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Five Ways To Kill a Man: A DCI Lorimer Novel

(DCI Lorimer #7)

Alex Gray

3.96 · Rating details · 586 ratings · 53 reviews

As DCI Lorimer sees in the New Year, an unpredictable killer is loose on the streets of Glasgow . Hood up, suddenly appearing out of the shadows, this dark figure is experimenting with murder, again and again.

Faced with a string of seemingly unconnected victims, and picking up the case of a horrific fire that murdered a wealthy couple, Lorimer turns to psychologist and fri ...more

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ebook, 368 pages

Published August 1st 2017 by Witness Impulse (first published January 1st 2010)

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Mar 22, 2015 Lainy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 424

Publisher - Little, Brown Book Group

Blurb from Goodreads

A beautifully crafted, darkly atmospheric crime novel from one of Scotland's most talked-about crime writers An unpredictable killer is loose on the streets of Glasgow, experimenting with death. Beginning with brute force, the murderer moves on to poison and drowning, greedy for new and better ways to kill. Faced with a string of unconnected victims, DCI Lorimer turns to psychologist and friend Solomon Time taken to read - 5 days

Pages - 424

Publisher - Little, Brown Book Group

Blurb from Goodreads

A beautifully crafted, darkly atmospheric crime novel from one of Scotland's most talked-about crime writers An unpredictable killer is loose on the streets of Glasgow, experimenting with death. Beginning with brute force, the murderer moves on to poison and drowning, greedy for new and better ways to kill. Faced with a string of unconnected victims, DCI Lorimer turns to psychologist and friend Solomon Brightman for his insights. Lorimer is also assigned to review the case of a fatal house fire. His suspicions are raised by shocking omissions in the original investigation. Some uncomfortable questions have been buried but Lorimer is the man to ask them. As the serial killer gets closer to Lorimer's family, can the DCI unmask the volatile murderer before the next victim is found too close to home?

My Review

DCI Lorimer has a dangerous killer on his hands, to begin with they seem to kill indiscriminately and it takes a bit for the police to catch on their is a serial killer. However once the killer has gained confidence and targets their preferred group, the police pull together and set about "catching their man". Lorimers personal woes are laced through the story, his family life, inlaws. This seemed to be to give the reader a bit more understanding and depth of the character but there is actually a bit more to it which is revealed later.

In under 30 pages we had three murders so the book starts off quite fast paced. The descriptions of locations and minute details are emphasized so even if you are unfamiliar with Glasgow, you get quite a picture. I think for some people it adds enjoyment to a story if you know some of the places it is based in and it was one of the things I did like in this book. I believe this is quite a few along in a series, however I haven't read the previous ones and got on fine with this one.

It isn't too often I guess who the killer is however with this one I did. The build up and all the small things are explained very clearly however the motive is largely left to the reader to gleam from the details that are given. For me this brought the overall enjoyment of the story down and raised questions as to why the killer did a lot of the things they did. I don't like loose ends although some readers enjoy books that do that, for me it is a 3/5. I would read this author again but I won't be rushing to get anymore or chasing up the back catalogue. ...more

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May 07, 2014 Paul Penney rated it did not like it · review of another edition

This is the 7th in the DCI Lorimer series, but it was the first (and last) I decided to try. It is called "Five Ways to Kill a Man", and in the first 5 chapters the reader finds out the first, second, and third ways, with a cold killer in Glasgow taking lives in vastly different ways. I was intrigued to find out the other two ways, so I read on, only to realize at about page 100 that one of those ways is to bore a reader to death with pointless drivel like descriptions of the city of Glasgow, nu ...more

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Feb 11, 2013 Kellie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Boring read. The "red herring" was so overdone it was laughable. Even with the attempts to blame another character, it was obvious from the get go who the killer was - yet, we are left at the end to guess as to the motive, or should I say motives. The author painfully takes up pages and pages with minutia and details as to what a character is thinking or what a place looks like, or describing a memorial, and then when it comes to the meat and bones, the MOTIVE, we are left to assume (SPOILER ALE ...more

