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DCI Lorimer #12
Keep the Midnight Out
When the body of a red-haired young man is washed up on the shore of the beautiful Isle of Mull, Detective Superintendent Lorimer's tranquil holiday away from the gritty streets of Glasgow is rudely interrupted. The body has been bound with twine in a ghoulishly unnatural position and strongly reminds Lorimer of another murder: a twenty year old Glasgow case that he failed to solve as a newly fledged detective constable and which has haunted him ever since.
As local cop DI Stevie Crozier takes charge of the island murder investigation, Lorimer tries to avoid stepping on her toes. But as the similarities between the young man's death and his cold case grow more obvious, Lorimer realises that there could be a serial killer on the loose after all these years.
As the action switches dramatically between the Mull murder and the Glasgow cold case twenty years earlier, Lorimer tries desperately to catch a cold-hearted killer. Has someone got away with murder for decades?
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2015
About the author
Alex Gray
78 books278 followersAlex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. She worked as a folk singer, a visiting officer in the DSS and an English teacher. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 73 reviews
May 30, 2018
For those readers who, like myself, are counting the minutes to the next Ian Rankin novel featuring Rebus we may have found a writer that can quench that desire. I confess that Alex Gray and her series featuring DCI Lorimer were not previously known to me but I was lucky to have found them --- and now have a handful of back-reading titles to add to my To-Be-Read Pile.
Set in Scotland and shifting between present day and twenty years prior, KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT features two murders, decades apart, that bear such similarities it makes the investigator who experienced both slayings shake with fear at moment of deadly deja vu. DCI Lorimer is on holiday. Unfortunately for him his brief respite off the Island of Mull will turn into anything but a relaxing vacation. The body of a young boy is found floating in a lake near where a father and son were trying to enjoy a day of fishing.
The Scottish town where this occurred was not a large one and word of the murder quickly got to Lorimer. He was particularly alarmed that the murdered boy had red hair and was bound prior to being dropped into the lake. The investigation immediately turns up evidence that the young man had been tortured. Whether or not this was done viciously and intending to inflict great pain or part of some bizarre sado-masochistic ritual was something that required further digging.
The Detective assigned to the case is Stevie Crozier. She was not at all pleased, initially, to share any part of the case with DCI Lorimer and it will take some time for her to recognize that Lorimer's knowledge of the case twenty years prior was vital to solving this present one. Lorimer realizes that, not only was the victim similar to the one he investigated twenty years earlier, but it directly signaled the fact that the same killer is behind both crimes.
Lorimer and Crozier also know that this indicates the killer is not a young man. It also pointed to the fact that the killer may have had access to or owned some sort of boat. The novel jumps back in time twenty years earlier to depict a younger and far less seasoned version of Lorimer as he works a murder case. There are also passages that come directly from the mind of the killer --- and they are quite chilling. The killer was definitely targeting young men who seemed to be homo-sexual and subjected his victims to extreme pain and suffering before he eventually killed them.
The killer in present time considers confessing but opts to stay in hiding, especially when the father of the latest victim appeared to be the main suspect due to his failure to recognize his sons proclivity for men and coming out as a homosexual. Our killer was happy to slink back into the darkness, waiting to see if Lorimer and Crozier could put the puzzle pieces together and turn their attention to him. When they finally find someone who witnessed the same man with both victims, the current one and the one from 1995, this is the break in the case they were waiting for. Now, it just would take some further investigating to find the killer --- never realizing that the killer was nearby and might very well strike first.
The novel takes its title from the final line of the story when DCI Lorimer thinks to himself: 'could his spirits rise above it all and take flight, seeing only the brightness of day to keep the midnight out'? KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT is well-written, atmospheric and often brooding. Alex Gray is definitely an author I will seek out again to appease my Ian Rankin fix for some terrific Scottish-based crime thrillers!
Set in Scotland and shifting between present day and twenty years prior, KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT features two murders, decades apart, that bear such similarities it makes the investigator who experienced both slayings shake with fear at moment of deadly deja vu. DCI Lorimer is on holiday. Unfortunately for him his brief respite off the Island of Mull will turn into anything but a relaxing vacation. The body of a young boy is found floating in a lake near where a father and son were trying to enjoy a day of fishing.
The Scottish town where this occurred was not a large one and word of the murder quickly got to Lorimer. He was particularly alarmed that the murdered boy had red hair and was bound prior to being dropped into the lake. The investigation immediately turns up evidence that the young man had been tortured. Whether or not this was done viciously and intending to inflict great pain or part of some bizarre sado-masochistic ritual was something that required further digging.
The Detective assigned to the case is Stevie Crozier. She was not at all pleased, initially, to share any part of the case with DCI Lorimer and it will take some time for her to recognize that Lorimer's knowledge of the case twenty years prior was vital to solving this present one. Lorimer realizes that, not only was the victim similar to the one he investigated twenty years earlier, but it directly signaled the fact that the same killer is behind both crimes.
Lorimer and Crozier also know that this indicates the killer is not a young man. It also pointed to the fact that the killer may have had access to or owned some sort of boat. The novel jumps back in time twenty years earlier to depict a younger and far less seasoned version of Lorimer as he works a murder case. There are also passages that come directly from the mind of the killer --- and they are quite chilling. The killer was definitely targeting young men who seemed to be homo-sexual and subjected his victims to extreme pain and suffering before he eventually killed them.
