The Stalker

DCI Lorimer #16

by Alex Gray

'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
'Move over Rebus' Daily Mail
'Exciting, pacy, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS
'Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere and superior writing' The Times

Don't miss Alex Gray's latest novel - WHEN SHADOWS FALL is out now in paperback

It doesn't matter whether you've read them all or whether you're discovering this bestselling series for the first time, this Lorimer mystery is the perfect winter read to cozy up with

_________________________

A murder on their doorstep
A case that's too close to home . . .

The body of a young woman has been discovered in Bellahouston park, the second in a matter of months. It's clear to Detective Superintendent William Lorimer of Police Scotland that they have a repeat killer on their hands, who is sure to strike again.

Lucky for DSI Lorimer that his wife, Maggie, is miles away from potential danger, touring Scotland to promote her first book. Faced with strangers at every event, Maggie doesn't notice the quiet, non-descript man sitting in the back row.

But he has noticed Maggie Lorimer. And soon his will be a face she never forgets.

Alex Gray's new novel BEFORE THE STORM is available to pre-order now

_________________________

***PRAISE FOR ALEX GRAY***


'Convincing Glaswegian atmosphere and superior writing' The Times

'One of the best is Alex Gray . . . highly recommended' Literary Review

'Brings Glasgow to life in the same way Rankin evokes Edinburgh' Daily Mail

'Move over Rebus' Daily Mirror

'Eerie, psychological and easy to delve into' Woman

'Exciting, pacy, authentic' Angela Marsons

'DSI Lorimer's a cop to rival Rankin's Rebus' Peterborough Telegraph

Genres: Crime, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Scotland, British Literature, Ebooks

400 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2019

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

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the latest in Alex Gray's Detective Superintendent William Lorimer series set in Glasgow. Maggie Lorimer, Bill's wife, has had her first children's book published, Gibbey, the Ghost of Glen Darnel, about a little lost ghost boy. Bill is happy for her success, and whilst Maggie has no intention of giving up being a teacher, she is spending the school holidays going on a Scottish book tour accompanied by her publicist, Ivy Thornton. In the meantime, Bill has a huge investigation land on Police Scotland's Major Incident Team when the body of a young woman is discovered in Belahouston Park. The woman turns out to be Patricia Donovan, the daughter of Lord Donovan, a famous high court judge. Was the murder of Patricia connected with the past of the judge?

There had been a similar previous murder of a woman, the victim had been Carolyn Kane, an ambitious accountant, with an actor fiance, Jake, and she bears an uncanny resemblance to Patricia. However, the Kane murder remains unsolved, and Bill's team take over that investigation as they look for links between the two women. Is it possible that these are not the only instances that the killer has struck, are there other dead female victims out there? Bill is relieved that Maggie is out of town, at least she is safe. Maggie is enjoying the book tour, and whilst not comfortable, accepts the experienced Ivy is using her husband's case to publicise Maggie's book. As Maggie begins to receive worrying signs that she has become the target of an obsessive stalker, Bill is to find this case comes a little too close to home. The police team make little headway in the investigation until Professor Lorna Dawson, a soil scientist, proves instrumental in making the necessary breakthrough, as does Professor Solomon 'Solly' Brightman in outlining a detailed psychological profile of a man who fades into the background, the warped and dangerous stalker.

Alex Gray's writing is atmospheric and packed with suspense and tension. Her details of how the police make slow but effective progress makes for gripping reading, and she really does get inside the head of the stalker, as the motivation eventually becomes clear. I can only imagine just how terrifying and scary it must be to be the object of a stalker's attention, particularly over a long period of time. Maggie is a strong and resilient woman but even she could not be aware of just how manipulative and cunning a stalker can be. This is a wonderfully chilling crime read, and an excellent addition to this series. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This superb Scottish crime novel is the 16th volume of the amazing now "DSI Lorimer" series.

At the beginning of the book you'll find two lines from "Tam o' Shanter" by Robert Burns, various lines by this famous poet are also stated several times in this wonderful book.

The book has been very well researched, what police procedures and soil science are concerned, and these factors are excellently implemented in this story.