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Sep 01, 2015 Val Penny rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Alex Gray comes from Glasgow, Scotland. I am delighted at how her writing has developed and strengthened as her writing career has progressed. When I read one of her early books, A Small Weeping, reviewed on this site at http://bookreviewstoday.info/2013/03/..., I did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped to. However, when I heard her speak recently at the 67th Swanick Writers' Conference, I was struck by what an honest and unassuming woman she is, so I decided to try again. I enjoy crime fi Alex Gray comes from Glasgow, Scotland. I am delighted at how her writing has developed and strengthened as her writing career has progressed. When I read one of her early books, A Small Weeping, reviewed on this site at http://bookreviewstoday.info/2013/03/..., I did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped to. However, when I heard her speak recently at the 67th Swanick Writers' Conference, I was struck by what an honest and unassuming woman she is, so I decided to try again. I enjoy crime fiction and have a special place in my heart for the Scottish "Tartan Noir" authors. Alex Grey has always been in the forefront of that group. Indeed, she and Lin Anderson co-founded the Bloody Scotland Crime Writers' Festival that runs annually in Stirling in September.
I picked up her book Five Ways to Kill a Man at her book signing at Swanick, largely because I liked the title. (Although it did make my husband nervous, when I arrived home with it!) It is the seventh book in her series featuring DCI William Lorimer and this book is interesting because the author gives herself time and space to develop the characters of his wife and mother-in-law to culminate in a poignant ending.

The story is set in Glasgow around the time of New Year celebrations. DCI Lorimer sees in the New Year but is focussed on an unpredictable killer loose on the streets of Glasgow . This dark hooded figure lurks in the shadows, experimenting with murder, again and again. Lorimer is faced with a string of seemingly unconnected victims, and also has to review the case of a horrific fire that murdered a wealthy couple, He turns to psychologist and friend Solly Brightman for his insights. The killer gets to closer to Lorimer himself and his family, so he must unmask the serial murderer before the next victim is found too close to home.

Five Ways to Kill a Man is a beautifully crafted, darkly atmospheric crime novel: In under 30 pages we had three murders so the book starts off quite fast paced. The descriptions of locations and minute details are emphasized so even if you are unfamiliar with Glasgow, you get quite a picture. I think for some people it adds enjoyment to a story if you know some of the places it is based in and it was one of the things I did like in this book as I live close to Glasgow and have got to know it reasonably well.

The build up and all the small things in Five Ways to Kill a Man are explained very clearly. However, the motive is largely left to the reader to gleam from the details that are given. Typical Alex Gray, not to insult the reader's intelligence. I enjoyed this book very much and hope to see Alex later this month at Bloody Scotland when, if I am lucky, I will pick up another of her novels. ...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Tony Wood rated it it was ok · review of another edition

No real action till page 290! Well written though, don't think I'll be going out of my way to read any of his other books. ...more

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Oct 16, 2020 Jenn rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-cover-to-cover

I really didn’t like the writing style of this novel. For some reason I can’t put my finger on, I had to read sentences a number of times to have them unjumble in my head. The scariest part is that I could read the Scottish vernacular very easily - it was the larger English buts I had a hard time with. Maybe I shouldn’t have started with the 7th in the series. And I was taken aback by the title. If it’s ways to kill a man, why are old ladies targeted??

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Aug 19, 2012 Suzan rated it liked it · review of another edition

The book cover says that Alex Gray does for Glasgow what Ian Rankin does for Edinburgh. I don't agree. And I wish I could give half stars. It's not a 4, but nor is it a 3. I enjoyed it - good psychological mystery, but a simplistic manner of writing that doesn't do justice to the depth of the characters or settings. All the elements are there. I just think it needed a bit more substance. It's not a Rankin, nor is it a Val McDermid, but on the other hand it was a good mystery and a nice change of ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Jenifer Mohammed rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: hard-boiled

This was a fascinating mystery with fully fleshed out characters with pasts full of secrets some relevant while others were red herrings. Interestingly, Gray takes us into the mind of a beginning and evolving serial killer. I don't want to give spoilers by revealing too much. This is not a fast paced mystery but if you enjoy a slow revelation of information and a more character based thriller, you will love this book as much as I did. ...more

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Sep 26, 2010 Rog Harrison rated it it was ok · review of another edition

I continue to read Alex Gray's books because her hero is a Glasgow detective. Several pages in when a character was introduced I suspected they were the murderer so the ending was no surprise. Having said that some of the action was exciting and well written. ...more

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May 02, 2012 Donna Irwin rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Apart from being set around where I live, not much there. Very lightweight.