The killer in present time considers confessing but opts to stay in hiding, especially when the father of the latest victim appeared to be the main suspect due to his failure to recognize his sons proclivity for men and coming out as a homosexual. Our killer was happy to slink back into the darkness, waiting to see if Lorimer and Crozier could put the puzzle pieces together and turn their attention to him. When they finally find someone who witnessed the same man with both victims, the current one and the one from 1995, this is the break in the case they were waiting for. Now, it just would take some further investigating to find the killer --- never realizing that the killer was nearby and might very well strike first.
The novel takes its title from the final line of the story when DCI Lorimer thinks to himself: 'could his spirits rise above it all and take flight, seeing only the brightness of day to keep the midnight out'? KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT is well-written, atmospheric and often brooding. Alex Gray is definitely an author I will seek out again to appease my Ian Rankin fix for some terrific Scottish-based crime thrillers!
June 4, 2018
Great Series! Keep the Midnight Out is the 12th novel in the DCI Lorimer Series. This is the first that I have read in this series, but it did not deter me from reading further. The story actually is told in two parts, the first with the death of a young man, a gruesome cold case, whose was never identified or the murder solved. The second is about the murder of another young man and the similarities are too hard to ignore for DCI Lorimer, as he was the detective on the first.Though I really enjoyed the murder mystery immensely, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Glasgow and the characterization. The author's writing really sent me to the Isle of Mull, the sounds, the descriptions of the people and the talent of all of the people who solved the case. When I thought I had it figured out as to who the murderer was, new clues were thrown in and turned my thoughts all around.I love to read mystery/thrillers and police procedurals and this one did not disappoint me at all, I really need to back and start the series from the beginning, but this can be read as a stand-alone! If you love a great story than Alex Gray's novels are sure to please!
December 30, 2019
Few Scottish authors have matched the quality and quantity of novels produced by Alex Gray over the years. I have read many of the books in her DCI Lorimer series, but rarely in order. This rarely matters because most of her novels work well as stand alones. Keep the Midnight Out is no exception.
Keep the Midnight Out is the twelfth novel in Gray’s long running DCI Lorimer series and it is, unsurprisingly, beautifully written. The book starts with an exciting and gruesome scene when poachers gather more than they expect when the body of a red-headed young man is caught in their nets.
Lorimer and his wife are on vacation on the Isle of Mull. Therefore the readers get a taste of a different part of Scotland. And since Lorimer is on vacation, someone else is in charge of the investigation. DI Stevie Crozier is a woman with a chip on her shoulder.
Gray has the ability to weave much about Lorimer and his wife, Maggie, into the ongoing police investigation. That results in a good balance of character development and plot progression. Gray also includes a good amount of description, characteristic of Scottish crime thrillers.
The mystery is a good one too, dealing with sexual preferences and how parents deal with something they don’t understand. There are several red herrings that make trying to figure out the villain a good challenge.
The only point I found difficulty with are flashbacks to a twenty year old case, an early one of Lorimer’s and how the author explains that this may have relevance to the current case. The flash backs are well done and includes how Lorimer and Rosie Fergusson came to know each other but some of the co-incidences, for me, were a bit of a stretch. However, on the plus side the reader gets to know Lorimer and his wife better in Keep the Midnight Out.
I recommend this book to thriller and mystery readers who enjoy a well crafted novel with a good balance of description, character development, and plot progression. It would make a good read for a book club. My reservations are far outweighed by the quality of Gray’s story telling.
The Author
Alex Gray is a Scottish crime writer who was born and educated in Glasgow. She worked as a folk singer, a visiting officer in the DSS and an English teacher. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.
Val Penny
Keep the Midnight Out is the twelfth novel in Gray’s long running DCI Lorimer series and it is, unsurprisingly, beautifully written. The book starts with an exciting and gruesome scene when poachers gather more than they expect when the body of a red-headed young man is caught in their nets.
Lorimer and his wife are on vacation on the Isle of Mull. Therefore the readers get a taste of a different part of Scotland. And since Lorimer is on vacation, someone else is in charge of the investigation. DI Stevie Crozier is a woman with a chip on her shoulder.
Gray has the ability to weave much about Lorimer and his wife, Maggie, into the ongoing police investigation. That results in a good balance of character development and plot progression. Gray also includes a good amount of description, characteristic of Scottish crime thrillers.
The mystery is a good one too, dealing with sexual preferences and how parents deal with something they don’t understand. There are several red herrings that make trying to figure out the villain a good challenge.
The only point I found difficulty with are flashbacks to a twenty year old case, an early one of Lorimer’s and how the author explains that this may have relevance to the current case. The flash backs are well done and includes how Lorimer and Rosie Fergusson came to know each other but some of the co-incidences, for me, were a bit of a stretch. However, on the plus side the reader gets to know Lorimer and his wife better in Keep the Midnight Out.
I recommend this book to thriller and mystery readers who enjoy a well crafted novel with a good balance of description, character development, and plot progression. It would make a good read for a book club. My reservations are far outweighed by the quality of Gray’s story telling.
The Author
Alex Gray is a Scottish crime writer who was born and educated in Glasgow. She worked as a folk singer, a visiting officer in the DSS and an English teacher. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.
Val Penny
May 8, 2018
I have enjoyed the Lorimer mysteries and this is a good one. Unlike the usual Glasgow setting, Lorimer and his wife are on vacation on the Isle of Mull. We get a taste of a different part of Scotland. And since Lorimer is on vacation, someone else is in charge of the investigation, and this DI is a woman with a chip on her shoulder - a well drawn character.
Gray has the ability to weave much about Lorimer and his wife into the ongoing police investigation. That results in a good balance of character development and plot progression. Gray also includes a good amount of description, characteristic of British (or Scots) mysteries.
The mystery is a good one too, dealing with sexual preferences and how parents deal with something they don't understand. There are a few big red herrings that make trying to figure out the villain a good challenge.
