Review by Booklist Review
In the third Tony McLean mystery, the Edinburgh detective inspector is confronted with a baffling case. By all appearances, a man has died by his own hands: hanging himself, leaving a suicide note at the scene. But the note is worthless as evidence: typed on a computer, it could have been written by anyone. And there are signs someone else was present at the time of death. When another victim turns up, in virtually identical circumstances, Tony's convinced he's got a killer to track down. Oswald is a relatively new voice on the Scottish crime-fiction scene, and he's got some stiff competition (Val McDermid, Ian Rankin, Christopher Brookmyre, Paul Johnston), but he's already demonstrated the kind of storytelling skills and writing style that will appeal to fans of this very popular crime landscape. He's proof that a fresh voice can sometimes stand out from a familiar choir.--Pitt, David Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A rash of suicides usually isn't cause for alarm, but Det. Insp. Tony McLean becomes sure the hangings are linked in Oswald's chilling third installment of his Edinburgh-based series. McLean, who's primarily occupied with the slow recovery of his girlfriend, crime scene photographer Emma Baird, who nearly died at the hands of a serial killer in 2014's The Book of Souls, doesn't immediately see a connection between the deaths. The victims don't seem to know each other or be connected in even a tangential manner, leading McLean's superiors-who already dislike the DI for his refusal to play along with office politics-to conclude that there's no need for a homicide investigation. At home, Emma wakes up from a coma with no memory of him, their relationship, or even her professional career. Oswald juggles the multiple story lines with ease, and McLean is a reluctant, empathetic hero who refuses to quit until he's solved the case. Agent: Marc Gerald, Agency Group. (Jan.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
When a man's corpse is found hanging in an empty house, the Edinburgh police deem it a suicide. However, there is something about the death that strikes DI Tony McLean as odd-especially when another suicide by hanging is reported. Then a third. In this follow-up to The Book of Souls, McLean struggles to handle the aftereffects of this investigation and his previous case on both a professional and personal level. (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
DI Tony McClean may think his life is in turmoil, but it's about to get worse. Since Tony's first girlfriend was murdered by a serial killer, he'd found solace with a young lady working for the Edinburgh police. But then an attack by a crazy colleague left her in a coma. Now Emma is awake but has little memory of the past and needs constant care and therapy. Tony, who inherited a lot of money from his grandmother, takes Emma in and hires Jenny Nairn, a student specializing in physical trauma, to live in his home and work with Emma. When her physician suggests shock treatment, Jenny convinces Tony to take her to Dr. Eleanor Austin, who specializes in regression therapy and hypnosis. At work, things have gone from bad to worse. CID Acting Superintendent Duguid, who's not really up to the job, dislikes Tony and transfers him to the sex crimes unit. He orders Tony to quickly close the hanging he's stumbled upon, even though the medical examiner isn't satisfied that it's a suicide. More men are found hanged, all with the same type of rope, but Tony has to sneak around in order to keep the case alive. Meanwhile, he's also officially working on the case of several prostitutes due to be shipped overseas, one of whom is willing to talk to Tony. Soon her pimp is beaten to death, she's badly injured, and Tony suspects that his fellow officer DS Buchanan is involved. When Buchanan tries to attack Tony, he dies in a freak accident and Tony is put on desk duty. Once he realizes that there may be a connection to Emma, he refuses to back off either case. Tony's third (The Book of Souls, 2014, etc.) reads like a police procedural with supernatural overtones. Despite plenty of red herrings and clever twists, the villain isn't that hard to identify. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