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Dec 20, 2012 David rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime-mystery

very slow not alot of action or excitment

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Apr 04, 2014 Pat rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Another good read from Alex Grey. Have read all the books in the series and have enjoyed them all.

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Mar 15, 2011 David rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A very good story in this very good series set in Glasgow.

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Apr 03, 2020 Anne, Unfinished Woman rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-fiction, murder, mystery-crime-police-procedural, series-trilogy, source-library, suspense-thriller, women-writers, as-subject-writing, author-scottish, setting-scotland

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

A somber addition to the DCI Lorimer series as a psychopath kills elderly women an eventually Maggie's mother. I was bummed by the story and the outcome. As Acting Detective Superintendent Lorimer is sent to Greenock to review the case of the deaths of Sir Ian and Pauline Jackson by fire,
after DCI Colin Ray is retired having botched the investigation. Ray's wife was dying, his DI Rhoda Martin was wanky and DCI Ray had been warned off looking at anyone other than gang members, by Ch SPOILER ALERT

A somber addition to the DCI Lorimer series as a psychopath kills elderly women an eventually Maggie's mother. I was bummed by the story and the outcome. As Acting Detective Superintendent Lorimer is sent to Greenock to review the case of the deaths of Sir Ian and Pauline Jackson by fire,
after DCI Colin Ray is retired having botched the investigation. Ray's wife was dying, his DI Rhoda Martin was wanky and DCI Ray had been warned off looking at anyone other than gang members, by Chief Constable David Isherwood. I swear, too many of these series seem to have higher management police to whom the Peter Principle seems rampant. In the end of this installment, Super Mitchison returns and Lorimer is back to being DCI.

In the investigation it is apparent that a bicylist was stalking one of the victims, and was also seem hurrying from the fire that killed the Jacksons. Not only is bicyling a national pasttime, but there are multiple clubs in the area. The DI is a cylist as is the daughter of the Jackson, Serena. The attacks are made to look like accidents, so it is after the third when a pattern is seen and it is seriously approached. The DI tries to come on to Lorimer, and it appears perhaps that she has tried that on before. The police in Greenock are not a well toned team as Lorimer is used to, but DC Kate Clark is known and liked by Lorimer and becomes a help keeping him informed beyond just the fire review. Sir Ian was well-liked and part of a highly successful technology firm as the investor, Jackson Tannock Technology Systems.

In the end the two cases come together as the daughter Serena is found to be mentally unstable and killed her parents and the women, and abducted Alice Finlay. She was angry that her mother had been having an affair, and her parents had also moved her from their home to an apartment. She had also drugged DI Martin (who was mimicking Serena's style hoping to get into their class and connect with Daniel) and tied her naked to the bed, inferring a sexual encounter gone wrong. She put Maggie's mum in some freezing abandoned tenements that were slated to be destroyed, and as Alice was recovering from a stroke (having just come to the Lorimer's to stay) she did not survive the trauma. A very sad ending, only redeemed by the pregnancy of Dr. Rosie Fergusson. ...more

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Aug 09, 2017 Daniele rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-2017

This is the first book in the DCI Lorimar series that I have read, and I found it easy to get into the book. It has the feel of a standalone. I have not read many books that take place in Scotland so the Glasgow setting is quite appealing since I enjoy armchair travel.

FIVE WAYS TO KILL A MAN is a straight forward crime novel with plenty of atmosphere. My favorite aspect is that we are privy to the birth of a serial killer, the very early days of this person trying out different modes of murder This is the first book in the DCI Lorimar series that I have read, and I found it easy to get into the book. It has the feel of a standalone. I have not read many books that take place in Scotland so the Glasgow setting is quite appealing since I enjoy armchair travel.

FIVE WAYS TO KILL A MAN is a straight forward crime novel with plenty of atmosphere. My favorite aspect is that we are privy to the birth of a serial killer, the very early days of this person trying out different modes of murder to find what appeals most to them. Dark and a little twisted? Certainly, but infinitely interesting. The story starts out at a fervent, fast pace; there are three murders within the first thirty pages, but it then gets a little bogged down in repetition as Lorimar and the other police take time in realizing that they have a serial killer on their hands since, at first, the deaths do not seem to be related at all. I feel like the red herring is set up quite early in the book, but I was still able to pinpoint the murderer almost as soon as they were introduced. My disappointment with the tale is that we never really know what motivates the killer. There are a few inferences, but readers are left on their own to decide why they do what they do.

