget cuts a village of crime were nobody is worth anything once again stand alone flashback crime novel set in Scotland.
June 10, 2023
Very, very disappointing, and I must admit to speed reading some of it.
Obviously the editor went missing in action, it should have been cut down by at least a third, and then it might have been an OK read.
The idea/concept for the book was an interesting one, it was however let down badly by the execution.
Despite having read and enjoyed one other book by Stuart MacBrideI will have to think hard before reading another book by him.
Also do I give it to a charity shop and potentially put another poor reader through this misery?
Obviously the editor went missing in action, it should have been cut down by at least a third, and then it might have been an OK read.
The idea/concept for the book was an interesting one, it was however let down badly by the execution.
Despite having read and enjoyed one other book by Stuart MacBrideI will have to think hard before reading another book by him.
Also do I give it to a charity shop and potentially put another poor reader through this misery?
May 13, 2023
This standalone has MacBride's usual blend of black humor and violent crime in Scotland.
The setting was unusual though and it did leave me with the feeling as I was reading .....just what the **** is going on?
Although all was explained.
The setting was unusual though and it did leave me with the feeling as I was reading .....just what the **** is going on?
Although all was explained.
January 31, 2023
If you love this author as much as I do I promise that you will not be disappointed. Full of humour and one liners which I expect from this author. Gritty brutal murders and snow so much snow!!!!
I loved the two main characters DO Victoria Elizabeth Montgomery aka Bigtoria but never say that to her face and her porr suffering underling DC Edward Reekie. This is a stand alone but these two characters need their own series.
They are delivering a prisoner to Glenfarach a small village with more than a few cctv cameras than expected. Welcome to The Village of the Damned. Let the murder, mayhem and laughs begin I loved it!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
I loved the two main characters DO Victoria Elizabeth Montgomery aka Bigtoria but never say that to her face and her porr suffering underling DC Edward Reekie. This is a stand alone but these two characters need their own series.
They are delivering a prisoner to Glenfarach a small village with more than a few cctv cameras than expected. Welcome to The Village of the Damned. Let the murder, mayhem and laughs begin I loved it!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
June 28, 2025
It’s been a while since I’ve read a Stuart MacBride novel, but I saw The Dead of Winter at the library and liked that it was a standalone - and it delivered exactly what I hoped for and what I expect from a MacBride novel. Grim humour, freezing weather, gruesome murders, and a plot that gleefully descends into chaos.
Set in the remote village of Glenfarach (part halfway house, part horror film), the story follows DC Edward Reekie and his terrifying boss DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (aka Bigtoria) as they transport a dying prisoner into what should be quiet retirement. Instead, they get trapped in a snowstorm surrounded by ex-criminals, rising body counts, and more CCTV cameras than seems normal.
It’s dark, fast-paced, occasionally ridiculous, and very entertaining. MacBride leans all the way into the tension and gallows humour. Some of the twists late in the book stretch plausibility (and I didn’t entirely buy one big reveal), but I was fully along for the ride. It's absolutely left me wanting to read more from MacBride in the future.
If you’re into locked-room mysteries, black comedy, and crime fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is a fun, if slightly unhinged, pick.
Set in the remote village of Glenfarach (part halfway house, part horror film), the story follows DC Edward Reekie and his terrifying boss DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter (aka Bigtoria) as they transport a dying prisoner into what should be quiet retirement. Instead, they get trapped in a snowstorm surrounded by ex-criminals, rising body counts, and more CCTV cameras than seems normal.
It’s dark, fast-paced, occasionally ridiculous, and very entertaining. MacBride leans all the way into the tension and gallows humour. Some of the twists late in the book stretch plausibility (and I didn’t entirely buy one big reveal), but I was fully along for the ride. It's absolutely left me wanting to read more from MacBride in the future.
If you’re into locked-room mysteries, black comedy, and crime fiction that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is a fun, if slightly unhinged, pick.
December 6, 2023
Really liked this one, but I didn’t love it.
True to Macbride’s usual high standard of writing the novel powers through a deadly scenario of events with his trademark black humour. Additionally, the atmosphere created by the setting in a snow-drowned isolated village added to the tension and pace of the story.
For me though the characters (usually the strongest aspect of his work) just lacked any real depth. I finally came around to Constable Reekie in the end but he was the only one.
The twists and turns were just brilliant and I couldn’t put it down, so overall I’d have to say a great read, just not a favourite for me by this exceptional author.
True to Macbride’s usual high standard of writing the novel powers through a deadly scenario of events with his trademark black humour. Additionally, the atmosphere created by the setting in a snow-drowned isolated village added to the tension and pace of the story.
For me though the characters (usually the strongest aspect of his work) just lacked any real depth. I finally came around to Constable Reekie in the end but he was the only one.
The twists and turns were just brilliant and I couldn’t put it down, so overall I’d have to say a great read, just not a favourite for me by this exceptional author.
March 24, 2023
I'm a huge fan of Stuart MacBride, but from the outset this just didn't sit well with me. I think it was the tone and the narrative voice, but it just set me on edge and, despite an intriguing (if highly implausible) storyline, I never felt like I was actually enjoying the book. Plenty of others have given this rave reviews, so I'll chalk it up to my bad and move on.
