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Cold Granite (Logan McRae #1)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 2,675 ratings · 256 reviews

DS Logan McRae and the police in Aberdeen hunt a child killer who stalks the frozen streets. Winter in Aberdeen: murder, mayhem and terrible weather!

It's DS Logan McRae's first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn't get much worse. Four-year-old David Reid's body is discovered in a ditch, strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. And he's only...more

Paperback, 592 pages

Published January 1st 2006 by HarperCollins (first published 2005)

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Apr 20, 2010 Joyce Lagow rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

A police procedural of the more or less hard boiled type. Set in Aberdeen, Scotland.[return][return]Detective Sergeant Logan MacRae has returned from recovering from near-fatal stab wounds to the Grampian Police Force to face immediately a dead child and the possibility of a serial paedophile killer. Other dead children appear as well as a puzzling adult corpse, causing more than a little confusion within the police ranks. In addition, it� s clear that someone inside the Grampian Police Force is...more A police procedural of the more or less hard boiled type. Set in Aberdeen, Scotland.[return][return]Detective Sergeant Logan MacRae has returned from recovering from near-fatal stab wounds to the Grampian Police Force to face immediately a dead child and the possibility of a serial paedophile killer. Other dead children appear as well as a puzzling adult corpse, causing more than a little confusion within the police ranks. In addition, it� s clear that someone inside the Grampian Police Force is giving inside information to a notorious journalist.[return][return]While not consciously a spin-off of Ian Rankin� s series, this is close enough to merit comparison. And comes up lacking in almost every respect. MacBride does a very good plot, but his writing runs the spectrum from pathetic to adequate to � precious� . Someone either told him or he learned in a writing course that you have to be clever with words to stand out from the crowd, and MacBride took this too much to heart. For example, there is the use of the verb, � to sulk� . A house sulked, the sky sulked, something else sulked. None of it worked. Another example: � she scrabbled backward� . Scrabbled?? No.[return][return]There are some good parts. MacBride does a good job in writing about the more or less adolescent interactions between members of the police force, which I found believable enough. He uses quite a few Aberdonian words, such as � shoogled� (to scoot along a bench or seat) that lend a nice atmosphere to the story. His descriptions of the weather convinced me never to visit Aberdeen. His characters have potential but he simply does not know how to handle them. One character in particular was really well done, though� a female Detective Inspector who turns out to be quite a womanizer! [return][return]The denouement was weak enough, but the writing was so awkward and inadequate that it made the ending almost boring. [return][return]The "granite" of the title refers to the traditional building material of Aberdeen. The cover art bears no resemblance whatsoever to anything that occurs within the story.[return][return]This debut novel is so awkward that I have no desire to read any further in the series.(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Ron rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book with Logan McRae as DC in Aberdeen Scotland. Like most 'foreign' authors, it is sometimes difficult to connect with the 'slang' used in their books.

I got this as a 'Free Friday' on Nook and when I finally got around to reading it, I found I had a hard time putting it down.

As a matter of fact I found myself finishing it up at 11:30 on a snowy night long after my spouse had gone off to bed.

Nook has a word lookup feature linked to Merriam dictionary, but unfortunately, about...more

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Sep 05, 2012 Sally Rivers rated it 4 of 5 stars

This author was recomended by a friend. Another book title was mentioned, but whenever possible I always like to start at the beginning. Cold Granite was the first of the DS Logan McRae series, so I started there.

I wasn't sure at first, about chronology I mean, because this book finds McRae returning to work with the Aberdeen police having been off sick for twelve months after a stabbing incident. I thought maybe I'd missed a 'prequel' but it seems not.

Anyway, Macrae, who as our chief protagonis...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, united-kingdom

COLD GRANITE is one of those debut books that come along and slowly cause a stir of comment and discussion in crime fiction forums. So much commentary just makes you want to get that book that everyone is talking about, but at the same time you often wonder if there's a chance that it's all noise and not much substance. COLD GRANITE is all substance.

