Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “The Cabinetmaker” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Open Preview

Read Excerpt

The Cabinetmaker

Alan Jones (Goodreads Author)

4.21 · Rating details · 39 ratings · 21 reviews

The Cabinetmaker, Alan Jones’ first novel, tells of one man’s fight for justice when the law fails him. Set in Glasgow from the late nineteen-seventies through to the current day, a cabinetmaker's only son is brutally murdered by a gang of thugs, who walk free after a bungled prosecution.

It’s young Glasgow detective John McDaid’s first murder case. He forms an unlikely fri ...more

Get A Copy

Kindle Edition, 292 pages

Published December 27th 2013 by Ailsa Publishing

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about The Cabinetmaker, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about The Cabinetmaker

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.21 ·

Rating details

· 39 ratings · 21 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of The Cabinetmaker

Mar 30, 2014 Keith Nixon rated it liked it

John McDaid’s first day in CID and he steps straight into the middle of a murder case. A young man has been beaten to death. McDaid and his colleagues quickly catch the offenders, but they get off on a technicality. And so begins a career long case for McDaid, from the late 70’s through to the 00’s when he finally learns all the answers to what really happened that fateful night.

I really wanted to like this story, it’s exactly the sort I tend to reach for (as BigAl said, “It screamed Keith Nixo ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 20, 2014 Karen rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime, ebook, review-books, united-kingdom

THE CABINETMAKER was offered to me as a review book, no conditions, although it did come with a warning about the inclusion of some strong language. Even allowing for a tendency to think that the pile up of bodies in crime fiction is more discomforting than the occasional burst of swearing, there's not a lot that's particularly noticeable, especially compared to the levels that you find elsewhere.

This is an unusually styled novel, focusing on the 30 year friendship between cop John McDaid and F THE CABINETMAKER was offered to me as a review book, no conditions, although it did come with a warning about the inclusion of some strong language. Even allowing for a tendency to think that the pile up of bodies in crime fiction is more discomforting than the occasional burst of swearing, there's not a lot that's particularly noticeable, especially compared to the levels that you find elsewhere.

This is an unusually styled novel, focusing on the 30 year friendship between cop John McDaid and Francis, cabinetmaker, footballer and father of Patrick who was bashed to death one night. Despite a number of suspects being identified, and the case being bought to trial, somehow the likely perpetrators walked away. In an interesting twist in the Scottish legal system most of them let off with a verdict of "not proven" as opposed to "not guilty".

McDaid and Francis are drawn together from the very moment they both meet as a result of the case. That friendship expands into their shared football life, and into the workshop where McDaid steps into the role of apprentice cabinetmaker, learning the skills that Francis has honed over a lifetime. Building a touching friendship along the way, through the failure of marriages, relationships and into older age. McDaid and his colleague climb the policing ladder, and Francis quietly continues his art form of furniture making, while they both regret the lack of justice for the death of Patrick.

Whilst there is a sense of drift and lack of purpose at points in the story, there's also positives in both their lives. Francis may end up separating from his wife, but they stay friends, and his work and his love of football seems to be sustaining him. McDaid eventually seems to have found a good, albeit slightly odd, relationship with an unlikely woman. He has mates, he has his job, and he has his increasing love of furniture making and wood work.

Obviously, there is the question of where all this is heading, and despite any doubts early on, it's not long before the friendship becomes engrossing and the story of McDaid and Francis involving despite that seeming lack of an obvious direction. Of course, it's crime fiction, so you know / hope / think that perhaps eventually Patrick's death with be solved and justice served. Once the story starts to twist and turn, how that is going to be resolved becomes even more intriguing.

THE CABINETMAKER is a slow burner. There are points where some judicious editing might up the pace a little and hold the reader's attention more firmly in its grasp. But it is intricate and in the main engaging. In looking past the murder, into the lives of those left behind, the fallout from the death of a young man on his family, and on a policeman who feels some responsibility for the failure of a court case, THE CABINETMAKER was a welcome change from standard crime fiction fare.

http://www.austcrimefiction.org/revie... ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 11, 2014 Jill rated it liked it

This unusual crime story is based in Partick (an area of Glasgow in Scotland) and is told from the point of view of John McDaid, who at the beginning of the story in 2008, is a retired police detective, and is burning the papers of Francis Hare.