There are flashbacks to a twenty year old case, an early one of Lorimer's that may have relevance to the current one. The flash backs are well done and includes how Lorimer and Rosie Fergusson came to know each other. A plus as we get to know Lorimer and his wife a little more in each succeeding novel.
I recommend this book to mystery readers who enjoy a well crafted novel with a good balance of description, character development, and plot progression.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Gray has the ability to weave much about Lorimer and his wife into the ongoing police investigation. That results in a good balance of character development and plot progression. Gray also includes a good amount of description, characteristic of British (or Scots) mysteries.
The mystery is a good one too, dealing with sexual preferences and how parents deal with something they don't understand. There are a few big red herrings that make trying to figure out the villain a good challenge.
There are flashbacks to a twenty year old case, an early one of Lorimer's that may have relevance to the current one. The flash backs are well done and includes how Lorimer and Rosie Fergusson came to know each other. A plus as we get to know Lorimer and his wife a little more in each succeeding novel.
I recommend this book to mystery readers who enjoy a well crafted novel with a good balance of description, character development, and plot progression.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.
May 15, 2018
This is the second DS Lorimer novel I’ve read recently and found it just as compelling and clever as the first. In this, we learn more about Lorimer’s early days as Glasgow police and the early, tragic days of his marriage. Gray does a fine job of filling out the reader’s view of Lorimer and his wife, and handles the heartbreak of lost babies and infertility with sensitivity. The mystery is well-plotted and paced, and thoroughly engaging. Recommended. (Full review at http://itsallaboutthebook.org)
July 21, 2018
I am enjoying the books by this author and this one is no exception. Set on the beautiful island of Mull and again featuring DS Bill Lorimer. He is on holiday with his wife Maggie when he discovers a body. The investigations link up with a similar unsolved case from 20 years ago when Bill was at the start of his police career.
June 13, 2016
I traveled to the Isle of Mull."which is the second largest island of the inner Herbrides
off the west coast of Scotland." I am very familiar with Alex Gray novels featuring
Detective Superintendent William Lorimer. And his wife Maggie.
And you cannot forget his friend and his profiler and Pychologist Solly Brightman and his wife Rosie who is
a pathologist. This novel is about two murders.Young men.And to add to this mystery twenty
years ago Lorimer was involved of a murder of a young red haired man. tied up and thrown into the sea in Glasgow. The murder case was never solved. Now,in the Isle of Mull twenty years later it happens again.A excellent read!!!
off the west coast of Scotland." I am very familiar with Alex Gray novels featuring
Detective Superintendent William Lorimer. And his wife Maggie.
And you cannot forget his friend and his profiler and Pychologist Solly Brightman and his wife Rosie who is
a pathologist. This novel is about two murders.Young men.And to add to this mystery twenty
years ago Lorimer was involved of a murder of a young red haired man. tied up and thrown into the sea in Glasgow. The murder case was never solved. Now,in the Isle of Mull twenty years later it happens again.A excellent read!!!
January 11, 2021
SPOILER ALERT
Another intriguing story from Gray puts Detective Superintendent William Lorimer and his wife at the site of body washed ashore at Fishnish Bay on the Island of Mull. The picturesque and peaceful cottage that they go to for a vacation is a sanctuary that is blemished by the police inquiry that pulls Lorimer in. The man had been found by Ewan Munro and his son while they were poaching sea trout in the tradition of the "Splash", in which hitting the water very hard with the oar would scare the fish into a net. The body had been caught in the net. They would not report the find thinking they would lose their boat if it was revealed what they were doing. The Munros supply the sea trout to various restaurants and to the local bobby, Sgt Calum Mhor McManus, so their activity is overlooked. The red-headed young man had been set there above the tide line, and had been restrained at some point, his limbs in unnatural positions, very like a red-haired young man that had been pulled from the River Clyde in Glasgow twenty years earlier when Lorimer was a DC. That man had also been tied up, his limbs also distorted. The case had never been solved, the man never identified. During this time Maggie had lost the little boy in her seventh month of pregnancy and Lorimer had gone on leave, and coming back had found the case abandoned. It has haunted him since.
DI Stevie Crozier from Oban is put in charge of the case with her DS Brian Langley, and she is eager to prove herself, and is immediately afraid that Lorimer might take over. Her dislike of Lorimer and her rigid approach make for an uncomfortable relationship between the two, and her avoidance of his possible input impedes the investigation. As members of the community are interviewed there is another killing of Jean Erskine, grand-aunt of Fiona Taig a server at the Hotel. Jean had seen Jock Maloney arguing with the dead man, Rory Fergusson, and reports it to PC Jamie Kennedy. We meet Lachlan Turner, the gardener at the Kilbeg Country House Hotel, the proprietors of which are in serious financial trouble. Freda Forsyth is a very odd woman who spends much of her time at the quay staring out to sea, her husband Hamish drunk as fewer and fewer tourists stay at the run down accommodation. She is waiting for her son Gary who left twenty years earlier. Archie Gillespie is the chef for the Hotel and is a gruff man who lives on a boat at the wharf of the Hotel, has a suspicious behavior attributable to the weed that he deals. The killer must have had access to a boat.