On his first day back from extended medical leave, DS Logan just wants to get through his first day and hand responsibility back to his new DI. Desp...more COLD GRANITE is one of those debut books that come along and slowly cause a stir of comment and discussion in crime fiction forums. So much commentary just makes you want to get that book that everyone is talking about, but at the same time you often wonder if there's a chance that it's all noise and not much substance. COLD GRANITE is all substance.

On his first day back from extended medical leave, DS Logan just wants to get through his first day and hand responsibility back to his new DI. Despite needing to ease himself back into the job Logan finds himself investigating who is killing children. Just to add insult to injury the Chief Pathologist is his former girlfriend and her reception is just about as inviting as the Aberdeen weather in the middle of winter.

Getting himself back into the routine and back into the teams proves problematic for Logan. He's got to contend with a new DI who has an addiction to lollies, a problem with fools and a tendency to assume everyone is one. DI Steel is a well known womaniser who ends up with all sorts of political problems when a trial goes pear-shaped. WPC Watson is assigned as Logan's new babysitter, and she doesn't have the reputation of a ball-breaker for nothing. There's a new journalist in town and he's cocky and pushy. Somebody is leaking stories and Miller, the journalist, just can't seem to keep away from Logan. Children keep dying and disappearing and Internal Affairs seem to be very interested in Logan. All in all, things are not what Logan wanted or needed.

COLD GRANITE uses the weather almost as a character in its own right - it's used to enhance mood and atmosphere in a very engaging way. You feel the weather just as you feel the character's reactions and follow their desperate attempts to stop children dying.

Despite a difficult central subject, the murder of children, the author pulls off a light touch and a level of humour which isn't always just black and feels almost expected. This is a police procedural, but a good, varied story that uses the procedural elements as a framework and builds in details of the characters, their lives and their reactions in a manner that makes everyone human and many many of the people extremely likeable. There are sufficient sub-threads to add texture and realism to the environment and all of those sub-threads are finalised or pulled together elegantly at the end and there's no sense of rush to finish off the book. The language is sufficiently fluid and fluent to keep you engaged but the book does not smack of over-writing or the tendency of some first books to include all the ideas an author has ever had.

Add to that some clever twists and this is a pleasingly strong debut novel and one seriously good read.(less)

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Oct 28, 2011 David rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: lovers of crime novels

Shelves: crime-thriller, murder-thriller

This story by Stuart MacBride reads like part two of a series, yet is the first story he's had published. The "hero" is a Detective Sergeant Logan McRae, who has returned to duty after recuperating from injuries inflicted when he solved a previous murder.
The style is confident, casual and has good pace. The location is in chilly Aberdeen, in northern England. I would have enjoyed the story more but for the horrible nature of the murders here, sex crimes and killings of children. The terms gritt...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Stuart rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery, scottish

This is the first mystery novel by Stuart MacBride, who indicates he used to write SF. I liked it a lot. It was recommended to me by a friend who lived in Aberdeen (Scotland), where the action is set. Inevitably, it will be compared to Ian Rankin’s Rebus series, and in my opinion, it survives the comparison well. Less complicated than a Rankin story, there was more actual crime-solving. In fact, the detective in this book (Logan McRae) solves several crimes almost simultaneously in his first wee...more

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Aug 10, 2010 Bree T rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, fiction

This is Stuart MacBride’s first novel and as debuts go, it’s pretty tightly done. Detective Sargeant Logan McRae is back reporting for duty after a year off on sick leave. He was stabbed, multiple times (23, apparently) in the abdomen by a murderer nicknamed the “Mastrick Monster”. It took seven hours for a surgeon to sew DS McRae’s inside’s back together and he bears hideous scars and suffers from searing pain.

But the book is not really about that. Instead it’s about the case he catches on his...more This is Stuart MacBride’s first novel and as debuts go, it’s pretty tightly done. Detective Sargeant Logan McRae is back reporting for duty after a year off on sick leave. He was stabbed, multiple times (23, apparently) in the abdomen by a murderer nicknamed the “Mastrick Monster”. It took seven hours for a surgeon to sew DS McRae’s inside’s back together and he bears hideous scars and suffers from searing pain.

