Only the Dead Can Tell

DCI Lorimer #15

by Alex Gray

'You think he killed his wife?
'Don't you?'

When Dorothy Guildford is found stabbed to death in her home, all signs point to her husband, Peter. The forensic psychologist is convinced there's more to the case that meets the eye but Police Scotland are certain they have their man.

While DC Kirsty Wilson searches for evidence that will put Peter away for good, she is shocked to discover a link with a vast human-trafficking operation that Detective Superintendent William Lorimer has been investigating for months. But before they can interrogate him, Peter is brutally attacked.

With one person dead and another barely hanging on, the clock is ticking for DC Wilson and DSI Lorimer. And the stakes grow higher still when one of their own is kidnapped . . .

Genres: Crime, Fiction, Scotland, Mystery, Procedural, Detective, Mystery Thriller

400 pages, Hardcover

Published March 1, 2018

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fabulous Scottish crime novel is the 15th volume of the now "DSI Lorimer" series.

At the beginning of the book you'll find a short phrase from Deuteronomy 10:19.

This book contains events like sex trafficking, and this subject has been very well researched by the author, see Acknowledgements, and wonderfully implemented within this story.

Storytelling is excellent, all characters come splendidly to life in this tale about sex trafficking, revenge and murder.

The book starts off with the death of Dorothy Guilford, and the question will be, was it murder or was it suicide, and this case will intertwine with the case in which DSI Lorimer and his team are taking down a sex trafficking scheme in Aberdeen, but that same scheme seems to have moved to Glasgow, and so for DSI Lorimer and his team to find the ringmaster and his accomplices, and these investigations will also get the assistance of DC Kirsty Wilson from Govan CID and her essential and additional enquiries.

What is to follow is a superb police procedure, with a great begin, followed by a brilliant main part, and that will end with a magnificently executed plot, to make this crime novel such a complete compelling read.

Highly recommended, for this is another sublime addition to this marvellous series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Terrific Lorimer Outing"!

[Julie Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve reading this series and I thought it was a good read.
The book starts with Dorothy’s body being discovered and the pathologist and detective disagree whether it was murder or suicide.
Her husband is arrested and he then suffers a brutal attack in prison.
This then opens up the wider story of people trafficking and it's difficult to work out whose involved and whose hiding information from the Police.
There are lots of twists and turns and I didn’t guess who the real perpetrators were so I was hooked until the end.
Thanks to Sphere and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

[Karen Keane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first book I have read of the series but it didn't really matter as the book was easy to follow and can definitely be read as a stand alone story. Set in Glasgow the main character is DI William Lorrimer, who is a very conscientious police officer, and has a team of very likeable colleagues. The actual plot was very good and quite original, the story of human trafficking and the people involved in it. I will read others of this series.

[Kathryn Garner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book,and catching up with all the characters. An interesting and exciting tale with many twists and turns. A look at the gritty underside of Glasgow.

[James M Corbett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Getting better all the time

The Lorimer books seem to get better and better with each new book Alex Gray is FAB a big well done for this marvellous book and series

[Suzy Dominey · Rating 3 out of 5]

back to the tried and tested police story in Glasgow. comfort reading at its best

[Ivana Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more enjoyable than the 2 previous books of this set.

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advance copy of Only the Dead Can Tell, the fifteenth police procedural to feature DSI Bill Lorimer of Police Scotland.

DC Kirsty Wilson is called out to Dorothy Guilford's death. She has been stabbed in the heart with a steak knife and while pathologist Dr Rosie Fergusson is sure it is suicide, SIO Alan McCauley charges her husband, Peter, with murder. The plot thickens when Peter Guilford and his van hire business are linked tangentially to the people trafficking case Lorimer is currently investigating. Everyone seems to be turning to Kirsty for extra help but she has problems of her own.

I thoroughly enjoyed Only the Dead Can Tell although it's only fair to admit that part of this is down to the setting of the south side of Glasgow, my old stomping ground, as it adds to the read to be able to picture the streets and houses. This, however, is an added bonus as the plot is absorbing and the characters very familiar. Again I will admit to having read the whole series except the previous novel so I'm in known territory.