Dr. Rosie Fergusson is brought in to do the PM. And Solly and Lorimer have a discussion on the possibility that BDSM was involved in the killings. Perhaps even that the deaths could have been accidents, a sexual encounter gone awry. Indeed the issue of homosexuality is the main theme of the story. The old fashioned thinking of the small villages and some in Glasgow twenty years ago had lead to many young men being cast out by their families, or abused, or shamed into hiding their preferences. Joke Maloney's son Richard, the Forsyth's son Gary (he had been a rent boy and a live model at Glasgow Uni.) and Rory Dalgliesh, the boy found on the shore were all gay. Each man's father had been embarrassed by their son's behavior. Women who reported having seen the men engaged in sexual activity together were disgusted and vocal in their outrage. Jock Maloney being sought by the police and thinking Richard had killed Rory, takes him into the wilderness to hide, nearly shooting his own son, to avoid Richard's going to prison. He refuses to listen to Richard when he shows he is completely confused about what Jock is accusing him of. Gary Forsyth is identified as the red-haired man pulled from the Clyde. While his body had been too damaged for a picture to have been put in the papers, Lorimer had asked for the art school students to draw a picture of his from the photos that he would use. His family emergency had that not being done. He finds the picture in the file as he goes through it now to find similarities with Rory's death. He had been thrown out by his father. He had sent a letter to his mother saying he was coming home, and had never arrived.
As suspects are eliminated and as the killer is finally identified as Lachlan Turner, who has a boat available, a man who had been living in Glasgow and been at the art school twenty years ago, he is found to have lied about where he was on the night Rory died. He said he had been at the "Splash". Though as the reader we are aware that in both cases the deaths were accidents, sexual activity going too far, Lachie egged on by Gary, Lorimer, Crozier and the others will never know all the answers. He runs from the police (they were looking at his van to let him know his permit wat expired while he thought he had been found out.) takes the Bonny Belle to the Black Teeth, treacherous rocks on the coastline. He runs the boat onto the rocks and dies. A profoundly sad tale of prejudice and loss. Well told.
Another intriguing story from Gray puts Detective Superintendent William Lorimer and his wife at the site of body washed ashore at Fishnish Bay on the Island of Mull. The picturesque and peaceful cottage that they go to for a vacation is a sanctuary that is blemished by the police inquiry that pulls Lorimer in. The man had been found by Ewan Munro and his son while they were poaching sea trout in the tradition of the "Splash", in which hitting the water very hard with the oar would scare the fish into a net. The body had been caught in the net. They would not report the find thinking they would lose their boat if it was revealed what they were doing. The Munros supply the sea trout to various restaurants and to the local bobby, Sgt Calum Mhor McManus, so their activity is overlooked. The red-headed young man had been set there above the tide line, and had been restrained at some point, his limbs in unnatural positions, very like a red-haired young man that had been pulled from the River Clyde in Glasgow twenty years earlier when Lorimer was a DC. That man had also been tied up, his limbs also distorted. The case had never been solved, the man never identified. During this time Maggie had lost the little boy in her seventh month of pregnancy and Lorimer had gone on leave, and coming back had found the case abandoned. It has haunted him since.
DI Stevie Crozier from Oban is put in charge of the case with her DS Brian Langley, and she is eager to prove herself, and is immediately afraid that Lorimer might take over. Her dislike of Lorimer and her rigid approach make for an uncomfortable relationship between the two, and her avoidance of his possible input impedes the investigation. As members of the community are interviewed there is another killing of Jean Erskine, grand-aunt of Fiona Taig a server at the Hotel. Jean had seen Jock Maloney arguing with the dead man, Rory Fergusson, and reports it to PC Jamie Kennedy. We meet Lachlan Turner, the gardener at the Kilbeg Country House Hotel, the proprietors of which are in serious financial trouble. Freda Forsyth is a very odd woman who spends much of her time at the quay staring out to sea, her husband Hamish drunk as fewer and fewer tourists stay at the run down accommodation. She is waiting for her son Gary who left twenty years earlier. Archie Gillespie is the chef for the Hotel and is a gruff man who lives on a boat at the wharf of the Hotel, has a suspicious behavior attributable to the weed that he deals. The killer must have had access to a boat.
Dr. Rosie Fergusson is brought in to do the PM. And Solly and Lorimer have a discussion on the possibility that BDSM was involved in the killings. Perhaps even that the deaths could have been accidents, a sexual encounter gone awry. Indeed the issue of homosexuality is the main theme of the story. The old fashioned thinking of the small villages and some in Glasgow twenty years ago had lead to many young men being cast out by their families, or abused, or shamed into hiding their preferences. Joke Maloney's son Richard, the Forsyth's son Gary (he had been a rent boy and a live model at Glasgow Uni.) and Rory Dalgliesh, the boy found on the shore were all gay. Each man's father had been embarrassed by their son's behavior. Women who reported having seen the men engaged in sexual activity together were disgusted and vocal in their outrage. Jock Maloney being sought by the police and thinking Richard had killed Rory, takes him into the wilderness to hide, nearly shooting his own son, to avoid Richard's going to prison. He refuses to listen to Richard when he shows he is completely confused about what Jock is accusing him of. Gary Forsyth is identified as the red-haired man pulled from the Clyde. While his body had been too damaged for a picture to have been put in the papers, Lorimer had asked for the art school students to draw a picture of his from the photos that he would use. His family emergency had that not being done. He finds the picture in the file as he goes through it now to find similarities with Rory's death. He had been thrown out by his father. He had sent a letter to his mother saying he was coming home, and had never arrived.
