This heralds the arrival of the aforementioned last 20% & THAT ending. There is nothing I can say without blabbing a potential spoiler so at this point, I'm walking away. You're on our own. Stay alert, keep hydrated, maybe strap on a helmet. My only comment is W...T...F... Lucy really isn’t in a great place herself right now, she’s clearly suffering from PTSD, and also has a stalker, and what with the extra pressure of Benedict Strachan, who pleads for her help, she’s definitely on a downward spiral.

The storyline is unique and intriguing and I was instantly drawn in. To be honest, I've never before read anything quite like this. No Less the Devil is the examination of the case is pushed onto The Dunk and McVeigh, and they revisit each of the five crime scenes to try and look at it from a different perspective. Although they find new evidence, they are pulling at strings trying to find a connection between all five victims. Lucy is also preoccupied with the evolving problem that is Benedict Strachan. He has recently been released from prison after serving many years for the murder of a homeless man when he was eleven. He wants her help after professing that “they” are after him, is it just the ramblings of a deranged mind? I have read and enjoyed this author's work before and am sure I will again but this was a disappointing and strange experience. It was a little confusing at the start but seemed to find its feet encouraging me to feel hopeful for the remainder of the story. Instead everything got seriously weird and, to me at least, more than a little unrealistic. Although I didn't feel the PTSD was clearly signposted it did gradually became more apparent, unfortunately it wasn't enough to even begin to explain the sudden changes which became the main focus of the story. There were times when it was a 3, and also times when it was a 5+++ so in the end I've plumped for a 4. I read THE DEAD OF WINTER in two days, but it has taken me four weeks to write a review. The problem was not the rating. I knew as soon as I’d finished that I would give it four stars. It wasn’t as good as his very best, but it was a solid four-star read.

Select a format:

For years I’ve been saying that crime writers reflect the fears of society. That’s why 1970s crime fiction is so different to 2000s, or 2010. It holds up a mirror to our collective psyche and asks, ‘What are you afraid of?’ Then around the 80% mark the story takes a sharp turn. I was expecting some of it — the foreshadowing of Lucy’s PTSD — but not all of it. There are more twists and turns through the last 20%, some I liked and some I didn’t like. But at the end, I was left with an uneasy feeling, because many of the killers escaped justice. In real life, this is often true, but most of us read thrillers because we want things to end right, the culprits caught, and justice to prevail. When an author doesn’t give us that satisfaction, we are left with a feeling of unease. Yes, MacBride throws us tidbits: not all the culprits escape; some are captured/killed. But some flourish. And if anyone has the real Stuart McBride, please return him to his writing desk for his next book! The Dead of Winter is a very complicated story that in the end is not so complicated if you think it through. It’s just that it’s full of twists and turns and red herrings. It’s also full of interesting characters, starting with DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter and DC Edward Reekie – on the good side. There are a lot – and I mean a LOT – of criminals in this book but the most important one is Mark Bishop and frankly… he’s as interesting as Victoria and Edward. Maybe even a little more interesting even. I have enjoyed a number of Stuart MacBride's books before; I enjoy his writing style, his dark sense of humour, twisty plots and excellent characters - The Dead of Winter is no different and I loved it.

I pushed through the story, but had it not been an advanced reader’s copy I’d have likely DNF’d it. The prologue was intriguing, and I was genuinely interested in seeing where the story would lead me. I am a complete aficionado when it comes to Scottish crime. I really enjoy reading about places I’ve seen and travelled to, that’s why I thought MacBride’s work would’ve been a good punt – I used to live in Aberdeen and I had my second child there, and although I cannot fault his picture setting of the location I just couldn’t find myself caring about the characters – something that is an absolute must for me to be able to enjoy a story. But there was always the writing (well, that's not true, the writing only started two chapters above this one). I fell victim to that most dreadful of things: peer pressure. Two friends were writing novels and I thought, 'why not? I could do that'. Snow has fallen, snow and snow in this deadly Winters Tale. The ensuing gritty violent story all starts when DI Victoria Elizabeth Montgomery – Porter AKA “Bigtoria“ (top tip, don’t call her that to her face if you want your bits to remain intact) and DC Edward Reekie collect ageing con Mark Bishop from HMP Grampian after serving a 25 year sentence. They’ve to take him to Glenfarach, a quaintly pretty Scottish village with CCTV cameras everywhere, literally everywhere. This place is as creepy as it gets, think Village of the Damned as everyone here is out of prison on license, ankle monitors and all and they don’t get to leave. These are people who are not considered safe to return to society - scared much?? Unfortunately, neither Bigtoria and Teddy get to leave either as within its joyful environs a dead body is found. It’s a horrifying murder and the beginning of all hell breaking loose.It sounds like paranoia, but what if he's right? What if the Bloodsmith isn't the only monster out there? Alongside this an old case rears it's head when a young man seeks Lucy's help. He happens to be Benedict Strachan, an infamous child murdered. At the age of 11 Strachan and an accomplice brutally stabbed a homeless man to death. Released after serving 16 years in prison he is now seeking help from Lucy but is adamant he still won't give up the name of his accomplice.