But the book is not really about that. Instead it’s about the case he catches on his first day back on the job. The body of missing 3yo toddler David Reid is found in a ditch. He’s been strangled. Mutilated. As the mother of a 22 month old toddler myself, I did find parts of the novel a hard slog, but not because the novel is extremely graphic: it isn’t. In fact most of the details are revealed in a clinical, dispassionate way and are the true definition of less is more. You aren’t shown in verbal diarrhea by one of the characters what has happened to this poor child (and later, others). You’re given the basic facts and left to imagine it yourself. And that is far, far worse. It was all I could do not to scoop up my little boy and hug him during various stages of this novel.

The child has been missing three months and was probably in the ditch for a good portion of that time. Forensic evidence is minimal and leads aren’t really in abundance. The media is howling for a result, a matter complicated by the fact that one of the journalists obviously has inside information. That leaves Logan’s superiors looking at him – if he isn’t the leak then he’d better find who is and fix it. Quickly!

Then the dead kids start piling up.

The cops are stumped. There is no clear pattern. Confidential information is still being leaked to the media. Every suspect they question doesn’t provide them with the answers they want to hear. DS McRae knows that time is running out to crack this case and put away this depraved individual. He’s dealing with other issues too – his ex-girlfriend, the cool-as-ice pathologist Isobel MacAlister. They were dating when the Mastrick Monster took her. And when Logan saved her and suffered at the hands of the killer. Why they are not dating now is not clearly explained but there’s definitely some unresolved issues there. They’re not getting resolved any time soon by the looks of things and seemingly ready to move on, Logan turns his eye to his assisting WPC Jacky Watson. The characters are believable and likable. Logan isn’t some cool, calm and sardonic cop. Nor is he a nutter slamming back alcohol just to function. He’s embarrassed about his “Police Hero” tag. Actually I think he blushes more in this novel the I’ve ever known a male main character to blush before. He makes mistakes. Errors in judgement. It was very refreshing to see his awkwardness and his lack of comfort and self confidence at times.

Woven into the storyline, adding to the gloom is the description of the city. The novel is set in Aberdeen, Scotland and I don’t think it stops raining for the entire novel (which spans about 11-12 days, set in November). There is snow, and sleet as well. Despite Scotland being somewhat the motherland of my family (albeit quite a few generations back now) I’m no expert so I googled Aberdeen. Days average less than 7hrs in length in winter, in December. That lengthens to about 8hrs in January. A lot of the buildings are constructed from granite – all in all, it paints a pretty bleak picture! A perfect setting for this sort of miserable crime.

It was a well written, well thought out, intricate little story with strength of characters and plot. The DS Logan McRae series is due to span 8 books (of which 6 are already published). I will definitely be buying the second book and if it’s as good as this one, I’ll keep going.(less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Pamela Mingle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love finding new mystery series, and Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae books are no exception. I started with the first in the series, COLD GRANITE. The setting is Aberdeen, a change for those of us who read Denise Mina (Glasgow) and Ian Rankin (Edinburgh), but fun to learn about a new city.

I really enjoyed the mystery itself, and especially liked Logan McRae. He's smart, but respectful to his peers and bosses, and doesn't mind poking fun at himself. He's just come back from a long sick leave, th...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Terric853 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book, about a Scottish Detective looking for a child killer, started out with lots of promise. My problem was that the plot was all over the place and took about 100 pages more than it should have to resolve the murder mystery. The book has a sequel, which I was half-heartedly tempted to read, but I didn't like this well enough to read more.

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Jul 21, 2012 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime, psychological-thriller, thriller

I saw The Bearded Wonder (Stuart MacBride) speaking at an event in Dundee, A Million for a Morgue, a few months ago. He was engaging, hilarious and I vowed to read his series. I learnt for example that the main character Logan is named after his nephew who lives in Canada (I think) and how many swear words on average are in his books (a fair few).