The story then takes us back to 1978 to explain how McDaid got to know Francis, and what led to the events in the Prologue.

John was just starting out as a detective not long after Francis’s only son Patrick had been beaten to death by a gang of thugs. Th This unusual crime story is based in Partick (an area of Glasgow in Scotland) and is told from the point of view of John McDaid, who at the beginning of the story in 2008, is a retired police detective, and is burning the papers of Francis Hare.

The story then takes us back to 1978 to explain how McDaid got to know Francis, and what led to the events in the Prologue.

John was just starting out as a detective not long after Francis’s only son Patrick had been beaten to death by a gang of thugs. The Detective Inspector at the Partick Police Station had his own gang of thugs handling the investigation, and the eight boys involved in the crime got off because of police misconduct.

In the meantime, John struck up a friendship with Francis. They both played Scottish football and eventually got on the same team. But more importantly, Francis was a cabinetmaker, and from the moment John saw what beautiful pieces Francis made, he fell in love with furniture making. He became something of an apprentice to Francis, and maybe even a second son.

As the years went by, John kept Francis abreast of what happened to the members of the gang who walked free after the murder, as well as the fates of the corrupt detectives who messed up the case. There never seemed to be any closure; the murder continued to define their lives, and affected all of those involved in ways none of them could have anticipated, least of all John.

Discussion: There are many details that seem extraneous, such as blow-by-blow descriptions of some of the football games, and intricacies of woodworking, but they do figure into the plot. I think, however, those portions could have been shaved down a bit, so to speak, to improve the pacing.

The author seems to have a pretty good ear for the speech of bad people, but that means the dialogue is gritty, to say the least.

Evaluation: This is a dark and absorbing detective procedural, and raises some intriguing questions about the nature of justice and even the nature of love. While I can’t say all the twists were entirely surprising, the story is interesting nevertheless. It’s not the usual fare you read.
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 14, 2016 Shell Baker rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reading-challenge

Well I don't actually know where to start with this one, with it being Alan Jones debut novel and I read Alan's second book Blue Wicked first. In comparison they are both totally different kind of crime books. For me The Cabinetmaker is slower paced and not gritty, but nevertheless it has a interesting plot that I found very gripping and kept me hooked from the start.

The story is set in Glasgow starts off in 2008 thirty years after the death of Patrick who was Francis only son. Then we jump back ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 15, 2014 Peggy rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebook, detectives, scottish-authors

This is a little unusual for a crime novel because it does focus more on the relationship between John and Francis, the father of the murdered boy, than on crime. It starts out with the murder, the investigation, all the police procedures and trial, then shifts to the relationship between the two men. We still get glimpses into John's work on the police force. We get to see the effects this crime and verdicts had on everyone. I really like John McDaid and his co-worker Andy. There are also sever ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 15, 2014 Margaret rated it really liked it

Shelves: crime-fiction, e-books, review-copy, read-scotland

I really enjoyed this book. It is different from the standard crime fiction novel. In parts I thought it lost focus somewhat, the crime and justice aspects becoming a bit lost in a wealth of detail about football and furniture making, but apart from that it is a intricately plotted book which had me totally gripped. By the end of the book I realised that there is a purpose to those chapters beyond Alan Jones’s obvious love of football and furniture making. Within them lie the clues to what was ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jul 04, 2014 P.J. O'Brien rated it really liked it

The Cabinetmaker, a debut novel by Alan Jones, is essentially an exploration of group sanctioned violence. It follows the life of John McDaid from his first day as a detective with a corrupt and abusive police unit in Glasgow until his retirement decades later when the cabinet work he began learning as a hobby became a fulltime occupation for him.