As suspects are eliminated and as the killer is finally identified as Lachlan Turner, who has a boat available, a man who had been living in Glasgow and been at the art school twenty years ago, he is found to have lied about where he was on the night Rory died. He said he had been at the "Splash". Though as the reader we are aware that in both cases the deaths were accidents, sexual activity going too far, Lachie egged on by Gary, Lorimer, Crozier and the others will never know all the answers. He runs from the police (they were looking at his van to let him know his permit wat expired while he thought he had been found out.) takes the Bonny Belle to the Black Teeth, treacherous rocks on the coastline. He runs the boat onto the rocks and dies. A profoundly sad tale of prejudice and loss. Well told.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2018
For those readers who, like myself, are counting the minutes to Ian Rankin’s next Rebus novel, we may have found a writer who can quench that desire. I confess that Alex Gray and her series featuring Detective Superintendent Lorimer were not previously known to me, but I was lucky to have found them --- and now have a handful of backlist titles to add to my to-be-read pile.
Set in Scotland and shifting between present day and 20 years prior, KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT features two murders, decades apart, that bear such similarities it makes the investigator who experienced both slayings shake with fear at a moment of deadly déjà vu. Lorimer is on holiday. Unfortunately for him, his brief respite off the Isle of Mull will turn into anything but a relaxing vacation. The body of a young boy is found floating in a lake near where a father and son were trying to enjoy a day of fishing.
The Scottish town where this occurred is not a large one, and word of the murder quickly spreads to Lorimer. He is particularly alarmed that the boy had red hair and was bound prior to being dropped into the lake. The investigation immediately turns up evidence that the young man had been tortured. Whether or not this was done viciously, intending to inflict great pain, or part of some bizarre sadomasochistic ritual is something that requires further digging.
The detective assigned to the case is Stevie Crozier. Initially, she is not at all pleased to share any part of the case with Lorimer, and it will take some time for her to recognize that Lorimer's knowledge of the 20-year-old case is vital to solving the present one. Lorimer realizes that, not only is the victim similar to the one he investigated two decades ago, the same individual is behind both crimes.
Furthermore, Lorimer and Crozier know this indicates that the killer is not a young man, and also suggests that the culprit may have had access to or owned some sort of boat. The novel jumps back in time 20 years earlier to depict a younger and far less seasoned version of Lorimer as he works a murder case. There are passages that come directly from the mind of the killer --- and they are quite chilling. This monster was definitely targeting young men who seemed to be homosexual, and subjected his victims to extreme pain and suffering before eventually killing them.
The killer in present time considers confessing but opts to stay in hiding, especially when the father of the latest victim appears to be the main suspect due to his failure to recognize his son’s proclivity for men. He is happy to slink back into the darkness, waiting to see if Lorimer and Crozier can put the puzzle pieces together and turn their attention to him. When they find someone who witnessed the same man with both victims, they finally have the break in the case they’ve been waiting for. All it will take is some further investigating to find their man. However, they never realize that he is nearby and may very well strike first.
The novel gets its title from the final line of the story when DCI Lorimer thinks to himself: Could his spirits rise above it all and take flight, seeing only the brightness of day to keep the midnight out? KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT is well-written, atmospheric and often brooding. Alex Gray is definitely an author I will seek out again to appease my Ian Rankin fix for some terrific Scottish-based crime thrillers.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
Set in Scotland and shifting between present day and 20 years prior, KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT features two murders, decades apart, that bear such similarities it makes the investigator who experienced both slayings shake with fear at a moment of deadly déjà vu. Lorimer is on holiday. Unfortunately for him, his brief respite off the Isle of Mull will turn into anything but a relaxing vacation. The body of a young boy is found floating in a lake near where a father and son were trying to enjoy a day of fishing.
The Scottish town where this occurred is not a large one, and word of the murder quickly spreads to Lorimer. He is particularly alarmed that the boy had red hair and was bound prior to being dropped into the lake. The investigation immediately turns up evidence that the young man had been tortured. Whether or not this was done viciously, intending to inflict great pain, or part of some bizarre sadomasochistic ritual is something that requires further digging.
The detective assigned to the case is Stevie Crozier. Initially, she is not at all pleased to share any part of the case with Lorimer, and it will take some time for her to recognize that Lorimer's knowledge of the 20-year-old case is vital to solving the present one. Lorimer realizes that, not only is the victim similar to the one he investigated two decades ago, the same individual is behind both crimes.
Furthermore, Lorimer and Crozier know this indicates that the killer is not a young man, and also suggests that the culprit may have had access to or owned some sort of boat. The novel jumps back in time 20 years earlier to depict a younger and far less seasoned version of Lorimer as he works a murder case. There are passages that come directly from the mind of the killer --- and they are quite chilling. This monster was definitely targeting young men who seemed to be homosexual, and subjected his victims to extreme pain and suffering before eventually killing them.
The killer in present time considers confessing but opts to stay in hiding, especially when the father of the latest victim appears to be the main suspect due to his failure to recognize his son’s proclivity for men. He is happy to slink back into the darkness, waiting to see if Lorimer and Crozier can put the puzzle pieces together and turn their attention to him. When they find someone who witnessed the same man with both victims, they finally have the break in the case they’ve been waiting for. All it will take is some further investigating to find their man. However, they never realize that he is nearby and may very well strike first.
The novel gets its title from the final line of the story when DCI Lorimer thinks to himself: Could his spirits rise above it all and take flight, seeing only the brightness of day to keep the midnight out? KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT is well-written, atmospheric and often brooding. Alex Gray is definitely an author I will seek out again to appease my Ian Rankin fix for some terrific Scottish-based crime thrillers.
Reviewed by Ray Palen
March 7, 2018
Coming to this straight from the second book in the Ann Cleeves “Shetland” series, a comparison was hard to avoid. In this instance we’re largely on the Isle of Mull, Interestingly, the quote from The Times on the front cover promises “Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere…” Once again, a detective has to come from the mainland to take over the investigation.