December 23, 2022
I am always happy to read a new Stuart MacBride, and this was full of his usual blend of action and dark humour. Put upon Detective Constable Edward Reekie is driving from Aberdeen to HMP Grampian to collect an elderly, just released prisoner, called Mark Bishop and deliver him to the village of Glenfarach. Also in the car is Detective Inspector Victoria Elizabeth Montgomery-Porter, one of MacBride’s typically aggressive ‘guvnor’ types. Montgomery Price (known as ‘Bigtoria’) enjoys amateur dramatics, is sarcastic and lacks any type of tact or people skills.
Bishop looks defenceless and elderly, clutching an oxygen mask and unlikely to be anything but harmless, but Glenfarach does not seem like a typical village. For a start, it has an abundance of CCTV cameras and a curfew. In fact, it is home to ex-prisoners who are unable to return to the community. There are two hundred residents and over one hundred of those were sex offenders. No sooner does Edward begin driving eagerly back to civilisation when they are called back. There has been a murder – and it will not be the only one before you get to the end of this action-packed book. There’s a blizzard, landlines are down, there are no mobile signals, and the body count is rising. Is the fact that Mark Bishop has just been delivered a coincidence or has his arrival unleashed mayhem in a very dangerous town?
If you have read MacBride before, you will know what to expect and this is a fun, if often violent, read with good characters and an excellent premise. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
Bishop looks defenceless and elderly, clutching an oxygen mask and unlikely to be anything but harmless, but Glenfarach does not seem like a typical village. For a start, it has an abundance of CCTV cameras and a curfew. In fact, it is home to ex-prisoners who are unable to return to the community. There are two hundred residents and over one hundred of those were sex offenders. No sooner does Edward begin driving eagerly back to civilisation when they are called back. There has been a murder – and it will not be the only one before you get to the end of this action-packed book. There’s a blizzard, landlines are down, there are no mobile signals, and the body count is rising. Is the fact that Mark Bishop has just been delivered a coincidence or has his arrival unleashed mayhem in a very dangerous town?
If you have read MacBride before, you will know what to expect and this is a fun, if often violent, read with good characters and an excellent premise. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
May 4, 2023
DC Edward Reekie finds he is accompanying his new, tough, hard-to-please boss, DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter, known on the quiet as 'Bigtoria'. The action is relentless, the humour is absolutely brilliant, and the characters are incredibly well portrayed. The whole plot is teeming with twists and turns. Definitely not a book to miss.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
May 3, 2023
Much ado about nothing. This is the first Stuart McBride book I have read, and it will be the last. The plot was good, but there was too much added narrative that was unnecessary. Yes it was snowing. We got that many times..Ugh.
February 26, 2023
Constable Edward Reekie has been seconded to accompany a senior officer on a prisoner transfer. However the transfer is to an isolated village in the heart of the Highlands, a penal colony for those who cannot be released into the public domain - the sex offenders, gangsters etc. As the weather closes in Reekie and his boss are trapped in the village and now someone is killing the residents.
This is a stand alone novel from Macbride and it contains all of his signature humour, violence and clever storytelling. The idea of the village of Glenfarach is brilliant and the twisty nature of the plot - who can Reekie trust - works with the classic 'closed room' scenario. It's as far away from cosy crime as you can get but is brilliant!
This is a stand alone novel from Macbride and it contains all of his signature humour, violence and clever storytelling. The idea of the village of Glenfarach is brilliant and the twisty nature of the plot - who can Reekie trust - works with the classic 'closed room' scenario. It's as far away from cosy crime as you can get but is brilliant!
December 31, 2024
Really enjoyed this months book club book, it was the darkly comic style of Scottish thriller, similar to a Christopher Brookmyre, solid story with twists and turns and plenty of slightly unbelievable parts but not so many it became a farce. Well written and page turning, my last read of 2024!
January 3, 2024
I don't think this is my sort of murder mystery. Started out so well, but I felt it slowed down towards the middle and it took me ages to get through it. The book was recommended by one of my gaming friends, so I figured I finish it. The final 20% or so was pretty action packed, but by that point I was rather annoyed. Some of the descriptions of things or people were kind of funny, so there's that.
September 28, 2024
Eerily atmospheric with a dash of humor is a way to describe this quirky but satisfying read.
It was very hard to engage in the story but only at the beginning. The starting point of the story was full of forced humor and unnecessary and excessive descriptions of the scenery, amount of burping and the cold weather. Once they arrived at Glenfarach, the storyline took another turn and became interesting, full of thrilling action and after that, I really did not mind Edward’s sense of humor that much.
This book is full of plot’s surprises and very well written. I need another standalone book by this writer very soon.
It was very hard to engage in the story but only at the beginning. The starting point of the story was full of forced humor and unnecessary and excessive descriptions of the scenery, amount of burping and the cold weather. Once they arrived at Glenfarach, the storyline took another turn and became interesting, full of thrilling action and after that, I really did not mind Edward’s sense of humor that much.
