Buchan

DI Buchan #1

by Douglas Lindsay

A MYSTERY WRITTEN IN BLOOD

The head of a literary publishing house is murdered, and Detective Inspector Buchan and his team enter a world of writers and editors, of passion, jealousy and hate. Suspects are not in short supply, but before the investigation can really get going, there’s a second murder, this one throwing up the existence of an unknown manuscript.

Now clues and motives and suspects abound, and the hunt is on for Ladybird, a book that no one knows anything about. There’s a game being played, and Buchan needs to find out what it is before anyone else dies. For that is the only certainty: sooner or later, as rain sweeps across the rundown city, and the players drift in and out of suspicion, the killer will strike again.

BUCHAN is the first title in a major new Scottish detective series, featuring DI Buchan and his team from Glasgow’s Serious Crime Unit.

Genres: Mystery

240 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2022

Reviews

[Mysticpt · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+ This is the first book in a new series Lindsay started putting out last year and the lead in this one is not as interesting as Hutton, but still a decent read.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Buchan - Glasgow's Serious Crime Unit, Edelman, his cat, Scottish Detective Series; Liddell his boss;
WinterMoon - his ex wife - Janey, playing Sinatra;
Leanne, the Butcher's wife;
Herschel and the the Other Guy;
Duncan, the Priest - Heineken, Glenmorangie, Chapel closed, Killer Sudoku book;
Samantha (Sam) Kane, Detective Sgt;
Constable Rutledge; Pathologist Donoghue;
Fraser & Wynn - Publishing House;
Walter Jamieson, publisher - MURDERED;
Ben Watt, Senior Editor - INJURED, (determined that he killed Walter and injured himself);
Pablo - cleaner, real name: Billy Foster; 23 total staff;
Alana Grey worked with Watt and Matt Vaccaro on the Ladybird/Maelstrom book;
Olivia Parks;
Jonathan Holloway, finance man;
Peggy Brain, crime novelist;
Emily Bancroft - Office Manager, knew that Walter was funneling money (200/month) from overseas residuals into a private fund, she set up Arboreal Planet and encouraged Malcolm Ritter to donate and change his will to bequest all his money, she MURDERED him; Emily also MURDERED Anne Pickford, who was also in finance;
Malcolm Ritter had one hit book, but still received residuals;
Evelyn Mulroney - excerpts from her book were put into

[Gordon Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Buchan started well - a murder in a Glasgow publishing company leading to the exposure of various other schemes and plots. But the slow pace and weak characters failed to keep me engaged. Buchan is a stereotype - a maverick detective, divorced and heavy drinking, still hung up on his ex and driving an exotic car. Other characters are little developed, his police colleagues having next to no detail at all.

Several mentions are made of old detective novels, and at times it appears like Buchan is trying to ape that style. But it comes across as too clever by half.

There is little sense of place in the novel. Although some Glasgow street names are dropped here and there, no sense of the city is established and there is little description beyond rain. And far too many Americanisms creep in - elevators and apartments rather than lifts and flats.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to a series featuring a Scottish DI with a good team aiding him in solving murders centered within Glasgow's publishing industry. It is clever, liberally dosed with sardonic wit and tremendously engaging for anyone interested in the world of publishing novels.
DI Buchan is a solid and likable character and I look forward to continuing with this series.

Kindle Unlimited

[Linda Joan Booth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot

I liked the characterisation of Buchan - more nuanced than often the case. The mystery itself is absorbing and the twist worked for me. But I got no real sense of being in Scotland. Wasn't looking for cliched guys in kilts saying 'och aye the noo.' But putting in a few place names didn't cut it for me. Maybe just a reference to the differences in the legal system, or someone noticing an Edinburgh accent... Still a well crafted good read though.

[Sue Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a good plot though the story did get bogged down a bit. Think the author was trying a bit too hard to be clever.
Buchan is a very boring & uninteresting character tbh & his side kicks not much better. Shame cos it has potential.
Got bit confused as know nothing about the machinations of the publishing world. Had no idea who the murderer was. Very unpleasant cast of suspects.
Enjoyed the read but will not be bothering with any more works by this author.

[A D MYERTHALL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buchan.

This book was a real suprise. It was a good but unusual story, set in Glasgow, well written and it kept my interest right up to the end.
Buchan, his crew and his fabulous Facel Vega classic car were easy to like. I am on to the next book now ,with a happy heart that I have found a new author in the same class as J D Kirk.

[SkyeWake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm. Started well but drifted. The murders centre around a publishing house of literary novels and I got the sense that this style was also trying to be too literary. It didn’t flow well for my taste. I didn’t mind the characters but I did feel that Buchan was trying too hard to be an upmarket Rebus and missing the mark. Not for me, but there will be people who love this book.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walter Jamieson, Head of literary publishers Fraser & Wynn, is discovered dead and editor Ben Watt injured. DI Buchan and his team investigate, but then there is another death.
An entertaining modern Scottish mystery

[Alan McCord · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly standard police procedural. Lindsay is an entertaining author and I have really enjoyed his Barney Thomson and Thomas Hutton series with their oddball and macabre situations. This is a more traditional plot with a couple of twists.

[jean barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read

I thoroughly enjoyed the ebb and flow of this book, the detail in the characters and the intricacies of the case. Several different plots from different angles kept me guessing. Well written

[Jim Bean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great suspenseful thriller

Good mystery. Boring unlikable lead character. Very unlikable and distasteful suspects. Not much value in reading the entire story to the end. Much too long for entertainment value. But, still a good mystery.

[Jim Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing introduction to DI Buchan series

Interesting characters. Interesting plot. Will definitely read next book. Loved Glasgow setting, being an ex-pat, but does it really rain every day ? Even in November.

[Jill Stirling · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mmmm. Gripping at times. Generally though irritatingly slow and too much time spent on the personal life of hopeless main character. Depressing to say the least.

[William (Mr. Bill) Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buchan Great start to this series

This was a good story. I liked the pace and the twists and turns that all came together in surprise conclusion.

[martin milburn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Nicely paced. I like DI Buchan who is a well drawn character with a nice sardonic sense of humour. Look forward to seeing how the series and charcters develop.

[Roderick Mackenzie Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent who-dunnit

The genre is served by an inventive plot but it's not a brilliant story although the reader is entertained. A well-written but not exceptional story.

[John A Abbis · Rating 4 out of 5]

good read

Nice tempo and believable characters, captures the dismal English November well. The layers in the plot allows a twist at the end.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The rain. always the rain…

Excellent read with wise portrayal of characters and a decent plot. Rooted (as appropriate for Scottish noir) in a well described place. Loved it!

[Michael Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

A little slow moving, and lots of local references, but a good story and a satisfying end. Interested to see how the series develops from here.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow starter but improved as the book moved along. By the end I really enjoyed it.