As with the Shetland book, there’s a promising storyline, this one involving two crimes twenty years apart which are virtually mirror images of each other. Hard to conceive then of a reason why the senior investigating officer should be reluctant to explore the possibility of a connection.
In general, though, it isn’t so much the improbability of behaviour but the sheer confusion created by involving a quite large cast of characters, some of whom seem to drift in and out of the story, so that when they reappear you have to think hard about who they are and where they fit into things, and not always successfully. Some characters appear for the first time very late in the book, have a brief cameo, and then are never heard from again.
But at least the action moves forward and keeps you interested all the way to the end, even if that interest is ultimately frustrated. Opportunities to take the story in an interesting direction seem to be shied away from, not least at the point where you might expect the all-important truth about the killings to be coming out. After four hundred and fifty pages (albeit large print and widely spaced) it’s largely skated over.
In the end, somehow, some way, I found the book strangely addictive and had to go on reading.
I am now getting older, and have an ever-expanding list of books I want to read while I’m still around, but it’s just possible I might one day try another Alex Gray.
As with the Shetland book, there’s a promising storyline, this one involving two crimes twenty years apart which are virtually mirror images of each other. Hard to conceive then of a reason why the senior investigating officer should be reluctant to explore the possibility of a connection.
In general, though, it isn’t so much the improbability of behaviour but the sheer confusion created by involving a quite large cast of characters, some of whom seem to drift in and out of the story, so that when they reappear you have to think hard about who they are and where they fit into things, and not always successfully. Some characters appear for the first time very late in the book, have a brief cameo, and then are never heard from again.
But at least the action moves forward and keeps you interested all the way to the end, even if that interest is ultimately frustrated. Opportunities to take the story in an interesting direction seem to be shied away from, not least at the point where you might expect the all-important truth about the killings to be coming out. After four hundred and fifty pages (albeit large print and widely spaced) it’s largely skated over.
In the end, somehow, some way, I found the book strangely addictive and had to go on reading.
I am now getting older, and have an ever-expanding list of books I want to read while I’m still around, but it’s just possible I might one day try another Alex Gray.
June 7, 2018
DCI Lorimer is on vacation with his wife on the Isle of Mull. Things are going well for them until news that a boy has been found bound and murdered. Of course Lorimer has to check it out and finds it strangely like a cold case of his own from twenty years ago. Of course Lorimer has to go poking his nose in everything and getting on the last nerve of the local detective, Stevie Crozier that has a chip on her shoulder. But they more they looking into the cases it becomes clear that Lorimer may have found his killer from twenty years ago.
I really enjoyed this story. Lorimer is a great detective and once Crozier could start working with him things really took off. You have a killer that targets homo-sexual young men and you can see how he wants to turn himself in when his latest victim’s father is being blamed but he doesn’t really want to. I loved Lorimer’s past and the personal issues him and his wife had to deal with.
Of course I didn’t really know how this was going to end with a couple red herrings thrown in to keep everything interesting. I love the DCI Lorimer series and can’t wait to catch up on the rest of the books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
I really enjoyed this story. Lorimer is a great detective and once Crozier could start working with him things really took off. You have a killer that targets homo-sexual young men and you can see how he wants to turn himself in when his latest victim’s father is being blamed but he doesn’t really want to. I loved Lorimer’s past and the personal issues him and his wife had to deal with.
Of course I didn’t really know how this was going to end with a couple red herrings thrown in to keep everything interesting. I love the DCI Lorimer series and can’t wait to catch up on the rest of the books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
May 9, 2023
I've been reading Alex Gray's Lorimer books for years, all out of sync though so sometimes he is young and sometimes he's getting grizzly! This is one of the grizzly ones. Bill Lorimer is away on his annual 2 week holiday on Mull with his wife when he ventures onto the beach overlooking the cottage, to see what was drawing the seagulls in. It turned out to be the body of a young man with very red hair. I can forecast the ending of his holiday coming up!
He does get involved in the case and it also reminds him of a very similar case back in Glasgow 20yrs previously. Both bodies had been "hogtied", hands and feet tied behind their backs, and thrown into water but their ropes had been cut as soon as rigor mortis had set in which is why they were found in strange positions. Solly Brightman the police psychologist, had arrived on the island with his wife Dr Rosie Ferguson the police pathologist.
This is a long story about the current death and the one 20yrs ago, the story did move along a bit slowly for a Lorimer book but then Lorimer himself doesn't work in any rushed way! I like all the main characters in Alex's books and this helps to stick with the story even if it is slowing down a bit. And, I do like an ending with all the loose ends tied up.
He does get involved in the case and it also reminds him of a very similar case back in Glasgow 20yrs previously. Both bodies had been "hogtied", hands and feet tied behind their backs, and thrown into water but their ropes had been cut as soon as rigor mortis had set in which is why they were found in strange positions. Solly Brightman the police psychologist, had arrived on the island with his wife Dr Rosie Ferguson the police pathologist.
This is a long story about the current death and the one 20yrs ago, the story did move along a bit slowly for a Lorimer book but then Lorimer himself doesn't work in any rushed way! I like all the main characters in Alex's books and this helps to stick with the story even if it is slowing down a bit. And, I do like an ending with all the loose ends tied up.
June 4, 2018
Keep the Midnight Out is the 12th novel in the DCI Lorimer Series. This is the first that I have read in this series, but it did not deter me from reading further. The story actually is told in two parts, the first with the death of a young man, a gruesome cold case, whose was never identified or the murder solved. The second is about the murder of another young man and the similarities are too hard to ignore for DCI Lorimer, as he was the detective on the first.