The plot widens considerably from the death of Dorothy Guilford and the subsequent attack on her husband as both the bodies and action pile up. It had me engrossed from start to finish, not knowing where it would go and what the resolution would be. The twists come so thick and fast I gave up trying to guess and just went wherever Ms Gray took me. The plotting and pacing are excellent with just enough revealed at any one time to whet the appetite. Human trafficking is always a distressing subject but, fortunately for the reader, Ms Gray uses broad brushstrokes and avoids the horrific detail, leaving it to the imagination. I like the sensitivity of this approach.

The characterisation is, as always good and the police officers mostly come across as very pleasant, dedicated people although my heart stopped a little at some of McCauley's actions. I find it hard to judge as a series reader if a newcomer would find the characters well drawn. I think they are with Kirsty mulling over a personal dilemma, Rosie getting ready to give birth and dealing with in-house scheming and Maggie Lorimer keeping a secret from her husband. It is these little human problems that make the novel so much more than a thriller/procedural.

Only the Dead Can Tell is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

[Alison Cairns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great Lorimer novel with a line up of supporting characters we've come to know and love. We see Solly and Rosie Brightman preparing for the birth of their second child, and how Rosie is worried her pregnancy is affecting her work, particularly her decision making skills. Solly, of course, is unflappable, pointing the police team in the right direction, and good old Maggie is making a life for herself, secure in her strong and stable marriage to Bill Lorimer. Young Kirsty Wilson is back, with difficult decisions to make. A strong story draws our characters in with what looks like two distinct cases. We should really know better. My regret on reading this is that I have now caught up with the series and will have to wait for the next one. It's been great bingeing through all 15 books!

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn’t really for me. The plot was a perfectly decent crime scenario, and it was all well worked through to a satisfying ending. But the characters weren’t believable, and the writing style was sometimes more like newspaper reporting than fiction.

In particular, there was a weird gender thing going on where all the men were either villains or wise, reassuring patriarchs who just wanted to take care of women, and all the females were either fat jealous losers or professionals with serious careers who really just wanted to stay at home and be looked after.

Odd.

[Wendy Hearder-moan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t realize at first that this was number 15 in a series; it works reasonably well as a stand-alone, but I’ll still want to go back and read as many of the previous ones as I can find. There were a lot of characters that I had a little trouble keeping track of, and I think this would have been easier if I had been following the characters through several volumes. The plot is complicated but I enjoyed following the twists and turns.

[Morag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gripping page turner.
This story starts in Aberdeen and spends most of its time in Glasgow. People trafficking, sibling rivalry, marital disharmony, unscrupulous villains, years' old prejudice alongside the lives of the regular 'goodies.' Everyday lives carry on in between the thread of the crime(s) - pregnancy, holiday hopes, trips to the park to feed the ducks, job interview, wanders round Glasgow.
Where's the next one?!

[F · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first 'Alex Gray' and I enjoyed it. Romped through it. Was delighted that motherhood was not something to be dreaded, and surprised that marriage and a move to Chicago was chosen over promotion in the much-loved job. Will have a look for another, when I feel like a nice 'krimi'. Thanks to Literary Review , in whose pages I learned about Alex Gray.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

This story line did not pull me in as most of the Lorimer books do. I find reading about human trafficking difficult and depressing, and this was no exception. Lorimer has brought the major part of the trafficking case in Aberdeen to a close, but finds that there are more traffickers in Glasgow, probably headed by the same man that eluded them in Aberdeen. At the same time there is dead woman, Dorothy Guilford, found in her kitchen with a knife in her heart. Her hands are clutched around it. Dr. Rosie Fergusson suspects it might be a suicide, however, she is haunted by an earlier like case in which she botched her call, and it is making her doubt herself, while standing her ground.