This book is full of plot’s surprises and very well written. I need another standalone book by this writer very soon.
November 2, 2023
Audio version of this book 📚- DNF 😞 I love the Logan McRae series by this author but I just couldn’t get into this one at all, whether it was because it was audiobook I’m not sure 🤔 just wasn’t gripping me enough
January 1, 2024
A mix of horror, creepy places, and where people are killed left and right, but the storyline didn't grip me. It had a good beginning, but by the middle, it got tedious.
dnf
January 11, 2025Uff - I really tried with this one. I listened to about 80% but noticed that my attention was anywhere but on the plot.
It started off with an interesting approach - the DI is burying his subordinate's dead body in the snow...
And you think ooh, what happened here?
Are they pretending that one of them is dead? Or, what is the twist? You just gave away the big bad on page one, and I am not sure that works for me otherwise.
The first part of the book was good. We follow DI Victoria and Constable Edward as they bring an old criminal who was released from prison into a village designed for special criminals to retire because they don't have where else to go back into society. However, when a murder happens, they stay to investigate and get snowed in. Then other bodies start to drop and it is fairly fun.
This part is told from Edwards's perspective and you are anticipating his death because that's how the book started.
And when that happens, we continue from the DI's point of view, which is very exhausting.
She is an insufferable character and while it was funny to read about her from the constable's view, it is seriously draining to be in her mind and get to know how she thinks and reacts. (it's not told in first person and yet it still drained the living spirit out of me)
I also liked it while I was listening to it, but sections that were supposed to be fun just dragged on for ages. And by the looks of it, Victoria really killed the constable for money... It looks like there was no twist.
And we get to now follow the criminals (they were working for the newly released old criminal) doing stuff and Victoria trying to hide it....
This author goes on my second change list and I will try something else from him, to see if we continue a friendship or if we break up forever...
It started off with an interesting approach - the DI is burying his subordinate's dead body in the snow...
And you think ooh, what happened here?
Are they pretending that one of them is dead? Or, what is the twist? You just gave away the big bad on page one, and I am not sure that works for me otherwise.
The first part of the book was good. We follow DI Victoria and Constable Edward as they bring an old criminal who was released from prison into a village designed for special criminals to retire because they don't have where else to go back into society. However, when a murder happens, they stay to investigate and get snowed in. Then other bodies start to drop and it is fairly fun.
This part is told from Edwards's perspective and you are anticipating his death because that's how the book started.
And when that happens, we continue from the DI's point of view, which is very exhausting.
She is an insufferable character and while it was funny to read about her from the constable's view, it is seriously draining to be in her mind and get to know how she thinks and reacts. (it's not told in first person and yet it still drained the living spirit out of me)
I also liked it while I was listening to it, but sections that were supposed to be fun just dragged on for ages. And by the looks of it, Victoria really killed the constable for money... It looks like there was no twist.
And we get to now follow the criminals (they were working for the newly released old criminal) doing stuff and Victoria trying to hide it....
This author goes on my second change list and I will try something else from him, to see if we continue a friendship or if we break up forever...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2025
This was the first Stuart MacBride book I have read, and it will not be the last, it was GREAT!
I absolutely loved the character of DC Edward Reekie - although him being buried in the first chapter was a bit off putting as the author could have written a whole series of books about just him and his really obnoxious boss DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter ….
Teddy was the first person narrator of much of the tale and his moaning, and observations were fantastic, humorous and witty!
The story revolves around a completely snowbound village, nestled in the Cairngorms, where a couple of hundred ex-convicts who cannot be released into the community live out their lives as a community of their own.
Teddy and ‘Bigtoria’ transport a dying bank robber into their midst and a blizzard ensues trapping them within the community. Before they turn round the first brutal murder is committed …. and boy was it brutal! With time running out, and only three other Police Officers and only a handful of Social Workers to offer any support how many more deaths will occur and why was a killing spree (we already know from chapter one Teddy was buried by his Boss) initiated!
A very clever plot that makes you wonder does somewhere like Glenfarach actually exist, and would anyone really want to live there amongst the rapists, peadofiles, murderers and gangsters?
I absolutely loved the character of DC Edward Reekie - although him being buried in the first chapter was a bit off putting as the author could have written a whole series of books about just him and his really obnoxious boss DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter ….
Teddy was the first person narrator of much of the tale and his moaning, and observations were fantastic, humorous and witty!
The story revolves around a completely snowbound village, nestled in the Cairngorms, where a couple of hundred ex-convicts who cannot be released into the community live out their lives as a community of their own.
Teddy and ‘Bigtoria’ transport a dying bank robber into their midst and a blizzard ensues trapping them within the community. Before they turn round the first brutal murder is committed …. and boy was it brutal! With time running out, and only three other Police Officers and only a handful of Social Workers to offer any support how many more deaths will occur and why was a killing spree (we already know from chapter one Teddy was buried by his Boss) initiated!
A very clever plot that makes you wonder does somewhere like Glenfarach actually exist, and would anyone really want to live there amongst the rapists, peadofiles, murderers and gangsters?
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