sandieu's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Murder, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Child death, and Physical abuse
laurenjodi's review
4.0
Cold Granite
4 Stars
Following a year of recuperation, DS Logan McRae is hoping for a slow return to the Aberdeen force. However, with the discovery of the body of a 3-year-old boy, McRae is thrust into a heartbreaking and horrific investigation. As the bodies begin piling up and several children go missing, the press is convinced that a serial killer is on the loose, and McRae will have to use all of his wits and experience to uncover the truth.
***Warning***: This book contains graphic and disturbing descriptions of child murder, and is not for readers offended by this type of story and writing.
The plot is comprised of several seemingly unrelated threads that MacBride ultimately weaves together to form a unified whole. While some of the plot twists are obvious, others come as a surprise and the finale is intense and satisfying. MacBride's writing is brisk with sufficient humor to offset the terrible nature of the crimes without being callous or cold-blooded.
DS Logan McRae is an appealing mix of experience and naiveté. While he is a skilled investigator with excellent instincts, he is almost childlike when it comes to personal and professional relationships.
The secondary characters are well-developed whether it is McRae's tetchy boss with his penchant for charity pantomimes or the smarmy journalist with his loathsome attitude or the feisty and capable WPC assigned to keep McRae out of trouble.
In sum, Cold Granite is a riveting police procedural with engaging characters and a complex and multifaceted storyline. Highly recommended for fans of British crime novels and the writing of Tess Gerritsen and Karin Slaughter.
4 Stars
Following a year of recuperation, DS Logan McRae is hoping for a slow return to the Aberdeen force. However, with the discovery of the body of a 3-year-old boy, McRae is thrust into a heartbreaking and horrific investigation. As the bodies begin piling up and several children go missing, the press is convinced that a serial killer is on the loose, and McRae will have to use all of his wits and experience to uncover the truth.
***Warning***: This book contains graphic and disturbing descriptions of child murder, and is not for readers offended by this type of story and writing.
The plot is comprised of several seemingly unrelated threads that MacBride ultimately weaves together to form a unified whole. While some of the plot twists are obvious, others come as a surprise and the finale is intense and satisfying. MacBride's writing is brisk with sufficient humor to offset the terrible nature of the crimes without being callous or cold-blooded.
DS Logan McRae is an appealing mix of experience and naiveté. While he is a skilled investigator with excellent instincts, he is almost childlike when it comes to personal and professional relationships.
The secondary characters are well-developed whether it is McRae's tetchy boss with his penchant for charity pantomimes or the smarmy journalist with his loathsome attitude or the feisty and capable WPC assigned to keep McRae out of trouble.
In sum, Cold Granite is a riveting police procedural with engaging characters and a complex and multifaceted storyline. Highly recommended for fans of British crime novels and the writing of Tess Gerritsen and Karin Slaughter.
georgia_hadj's review against another edition
3.0
Είχε καλή δομή, αρκετά ατμοσφαιρικό και κινηματογραφικό. Βέβαια κάπου στη μέση λίγο με κούρασε, ίσως αν ήταν 100 σελίδες λιγότερο να ήταν καλύτερο. Όμως ήταν το πρώτο βιβλίο του συγγραφέα και το πρώτο βιβλίο της σειράς με τον ντετέκτιβ Λογκαν, αρα αν κρίνω με το πόσα βιβλία ακόμα έβγαλε,είμαι έτοιμη για τα επόμενα
balthazarlawson's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this book of murder and misadventure in the Scottish city of Aberdeen. This setting is different to the usual setting of books I read and helped to make it more enjoyable. The characters are flawed but so believable and help to make this the perfect start of a series.
romonko's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
GoodReads has often recommend the DS Logan McRae series to me based on my love of the John Rebus series. This police procedural is set in Aberdeen, and the timing of this book is late November and early December. it's a cold, wet and miserable night when this story opens. Logan McRae, still recovering from almost fatal stab wounds, is called out in the middle of night to investigate a body of a young boy that is found in a park. The body is very difficult to identity since it has been dead for a number of months, and has been badly mutilated, but Logan is tasked with solving this particularly gruesome murder. Things ramp up and go from bad to worse as more bodies are found. What I enjoyed about this book is the realistic characters, and the flat out Scottish humour in a truly macabre setting. What I did not enjoy was how graphic these crimes are, and Stuart McBride spares no punches in his descriptions of the depravities and gruesome details. The body count keeps climbing, and Logan McRae keeps risking life and limb to solve them. This is a compelling Scottish noir, and a promising beginning to a series. Although, I am not sure that I will continue with the series. I should mention that I listened to this book on audiobook, and Steve Worsley did a great job of narrating this book. I think I'll think about it for awhile before I decide whether or not to continue this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Child abuse, Murder, and Child death
kirstym25's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Murder
wormskiz's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0