I really enjoy reading Crime fiction and this book definitely is high on my list of ones I have enjoyed. Its set in Aberdeen, the Granite City, which I...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Ian Mapp rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 03, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 110-books-in-2012-and-do-it-again, abduction, author-s-first-book, collectible, family-relationships, mystery, own-it, police-procedural, read-in-2012, reviewed, series, signed-edition, thriller

Sgt. Logan McRae is back at the Granite City, Scotland police department after being out for a year with an on the job injury.

The body of a three-year-old body is found after the child had been missing for months. The slowness of the police investigation is critized and McRae is assigned to the case. When he arrives at the chid's parents home to tell them about finding the body, he finds they are distressed because the newspapers called them first and were untactful.

McRae works for a controllin...more

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Apr 02, 2012 Kristen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, did-not-finish

So far this book isn't really doing it for me. That is to say: nothing is HAPPENING. Maybe this is how it is with police procedurals (a genre I don't normally read much)... several different cases going on at the same time, and nothing really happening with any of them... The main character is likeable enough, although he (and all the rest of the characters) are about as 2-dimensional and flat as they can possibly be. I don't identify with any of them, so there's that.

I'm starting not to CARE wh...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Michael rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Michael by: NOOK Free Friday

Shelves: crime, nook-free-friday, thriller, 2012, series-to-finish

UPDATE: After setting this down for a day and picking it back up I was able to desensitize myself to the gruesomeness and horror of this book. I don't know if that's a good thing. Ha! My ebook cover isn't the same as the paperback cover shown on Goodreads, with a review blurb that says "...gruesome." Uh...yeah. Once I got past reading about dead, naked, molested children I didn't want to put it down.
I was right there with them in the cold, snowy, overcast Aberdeen, Scotland, driving around in u...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Monica rated it 3 of 5 stars

"Cold Granite" is the first book in the Logan McRae books written by Stuart MacBride. Like I'm not already reading enough series? The first book in any series is a hard one to read. The author is just setting out on a long journey, establishing the main characters of the series, making them complex enough to entice readers to like them and want to read more, but at the same time leaving a lot of room for character growth. MacBride does a good job with this first book. I couldn't help but like Lo...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Andreas rated it 3 of 5 stars

A serial killer is on the loose in Aberdeen (the one in Scotland), and our hero Detective Sergeant Logan McRae is on the case. He is just back from leave after being badly stabbed in the belly. He is working for the constantly candy eating Detective Inspector Insch.

The afterword ends with “Aberdeen’s really not as bas as it sounds. Trust me.” I certainly hope so. It sounds like a grey, wet, frozen hellhole full of criminals and never-have-beens with no future in the book. The views into people’s...more

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Sep 29, 2012 Sian Wadey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-z-of-authors, murder-mysteries

Somehow, I always manage to read these books out of order. Not that it really matters with the Logan McRae series, but it's nice to finally read the first book, the one that started it all.
Cold Granite was the M in the A-Z of authors and I'd been looking forward to it when I started all that time ago. MacBride's books are a brilliant conglomeration of gore, humour, outlandish characters and witty dialogue. Cold Granite was no exception.
The discovery of a boy's mutilated body starts off events...more Somehow, I always manage to read these books out of order. Not that it really matters with the Logan McRae series, but it's nice to finally read the first book, the one that started it all.
Cold Granite was the M in the A-Z of authors and I'd been looking forward to it when I started all that time ago. MacBride's books are a brilliant conglomeration of gore, humour, outlandish characters and witty dialogue. Cold Granite was no exception.
The discovery of a boy's mutilated body starts off events and soon, children's bodies are piling up left, right and centre, with mob minion Georgie Stephenson chucked in for good measure. At the beginning it's hard to see how all of these crimes would link together but they eventually do, all unravelling and explaining themselves, fitting neatly in the giant Aberdeen puzzle.
MacBride describes crime scenes with relish and gore. This book is certainly not for the squeamish. There are several outbuildings full of dead animals and despite it being written word, it's as if the smell is with you in the room. So is the cold, bitter wind and mountains of snow.
But to balance the gore, is the humour, definitely one of the reasons I keep coming back to this author. There's a wealth of eccentric characters, pantomime villain and sweetie fiend DI Insch, chain smoking lesbian womaniser DI Steel (my personal favourite), 'ball breaker' WPC Jackie Watson and Bastard PC Simon Rennie, to name just a few. As I've read other books in this series it was nice to see familiar characters before I knew them. For example, PC Rennie isn't mentioned too much in this book, but he becomes more of a feature in the later ones. In contrast, Logan McRae himself is quite normal.
I don't normally give murder mysteries five stars, but in the past I have given MacBride's books full marks. However, this one didn't quite get there. The only reason for that is because rather than following evidence and linking crime scenes together that way, Logan would almost have an epiphany. For example, it appears one child has been beaten, but after seeing a road safety advert he realises the child must have been hit by a car. There are a few moments like this and although it doesn't take anything away from MacBride's genius, gory but hilarious world, it can seem a bit stilted and a bit unrealistic. (less)