Storytelling is brilliant and heartfelt about the horrors of stalking and the anxiety it can bring to someone, while also all characters are very believable, lifelike, especially for me personally the figure of 27-year old Edwin Ramsay, who's a vulnerable and harmless soul who after a horrendous illness likes to read simple things and have simple dreams about Gibby the Ghost and his adventures, and who will sadly end up dead by someone who's mind is even more erratic.

The book starts off with the body of a young murdered woman found in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, while a few months earlier a another woman was found killed in a similar fashion in another park, and these deaths will show a definite connection.

DSI Lorimer and his team of MIT officers are investigating these similar kind of cases, and during these trials another corpse will turn up in a remote area, while Maggie Lorimer is on a debut book tour promoting her book "Gibby the Ghost of Glen Darnel", and meeting the unfortunate Edwin Ramsay at various book signings in Falkirk and Edinburgh, but at the same time a real stalker is causing her huge emotional problems, and that will come to a head at the end when the perpetrator will be located and apprehended, after first having abducted Maggie, to give this great book at least a happy ending for the Lorimers.

Very much recommended, for this is another excellent addition to this awesome series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Captivating Stalking Experience"!

[Rosie · Rating 1 out of 5]

At no point during this book did I feel like I was reading a thriller. This was by far the tamest thriller I've ever picked up.

[Ivana Richards · Rating 1 out of 5]

Over the previous 3 books Gray has been very hit-and-miss ( Still Dark was mediocre at best while 'Only The Dead' was back to her earlier brilliance) but this particular entry to the Lorimer set is the worst in the whole series. It's definitely more soap opera than thriller and ( probably due to Maggie being only a side character in most books, and not very interesting either) there's no tension despite her being stalked by the killer. Gray would have been better off having Rosie stalked - at least we get to see a lot more of her in the majority of the books, and she's much more of a rounded character than Maggie. Whole sections of the long and mainly boring book tour can be skipped without missing much of interest. I think this is the end of Lorimer for me, sad to say.

[Anne Benson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I have read of Alex Gray's books and I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to reading more, it was quite a gripping book to read.

[Mikeh5972 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't find this story to be very engaging. The lack of tension in the story did not make me want to read the following chapter to see what happened next. It all felt a bit drawn out. I also didn't feel much empathy with the main characters.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

Weakest storyline in this series so far. And I have gone from liking Maggie to finding her plain annoying in this book. It's all just too tame and a little bit twee.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this ended up being a very mediocre thriller with some pretty shoddy police work and some people who were great at ignoring the obvious.

[P.R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I am reading these out of order, each stands on its own as a thoroughly good read. 'The Stalker' did not disappoint. All the good characters are there, and the plot was intriguing. What always stands out for me is the wonderful descriptions of Scotland, its life and landscape, its people and its culture. Another favourite!

Five stars. Would I read it again? Yes, and out of order, of course!

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I struggled through some of it and guessed the outcome about halfway through.

[John Ormond · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Lorimer spent less time letting out a sigh he would catch more crims I reckon!

[Nicola McPherson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can’t remember when I started this book, it was ok but didn’t hugely grab me so took a while. Lorimer was investigating murders of 3 women by someone who stalked them and his wife maggie who was on a book launch looked like the victims. The stalker became interested in her and ended up taking her for her to be saved by lorimer. The stalker it turns out just wanted his mum to love him as a child but had ended up killing her as she was mean to him.

[Charlie Wainwright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really don’t get the bad reviews on this one…

Was it the thriller of the year? No. But it was bloody good. Thrillers don’t always have to be gore or sexual or violent. This was a simple tale that played out well. A thriller that doesn’t need all the stereotypical and fashionable elements of being sadistic. This book holds it own and kept my interest.

[Debbie Mortimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and the twists in the plot. Will definitely be reading more from Alex Gray.

[Claire MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent thriller

[Fernie Bartram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. New author and now bought the other books from the author. Looking forward to reading them

[Ali Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe this is the first book of the series I have read! (I also thought Alex Gray was a man). Yet despite not having read any others in the series, it was easy to follow. And Ioved it. To be fair, I love Stalker books, of any kind. Don't know why as they freak me out (and then they make you question everyone you know when the slightest creepy thing happens) and make you paranoid as well but I did enjoy it. Loved Maggie being a writer too. Great read.

