The Darker the Night

by Martin Patience

Brilliant debut. The Darker the Night pulled me in from the start and didn’t let go' – Jeremy Bowen, BBC International Editor

NPR's Book of the Day

A referendum on Scottish independence is only days away, and the campaign has been expertly orchestrated by First Minister Susan Ward. All signs point to victory for the nationalists. But when senior civil servant John Millar is shot in a Glasgow alley on a furiously rain-soaked night, his death triggers a chain of catastrophic events. An incriminating phone number and video are found in his possession.

Into this chaos walks reporter Fulton Mackenzie. A man himself blighted by tragedy but also someone used to seeing beneath the surface to find the truth. Who was John Millar? Who wanted him dead? And why? And the biggest question of all – who is trying to alter the future path of an entire nation?

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Crime

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 2, 2023

Reviews

[Amy Large]

I heard about this debut novel on NPR; the author is an off-air NPR staff member, I believe. I thought the book had some good plotting but for me the characters didn’t ring true. Of course, I do realize it’s fiction! I’d read another book by him, simply because I’m a second-chance kind of woman. Also, I love Scotland stories.

[Gordon]

It's all right. This is simply a yarn set around a forthcoming Scottish independence referendum featuring First Minister Susan Ward (a barely-concealed Nicola Sturgeon) mired in scandal, a murder of her former lover John Millar on its eve, MI5 and rumours of Russian involvement. Investigating are the inevitable rogue journalist and rogue detective. To be honest, I thought both the plot and the writing were pretty ordinary, but I've been reading some outstanding stuff lately and I might be setting the bar a bit high.

Unfortunately, I found myself reading this at a time when Nicola Sturgeon herself was under suspicion for some misappropriation of SNP funds, itself a deeply divisive topic, which made the book seem slightly out of sync with the times.

Patience is a journalist who clearly has lots of well-known friends prepared to give him nice reviews, but I'd prefer to reserve judgement until I've seen something else of his.

[Matthew Schuerman]

Delightful neo-noir thriller about the death of a British government functionary a few days before a Scottish referendum on independence. Well-drawn characters, including an investigative journalist wracked with sadness over the loss of his wife and son a few years earlier; his pain-in-the-ass boss who turns out to be right at just the crucial moment; his Deep Throat police source who is also trying to solve the mystery at the same time; and a colorful mob boss who proves he has some ethics after all. Well-paced with lots of surprise twists and a perfect ending.

[John Swift]

I started reading this book on my Kindle. But managed to pick up a reduced priced paperback. A few friends had given this book rave reviews. I was a bit underwhelmed by the finish to the book. There is probably a follow-up book, but I’ll not be in a hurry to read it!!

[Gayleen]

Good story

First time reading a book from this author. At first, I thought I might not get through it, but as the plot thickened, it kept me wanting to not give up on it. I will read more of Mr. Patience's books.

[Elizabeth Danielson]

This book was recommended by a mystery author I like (but I don't recall which one). It is the first novel by a Scottish journalist. The story was interesting, multi-layered, and well developed. It kept me engaged to the end. It is a combination murder mystery/political thriller.

[Christine Barth]

Great political mystery. I do think some more background on Scottish independence and the fierce emotions would be helpful, especially to an American audience.

[Juliet]

Enjoyable quick political murder mystery set in Scotland. Great debut.

[Chester Studzinski]

Greatread

An excellent story with great characters. Almost seemed real and would not have been surprised yit was fact rather than fiction.

[Joanna]

As much as I liked the set-up and the characters, this could have been fleshed out a bit more.

[Margie Peterson]

Deep characters and a stunning depiction of Scotland and the people who live there. I hope the author will continue with a series. I couldn't put it down.