On the other hand the CIO, DI Alan McCauley believes it is a slam dunk on the husband. He has previous, and reasons for wanting his very difficult, hypochondriac wife dead. Their business and the house were her inheritance. Plus there is a million pound insurance policy on her. She had been a manipulative sister to Shirley, who is now a very unhappy woman. Shirley is the mother of Max Warnock, and was disinherited by her family as they were extremely religious when she became pregnant. Then further investigation finds links to the trafficking case, the trucks being used for trafficking that Peter Guilford is involved in. The business is Guilford Vehicle Hire, and would be perfect for transporting the Middle Eastern women brought to Scotland to do nails during the days and working the pop-up brothels at night. One woman has escaped and they are looking for her along with the police, who have her uncle in custody.

There is an undercover cop, Molly Newton, working in one of the nail salons, who recognizes her and arranges to meet only to find herself abducted by Max Warnock, the man leading the organization. He was in the army with another Michael Raynor, a prison guard who attacks Peter Guilford, who has been arrested for his wife's murder. The two are cleaning up the loose ends and killing more people. Max had been in a brothel when it burned in Slovakia, and was badly disfigured. He had a friendship with Dorothy Guilford writing to her during his army assignment and recovery from the fire. He encourages her mental issues telling her how to properly kill herself, which backs up Rosie's theory. He is now out for revenge wanting to kill Juliana Ferenc, the daughter of the prostitute who in fear held him back from escaping the fire. He is also ready to kill any women, enraged at their getting in his way.

Molly and Juliana escape and Max is captured. Rosie has her baby a boy she and Solly name Benjamin. It will remain to be seen what happens with her job after maternity leave, as the locum Dr. Jacqui White has her sights on making her temporary placement, permanent. She is also sleeping with DI McCauley, who won't have the satisfaction of the case going his way, but is still the boss. Maggie, Lorimer's wife has been writing a children's book entitled "Gibby, the Ghost of Glen Darnel" which has been picked up by a publisher and she is headed for a book tour. DC Kirsty Wilson who passes her DS interview, decides that she will give it up to accompany James Spence to a new adventure employed by the Federal Reserve Bank in Chicago.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Als Dorothy Guildford erstochen in ihrem Haus in Glasgow aufgefunden wird, weist alles auf ihren Mann Peter hin. Nur die Pathologin kann sich ein anderes Szenario vorstellen. Für sie sieht es so aus, als ob Dorothy sich selbst erstochen hat. Aber warum sollte sie das tun? Während DC Kirsty Wilson noch nach Spuren sucht, um Peter entweder zu belasten oder die Theorie der Pathologin zu belegen, wird der Verdächtige in der Untersuchungshaft angegriffen und schwer verletzt. Aber Kirstys Ermittlungen fördern mehr zu Tage, als sie erwartet. Es scheint, als ob Peter Guildford Verbindungen zu einem Menschenhändlerring hat, gegen den DSI William Lorrimer ermittelt.

Wieso sollte sich eine Frau selbst erstechen? Auch wenn Dorothy Guildford seit ihrer frühesten Jugend immer wieder mit Krankheiten und Verletzungen nach Aufmerksamkeit gesucht hat, können sich die Ermittler das nicht vorstellen. Sie halten den Ehemann für den Täter, besonders als die Verbindung zu dem Menschenhändlerring bekannt wird. Aber Kirsty ist nicht überzeugt. Sie hat im Haus der Toten ein Bündel mit Briefen gefunden, das sie auf eine ganz andere, interessante Spur bringt.

Will Lorrimers Fall ist ähnlich verworren. Gemeinsam mit den Kollegen aus Aberdeen hat er dort ein Bordell ausgehoben, in dem minderjährige Mädchen aus Osteuropa beschäftigt wurden. Doch während er die Frauen befreien konnte, sind die Drahtzieher entkommen und die Spur führt nach Glasgow. Welche Rolle spielt Peter Guildford in der Sache?

