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Bob Skinner #19
Fatal Last Words
It's no ordinary summer for DCC Bob Skinner, as murder mystery leaps from the page into reality in the new book in Quintin Jardine's outstanding police series.
August in Edinburgh: As Skinner stands on the edge of a career-defining moment and his fianc�e, Scotland's First Minister Aileen de Marco faces a political crisis, a famous figure from another field is found dead. As the mystery deepens, Skinner finds himself crossing swords with an old enemy from the past, while his investigating detectives are faced with the unwelcome complication of a duke's junkie daughter. Meanwhile a second Scottish celebrity dies violently in Australia. It seems impossible, but could the two be connected? As DCS Mario McGuire heads to Melbourne to investigate, back in Scotland his boss's big moment is compromised in the most dramatic and unexpected manner, as a famous friendship is shattered for ever.
August in Edinburgh: As Skinner stands on the edge of a career-defining moment and his fianc�e, Scotland's First Minister Aileen de Marco faces a political crisis, a famous figure from another field is found dead. As the mystery deepens, Skinner finds himself crossing swords with an old enemy from the past, while his investigating detectives are faced with the unwelcome complication of a duke's junkie daughter. Meanwhile a second Scottish celebrity dies violently in Australia. It seems impossible, but could the two be connected? As DCS Mario McGuire heads to Melbourne to investigate, back in Scotland his boss's big moment is compromised in the most dramatic and unexpected manner, as a famous friendship is shattered for ever.
438 pages, Paperback
First published June 11, 2009
24 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
About the author
Quintin Jardine
98 books243 followersQuintin Jardine (born 1945) is a Scottish author of three series of crime novels, featuring the fictional characters Bob Skinner, Oz Blackstone, and Primavera Blackstone. He was educated in Motherwell and in Glasgow where he studied at what was then the city’s only University. After career as a journalist, government information officer and media relations consultant, he took to the creation of crime fiction.
His first wife, Irene, with whom he shared over 30 years, from their teens, died in 1997. He is married, to his second wife, Eileen. They live in both Scotland and in Spain
His first wife, Irene, with whom he shared over 30 years, from their teens, died in 1997. He is married, to his second wife, Eileen. They live in both Scotland and in Spain
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 21, 2016
This book was a gift from a person very dear to my heart. And i wont let the book ruin our lovely friendship lol! I only read a couple of chapters to be honest, and the book seemed to be on to something good. But then the adults ruined things for me again (as i have previously explained in my review of The Glass Lake) with their emotional issues and bad decisions. It got to be too much and to keep reading this just isn't worth it for me personally at all.
April 14, 2011
Promotion for Bob but he still remains "Hans on", a great read.
January 15, 2025
Bob Skinner is on the cusp of two major changes, firstly his promotion and secondly his wedding. When a famous author is killed at the Edinburgh Literary Festival, Skinner gets involved almost by chance. Then another author is killed in bizarre circumstances in Australia and the two are linked as they are investigating a Serbian war criminal. Suddenly the Edinburgh force is dealing with the fallout from the collapse of the Balkans.
This is book 19 in a very long series and I hadn't read any until now. As such is took a while for me to process all the backstories and relationships between the characters (which is complx). However, the narrative itself is fairly straightforward. The plot is slow for most of the book but then speeds up rapidly towards the end where it becomes a lot more interesting. I felt the book could have been more concise in places but it's a solid piece of crime fiction.
This is book 19 in a very long series and I hadn't read any until now. As such is took a while for me to process all the backstories and relationships between the characters (which is complx). However, the narrative itself is fairly straightforward. The plot is slow for most of the book but then speeds up rapidly towards the end where it becomes a lot more interesting. I felt the book could have been more concise in places but it's a solid piece of crime fiction.
August 14, 2020
31/2 stars. Good, riveting but begins to unravel at the end, Two mystery authors are killed by actions included in their own stories. A band of travellers sets up camp in Gullane and one is murdered. The deaths are all connected and lead to a tenuous ‘meeting’ with Andy Martin some time ago and a secret list. Andy is a distant relative of one of the authors. The Edinburgh book festival sets the scene and leads to Serbian atrocities.
Editor missed a couple of mistakes. Sammy as SIO is called Stevie (Stevie Steele was killed in an earlier book) on a couple of occasions. Too many names to keep track of at times even if familiar with Skinner’s crew and all the Bosnians and Serbs seemed to have aliases too.
