goddess_of_gore_vix's review against another edition
4.0
A gritty Scottish police detective crime drama.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
I never read anything by William McIlvanney before but I love Tartan Noir so the blurb and Ian Rankin make me request this arc.
That said it's a gripping, gritty, atmospheric and dark thriller. I was hooked since the beginning and fell in love with the style of writing and the storytelling.
I have to confess that i'm able to tell who wrote but I can surely say it is well written, well plotted and the characters are vivid.
The descriptions, the atmosphere brought me back in time and it is an exciting read.
Please do not expect a Rebus mystery as this story it's on the darker side of Tartan Noir.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
That said it's a gripping, gritty, atmospheric and dark thriller. I was hooked since the beginning and fell in love with the style of writing and the storytelling.
I have to confess that i'm able to tell who wrote but I can surely say it is well written, well plotted and the characters are vivid.
The descriptions, the atmosphere brought me back in time and it is an exciting read.
Please do not expect a Rebus mystery as this story it's on the darker side of Tartan Noir.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
luellabenkess's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed the premise of the book, I got hooked on the storyline straight away but I just didn’t warm to Laidlaw as I was expecting to.
The story was well written and I’d look out for other books from either of the authors.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
The story was well written and I’d look out for other books from either of the authors.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
emmap2023's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this so much, I have pre-ordered the 3 remaining Laidlaw books. If you like Rebus you would like this, based in Glasgow. This is a police procedural series much of the same ilk as Ian Rankin's writing style so I can fully understand that he was chosen to complete.
mrsbookburnee's review against another edition
4.0
My first book by by both authors and I loved it, Laidlow was a fantastic character and interesting to follow, will definitely be reading more of the books featuring him.
I also plan on reading Rankin’s novel as I really enjoyed his writing style and humour!
A must for fans of either author.
I also plan on reading Rankin’s novel as I really enjoyed his writing style and humour!
A must for fans of either author.
burns_cheadle's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars: Ian Rankin masterfully completes William McIlvanney's unfinished prequel to the Laidlaw series. The blend between the two authors is so utterly seamless that Rankin has essentially performed a pitch-perfect ventriloquism trick.
iainkelly_writing's review against another edition
3.0
Definitely, and unsurprisingly, more Rankin than McIlvanney. It lacks the weight of the original Laidlaw books, and the feel and atmosphere of Glasgow that McIlvanney captured is completely missing. Still, Rankin, of course, knows how to write a crime novel, and this is perfectly serviceable, if light and completely forgettable, fair and it's nice to revisit many of the original characters.
Sidenote: the hardback sleeve bills this as 'Laidlaw's First Case', but it isn't, in any way, his first case. Odd.
Sidenote: the hardback sleeve bills this as 'Laidlaw's First Case', but it isn't, in any way, his first case. Odd.
johnday's review against another edition
5.0
Not an Rebus book, but a great Laidlaw one. Short but on point.
cloudsinthepost's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.0
toellandback's review against another edition
4.0
When lawyer Bobby Carter is found dead in an alley, DC Jack Laidlaw discovers links with rival Glasgow gangs as he tries to solve the murder and avoid gang war in the city. As this is a prequel and having never read any Laidlaw books before, I went into this blind although I am a huge fan of Ian Rankin and his books and although I'm sure he's done the memory of William McIlvanney very proud, I do prefer the Rebus books. That said, it's a very good whodunnit that's very character driven and on occasions I did get a bit lost with the high number of characters and which gang they were affiliated with but that could be down to my unfamiliarity with the series. Still really enjoyable though.