Alex Gray verbindet die beiden Fälle mit vielen kleinen Spuren, die Kirsty und Will finden. Das ist das, was ihre Krimis auszeichnet. Sie beschreibt die Basis der Polizeiarbeit, das von Tür zu Tür gehen der Ermittler. Jede Spur wird hart erarbeitet. Manchmal wirken die Ermittlungen deshalb ein bisschen zäh, aber ich mag diesen Stil. Er passt zu den Ermittlern und zu ihrem Umfeld. Dieses Mal hat Kirsty Wilson eine größere Rolle gespielt, das hat mir gut gefallen. Mein einziger Kritikpunkt ist der Drahtzieher. Warum er sein Unternehmen aufgebaut und wie er sich verhalten hat, war sehr klischeehaft. Aber weil er nur kurz aufgetaucht ist, kann ich das der Autorin verzeihen

[Graham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember something from my youth, maybe it’s still around – Hamburger Helper. Never tried it, but the very idea sends shudders. Supplementing bad with worse. So, in this book there’s a relatively slender story, with a huge amount of helper, and the result is dry, tasteless pabulum. I read that there have been at least sixteen Lorimer stories, and that’s not all this writer has done. You have to keep at it, do your thousand a words even on off days. That must be the reason for the meandering interior monologues, of the would I, could I variety. And then importations of notebook observations (my guess). One egregious example is when young Juliana, a Slovak lady observes (POV): Juliana blinked as her eyes fell on a strange piece of modern art, metal legs running under a clock face. What was it meant to signify? That time was running out? I don’t know Slovak, but acquaintance with a few others from the group suggests to me that this purely English idiom is unknown to Slavic language speakers. Or do we assume that Juliana’s point of view is mediated by English?

[Cidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books by Alex Gray and I read this years ago when I was in hospital, it came round on the trolley. It is a very good book. I had forgotten this was on my bookshelf and I thought this was due for resurrection! It begins with a woman's body found with a knife through her heart and she is holding the knife. The pathologist Rosie Fergusson isn't so sure that this is a murder, it could also be suicide. This case interlocks with another that of people trafficking in Glasgow. The husband was arrested and then left for near dead in an attack in prison. I must admit here that the person who attacked him couldn't have been an inmate. I'll leave that there.

The people trafficking part was the more interesting as it is difficult to feel anything for the dead woman or her husband Peter who runs a van hire business and ties in with trafficking. The plot rolls along at quite a pace but it's easy to keep up and I quite enjoy the priniciple characters in Ms Gray's Lorimer books.

[Thara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only the Dead Can Tell by Alex Gray is a gripping Scottish crime thriller that blends complex characters, chilling suspense, and a tightly-woven mystery. The story follows Detective Superintendent William Lorimer as he investigates the brutal murder of a young woman found in her apartment. Alongside Lorimer, psychologist Solomon Brightman lends his expertise to uncover the motives behind the crime.

As the investigation unfolds, the case reveals dark secrets, surprising twists, and connections to other unsolved cases, keeping readers hooked. Set against the atmospheric backdrop of Glasgow, the novel highlights Gray's skill in crafting a compelling narrative with well-developed characters and a focus on justice.

Fans of police procedurals and psychological depth will enjoy this intense and satisfying read.

[Krishnapriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
This was supposed to be a thriller but I wanted to DNF it
This was hard to get into..but once I got past 45% (ig) I couldn't put it down.
I've never read this type of thriller but I've mixed emotions on this one

what I liked was the writing, which was fast paced after the abovementioned 45% ( IDK what happened before that but I really wanted to stop reading this book)
sooo after getting half way through everything happened so fast and it was really really good!
you won't be able to put the book down for damn sure!
it was annoying to read "the professor of psychology" repetitions about solly and I felt like dragging the book into the personal lives of officers was kinda cliché and boring.
but overall if you have the mindset and the patience go for it!
The plot was okay dokey

