Review by Booklist Review
Glasgow, 1973: As the city's gangs inch toward war, detective Harry McCoy (introduced in Bloody January, 2018) hunts an unhinged gangland enforcer who is strewing Glasgow with mutilated bodies. The first victim was soon to have become the son-in-law of Jake Scobie, the city's reigning crime boss. Scobie grudgingly admits that his right-hand man, Connolly, has gone a bit off the rails and has been stalking Connolly's daughter, Elaine. Determined to get to Elaine, Connolly targets Scobie while McCoy races to find him and prevent war over Scobie's underworld throne. It's not all professional for McCoy, though: his best friend from childhood, ambitious street boss Stevie Cooper, is beefing up his troops for a move up the ladder. Further complicating things, a moment of uncontrolled rage threatens McCoy's future after he recognizes, among Glasgow PD's top brass, a sadistic abuser whom McCoy knew from his days in a group home. Imbued with all the grit, blood, and pervasive damp of the best Celtic crime, this series is destined to become a favorite among Adrian McKinty's and Denise Mina's followers.--Christine Tran Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in Glasgow in 1973, Parks's serviceable sequel to 2018's Bloody January finds morally conflicted Det. Harry McCoy back on duty after having been declared psychologically fit for his part in pushing a man off a roof to his death. His ability to stomach gruesome crime scenes is tested immediately when he's called to the scene of the horrific murder of celebrity footballer Charlie Jackson. Jackson was found shot, with one eye removed, his severed penis stuffed into his mouth, and the words BYE BYE carved into his chest. The sports star was engaged to Elaine Scobie, whose father, Jake, is a powerful local gangster. The nature of the mutilations suggests a personal motive, and McCoy pursues the theory that Jake ordered that Jackson be butchered for cheating on his daughter. That angle leads to a hunt for Jake's main hit man, Kevin Connolly. A chance discovery reawakens a childhood trauma for McCoy, which complicates the murder inquiry. While the streets of Parks's Glasgow are certainly mean, he offers little that hardboiled fans haven't seen before. Agent: Tom Witcomb, Blake Friedmann Literary (U.K.). (Feb.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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