[Maureen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't really call this a thriller.
It was an ok read but I wasn't that impressed with it... just hope the next book is better.

[Matt Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author has clearly put a lot of effort into the main character and his relationship with his wife.

So why is a Detective Superintendent so nonchalant about suspicious activity affecting his wife?

The police response to stalking has improved drastically in recent years, following reports into failings in some cases, including ones affecting Police and Crime Commissioners.

In this case, it’s clearly not identified soon enough, nor are elements of it taken seriously.

The plot in this story is unfortunate in its predictability (will they catch the stalker in time...) and focussed mainly on the process of investigation.

There doesn’t seem to be any real suspense as a result, and I felt that there wasn’t enough about the offender himself. Just a few paragraphs towards the end that could have been quite interesting if developed further.

[Rog Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have stuck with this series even though I do not like the main characters mainly because most of the stories are set in Glasgow, which is where I live, but also because some of the author's stories are pretty good. Sadly this is not one of her better stories. Lorimer's wife has written a book for children and is on tour in Scotland to promote it. However she is being stalked by someone who has killed at least two women. It's obvious early on to the reader who the killer must be but there is some decent police procedural stuff as the detectives slowly learn his identity. There is also a bit of excitement at the end. It's not much of a read and as ever the main characters do not come across as real people.

[Deborah Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

My first read of the series as i was i formed each book stands alone. Boring and poor character development. Much better series out there that develop character and plot better than this.
So the smart detective knows there is a stalker (really a serial killer) out there after his wife and he waits for her to wrap up her book tour to join her? When the plot deviates from common sense - you lose me. i will not be reading any of her other books.

[Pam Kerr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Normally I really enjoy Alex Gray Lorimer novels but this was not the pace of her original. His wife being the main character came across as weak in terms of a thriller/crime and seemed overlong. While her books are not normally cliff edged:fast paced I enjoy them but sadly this one was anlet down for me.

[Heather Cochran · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank god that's over

[Cidney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read quite a few of the DCI Lorimer books by Alex Gray but this must be the least exciting of them all. Lorimer is searching for a serial killer who likes a certain type of woman, one with dark hair. Meanwhile his wife Margaret, nickname Maggie, has written a successful children's book entitled "Gibby the Ghost of Glen Darnel", which I have to confess doesn't sound very interesting to me, but it's written for children not adults. Hang on reminder to self this isn't a real book!

During half term week she sets out on a book tour with her agent Ivy who's a real pain in the rear end, she finds she has picked up a stalker but isn't too bothered because she overhears Ivy talking to someone and she thinks she has set up the stalker. Meanwhile an older man comes up to her at a book signing where an odd young man turns up at a couple of her signings and acts suspiciously, and he hands her his card which states he is a private investigator and he will keep an eye out for her. Really. Just like that. And for free? I can't be the only one here who hears bells. Can I?

The book meanders on and becomes less interesting, the older man trails the odd young man and strangles him in the snow (does it snow in Glasgow in October then? I can't remember how many years ago it was when I last saw snow). At some point Lorimer vaguely becomes interested in his wife and her stalker. Big sigh, it takes Solly the police's criminal profiler to remind him that Maggie does look like the two, and now three, murdered woman. Still the man doesn't blink.

Also they are looking into the murder of the first young woman who worked in a school kitchen and was a terrible timekeeper and was rumoured to be a woman of the night, and then disappeared suddenly and never to be heard of or seen again. The police did narrow it down to three men at the school who could be of interest, in that they had given her lifts home. The janitor didn't seem to be the killer type, nor did the PE teacher and the head was away on holiday. Lorimer did in fact take on board that these women were killed in school holidays. Really you would have thought the man would have picked up on who it was by now, even I knew who the murderer was.

Eventually Lorimer catches up with Maggie on her book tour now it was getting closer to home and discovers she had left the hotel in a taxi to go to some creepy old churchyard in the dark, sigh why do they have women in books who do the daftest things when in real life no woman would have gone to supposedly meet her hubby in a creepy churchyard in the dark without phoning him to say why the hell should I meet you there?? And this is written by a woman?