Editor missed a couple of mistakes. Sammy as SIO is called Stevie (Stevie Steele was killed in an earlier book) on a couple of occasions. Too many names to keep track of at times even if familiar with Skinner’s crew and all the Bosnians and Serbs seemed to have aliases too.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2021
4 1/2 star read. This is book #19 in Jardine's excellent Bob Skinner series. Bob has just got a promotion, is planning on getting married and is still finding mysteries to solve. A famous author of mysteries is found dead at the Edinburgh Book Festival. Initially it seems like natural causes, but eventually it appears to be murder. And then another mystery author dies at a book festival. Bob and his team have their hands full. And when a group of travelers (tinkers) comes to town and stirs up the locals and spooks threaten one of his officers, it's up to Bob to try to put all the pieces of the puzzle together. I enjoyed this book very much.
September 2, 2020
Having read a few Quintin Jardine - Bob Skinner Mystery novels, I have to say the same thing: the book doesn5read like a book, it actually gives you the feeling you're watching a movie! The characters have so much life and realism Their degrees of seriousness and senses of humour, their little idiosyncrasies. The characters are so real it allows the story to unfold perfectly!
I'm a solid Quintin Jardine fan!
I'm a solid Quintin Jardine fan!
November 7, 2017
DCC Bob Skinner prepares to take over Scotland's police when an author is murdered at a book fair in Edinburg. To make it worse the victim is a government minister. Then a traveler is killed on Skinner's doorstep. An interesting mystery despite the rampant sex.
May 5, 2019
Another thriller with an unexpected reveal at the end plus maybe some future troubles
June 25, 2021
Very meta as crime writers become the focus of this twist laden murder mystery. More twists and turns than Edinburgh's Old Town.
July 17, 2022
Very good
May 7, 2024
Page turning crime novels
I am reading these in order and cannot put them down. Plots twist and turn, characters are believable enough that you feel their pains. Highly recommended!
I am reading these in order and cannot put them down. Plots twist and turn, characters are believable enough that you feel their pains. Highly recommended!
August 11, 2020
Jarine continues his good form - this is an excellent read with some great twists.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2011
Overall an okay mystery. I liked the plot, centred as it was on the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and there were some clever lines here and there, and I liked the setting. However, I felt there was rather a lot of expository dialogue, primarily when the cops were talking about their co-workers or people they knew -- they'd take the opportunity to recite the person's entire life story in a single scrap of dialogue, when I suspect the characters probably actually knew all that and were filling in extra info for the benefit of the reader. I didn't manage to guess the culprit, but that's par for the course for me so it does not affect my rating. The question is, do I continue reading this series? Perhaps, if I find a plot sufficiently interesting and I remember not to heighten my expectations. That was likely my problem with this -- I was very excited to read it and it probably suffered. Also it may not have been a very good bus book, even with the short chapters, which I thought would be ideal bus material.
To sum up: read if it interests you.
(This book came to my attention through a review by Margaret Cannon in the Globe and Mail on April 16, 2010.)
To sum up: read if it interests you.
(This book came to my attention through a review by Margaret Cannon in the Globe and Mail on April 16, 2010.)
April 8, 2020
Nice book, but so full of typos.
One is acceptable, but over five? that's way too much....
Page 209, line 24
page 245, line 8
page 281, line 22
page 282, line 14
;
;
;
;
;
;
That's too much coz the list continues... we are readers, not editors.
August in Edinburgh: As Skinner stands on the edge of a career-defining moment and his fiancée, Scotland's First Minister Aileen de Marco faces a political crisis, a famous figure from another field is found dead. As the mystery deepens, Skinner finds himself crossing swords with an old enemy from the past, while his investigating detectives are faced with the unwelcome complication of a duke's junkie daughter.
Meanwhile a second Scottish celebrity dies violently in Australia. It seems impossible, but could the two be connected? As DCS Mario McGuire heads to Melbourne to investigate, back in Scotland his boss's big moment is compromised in the most dramatic and unexpected manner, as a famous friendship is shattered for ever.
One is acceptable, but over five? that's way too much....
Page 209, line 24
page 245, line 8
page 281, line 22
page 282, line 14
;
;
;
;
;
;
That's too much coz the list continues... we are readers, not editors.
August in Edinburgh: As Skinner stands on the edge of a career-defining moment and his fiancée, Scotland's First Minister Aileen de Marco faces a political crisis, a famous figure from another field is found dead. As the mystery deepens, Skinner finds himself crossing swords with an old enemy from the past, while his investigating detectives are faced with the unwelcome complication of a duke's junkie daughter.