The characters are well developed. We are able to get inside several of the characters heads, and this leads to credibility and sense of knowing all of these people. I like DCI Lorimar. He is an honest, well meaning, intelligent man, and I appreciate seeing both his professional and personal personas. It is a great reminder that police are people, too, with lives outside of work and that they are deeply affected by the crimes they investigate. When Lorimar’s investigation hits close to home, the story comes alive, and the intensity and danger is palpable. The last few chapters of the book are definitely the best.

I enjoyed FIVE WAYS TO KILL A GUY well enough and recommend it to fans of police procedurals, especially those not set in the United States.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher and voluntarily shared my opinions here.
...more

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Jul 28, 2017 Joan rated it liked it · review of another edition

I enjoyed this novel, the latest in the DCI Lorimer series. It is a good combination of investigative procedure, character development, and scene description. The frequent exploration of the personal lives of the characters helped remind me that policemen (and women) are real people with personal lives that also have important events. It reveals as well some of the emotions that policemen experience in their daily work.

Gray uses a sort of universal viewpoint where we are privy to the experiences ...more

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Aug 07, 2017 Jessica Bronder rated it really liked it · review of another edition

DCI Lorimer has a new serial killer on his hands. There have been three bodies discovered, killed in different ways, and it is not becoming apparent this killer is finding their preferred targets and methods. Trying to find the connection between the victims, Lorimer asks his psychologist for some insight. Then he finds that his own family is being targeted.

This is the first DIC Lorimar story that I have read and think that it could easily be a standalone story. Lorimer is an inspector but he i ...more

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Aug 15, 2017 Margaret Tidwell rated it really liked it

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Five Ways To Kill A Man by Alex Gray was a good book. I like that it took place somewhere other than the United States because it made the book different from some of the other books that I have read in this genre. Unlike a book that I reviewed earlier this week, I didn’t have to keep r ...more

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Nov 04, 2020 Ivana Richards rated it liked it · review of another edition

I quite enjoyed this one - certainly an improvement on the previous one of this set. The solution is fairly obvious, but it;s as well written as usual. My bug-bear about this book is the blurb on the back cover, which bears little semblance to the story. Apparently the killer "begins with brute force and moves on to poison and drowning." Yes, strangely a tramp is poisoned, but as he is never found ( and consequently never mentioned again) this seems to have nothing to do with the plot at all. Th ...more

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Jun 30, 2020 Tony Flood rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Suspense increases, with time running out to find a serial killer before they strike again. The problem is that none of the murders seem to be connected. - Tony Flood, author of crime thrillers Stitch Up! - Killer or Victim? and Triple Tease, and celebrity book My Life with the Stars - Sizzling Secrets Spilled!

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May 17, 2017 Susan Finck rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars

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Jan 17, 2018 Catherine MacDonald rated it liked it · review of another edition

It was good throughout- loads of infor and the different perspectives and stories tied in together nicely. The ending was a bit quick though. Almost anticlimatic.

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Jul 07, 2018 Stephanie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

2.5 stars

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Aug 28, 2018 Nicky Mottram rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: crime, audio-books, rbdigital

Audio version of this book 📚- really slow start, didn’t get going until half way through. Narration terrible, read at an extremely slow pace!

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Apr 24, 2019 Fionna Cairney rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Another fantastic Lorimer story by Alex Gray

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Oct 24, 2019 Laurie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This is a great series!

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Nov 07, 2019 Solange Janes rated it it was ok · review of another edition

So boring that I gave up after a few chapters.

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Sep 27, 2020 Caroline rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Another fantastic book by Alex Gray!

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Oct 22, 2020 Kevin Parker rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Another excellent book by Alex Gray

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Mar 11, 2017 Lindsay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I may have skipped a couple of the series, however it didn't detract from the story. Once again this was a great read. I enjoy the characters, Lorinmer is an interesting chap! His move to this department certainly bothered one new character, whom I think may appear again somewhere down the line in future stories. I do like Flynn! He's a great character and adds a little lightheartedness to the story.
Lots of twists and turns, and although I had an inkling of 'who dunnit', the story kept me thinki ...more

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About Alex Gray

Alex Gray

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Alex 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.