Maggie is not surprisingly made to get in a car with the killer and driven to his house where he attacks her and Lorimer comes crashing through the door to save her at the very last minute. I think he must have been the last person who had twigged who the murderer was, and Maggie wants to go to a self-defence class for women who would advise her on certain things not to do, including going off in response to strange messages without checking who they had come from first.

As I say the least favourite of the books I've read so far, and the most disappointing as I had worked out who the killer was quite early in the book which is always a let down as there are no real surprises at the end. After all I can't see the author killing off one of her key characters, who else would Lorimer have to moan to, this a man who twice answers the phone to find someone has put it down and still doesn't think to connect this to the stalker of his wife. Honestly the pair of them are as clueless as each other. I wouldn't have described this a a thriller.

Ah I've finally worked out why it sometimes says I have read a book twice, it's because I've found errors in my final copy and I go back in to correct them, then it says I've read the book twice, I wondered why it seems to have said that for several books! I must be more attentive to my grammar before I click post. This will probably say I've read it three times now.

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

SPOILER ALERT

Maggie Lorimer is on a tour throughout Scotland promoting her newly published children's book "Gibby the Ghost of Glen Darnel", with her publicist Ivy Thornton, while Det Super William Lorimer is seeking a stalker/killer who has murdered three women, who look alike. The disturbing factor is that Maggie looks very much like the other women who were killed. Solly points out this possibility, but Lorimer is not sure it is necessary to put security on her. The killings have occurred during school holidays, except for the first. When the police realize that the two women found were probably not the first, Lorimer enlists the help of a forensic soil expert to analyze the mud on the Wellies belonging to the last victim, to try to find a body, which they do find.

It is clear that Maggie has a stalker while on the tour, though she believes that it must be kids who are out on holiday and pranking. However, her publicist is unethical and has hired a man to make disturbing phone calls to Maggie, as well as posting the items on social media. She keeps telling Maggie that the problem will go away and that "no publicity is bad publicity". She has also connected with a journalist, Martin Enderby, who does a story on the stalker that is bothering Maggie. Additionally, the stalker poses as a protector, getting close to her, and missed communication between Maggie and her husband, has Lorimer thinking the protector is the publicist, and Maggie thinking that Lorimer has arranged the protection. Unfortunately with the involvement of Maggie, Lorimer is removed as head of the investigation.

As the stalker who is in fact the killer gets closer to Maggie, believing she is his to claim for a permanent relationship, a young man who is the victim of an accident that left him with a grade school mind comes to Maggie's talks, too shy to respond to her, but totally focused on her and Gibby. One of the staff at the tour site tells Maggie about him, and she is sympathetic. But the stalker sees his interest, follows him, and kills him. A very sad element of this story. Maggie is thinking of the next story for Gibby.

Finally the stalker, Steven Dewar, the head teacher at one of the local schools, abducts Maggie. She keeps her head trying to mollify him, then strikes back just as the police show up, to save her. Another good addition to the series. The publicist loses her job with the publishing company.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

In einem Park in Glasgow wird die Leiche einer jungen Frau gefunden. Eigentlich ist das kein Fall, bei dem DSI Lorimer hinzugezogen wird, aber weil die Tote die Tochter des obersten Richters ist, hat der Fall Priorität. Bei den Ermittlungen stellt sich heraus, dass die Tote nicht die Erste war, die unter solchen Umständen gefunden wurde. Beide Fälle und auch beide Frauen ähneln sich so sehr, dass das Team von einem Stalker ausgeht. Nicht nur das, sie ähneln auch William Lorrimers Frau Maggie. Aber die ist zum Glück weit weg von Glasgow: sie ist unterwegs auf einer Lesereise, um ihr erstes Buch vorzustellen.

Alex Gray wählt für ihre Krimis oft sehr normale Motive. So auch bei Stalker: junge Frauen werden von einem Mann ausgewählt, der in ihnen etwas Besonderes sieht. Wenn sie seine Voraussetzungen dann doch nicht erfüllen, trennt er sich von ihnen. Dieses Mal hat der Titel schon viel verraten, aber ich fand das nicht schlimm. Denn die Autorin beschreibt genau, wie der Stalker seine Opfer auswählt und was seine Motive sind. Das klang manchmal fast wie aus einem Lehrbuch und hätte langweilig sein können, weil es die Handlung vorhersehbar machte.