Though I really enjoyed the murder mystery immensely, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Glasgow and the characterization. The author's writing really sent me to the Isle of Mull, the sounds, the descriptions of the people and the talent of all of the people who solved the case. When I thought I had it figured out as to who the murderer was, new clues were thrown in and turned my thoughts all around.
I love to read mystery/thrillers and police procedurals and this one did not disappoint me at all, I really need to back and start the series from the beginning, but this can be read as a stand-alone! If you love a great story than Alex Gray's novels are sure to please!
Though I really enjoyed the murder mystery immensely, I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Glasgow and the characterization. The author's writing really sent me to the Isle of Mull, the sounds, the descriptions of the people and the talent of all of the people who solved the case. When I thought I had it figured out as to who the murderer was, new clues were thrown in and turned my thoughts all around.
I love to read mystery/thrillers and police procedurals and this one did not disappoint me at all, I really need to back and start the series from the beginning, but this can be read as a stand-alone! If you love a great story than Alex Gray's novels are sure to please!
April 14, 2019
Read Like a Man #2
With this reading project, in some weird, self-flagellating way, I decided to see if I could understand men better, in order to have more success at online dating. So I scanned my shelves for authors or particular books that interesting men on the dating website cited as their favourites, or were in some way connected with, or recommended by, actual men I knew (or would like to know better). Books that I already had, you understand; I certainly wasn't going to go out and buy new ones.
Apart from the Alex Grays; I did go out and buy the Alex Grays. Because of John. Sweet, weird John. We could've been brilliant together. And I still want to sing Time of the Season with you.
This book was much better than the first Gray I read. I actually was interested in what happened to the characters, and enjoyed the Highland scenery, having spent some time in Oban recently. I'm even keeping this one. Because I'm a sentimental sap.
With this reading project, in some weird, self-flagellating way, I decided to see if I could understand men better, in order to have more success at online dating. So I scanned my shelves for authors or particular books that interesting men on the dating website cited as their favourites, or were in some way connected with, or recommended by, actual men I knew (or would like to know better). Books that I already had, you understand; I certainly wasn't going to go out and buy new ones.
Apart from the Alex Grays; I did go out and buy the Alex Grays. Because of John. Sweet, weird John. We could've been brilliant together. And I still want to sing Time of the Season with you.
This book was much better than the first Gray I read. I actually was interested in what happened to the characters, and enjoyed the Highland scenery, having spent some time in Oban recently. I'm even keeping this one. Because I'm a sentimental sap.
March 15, 2020
A friend and fellow insomniac crime novel reader lent me this and I devoured it. The author was new to me but I'll be seeking out more and possibly starting this series from the beginning. The narrative is strong, complex but not too fantastical and no rabbits from hats. There are enough sub plots that keep the possibilities open, explore social context and mores and keep the reader engaged. I find it really well grounded in that respect and feel this elevates it above many formulaic 'whodunits'.
The characters are also engaging and nicely drawn, with human flaws and pettiness etc. I like the absolute plausibility of this, which seems a little odd when you're thinking of a multiple murders but as the author explores the characters' backstories and motivations, whilst actions and responses may be quite extreme and/or tragic, they never seem far fetched.
The characters are also engaging and nicely drawn, with human flaws and pettiness etc. I like the absolute plausibility of this, which seems a little odd when you're thinking of a multiple murders but as the author explores the characters' backstories and motivations, whilst actions and responses may be quite extreme and/or tragic, they never seem far fetched.
October 19, 2017
Enjoyed this one, although it was nothing particularly stunning. The setting is beautiful and evocatively described, but parts of it were a bit clumsy. I appreciated the nuanced exploration of homosexuality issues and the inability of individuals and society to accept that everyone has value and is different, failing to see the person, only the labels attached. Parenthood, and loss, small communities, relationships, seniority, sensitivity .... got the lot really, but not constructed in an intuitive way. Almost like, the structure of the plot was devised and then the detail/flesh put on without smoothing the joints of the plot that stuck through. For all that, I wanted to know what happened, to wallow in the glorious descriptions of Mull.
March 16, 2023
Alex Gray must have a winning formula because I keep reading the Lorimer series one after another.
This one had the usual characters but it was a dual timeline narrative with most of the action set in Mull. There was a fairly large cast of characters to keep track of but I like the pace of the writing. Maggie's traumatic hospitalisation was dealt with sensitively but I found the attitudes of some characters toward gay men or people with Downs Syndrome were jarring. I had to check the date of publication at one stage before rationalising that these were fictional characters speaking rather than the author and there are people who do have those attitudes even now. It was a timely reminder.
I'll move on to the next book in the series now.
This one had the usual characters but it was a dual timeline narrative with most of the action set in Mull. There was a fairly large cast of characters to keep track of but I like the pace of the writing. Maggie's traumatic hospitalisation was dealt with sensitively but I found the attitudes of some characters toward gay men or people with Downs Syndrome were jarring. I had to check the date of publication at one stage before rationalising that these were fictional characters speaking rather than the author and there are people who do have those attitudes even now. It was a timely reminder.
I'll move on to the next book in the series now.
May 30, 2018
Midnight doesn’t always happen in the middle of the night. It can also look different to each individual.
It can ruin a favorite holiday location, mess with a town or tear a family apart.
Midnight on the Isle of Mull is all this and more. Can anyone ever keep the midnight out? Detective Superintendent Lorimer and DI Crozier try, but also have to play an ego game while in the process.
Thank you, Ms Gray for another DCI Lorimer novel. I look forward to many more.
***Book provided without charge by PICT.***
It can ruin a favorite holiday location, mess with a town or tear a family apart.