The setting of the Cabinetmaker is Glasgow from 1978 to 2008. Like many urban areas, it is a city of tribes (if you will), with a surface peace mainta ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 11, 2014 Caroline Barker rated it it was amazing

The Cabinetmaker is a very well-written narrative focusing on the relationship of a murdered lad’s father and the growing friendship the cabinetmaker, Francis Hare, has with Detective John McDaid, who is working on his son’s case. It is written almost biographically from McDaid’s point of view, starting from the death of Patrick Hare in the late seventies until the present day.

Patrick’s death was violent and Alan Jones has written in a very clear and believable manner, allowing the reader to pic The Cabinetmaker is a very well-written narrative focusing on the relationship of a murdered lad’s father and the growing friendship the cabinetmaker, Francis Hare, has with Detective John McDaid, who is working on his son’s case. It is written almost biographically from McDaid’s point of view, starting from the death of Patrick Hare in the late seventies until the present day.

Patrick’s death was violent and Alan Jones has written in a very clear and believable manner, allowing the reader to picture Patrick’s final moments. It is a very dark and pivotal moment of the story that will change Francis and his wife forever. Patrick was their only child, and the impact that his death had on both characters is devastating. To make matters worse, the culprits walk free and although seemingly calm through the best part of the story, deep down Francis longs for justice for those that caused his son’s death.

An interesting part of the story was the reasons behind the attackers walking free from court. Many of the CID officers were ‘dirty’. Their methods of interrogation and gaining evidence was unorthodox, to say the least. There was little back-up for the evidence that was present and many of the suspects were intimidated by the officers, making for poor statements. Again, I have to say the writing is effective. Without being too heavy with the description, Alan Jones writes in such a manner that is so easy and clear to follow, despite the subject matter having the potential to upset the reader. It is written with care, and allows the reader to picture their own images on just how brutal these officers could be. There is very little Scottish dialect, but when it was present I found it to be very easy to follow and added a sense of realism of the place and times that the story is set.

The main focus of the story is the relationship that grows between Francis Hare and Detective John McDaid. Francis runs his own business as a cabinetmaker, which John finds fascinating. Not only this, but they are both playing for an amateur football side, and so share similar interests besides the case. John longs for the justice that Francis wants for his son, and throughout the following years still follows the case up. You can probably guess that John is one of the good guys and disagreed with his former colleagues’ tactics, and yet had no say in the matter at the time, being it his first job with the department. And, he couldn’t afford to lose his chance working at that level by getting on the wrong side of them.

Each time John discovered something new about the people responsible he shared his knowledge with Francis, usually at the workshop. During these times John began learning about the furniture, the wood, how to make certain parts, and began to assist Francis in his spare time and become almost an apprentice. These moments of the story are some of my favourite. These two men get to know each other, almost like a father/son relationship. It is quite heart-warming and emotional at times.

I could also relate to the well-descriptive scenes where Francis is making his beautifully finished cabinets. On a personal level, it brought back a sense of nostalgia for me as I used to sit for hours watching my own father, who is a trained carpenter and joiner, DIY. Here are two examples that I thought were written clearly, beautifully and added a real profound feeling between John McDaid as he watched and worked with Francis:

“He started to fiddle with the carcase, and I’m sure he very quickly forgot that I was there. I watched him work, as he planed an edge, and even my untrained eye could see that the plane was an extension of his arm, the shavings coming from its mouth so thin as to be almost translucent. I could have watched him for hours…“

“I called round with Francis the following day, and managed to get a bit more of my bookcase done – Francis was at a point in his furniture order where I couldn’t really help. His skills in finishing his furniture almost seemed better than those he used in making it. He would spend hours applying the various shades of shellac, rubbing the surfaces with a constant, controlled series of sweeps. I lost count of the number of layers he laid down, producing that depth of surface where the grain of wood seemed to float in a clear, utterly smooth layer of varnish.“

These examples also provide an insight into Francis’ outlook and personality. He likes to see things through to the end, each element being precise, with nothing left untamed, or cared for. These finer details are quite poignant for the story as it moves on.