[Lucy-Mae Beacock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great, it was the first in the series that I’ve read but it really didn’t matter and I didn’t notice. When Dorothy Guilford is found dead in her home her husband is immediately taken in on suspicion of murder but things aren’t at all what they seem when a case of human trafficking across Scotland somehow seems to intertwine with this dead woman. But how and why? This book had all the parts a good thriller/mystery needs and I loved the idea of real psychology behind it with one of the main characters being a psychologist. It was really well written and all of the characters were well thought out, I loved the double case and the end was perfect and what it needed to be.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. My first Lorimer book, but I'm getting more! It was an interesting mystery, and I enjoyed the different characters in it and seeing their experiences instead of reading about them through another character's words. Toward the end, I was a bit punchy about how dumb the detectives were and why couldn't they put two and two together?! But, I was reading from the perspective of a lot of different characters, so I got ahead of myself. Then! I was WRONG! I love that... I was thrown for a loop at the end, but it was a good one. I like a mystery I can't solve from page 1.

[Neil · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was very difficult for me to prevent adding it to my DNF pile. There is a complex amount of characters, which are difficult to relate to and remember who’s who in the zoo. I also found a numerous amount of rehashing the theory “Was it suicide or was it murder?” I’m not sure if this is meant to keep the reader hanging in suspense, however it didn’t work for me.
Admittedly this was the first book in the series I have read, which may account for not having built up a familiarisation with the main characters.

[Sandra McCourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Body of a woman is found and the prime suspect is the husband. It the same as most domestic crimes of this nature. But then the story takes on twists and turns and introductions of people long forgotten. William lorimer classic where there are ongoing investigations linked with human trafficking . So, where do these people come into it. Everything is not what it may seem. Kept me gripped right to the end. Great story

[Andrew Alvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another triumphant piece of work from Alex Gray. Ever since I first read Pound of Flesh, I've been intrigued by main character William Lorimer and his cases. Though I did work out part of the story, I still enjoyed it and I will definitely catch up on Lorimers' other appearances as is common with me, as in jumping into a series in a later book rather than book 1 as I was never much of a crime reader till recent years lol

[Nicola McPherson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a month to read- didn’t really grab me. Dorothy is found dead, her husband is arrested, then someone tries to murder him in prison- a prison guard who happens to be involved with dorothys nephew who is a trafficker- that investigation runs alongside the murder one as they are linked - we find out at the end that Dorothy killed herself. I didn’t feel connected to any of the characters really so felt I didn’t really care about the outcome.

[Dr Susan Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read with some twists and turns of plot. My first Detectice Sup Lorimer and set mainly in Glasgow but not the parts Best known to me although on my first visit in 1966 I did see the Gorbals and the seamier side. Seems things havent changed if the underlying horror of women entrapped into slavery and prostitution is rife. An elusive but evil villain from a man maligned and altered is brought to justice eventually.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one felt like it was written for followers of the series, there was too much attention on the private lives of people working on the case, and if you have a vested interest in these characters, I guess you'd get more out of this than I did, as I don't really care about their career choices or heavy pregnancy. That was a distraction from the two concurrent investigations, but frankly, neither of those were particularly interesting and there were no revelations at the end. Not for me.

[Sally Channing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed reading this book, a new author for me. it was easy to read and quite a good story. Unfortunately I had figured out "Who dun nit' after only a couple of chapters. But I liked the story as to to why it happened and by who. I also liked the little side stories.
I loved the Scottish speech in it, was easy to imagine the characters speaking that way. I would definitely look for a mother book by Alex Grey to read.

[Kazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy of this book, the latest in the Bill Lorrimer series. i've read most of the others and have enjoyed them all. In amongst the terrible crimes committed in the books are many thoughtful moments describing the lives and feelings of the characters as they move through life, sometimes having difficult decisions to make. I definitely recommend this series

[Rog Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read all the books in this series and as ever Lorimer does not come across as a real person. This is a far-fetched story, mainly set in Glasgow, about people trafficking though there is a bit of a twist. The edition I read contains a short story featuring Lorimer as a young man before he joined the police.