Dass es das nicht wurde, lag am zweiten Handlungsstrang. Maggie Lorrimer reist durch Schottland, um ihr erstes Buch zu promoten. Dabei hat sie nicht nur einen aufdringlichen Verehrer, sondern auch eine Agentin die mit ihr ganz eigene Pläne hat. Kein Kriminalfall, sondern eine ganz normale Geschichte, die aber trotzdem gut zu den Ermittlungen passte.

Trotzdem fand ich diesen Teil der Reihe im Vergleich zu William Lorrimers anderen Fällen ein bisschen brav, was aber dem Lesevergnügen keinen Abbruch getan hat.

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy the Detective Superintendent Lorimer books by Alex Gray and this was no exception. The story line was good, all about a stalker with the added bonus of dead bodies! The characters in these books work well together and there is a lot of scenic description about Scotland or where the books are set.

In this book, Lorimer has a case where a woman was murdered and they are trying to catch the killer, They are looking at the boyfriend but was it him? Then, there is possibly a woman from a year or so earlier who may be connected. The team has to investigate.

Meanwhile, Maggie Lorimer has written a children's book and is going on a book tour over the Easter holidays to promote it. Promotional talks and signings. There is a good write up in the papers promoting Maggie and her tour. Then she receives a phone call which scares her a bit. She tells Lorimer, he tries not to worry her. Then other little things happen. Just what is going on? Maggie tries to put it at the back of her mind as the tour is going well, the book is being well received and the audiences love her.

There are two separate threads of stories running in this book but are they linked? It was a very good crime thriller and kept me hooked, I wanted to know what was going to happen. I enjoy reading Alex Gray and will always pick up a book by this author when I see one.

[Manoj Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stalker* by Alex Gray is an exciting crime thriller set in Glasgow. The story follows Detective William Lorimer as he investigates a case where a woman is being stalked. As the investigation unfolds, the tension builds, and we learn more about the stalker’s disturbing obsession.

Gray does a great job of creating a dark and suspenseful atmosphere. The story isn’t just about solving a crime; it digs into the minds of both the victim and the stalker, showing how dangerous obsession can be. Detective Lorimer is an interesting character, dealing with his own challenges while trying to help the victims. His dedication and personal struggles make him relatable and real.

The setting of Glasgow adds to the eerie mood of the book, making it feel even more intense. The ending ties everything together well, giving readers a satisfying conclusion without leaving too many loose ends.

If you like crime thrillers with a mix of suspense and psychological depth, *The Stalker* is definitely worth reading.

[Shruti Mehta · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this book. The first 200 pages were quite good, but the last 100 pages were incredibly difficult to get through. After all that buildup and unnecessary detail, the murderer turned out to be someone with no real relevance to the story. There was absolutely no climax or shocking twist at the end. We didn’t even get a proper backstory for Steven Dewar. Why did he do it? What exactly did his mother do? Why did he kill her?

It felt like a promising story until the ending, which was dull and failed to deliver a satisfying conclusion. As someone interested in psychology, I appreciated the use of Freudian concepts and also enjoyed the contributions of Lorna Dawson and the soil science aspect, but ultimately it all felt wasted because the story itself just didn’t hold up.

That said, I understand the author was dealing with health problems and found it difficult to write, and I respect that. Still, it wasn’t a fulfilling journey. I was excited to finish the book, but the ending left me disappointed.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been reading (and enjoying) Alex Gray’s Lorimer series since the very beginning – initially, due to the Glasgow setting and Lorimer’s refreshing lack of a traumatic backstory (and don’t forget the ginger cat called Chancer) – and this one is no exception. Maggie, Lorimer’s wife, plays a larger than usual role in The Stalker; she has written a children’s book and while on a book tour round Scotland acquires a creepy stalker who follows her from one venue to the next. There is a vivid sense of place – you get a whistle-stop tour of Scotland, but I also found it really unsettling as she was in some pretty remote areas at times, but seemed remarkably unconcerned about how vulnerable she was. Although I had an inkling of who the stalker was fairly early on this did not lessen the suspense. Hopefully, there will be another Lorimer book before too long. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to review.