I found the pace of the story to be perfect. During times of action it quickens up, but throughout some it is a nice slow-but-steady pace that meets the needs for the emotional element. The pace also provides the reader with the true feel of John McDaid ageing, following John throughout his various police roles, as well as following the lives of the suspects responsible for Patrick’s murder and, most of all, building up the long-lasting friendship he has with Francis.

The ending is wrapped up just right, as everything falls into place. The Cabinetmaker, as a story, grows just like the relationship between Francis and John. It keeps getting better and better, deeper and deeper. It draws you in with a nasty, violent attack on a young lad, but then transforms into a beautiful tale of two best friends, a father/son bond. I LOVED this book and would strongly recommend it to readers who enjoy a good drama, a character-based story, as well as crime fans. It is a superb all-rounder!

The CabinetmakerA copy of The Cabinetmaker was provided by the author in return for an honest and fair review.
...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Sep 17, 2017 Craig Gillan rated it really liked it

Really enjoyed this book, not a typical police procedural but great how the characters build a relationship away from work

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Aug 04, 2014 Col rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2014, j

Synopsis/blurb….

The Cabinetmaker, Alan Jones’ first novel, tells of one man’s fight for justice when the law fails him. Set in Glasgow from the late nineteen-seventies through to the current day, a cabinetmaker's only son is brutally murdered by a gang of thugs, who walk free after a bungled prosecution.
It’s young Glasgow detective John McDaid’s first murder case. He forms an unlikely friendship with the cabinetmaker, united by a determination to see the killers punished, their passion for amate ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 09, 2015 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction

The Cabinetmaker is the authors debut novel and though not as fast paced as I would normally expect from a crime thriller, it is still one that I enjoyed very much.

The story is set in Glasgow and spans nearly over thirty years. Though the story centres on detective John McDaid, it doesn't actual feel like your standard crime novels.

Through Patricks murder, his dad Francis and John strike up a life long friendship. For Francis I think John becomes almost like a surrogate son. He is happy to pass The Cabinetmaker is the authors debut novel and though not as fast paced as I would normally expect from a crime thriller, it is still one that I enjoyed very much.

The story is set in Glasgow and spans nearly over thirty years. Though the story centres on detective John McDaid, it doesn't actual feel like your standard crime novels.

Through Patricks murder, his dad Francis and John strike up a life long friendship. For Francis I think John becomes almost like a surrogate son. He is happy to pass on his knowledge of furniture making and John very much enjoys spending his free time with him. Their friendship was very heart warming to read and my heart very much went out to Francis for the loss of his son. I think what was worse was that even though they had caught the culprits, due to a technicality they were all released, so Francis and his wife never got the satisfaction of seeing them punished for their crimes.

From the start Francis has been very much interested in the findings by the police from that devastating night and to a certain extent he does abuse his friendship with John to get information a civilian would normally not be entitled to. John is only to happy to help though and to keep him up to date with any information as he thinks Francis though obviously devastated is handling his loss relatively well.

When Francis dies unexpectedly John is devastated. Clearing out the house ready for it to go up for sale, John begins to realise that he may not have known Francis as well as he thought he did.

As I mentioned earlier, The Cabinetmaker isn't your usual fast paced crime thriller, the story slowly unfolds and I did worry that I might start getting restless, I didn't though as the story was so intriguing and I actually enjoyed the pace that the author set as I think when everything is revealed to us later on, I could appreciate more the position that it left John in as I could fully understand the relationship that him and Francis had.

A good debut with quite a few surprises and will certainly be reading more by this author.