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Sep 07, 2011 Lady*M rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: detectives, contemporary, mystery, police-procedural

4.5 stars

Rarely realistic police procedural: cops that work several cases at once, never able to completely dedicate themselves to one, breaking the tension with drinking and small amusements in the midst of terrible cases, dealing with pressure from superiors and press and private lives... Interesting tidbits of Scottish justice system and police procedure, grim image of Aberdeen. Great setting, dark and cold as only Scottish winter can be. I loved the language.

Great characters, including bosse...more

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Feb 28, 2012 Tim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-fiction, fiction

I enjoy easy reading crime novels and this one was just great. A super change from the apparent American domination of the genre. Set in miserable wet and cold Aberdeen. Gruesomely told with real people, embattled, over worked, hard drinking and battle-scared people. Not a splash of Hollywood Gloss in the entire tome painting a view of a grim life in a grim place. A place where the police drive battered and rusting Vauxhalls and more to the point drive them on the left hand side of the road. Thi...more

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Mar 19, 2012 Juicy Fruit rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

I admit, I really enjoyed this book. It's hard to tell why - after all, it follows the police procedural recipe to the letter and it's quite full of cliches and predictable events.

What drew my attention about this book, in the first place was the fact that it's set in the gloomy, grey city of Aberdeen. And indeed, the descriptions of the city and its famous weather are accurate enough and strangely vivid. However, it's hard to imagine such a small city being riddled with crime and serial killers...more I admit, I really enjoyed this book. It's hard to tell why - after all, it follows the police procedural recipe to the letter and it's quite full of cliches and predictable events.

What drew my attention about this book, in the first place was the fact that it's set in the gloomy, grey city of Aberdeen. And indeed, the descriptions of the city and its famous weather are accurate enough and strangely vivid. However, it's hard to imagine such a small city being riddled with crime and serial killers/rapists.

The author's style is quite enjoyable and surely, he can keep you entertained. The main weakness, however, was the actual plot. I didn't find it very original, but I wished at least the events would develop in a less predictable way. Or that he strayed at least a bit from the typical police novel.

You have your typical policeman, of great merit and intelligence, but not without issues himself (thank God, this one is not an addict). You also have the required romance - the woman that he develops an interest with, but who, of course, becomes abducted by the antagonist.

The character development was good, but I felt the main character was not made likeable enough - sure enough, you get to develop some sympathy towards him, but could have the author done better? Certainly. The fact that some extremely obvious conclusions escaped him did not help at all. Instead of rooting for him, I was wondering how can he be so smart and so stupid at the same time?

One final comment to make - based on reviews and other descriptions of the book, I was left with the impression that it's quite gory and gruesome. I didn't get that impression at all from the actual book - the details are graphic, but compared to other authors, like Jo Nesbo, it's pretty mild.

All in all, I would recommend this book to whomever enjoys the type - it's catchy, but beware, the plot development is fairly predictable. I also enjoyed the setting of the book and the descriptions of the inner workings of the police. So not a very good book, but enjoyable nonetheless - hence the 4 stars.(less)

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Jan 10, 2009 Kathleen Hagen added it

Shelves: 2007-audio-books, 2007-mysteries

Cold Granite, by Stuart MacBride. A.
Casstte book, (available on CD as well) purchased from Isis.
Logan McRae is the protagonist in this police procedure set in Scotland. Children are disappearing. At first there is no trace of them. Then, some bodies turn up where the children are murdered and tortured. But there are differences in each scene, and it’s hard to know whether or not these disappearances and murders are all connected. This is an action-packed book with several intersecting plots. We...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Lynn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-suspense-thriller

It rains a lot in Aberdeen!! Nonetheless,I like DC Logan McRae...and WPC Watson. I feel a Lindley/Havers type of connection coming on....the first book (at least in Canada) is a rousing novel with enough mystery, intrigue and "diversions" to keep both a rapid fire pace, and a cohesive if somewat diverse plot driving ever forward...through the rains, snow and winds of a wintery Scotland...no Ian Rankin yet, but tons of potetnial. I am compelled to read the next installment of McRae's adventures.....more

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Jul 25, 2011 Heather Dalgarno rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime

"Cold Granite" is the first in the series of the "Logan McRae" crime novels set in Aberdeen. Crime isn't a genre that I read often, but MacBride is an author that I am rapidly coming to love.

MacBride's writing is fast paced, intelligent, and has a thread of wickedly dark humour throughout. I find him far more entertaining than the (in my opinion) more pompous Rebus books from Ian Rankin. The hero of the piece, DS "Lazarus" McRae, is a loveable character who despite his harrowing experiences and...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Larry rated it 4 of 5 stars

A well crafted tale with all the grisly components of a serial killer on the loose in Aberdeen, Scotland. This first mystery novel by Stuart MacBride introduces us a new detective named Logan McRae. Since this is the first outing by MacBride, I don't have a real sense of who DS McRae is, but I'm guessing the author will flesh out the character more completely in subsequent novels. There's the usual twists and turns, typical in a police procedural, and the book did remind me a little bit of Ian R...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Harry rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: detective-mystery

Stuart MacBride was born Feb 27 1969 in Dumbarton, Scotland and raised in Aberdeen. His careers include scrubbing toilets offshore, graphic design, web design and IT/computer programming. He's won Best Debut Novel, 2006 (for Cold Granite) and numerous other International Thriller Awards and now lives in north-east Scotland with his wife, Fiona and their cat Grendel.

The novels, too, take place in Scotland. I'll grant you, Stuart MacBride does warn you you're in for a dismal climate change. Tartan...more Stuart MacBride was born Feb 27 1969 in Dumbarton, Scotland and raised in Aberdeen. His careers include scrubbing toilets offshore, graphic design, web design and IT/computer programming. He's won Best Debut Novel, 2006 (for Cold Granite) and numerous other International Thriller Awards and now lives in north-east Scotland with his wife, Fiona and their cat Grendel.

The novels, too, take place in Scotland. I'll grant you, Stuart MacBride does warn you you're in for a dismal climate change. Tartan novels, much as their Nordic counterparts, suffer from overall ennui: the novels are grey, cold, wet, and drab, drab, drab in terms of setting...and having lived in similarly impoverished weather conditions, I do know it affects one's overall pleasure at life in general. It's hard to open your door fully intending to greet the new day, only to step back from the blast of wet, freezing wind as it fuses your contacts to your eyeballs. It's hard to smile when you're accosted with sleet and snow pelting your face like a thousand needles...and then keep that smile on your face. Why bother? It just isn't done. I mean, I'd shut the door too and sequester myself. I wonder what the suicide rate is in Scotland?

But you write what you know, right?