Midnight on the Isle of Mull is all this and more. Can anyone ever keep the midnight out? Detective Superintendent Lorimer and DI Crozier try, but also have to play an ego game while in the process.
Thank you, Ms Gray for another DCI Lorimer novel. I look forward to many more.
***Book provided without charge by PICT.***
September 12, 2018
This was a straightforward Scottish police procedural. Our man Lorimer is on vacation on the Isle of Mull and gets involved in a murder investigation. He wonders about similarities with a similar case back when he first became a Detective in Glascow. We follow Lorimer as he makes ever-decreasing circles towards solving one, or both, murders. It all seemed a little slow and old-fashioned to me, with quite a few Scottish idioms. But, the writing was good and the plot was interesting. I might read more by Alex Gray.
April 10, 2019
My first read from this author. It is #12 in a series but read fine on it's own.
Detective Superintendent Lorimer may be on holidays but when he stumbles across a body, not far from his cottage, he is then drawn into a murder investigation as well as a twenty year old cold case.
I found the story well written with lots of great and interesting characters. It could be a little hard to follow at times though with the local dialect used throughout and the vast number of characters. It was confusing at times and hard to keep track of who's who.
Detective Superintendent Lorimer may be on holidays but when he stumbles across a body, not far from his cottage, he is then drawn into a murder investigation as well as a twenty year old cold case.
I found the story well written with lots of great and interesting characters. It could be a little hard to follow at times though with the local dialect used throughout and the vast number of characters. It was confusing at times and hard to keep track of who's who.
May 11, 2019
DI Crozier was one dimensional and badly portrayed. Her reactions were so extreme she came across as cartoonish and her actions at the end were ridiculous.
Police officers do not think " it would be illegal to go in there without a search warrant but I'm going to do it because I want justice ". They would recognise that breaking and entering would wreck the case and prevent justice.
Obviously the main detective of the series saved the day for her.
I doubt I'll read any more of this series.
Police officers do not think " it would be illegal to go in there without a search warrant but I'm going to do it because I want justice ". They would recognise that breaking and entering would wreck the case and prevent justice.
Obviously the main detective of the series saved the day for her.
I doubt I'll read any more of this series.
May 11, 2023
This novel is the 12th in the DSI Lorimer series.
The story is really two unsolved murders twenty years apart. Lorimer is enjoying a holiday with his wife on the Island of Mull, when he discovers while on his morning walk, a body washed ashore. Although the case is not Lorimers to investigate, he ultimately works with local police to catch the killer. Lorimer can’t help but see parallels to an unsolved murder from 20 years earlier — Alex Gray weaves her narrative with the two cases intertwined.
Good summer read. Nothing stellar but I would read another novel in this series.
The story is really two unsolved murders twenty years apart. Lorimer is enjoying a holiday with his wife on the Island of Mull, when he discovers while on his morning walk, a body washed ashore. Although the case is not Lorimers to investigate, he ultimately works with local police to catch the killer. Lorimer can’t help but see parallels to an unsolved murder from 20 years earlier — Alex Gray weaves her narrative with the two cases intertwined.
Good summer read. Nothing stellar but I would read another novel in this series.
July 20, 2017
DCI William Lorimer works the streets of Glasgow in a hard hitting Series. With his now friend, and profiler, Solomon Brightman, they try to solve the grizzly murders found in the Scottish city .. Really strong characterisation and the storylines are all different and well paced. The personal lives of these two men are also really well developed, and their continuum comes across as 'thought out' and not just as an afterthought. Only a few more and I'll be up to date on the whole Series.
January 27, 2020
This was a slow starter and I did think of DNFing it but kept going. It picked up about half was through and became a page turner.
I loved the setting of the Isle of Mull, I was able to picture various places.
The characters were well written and those from Mull did have the feel of highland people to them, which was good.
I loved the setting of the Isle of Mull, I was able to picture various places.
The characters were well written and those from Mull did have the feel of highland people to them, which was good.
March 29, 2021
I’ve decided I don’t enjoy books about: snow, kidnappings without deaths, boats, fishing and being lost in snowy climates. This had two of those - boats and fishing. But I struggled through as I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. I had guessed whodunit but couldn’t tell you why it what gave it away. I could explain it at all.
September 18, 2021
Not the best
Previous Lorimer books have been better, this one lacked some excitement. The repeated references to the past, that do nothing to add something new to the characters is getting irksome. The Crozier character is weak and full of self doubt, it makes you wonder how she made it so far up the police ladder.
Previous Lorimer books have been better, this one lacked some excitement. The repeated references to the past, that do nothing to add something new to the characters is getting irksome. The Crozier character is weak and full of self doubt, it makes you wonder how she made it so far up the police ladder.
October 22, 2018
Bought while I was on holiday on Mull in the summer and have to say the setting on Mull is probably the only thing going for this book. It was a rather mediocre crime story as such and the characters rather one dimensional so I don't think I will be reading any more of this series.
December 22, 2018
Another brilliant book by Alex Gray..I especially loved this as Mull is one of my favourite spots in Scotland. Great storyline, really enjoyed the twists and turns..and again kept me guessing right until the end. Another series to add to the must read list.
June 24, 2019
Haven't read any of the other books in the series but was able to read as a stand alone book. Enjoyed every moment of the book. Kept me interested. However did find that there was too much happening in the last few chapters. It was like everyone needed an ending.
November 5, 2020
This story was enjoyable and anyone who loves murder mysteries set in Britain would like it. The descriptions are especially well-done - not overly much. The body on the beach, the detective trying to take a holiday...all the interplay between characters, was good.
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