Many thanks to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 18, 2014 Rabid Readers Reviews rated it really liked it

“The Cabinetmaker” on the surface is a solid police procedural. We get the good, bad and very ugly face of a 1970’s Scottish police precinct. At its heart it’s the story of a bond built between a victim and a man who desperately wants to help him but isn’t sure the police are in the business of the public best interest. Jones does a stunning job of portraying a gritty Glaswegian force. Jones gives readers the feel of a real and unfiltered look into the inner workings of a murder case that seems ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jan 02, 2016 Sharon rated it really liked it

John McDaid is starting out in CID when he becomes involved in the investigation into Francis Hare's son, Patrick. disillusioned and disappointed in the lax attitude shown by his superiors, John becomes friendly with Francis and his wife. over the years their friendship develops and John is soon spending much of his time learning the skills of cabinet making under the watchful eye of Francis while at the same time keeping an eye on those who had walked free for the murder of Patrick.
This isn't a ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 05, 2014 Joo rated it it was amazing

This starts off as what seems to be a run of the mill 70s Glasgow police procedural. It is John's first week in CID, where the other officers make Gene Hunt look like a by the book type of policeman. A lad has been murdered on the street by a gang of yobs and the cops think it's an easy case.

Whilst the language in the scenes at the police station is the worst you can read, this story moves away from there. The basis of the story is a boy's death, but the heart of the story is John's developing r ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 22, 2014 Katrina rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this crime novel which begins in Glasgow in the 1970s, where a young student has been murdered. The police are sure that they know the culprits and are less than careful about the investigation, resulting in the case falling apart when it gets to court. John McDaid is new to the CID and he is shocked at the lack of professionalism of his colleagues. The victim's father realises that McDaid is a cut above the rest of them and they end up bonding over a mutual love of cabinetmakin ...more

flag 1 like · Like · see review

May 31, 2017 MS White rated it it was amazing

The Cabinetmaker by Alan Jones - a Review

I came to this book having just finished a rather strange and rambling, reflective work, and was surprised to find that it had prepared me rather well for The Cabinetmaker. This is not a thiller, not really even a murder mystery (although it also is in a way), but very much a lovely, deep, rich and considered set of character studies, around which some nasty events occur and some rather unsettling discoveries are made.
Told in the first person, which for ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 03, 2017 Chantelle Atkins rated it really liked it

This is an unusual book, in that it falls into the crime thriller category, but is far slower paced than you would imagine. This is not a bad thing, however, and is, in fact, a brilliant storytelling tool. In the 1970's, John McDaid is a new detective and his first case involves the brutal murder of a young man called Patrick Hare. A local gang of thugs is suspected of the crime, but McDaid fears his superior officers will bungle the case with their typically heavy handed ways. He's not wrong, a ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 28, 2019 Fiona Mccormick rated it it was amazing

This is the debut novel by Alan Jones, and having read and enjoyed his other books I have to say that this is actually my favourite of the three.
Francis is the father of Patrick who was brutally murdered in the late 1970s. Following the collapse of what should have been an open and shut court case, Patrick's family are devastated when justice has not been served. The story concentrates on the friendship that develops over the years between Francis, an expert craftsman, and John who was a rookie ...more

flag Like · see review

Jan 03, 2016 Colette Lamberth rated it really liked it

I have read Alan Jones' later books and know that I like his writing so this has been on my reading list for a while. I'm pretty certain I've never read another book that linked murder, football and cabinetmaking. An unlikely trio perhaps but it worked and I was transported into that workshop and really enjoyed the descriptions of the furniture. Francis was a great character and I felt like I would like to meet him. I thought I had worked out where the plot was headed but I'm happy to say I wasn ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 30, 2016 Sue Gale rated it it was amazing

A brilliant first novel

A brilliant first novel that grips from the first word and immerses you as it unfolds until the final word.An Author to follow for definite

flag Like · see review

Wave rated it really liked it
Feb 23, 2020

Lynne McCartney rated it it was amazing
May 18, 2017

Simon rated it it was amazing
Feb 11, 2017

Lara Bryn rated it liked it
Feb 09, 2014

Lynn rated it did not like it
Feb 29, 2016

fraser d matthew rated it really liked it
Aug 01, 2016

carol chandler rated it it was amazing
Jan 20, 2017

irene scullion rated it really liked it
Apr 12, 2018

Mar 15, 2017 Mel Burns rated it really liked it

I thought I knew how this book would end but no. I didn't see that coming. without spoiling it for everyone I knew he had to be playing a part in it but I didn't see the rest. A brilliant read. ...more

flag Like · see review