So, unlike some of MacBride's Nordic counterparts who turn this dismal overture to their advantage (with one such writer, the weather is actually used as a weapon and did I say I loved unusual weapons?) - Logan MacRea does not rise up to cast a bit of light on all the somberness. Quite the opposite. The thing about Logan MacRae - with abject apologies to fans - is that he doesn't appeal to me as a hero in a detective series: a bit too subservient, a trite obsequious, romantic flourishes akin to that of a stone. The write-ups regarding this author refer to "signing deals that allow MacBride to write more MacRea novels" and that sentiment of being allowed to do anything is putting Logan in a nutshell...the way Logan seeks approval from those above him, waits to be allowed to do a thing...smacks of subservience to me. Instead of becoming a counter point to ennui, MacRea's character reinforces it. On the other hand, the man is quick thinking once given a clue. He acts decisively. And, he's not afraid to lock horns with the bad guys.

And then perhaps the most important thing to me as a reader: this novel is about the murder of children. As a father, the very thought is unthinkable. And yet, I just didn't feel it reading the first Logan MacRea novel. You know, right? What can be more horrifying than the slaughter of children? That I didn't feel it as I should while reading? That tells me a lot. That's what happens when there is zero character development for the victims.

But, that is just my opinion.

This is not to say that MacBride is without humor, albeit a dry one. He even pokes fun at his fellow author Ian Rankin...yes, it's all in good fun when an officer, instead of being vigilant while guarding the victim (or suspect), is interrupted by Macrea's heavy footstep coming towards him:

"With a quick jump, he stuffed the Ian Rankin under his seat."

What's up with that, right? There's several ways we can assimilate that little jab :-)

So, let's see. So far, this series is filler material for me (at least until I attempt at least one more of these to see if weather conditions improve). A good read, decent plot, and overall likable. But, after all the great stuff I've read?

Unless things change drastically, this review will cover other Logan MacRea series books. Hopefully I'll change my mind.(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was for the first Scottish crime novel I have ever read. This was a complex multifaceted gritty police novel. The setting was a huge part of the story for me. While Aberdeen does not sound like a vacation wonderland, it does lend itself to the tragic crimes that Detective Logan is trying to solve. The cold wet weather made me just want to curl up on the couch with a blanket as I read. The characters are well written and authentic. There is humor to help break the horrendous sadness in this...more

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Nov 16, 2011 arjuna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Started slowly and not particularly promisingly, but while the writing remains patchy in places, the characters, setting and general story were unusually unlikeable/bleak/bald enough to create and sustain interest - a bit rough round the edges but enough fire in the belly to make me want to read his later works. And his grotesqueries are well thought through - they stick in the mind more than one expects.

Some problems evident in Halfhead are definitely visible here - maybe that's a flavour thin...more

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Dec 27, 2012 library goddess rated it 3 of 5 stars

Police procedural. As other reviews stated this read like book two in the series but it is apparently the first one. I got it As a free Friday from nook. These free books are very inconsistent in quality but this one was very good. The only problem that I had with the book was my lack of knowledge concerning Scottish police ranks and procedures. More background on my part would have made it more enjoyable. I especially liked the way that the author incorporated the weather in to the story. The w...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Elena rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you have spent any time in the UK, you will love the way this man writes. The dialog is spot on! But if you've never been there, or at least chatted with a Scot (possibly a Brit) you may feel lost at times. The characters use many colloquialisms and slang terms that add a lot of color, but may be hard for American readers to understand. I loved the way the weather (in Aberdeen) plays into the story and the characters moods, and the frequent mention of it really draws you into the scene. I enj...more

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Jun 29, 2011 Derk rated it 4 of 5 stars

A really good book. Scottish police procedural with a number of twists. I picked this book at random, never having heard of the author before. I rate it 4 and 1/2 stars and almost 5. I have only one complaint. It reads like a sequel even though it is the author's first (published) book. There are references to the past that are never explained in detail, but obviously have had a profound effect on the hero. Maybe we are being set up for a prequel, but the tantalizing hints were annoying. Still a...more

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About Stuart MacBride

Aka 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 music...more Aka 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...
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