Meanwhile a second Scottish celebrity dies violently in Australia. It seems impossible, but could the two be connected? As DCS Mario McGuire heads to Melbourne to investigate, back in Scotland his boss's big moment is compromised in the most dramatic and unexpected manner, as a famous friendship is shattered for ever.
Read
May 15, 2015I have been reading the Skinner mysteries from the first book on, and I have to admit that one of my main reasons for continuing on with the series - apart from some cracking good mysteries and devious players - is the continuing story of Mr. Skinner and his family - both close and extended. All of the characters I've come to know have made appearances in the books to some degree or another (some becoming central figures; some sadly being the reason for the story in the first place).
I love how Quintin Jardine has made this series about both the storyline and the participants.
I hope that the series goes on and on until Bob Skinner retires in his old age and moves with Aileen to the Continent to bask in the sun.
As for the present novel, I enjoyed the literary twists and turns.
I love how Quintin Jardine has made this series about both the storyline and the participants.
I hope that the series goes on and on until Bob Skinner retires in his old age and moves with Aileen to the Continent to bask in the sun.
As for the present novel, I enjoyed the literary twists and turns.
August 4, 2013
This is another in the Bob Skinner series which I discovered several years ago and have generally enjoyed. The setting is the Edinburgh International Book Festival. A famous mystery author and member of the Scottish Parliament is murdered. He is part of a trio of mystery writers, another of whom is killed shortly thereafter in Australia. The killing methods are taken from plots in the first author's books. Bob Skinner, on the verge of a promotion to the top job and engaged to Scotland's attractive First Minister, must pull out all the stops to track down the killer. Which he does, as usual. A good read but the plot is a bit too complicated....
April 12, 2012
31/2 stars. Quite good, once I could keep everyone straight. Since the main character is very high up on the police force, and engaged to a Minister, there is a certain amount of politics. An interesting mystery set in the Edinburgh Book Festival, not as much fun as that sounds because of some name confusion (author give too many characters & layers of police chain of command to sort out as far as I am concerned) a slow beginning, and a lot of hoo-ha about a promotion. But a solid plot, and I would read this author again.
March 20, 2022
As much as I love Quintin Jardine's Bob Skinner series, one must ask - how many spies can there be in one city? Other than that, as per normal, the pace is fast, the story tight and the characters real, flawed, and bent.
Re-read 10 years later - still think Edinburgh has too many spies, but the book is good.
Re-read 10 years later - still think Edinburgh has too many spies, but the book is good.
July 19, 2010
At last a detective to rival Rebus.
Bob Skinner is my type of guy. This My first delve, quite a character
I will be reading more of Mr Jardines Skinner novels as well as his other characters...Oz Blackstone and Priavera Blackstone
Bob Skinner is my type of guy. This My first delve, quite a character
I will be reading more of Mr Jardines Skinner novels as well as his other characters...Oz Blackstone and Priavera Blackstone
August 13, 2011
I loved the plot, characters, and location, but Jardine's very wordy style was hard to get used to. I am currently reading the next in the series, the most recent one, I think. I may actually read earlier ones.
February 12, 2016
Too many characters, this is the 20th some book in the series and he no longer explains who is who with clarity. Despite this I enjoyed the story it was a good whodunnit as long as you ignore all the extraneous policemen and concentrate on the main characters.
September 4, 2019
The Skinner books are very good. Both the crime elements and the personal stories of the detectives and family members are great. In this one, you get several different stories, but, as always, Jardine brings them together in the end. So glad I started this series!
April 30, 2010
Skinner is aging none-too-plausibly. Would like to see more of his intended and learn more about the Scottish parliament
June 19, 2012
This is the first Bob Skinner book by Quintin Jardine that I have read.
I read it for my book club. I used to read lots of mystery, crime and murder books when I was younger. I found it a good read.
I read it for my book club. I used to read lots of mystery, crime and murder books when I was younger. I found it a good read.
August 19, 2012
it was ok, slow start and got bogged down in politics
August 24, 2012
Another good read based in Scotland, police, mysteries and murders.
April 10, 2013
Such hard work to read. Just didn't grab me.
February 10, 2016
didn't grab me
June 17, 2016
Like all the Bob Skinner thrillers this one is really good. Bob is promoted to Chief Constable and has a real tricky mystery to solve as two Scottish authors are found dead in separate Continents.
March 27, 2016
Great read and never expected the ending
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews