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Logan McRae #9
The Missing and the Dead
BOOKS
592 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2015
502 people are currently reading
2,820 people want to read
About the author
Stuart MacBride
83Ìýbooks2,624ÌýfollowersAka Stuart B. MacBride
The life and times of a bearded write-ist.
Stuart MacBride (that's me) was born in Dumbarton -- which is Glasgow as far as I'm concerned -- moving up to Aberdeen at the tender age of two, when fashions were questionable. Nothing much happened for years and years and years: learned to play the recorder, then forgot how when they changed from little coloured dots to proper musical notes (why the hell couldn't they have taught us the notes in the first bloody place? I could have been performing my earth-shattering rendition of 'Three Blind Mice' at the Albert Hall by now!); appeared in some bizarre World War Two musical production; did my best to avoid eating haggis and generally ran about the place a lot.
Next up was an elongated spell in Westhill -- a small suburb seven miles west of Aberdeen -- where I embarked upon a mediocre academic career, hindered by a complete inability to spell and an attention span the length of a gnat's doodad.
And so to UNIVERSITY, far too young, naive and stupid to be away from the family home, sharing a subterranean flat in one of the seedier bits of Edinburgh with a mad Irishman, and four other bizarre individuals. The highlight of walking to the art school in the mornings (yes: we were students, but we still did mornings) was trying not to tread in the fresh bloodstains outside our front door, and dodging the undercover CID officers trying to buy drugs. Lovely place.
But university and I did not see eye to eye, so off I went to work offshore. Like many all-male environments, working offshore was the intellectual equivalent of Animal House, only without the clever bits. Swearing, smoking, eating, more swearing, pornography, swearing, drinking endless plastic cups of tea... and did I mention the swearing? But it was more money than I'd seen in my life! There's something about being handed a wadge of cash as you clamber off the minibus from the heliport, having spent the last two weeks offshore and the last two hours in an orange, rubber romper suit / body bag, then blowing most of it in the pubs and clubs of Aberdeen. And being young enough to get away without a hangover.
Then came a spell of working for myself as a graphic designer, which went the way of all flesh and into the heady world of studio management for a nation-wide marketing company. Then some more freelance design work, a handful of voiceovers for local radio and video production companies and a bash at being an actor (with a small 'a'), giving it up when it became clear there was no way I was ever going to be good enough to earn a decent living.
It was about this time I fell into bad company -- a blonde from Fife who conned me into marrying her -- and started producing websites for a friend's fledgling Internet company. From there it was a roller coaster ride (in that it made a lot of people feel decidedly unwell) from web designer to web manager, lead programmer, team lead and other assorted technical bollocks with three different companies, eventually ending up as a project manager for a global IT company.
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'.
Took a few years though...
The life and times of a bearded write-ist.
Stuart MacBride (that's me) was born in Dumbarton -- which is Glasgow as far as I'm concerned -- moving up to Aberdeen at the tender age of two, when fashions were questionable. Nothing much happened for years and years and years: learned to play the recorder, then forgot how when they changed from little coloured dots to proper musical notes (why the hell couldn't they have taught us the notes in the first bloody place? I could have been performing my earth-shattering rendition of 'Three Blind Mice' at the Albert Hall by now!); appeared in some bizarre World War Two musical production; did my best to avoid eating haggis and generally ran about the place a lot.
Next up was an elongated spell in Westhill -- a small suburb seven miles west of Aberdeen -- where I embarked upon a mediocre academic career, hindered by a complete inability to spell and an attention span the length of a gnat's doodad.
And so to UNIVERSITY, far too young, naive and stupid to be away from the family home, sharing a subterranean flat in one of the seedier bits of Edinburgh with a mad Irishman, and four other bizarre individuals. The highlight of walking to the art school in the mornings (yes: we were students, but we still did mornings) was trying not to tread in the fresh bloodstains outside our front door, and dodging the undercover CID officers trying to buy drugs. Lovely place.
But university and I did not see eye to eye, so off I went to work offshore. Like many all-male environments, working offshore was the intellectual equivalent of Animal House, only without the clever bits. Swearing, smoking, eating, more swearing, pornography, swearing, drinking endless plastic cups of tea... and did I mention the swearing? But it was more money than I'd seen in my life! There's something about being handed a wadge of cash as you clamber off the minibus from the heliport, having spent the last two weeks offshore and the last two hours in an orange, rubber romper suit / body bag, then blowing most of it in the pubs and clubs of Aberdeen. And being young enough to get away without a hangover.
Then came a spell of working for myself as a graphic designer, which went the way of all flesh and into the heady world of studio management for a nation-wide marketing company. Then some more freelance design work, a handful of voiceovers for local radio and video production companies and a bash at being an actor (with a small 'a'), giving it up when it became clear there was no way I was ever going to be good enough to earn a decent living.
It was about this time I fell into bad company -- a blonde from Fife who conned me into marrying her -- and started producing websites for a friend's fledgling Internet company. From there it was a roller coaster ride (in that it made a lot of people feel decidedly unwell) from web designer to web manager, lead programmer, team lead and other assorted technical bollocks with three different companies, eventually ending up as a project manager for a global IT company.
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'.
Took a few years though...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 414 reviews
April 25, 2018
Book nine in the Logan McRae series and the first book I have read (but not the last).
There were moments in this book when I felt that I didn't read one book; I was reading at least 2-3 books just made into one. It wasn't just the thickness of the book; it was the fact that there was so much going on that it almost left me feeling exhausted just reading it. There is so much going one beside the case of the little girl that is washed up outside the town Banff; the hunt for drug dealers, shoplifters, the trial of a killer and what felt like thousands of other things that the police in rural Aberdeenshire had to deal with.
But it worked; it worked really well, even though I felt a bit lost in the beginning trying to get to grip with the book's story and its characters. I mean this is book nine, and there is a lot of history I missed since I haven't read the first eight books. But still I got some information now and then that made me slowly get to grip with Logan and also with Roberta Steel. I love her; seriously, she is like a female version of Dalziel (Daziel and Pasco by Reginald Hill). Yes, she is blunt and pigheaded, but she is also funny and quite formidable. Also, there is Logan's cat Cthulhu. Best name ever?
The book is great. Yes, I felt overwhelmed by the story sometimes, but Stuart Macbride really manages to make all the different parts in this book come together in the end. Usually, I'm used to the police be able to just focus on a case or two, but here, there are always things going on. I mean they have to move cows from roads, get lost old people home safe, stakeouts etc. all the while trying to find a child killer.
The biggest problem for me with the book was that I had some hard time getting into the book in the beginning. I felt a bit lost when it came to the story and the characters and it took me a while to really feel that I got the rhythm of the book. Also, I hate it when children are the victim and no matter how well written a book is it's a subject I have the most problems reading about.
But still, despite that I liked the book very much and even though the book was very dark sometimes was there also many humorous moments (I bookmarked many pages when I read my pdf copy) and I have borrowed from the library the first four books in the series and I will read them this summer!
There were moments in this book when I felt that I didn't read one book; I was reading at least 2-3 books just made into one. It wasn't just the thickness of the book; it was the fact that there was so much going on that it almost left me feeling exhausted just reading it. There is so much going one beside the case of the little girl that is washed up outside the town Banff; the hunt for drug dealers, shoplifters, the trial of a killer and what felt like thousands of other things that the police in rural Aberdeenshire had to deal with.
But it worked; it worked really well, even though I felt a bit lost in the beginning trying to get to grip with the book's story and its characters. I mean this is book nine, and there is a lot of history I missed since I haven't read the first eight books. But still I got some information now and then that made me slowly get to grip with Logan and also with Roberta Steel. I love her; seriously, she is like a female version of Dalziel (Daziel and Pasco by Reginald Hill). Yes, she is blunt and pigheaded, but she is also funny and quite formidable. Also, there is Logan's cat Cthulhu. Best name ever?
The book is great. Yes, I felt overwhelmed by the story sometimes, but Stuart Macbride really manages to make all the different parts in this book come together in the end. Usually, I'm used to the police be able to just focus on a case or two, but here, there are always things going on. I mean they have to move cows from roads, get lost old people home safe, stakeouts etc. all the while trying to find a child killer.
The biggest problem for me with the book was that I had some hard time getting into the book in the beginning. I felt a bit lost when it came to the story and the characters and it took me a while to really feel that I got the rhythm of the book. Also, I hate it when children are the victim and no matter how well written a book is it's a subject I have the most problems reading about.
But still, despite that I liked the book very much and even though the book was very dark sometimes was there also many humorous moments (I bookmarked many pages when I read my pdf copy) and I have borrowed from the library the first four books in the series and I will read them this summer!
September 7, 2018
Another winner in this excellent series, containing the usual, black humour, dry wit and gross murders accompanied by lots of everyday police work.
Poor Logan is almost overwhelmed with the number of cases he is dealing with and there is a realistic feel to the way he has to move moment to moment from the really serious to the banal such as chasing cows off the main road. He has a few high points in his social life and I fell in love with his cat with the name I cannot begin to spell - or pronounce.
I really enjoyed . It is a long book but it moves at a clipping pace with never a boring moment. One word of warning though - I would not recommend picking this up as a stand alone. Start at the beginning of the series and enjoy every aspect of it fully.
Poor Logan is almost overwhelmed with the number of cases he is dealing with and there is a realistic feel to the way he has to move moment to moment from the really serious to the banal such as chasing cows off the main road. He has a few high points in his social life and I fell in love with his cat with the name I cannot begin to spell - or pronounce.
I really enjoyed . It is a long book but it moves at a clipping pace with never a boring moment. One word of warning though - I would not recommend picking this up as a stand alone. Start at the beginning of the series and enjoy every aspect of it fully.
June 6, 2024
In this 9th book in the Logan McRae series the Scottish detective investigates several serious crimes, and (as usual) gets in trouble for not following the rules. The criminal wrongdoing is grievous, but a mainstay of the Logan McRae books are the entertaining characters and the pervasive humor, which provide much-needed light moments.
The book can be read as a standalone.
Detective Sergeant Logan McRae has a lot on his mind.
He was reassigned from Aberdeen CID to a community policing position in the Scottish burbs of Aberdeenshire; his important cases are immediately taken over by a Major Incident Team (MIT); his house near the police station is moldy and dilapidated; his injured girlfriend Samantha hasn't moved or spoken in four years, and the fee for her care home uses up most of his paycheck; he was the sperm donor for a lesbian couple - the cantankerous Detective Chief Inspector Roberta Steel and her wife - so he has a daughter; and more.
The book is a police procedural, and we follow Logan over a period of days as he catches various cases and works them with his colleagues.
As the story opens Logan is chasing down sociopath Graham Stirling.
Stirling is suspected of abducting and torturing a man called Stephen Bisset, who advertised for kinky sex online. To learn Bisset's s location, and hopefully save his life, Logan cuts corners. This comes back to bite Logan on the butt, and turns out to be a kind of pattern for the detective, whose best intentions have a way of going wrong.
Logan's other cases include:
� A cow in the road, stopping traffic.
� An elderly woman who's not answering her phone or door.
� A rash of missing pedophiles.
� A gang that's stealing ATM machines.
� A sullen bedraggled drug addict who shoplifts perfume and makeup for money.
The addicted girl makes a deal by outing her suppliers......
.....and a raid on the pushers' house uncovers an £80,000 stash of dope. MIT takes over, but Logan (not so secretly) keeps investigating.
� A little girl's body is found in a seedy outdoor pool.
An appeal to the public for the girl's ID results in a call from a woman who thinks the child may be her abducted daughter.
Once again, MIT takes over. However Logan's tender instincts are aroused, and he's desperate to identify the child and discover who killed her.
The main plotlines converge toward the end of the book, leading to a dramatic climax.
On the lighter side: Logan saves money by giving himself a terrible haircut and subsisting on cans of cheap lentil soup; one cop on a team is designated the 'piddler' who - pretending to use the bathroom - secretly searches a suspect's home while the rest of the squad asks questions; DCI Roberta Steele- who has stick up hair and awful clothes - looks like Detective Colombo if he was run over by a lawn mower; a grimy, dirty, brown-toothed drug addict designates himself Logan's confidential informer, causing trouble with Logan's superiors; and more.
Among the best elements of the novel are the diverse array of cops, whose personalities and foibles are entertaining and fun.
This is a good addition to the Logan McRae series, recommended to fans of droll police procedurals.
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September 25, 2021
Stuart MacBride’s ninth book in his Logan MacRae series sees Logan in a different role and place. Following his capture of a twisted killer while acting DI in a major incident team (MIT) in Aberdeen, he has been assigned a career development opportunity and has moved to community policing in North Aberdeenshire. Demoted back to Sergeant, he is now responsible for a team of constables who fight local crime - booking traffic offenders, attending RTAs, finding stolen tractors and lost senior citizens, removing lost cows holding up the traffic, breaking up pub fights and keeping drunks and addicts off the street. If anything major, like a murder or big drug bust comes along an MIT from Aberdeen will take it off their hands, much to Logan’s disgust. On top of that, his girlfriend Samantha still hasn’t moved or spoken four years after she fell from his burning flat and her medical expenses are eating most of his pay, leaving him to survive on tinned lentil soup.
I listened to the audio book, brilliantly narrated by Steve Worsley, which really brought to life the constant work and airwaves chatter involved in community policing. In addition to the constant community call outs, there's a lot happening in this book. Someone is ram-raiding shops and stealing ATMs, several pedophiles have gone missing, Logan has been given a tip off about a drug ring and a small girl’s body is found in the ocean swimming baths. Each of these threads is a major crime story in itself but somehow MacBride manages to develop and blend them all seamlessly into a cohesive novel. Logan might have thought that he had at least escaped the clutches of DI Steele, but it wouldn’t be the same without the banter between her and Logan, and she manages to worm her way back into his life as head of an MIT and she’s just as demanding, sarcastic and pig-headed as usual. Events leading to the gripping ending crept up quietly underneath all the other threads and was one I didn’t see coming. I can’t wait to see what life has in store for Logan next.
I listened to the audio book, brilliantly narrated by Steve Worsley, which really brought to life the constant work and airwaves chatter involved in community policing. In addition to the constant community call outs, there's a lot happening in this book. Someone is ram-raiding shops and stealing ATMs, several pedophiles have gone missing, Logan has been given a tip off about a drug ring and a small girl’s body is found in the ocean swimming baths. Each of these threads is a major crime story in itself but somehow MacBride manages to develop and blend them all seamlessly into a cohesive novel. Logan might have thought that he had at least escaped the clutches of DI Steele, but it wouldn’t be the same without the banter between her and Logan, and she manages to worm her way back into his life as head of an MIT and she’s just as demanding, sarcastic and pig-headed as usual. Events leading to the gripping ending crept up quietly underneath all the other threads and was one I didn’t see coming. I can’t wait to see what life has in store for Logan next.
November 23, 2016
One of the things I liked about this book were the little vignettes of community policing that interspersed the main investigations, such as the elderly woman convinced her bed was full of rats. These police are busy. This is not a CSI 50 minute wrap up, they work. These detailed, vibrant stories added real veracity to the fiction, it came across as one of the most real police stations i've ever read. I'm pretty sure the colloquialisms were meant to do the same thing and I was both amused and annoyed by the ways in which officers answered calls to say they were 'safe to talk', including 'bash on' and 'hammer on'. It became a fun game to see just what strange word was going to be used instead of the much simpler 'yes'.
As much as this kept me interested for a few hours today, i'm not sure there's enough here to make me come back for more. I got the copy free with my Times subscription so it's the first one in the series that i've read and it didn't make me invested enough in the characters to go back to the beginning.
As much as this kept me interested for a few hours today, i'm not sure there's enough here to make me come back for more. I got the copy free with my Times subscription so it's the first one in the series that i've read and it didn't make me invested enough in the characters to go back to the beginning.
February 9, 2015
A new Logan McRae book is always a pleasure to look forward to and an even greater pleasure to read and “The Missing and the Dead� is no exception to this rule � once again I was spilling my coffee whilst laughing at the many hilarious yet heartwarming interactions between Logan and Steel (who is quite possibly my favourite character in Crime Fiction ever, only given a run for her money by Jane Casey’s Derwent), sitting on the edge of my seat whilst awaiting results and in this case, thoroughly loving the nitty gritty policing environment Logan finds himself in.
In this instalment the case against a serial killer goes horribly wrong after Logan chooses to accept the importance of saving a life over that of procedure and he finds himself in the back of beyond removing cows from the road and attempting to get the drug dealers under control. When a young child’s body washes up, he finds himself both thrust into the centre of and left on the sidelines of another MIT investigation.
My pure adoration of these stories probably comes from the authors inate ability to create a perfect yin/yang of ironic humour and emotional resonance � whilst also writing a gritty and realistic police procedural. In “The Missing and the Dead� I was fascinated by the many things going on in the background, the things the police on the ground are dealing with, some of them funny some of them not so much, many threads all held together by Logan and co. We have new characters and well loved ones all mixed up here, the whole thing was highly addictive and so terrifically good.
Its Logan’s 9th full outing already. How did that happen? Anyway I’ve been in it from the start and honestly these just get better and better. I always say when I’ve finished that it was my favourite then Mr MacBride writes another and, well, you get the picture…I’m not sure what is next for Logan but I DO know that I’ll be right there with him all the way. If you like your books to tug at your heartstrings whilst making you laugh out loud and often sit on the edge of your seat, then these are for you. Authentic, eminently readable and top of the game when it comes to British crime fiction.
Highly Recommended.
In this instalment the case against a serial killer goes horribly wrong after Logan chooses to accept the importance of saving a life over that of procedure and he finds himself in the back of beyond removing cows from the road and attempting to get the drug dealers under control. When a young child’s body washes up, he finds himself both thrust into the centre of and left on the sidelines of another MIT investigation.
My pure adoration of these stories probably comes from the authors inate ability to create a perfect yin/yang of ironic humour and emotional resonance � whilst also writing a gritty and realistic police procedural. In “The Missing and the Dead� I was fascinated by the many things going on in the background, the things the police on the ground are dealing with, some of them funny some of them not so much, many threads all held together by Logan and co. We have new characters and well loved ones all mixed up here, the whole thing was highly addictive and so terrifically good.
Its Logan’s 9th full outing already. How did that happen? Anyway I’ve been in it from the start and honestly these just get better and better. I always say when I’ve finished that it was my favourite then Mr MacBride writes another and, well, you get the picture…I’m not sure what is next for Logan but I DO know that I’ll be right there with him all the way. If you like your books to tug at your heartstrings whilst making you laugh out loud and often sit on the edge of your seat, then these are for you. Authentic, eminently readable and top of the game when it comes to British crime fiction.
Highly Recommended.
October 2, 2022
Good read.
August 14, 2015
3.5 stars
Stuart MacBride is one of my favorite authors. The characters he has created in this series are simply fantastic: from long-suffering Acting DI Logan McRae, who somehow always ends up on top, to the crusty and disgusting DCI Roberta Steel, along with all of the supporting cast of characters, each with their own personalities and quirkiness. His ability to weave complex stories and plots, complete with local lingo and the banter between the characters is exceptional.
I’m not sure what to say about this one. There were some significant changes to the characters here, from location and position, and I’m not sure it worked all that well. There was a real lack of tension that was standard in the other books, and this one really meandered for about three-quarters of the book. There was simply too much going on, from the incessant calls from control to check out something suspicious, to the side-story of the ATM smash-and-grabs that really did nothing for the overall story.
The tension finally arrived in the final quarter of the book, and it felt like the old Logan McRae. If the author could have cut out the extra stuff and further developed the central storyline, it would fit right in with the rest of the series instead of feeling like something cobbled together over a few weekends.
Stuart MacBride is one of my favorite authors. The characters he has created in this series are simply fantastic: from long-suffering Acting DI Logan McRae, who somehow always ends up on top, to the crusty and disgusting DCI Roberta Steel, along with all of the supporting cast of characters, each with their own personalities and quirkiness. His ability to weave complex stories and plots, complete with local lingo and the banter between the characters is exceptional.
I’m not sure what to say about this one. There were some significant changes to the characters here, from location and position, and I’m not sure it worked all that well. There was a real lack of tension that was standard in the other books, and this one really meandered for about three-quarters of the book. There was simply too much going on, from the incessant calls from control to check out something suspicious, to the side-story of the ATM smash-and-grabs that really did nothing for the overall story.
The tension finally arrived in the final quarter of the book, and it felt like the old Logan McRae. If the author could have cut out the extra stuff and further developed the central storyline, it would fit right in with the rest of the series instead of feeling like something cobbled together over a few weekends.
September 14, 2019
Van genoten alweer...maar terug stoppen met een open einde?
January 9, 2019
The 9th book in the Logan McRae series by Stuart MacBride. I really enjoyed this series at the start but latter books fail to meet the initial high standard of the first two or three books on the series. They are always funny and the banter between the main characters is very good but the plots have been a lot weaker. That said it was almost a 4 star rating but not quite.
January 27, 2015
Do you know that feeling when a piece of modern art you've always thought was just a pile of rubbish suddenly makes incredible sense and is wonderful? No? Me neither. I'm more of a spade is a spade kind of guy. I'd rather go back to Sennybridge in February and dig trenches than read James Joyce.
So, I was slightly surprised to find myself wondering whether Stuart MacBride isn't secretly some kind of genius, because a few chapters into this novel I was thinking, "Wtf?". Talk about fractured. It was like reading the hallucinations of a guy in a tumble dryer. But then, suddenly, the genius of the book hit me. Stuart MacBride has pulled off an incredible feat of writing here. Steam of consciousness in the 3rd person.
I'm not even going to attempt to sum up the story here because it's complex and tightly woven with all events, even those seemingly random and unconnected, coming together in an amazingly satisfying way. But I just loved the way the novel takes us, the readers, into its embrace and makes us one of the team. We're out on patrol with these young coppers, listening to their airwaves, answering calls with them, sharing their humour and their bleak jobs. I've never had much contact with the police (and isn't that something everyone should be able to say) other than occasionally attending court with one of my soldiers, so I can't say whether the world Stuart MacBride presents is an accurate reflection of their lives. If it is, then God help them, because they seem to get more support and respect from the criminals they work with than their senior officers. Talk about adversarial work environments. But in these toxic work places, these genuinely caring and brave men and women carry on, making something of an almost impossible screwed if they do, screwed if they don't kind of world.
I just loved their attempts to get back to eightsies, tensies, elevensies. Their delight in a sticky bun or a chocky biscuit. Laz is on top form in this novel. His skirting around the difference between what's legal and what's right is central to the novel. Roberta Steel is back. I think MacBride has tried to tone her down a bit, but she's fighting back I'm glad to say, muscling her way into the story.
Do not read this series out of order, or not this one first, anyway. The writing style is so quirky that you really do need to work up to it in the other novels first. But as the whole series is brilliant then that's hardly a chore.
Absolutely brilliant, morally ambivalent and writing at its best.
So, I was slightly surprised to find myself wondering whether Stuart MacBride isn't secretly some kind of genius, because a few chapters into this novel I was thinking, "Wtf?". Talk about fractured. It was like reading the hallucinations of a guy in a tumble dryer. But then, suddenly, the genius of the book hit me. Stuart MacBride has pulled off an incredible feat of writing here. Steam of consciousness in the 3rd person.
I'm not even going to attempt to sum up the story here because it's complex and tightly woven with all events, even those seemingly random and unconnected, coming together in an amazingly satisfying way. But I just loved the way the novel takes us, the readers, into its embrace and makes us one of the team. We're out on patrol with these young coppers, listening to their airwaves, answering calls with them, sharing their humour and their bleak jobs. I've never had much contact with the police (and isn't that something everyone should be able to say) other than occasionally attending court with one of my soldiers, so I can't say whether the world Stuart MacBride presents is an accurate reflection of their lives. If it is, then God help them, because they seem to get more support and respect from the criminals they work with than their senior officers. Talk about adversarial work environments. But in these toxic work places, these genuinely caring and brave men and women carry on, making something of an almost impossible screwed if they do, screwed if they don't kind of world.
I just loved their attempts to get back to eightsies, tensies, elevensies. Their delight in a sticky bun or a chocky biscuit. Laz is on top form in this novel. His skirting around the difference between what's legal and what's right is central to the novel. Roberta Steel is back. I think MacBride has tried to tone her down a bit, but she's fighting back I'm glad to say, muscling her way into the story.
Do not read this series out of order, or not this one first, anyway. The writing style is so quirky that you really do need to work up to it in the other novels first. But as the whole series is brilliant then that's hardly a chore.
Absolutely brilliant, morally ambivalent and writing at its best.
January 5, 2022
Another good instalment after a long pause between books in this series, for me.
Logan McRae is in a different role and place doing community policing in North Aberdeenshire. Demoted back to Sergeant, he is now responsible for a team of constables who fight local crime (with all the black humour I love in this series). This is a really good yarn from stolen tractors to lost senior citizens, removing roaming cows holding up traffic, and keeping drunks off the street.
Interesting 'appearances' by comatose girlfriend Samantha feature. Even though it is a sinister situation with her medical expenses piling up (and McRae living on tinned lentil soup), MacBride still makes the situation amusing in the darkest possible way. Loads of threads within the major crime story, MacBride develops and blends them seamlessly into a cohesive novel. DI Steele is back with her banter, demands, sarcasm and ferocity.
I have to say I didn't see some of the plot turns coming.
Logan McRae is in a different role and place doing community policing in North Aberdeenshire. Demoted back to Sergeant, he is now responsible for a team of constables who fight local crime (with all the black humour I love in this series). This is a really good yarn from stolen tractors to lost senior citizens, removing roaming cows holding up traffic, and keeping drunks off the street.
Interesting 'appearances' by comatose girlfriend Samantha feature. Even though it is a sinister situation with her medical expenses piling up (and McRae living on tinned lentil soup), MacBride still makes the situation amusing in the darkest possible way. Loads of threads within the major crime story, MacBride develops and blends them seamlessly into a cohesive novel. DI Steele is back with her banter, demands, sarcasm and ferocity.
I have to say I didn't see some of the plot turns coming.
May 17, 2015
So I've finished my month long trawl through the Logan McRae series with book 9, The Missing and the Dead (although I still have some McRae and Steel short stories / novellas to read, yay). The Missing and the Dead is different from the previous eight books in that most of it takes place in the small town of Banff, on the Aberdeenshire coast, as Logan goes back into uniform as a duty sergeant. MacBride seems to do a good job at reflecting the changing face of Scottish policing and now all the interesting stuff is taken by Major Investigation Teams, leaving uniform to herd escaped cows and spin druggies. Having read all the previous books back to back, it was quite a culture shock to move from gritty Aberdeen to the more sedate seaside town and with our hero not doing anything that exciting. It felt a bit like a final Die Hard movie where instead of Bruce Willis kicking butt, he got a nice sedate job as a supermarket security guard where nothing much happens. It was nice in a way though, as McRae has been through so much shit in previous books, it was good to see him getting a bit of a break. However from a reader's perspective, someone picking up the book because they like gritty city crime and instead getting something a bit more genteel, it was like "Oh no!!!". However I of course needn't have worried, it was nice getting to know the new characters (once I got over missing Rennie and Biohazard) and the wider variety of cases McRae was working on was more like the earlier books in the series. And of course things do get exciting and McRae in no way gets it easy. There's drug dealers and cash machine robbers but the main storyline is the death of a little girl which thankfully brings DCI Steel into town (I was really missing her) and which links to a backstory that's been slowly simmering throughout the whole series.
Now I've read the whole series (of the novels, as it stands), I've been thinking again about why I like the McRae series so much and I thought I'd write a list-
* DCI Steel - I LOVE Steel, at the beginning of the series (when she was just a DI), she leads the 'Screw Up Squad' and I was disappointed when McRae got transferred to her team, away from the constantly sweet eating DI Insch who I much preferred at the time. DI / DCI Steel is loud, sweary and obnoxious and it takes a while to warm to her but she's brilliant, funny and has a heart of gold.
* The food - a policeman's diet in Aberdeenshire is an unhealthy one but oooh it sounds delicious. Think lots of junk food, particularly the Aberdeen speciality of stovies (a type of lard bread roll), bacon rolls and macaroni cheese and chips, so reading the series made me drool, except for the book Flesh House which was the absolute opposite!
* The weather - the weather in Aberdeenshire seems to mostly be extreme, it's either bitterly cold and snowing or extremely wet. As a Londoner I'm getting a bit fed up of the samey grey weather you get here all the time, it hasn't (other than the last week) even been raining that much, so reading books where the characters are getting bashed by the elements so much was a nice change.
* The banter - ooh I hate that word normally but that's what the conversations between McRae and his colleagues actually are and it's a pleasure to read and it really adds to making the characters seem real.
* The long running storylines - there are several long running storylines running throughout the books. Some of the storyline mentions are really subtle, just maybe a line or two but it really helps make McRae's world seem more complex and real and it helps build up tension for when / if those storylines get resolved.
Now I've read the whole series (of the novels, as it stands), I've been thinking again about why I like the McRae series so much and I thought I'd write a list-
* DCI Steel - I LOVE Steel, at the beginning of the series (when she was just a DI), she leads the 'Screw Up Squad' and I was disappointed when McRae got transferred to her team, away from the constantly sweet eating DI Insch who I much preferred at the time. DI / DCI Steel is loud, sweary and obnoxious and it takes a while to warm to her but she's brilliant, funny and has a heart of gold.
* The food - a policeman's diet in Aberdeenshire is an unhealthy one but oooh it sounds delicious. Think lots of junk food, particularly the Aberdeen speciality of stovies (a type of lard bread roll), bacon rolls and macaroni cheese and chips, so reading the series made me drool, except for the book Flesh House which was the absolute opposite!
* The weather - the weather in Aberdeenshire seems to mostly be extreme, it's either bitterly cold and snowing or extremely wet. As a Londoner I'm getting a bit fed up of the samey grey weather you get here all the time, it hasn't (other than the last week) even been raining that much, so reading books where the characters are getting bashed by the elements so much was a nice change.
* The banter - ooh I hate that word normally but that's what the conversations between McRae and his colleagues actually are and it's a pleasure to read and it really adds to making the characters seem real.
* The long running storylines - there are several long running storylines running throughout the books. Some of the storyline mentions are really subtle, just maybe a line or two but it really helps make McRae's world seem more complex and real and it helps build up tension for when / if those storylines get resolved.
May 30, 2019
Stuart McBride's novels seem to vary hugely in quality so you never quite know whether you're going to be treated to an excellent piece of crime fiction or something tedious and superficial. This novel falls squarely into the latter camp.
McRae, the hero, now demoted to Sargeant, gets entangled in an assortment of drugs, murder and thievery. From the variety of crime and the wide cast of characters this should have been special, but it was ruined by too much irrelevant detail. The main character turned out to be the Airwave comms system and the story is peppered with its unwelcome interruptions. OK, so I know the writer was trying for authenticity, but he took it too far. Then there is the presence of McRae's former boss, the revolting Steele, who is not so much a character as a caricature, horribly overplayed and so totally awful as to be incredible. McRae seems to be answerable to innumerable senior officers, all of whom are absolute bullies, who threaten and bluster their way through the story, yet never does McRae stand up to them, which completely undermines his character. He actually comes over as depressed, cowed, lazy and irresponsible. And in all the 'bollockings' to which he is subjected, the writer repeatedly uses that tired old trick of never letting him get a word in edgeways, leaving him conveniently misunderstood and unable to defend himself.
I have a couple more McRae novels on my shelves waiting to be read. I probably won't bother.
McRae, the hero, now demoted to Sargeant, gets entangled in an assortment of drugs, murder and thievery. From the variety of crime and the wide cast of characters this should have been special, but it was ruined by too much irrelevant detail. The main character turned out to be the Airwave comms system and the story is peppered with its unwelcome interruptions. OK, so I know the writer was trying for authenticity, but he took it too far. Then there is the presence of McRae's former boss, the revolting Steele, who is not so much a character as a caricature, horribly overplayed and so totally awful as to be incredible. McRae seems to be answerable to innumerable senior officers, all of whom are absolute bullies, who threaten and bluster their way through the story, yet never does McRae stand up to them, which completely undermines his character. He actually comes over as depressed, cowed, lazy and irresponsible. And in all the 'bollockings' to which he is subjected, the writer repeatedly uses that tired old trick of never letting him get a word in edgeways, leaving him conveniently misunderstood and unable to defend himself.
I have a couple more McRae novels on my shelves waiting to be read. I probably won't bother.
July 13, 2015
This is the ninth book in the Logan McRae series. As I won this book in a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaway, I wasn't aware that it was part of a series at the time. While there were times when I felt I was missing out on something that the characters were referring to (particularly in the beginning third of the book), the story itself is complete, and I don't feel it was "necessary" to read the earlier books in order to appreciate this.
The main storyline was really captivating; however, I felt that there were just too many additional plots thrown into the book that really weren't necessary in the least. I did enjoy the characters--especially McRae and Roberta Steel--and the central idea, itself. If there hadn't been so many other "meandering" paths that really didn't serve to further the plot of the book, I would have enjoyed this much more. There were times when I just wanted to skim over the other parts and get back into the meat of the story.
Overall, I did enjoy the writing and characters. If the book had been more condensed and focused on only two or three divergent lines, I know I would have rated it higher.
Oh, and bonus points for McRae having a cat named "Cthulhu"!
The main storyline was really captivating; however, I felt that there were just too many additional plots thrown into the book that really weren't necessary in the least. I did enjoy the characters--especially McRae and Roberta Steel--and the central idea, itself. If there hadn't been so many other "meandering" paths that really didn't serve to further the plot of the book, I would have enjoyed this much more. There were times when I just wanted to skim over the other parts and get back into the meat of the story.
Overall, I did enjoy the writing and characters. If the book had been more condensed and focused on only two or three divergent lines, I know I would have rated it higher.
Oh, and bonus points for McRae having a cat named "Cthulhu"!
July 30, 2017
McRae is still demoted and banished to the countryside for "a development opportunity". He's living in police quarters on canned lentil soup so he can pay his girlfriend Samantha's medical expenses. The details of the daily life of a rural policing operation are quite wonderful, and frequently hilarious. There are the usual domestic disturbances and petty crime, the frequent problems with cows in the road, the alcohol fueled dust ups, and then. And then.
There is a gang stealing SUVs and using them to ram into convenience stores and pull out the ATMs. There are some missing pedophiles, and an unidentified murdered school girl. There is a sociopathic sexual sadist who brutalizes a man, is captured by McRae, and who gets off at trial thanks a devious defense attorney and to the lack of evidence to corroborate his confession. There are the teenage children of the victim who are devastated by what their father has suffered and become. There is the new structure of the department that calls for Major Incident Teams to take over the most serious cases and take all the credit no matter who actually solves them.
The loss of the conviction has Logan on thin ice with his superiors. An MIT has taken the murder, and when he has a handle on unusual activities with some small time drug dealers, they swoop in and order him off of that too. To complicate things still further DCI Steel comes to town and sticks her oar in, sometimes causing chaos, sometimes being helpful and supportive.
The plotting is complicated but hangs together really well, the characters and their relationships are complex and believable, the dialogue is stellar. MacBride's writing skills and mordant humor make this a great read.
There is a gang stealing SUVs and using them to ram into convenience stores and pull out the ATMs. There are some missing pedophiles, and an unidentified murdered school girl. There is a sociopathic sexual sadist who brutalizes a man, is captured by McRae, and who gets off at trial thanks a devious defense attorney and to the lack of evidence to corroborate his confession. There are the teenage children of the victim who are devastated by what their father has suffered and become. There is the new structure of the department that calls for Major Incident Teams to take over the most serious cases and take all the credit no matter who actually solves them.
The loss of the conviction has Logan on thin ice with his superiors. An MIT has taken the murder, and when he has a handle on unusual activities with some small time drug dealers, they swoop in and order him off of that too. To complicate things still further DCI Steel comes to town and sticks her oar in, sometimes causing chaos, sometimes being helpful and supportive.
The plotting is complicated but hangs together really well, the characters and their relationships are complex and believable, the dialogue is stellar. MacBride's writing skills and mordant humor make this a great read.
December 27, 2022
Pretty typical Logan McRae. Poor Logan is constantly getting the short end of the stick, but seems to come out ahead often by sheer luck. This one had a lot going on, and I had some trouble keeping all the players straight, but it was still enjoyable.
October 3, 2017
3.5 * This was more enjoyable then the previous few that had been written. The humour is still present mixed with the gruesome thrills. Steel and Logan's relationship and dialogue is probaly what keeps me going back for more. However I do hope he closes this characters chapters soon.
September 28, 2017
That book was huge! Hurt my arms to hold it :) but worth every minute. I finally got to know why Logan wasn't working for Steel anymore. And what happened to Samantha in the meantime. I 💜💜💜 this series and will read everything MacBride writes.
February 8, 2015
This latest book was number 9 in the Logan McRae series, and is somewhat different to the others. After being instrumental in the capture of a sadistic killer Logan is given what is termed a career opportunity. This sees him back in uniform and heading up his own team in a more rural part of North Eastern Scotland. He is in charge of his team's day to day progression as well as doing the normal daily crime prevention and solving you would expect of the Police.
It all comes to a head when a young girl's body is found in a derelict swimming baths, this is deemed a bigger crime than Logan and his new team are capable of handling so a Major Incident Team are sent up from Aberdeen. They are headed up by DCI Steel, and as usual she seems to make things more difficult for Logan. His team makes a drugs bust worth almost £100,000, and once again this gets handed over to another MIT unit. Then there are cash machines being wrenched out of the front of shopfronts. Again these get handed over to another MIT unit, leaving Logan and his team with no thanks and basically missing persons to chase up on, and trying to keep out of the way of the MIT squads. Not such an easy task with Steel on the scene.
The whole pace of the book seemed slower, which might actually reflect the different types of policing involved, and there also seemed to be more loose ends than normal. I still enjoyed the book though, and I hope that isn't the end of the series.
It all comes to a head when a young girl's body is found in a derelict swimming baths, this is deemed a bigger crime than Logan and his new team are capable of handling so a Major Incident Team are sent up from Aberdeen. They are headed up by DCI Steel, and as usual she seems to make things more difficult for Logan. His team makes a drugs bust worth almost £100,000, and once again this gets handed over to another MIT unit. Then there are cash machines being wrenched out of the front of shopfronts. Again these get handed over to another MIT unit, leaving Logan and his team with no thanks and basically missing persons to chase up on, and trying to keep out of the way of the MIT squads. Not such an easy task with Steel on the scene.
The whole pace of the book seemed slower, which might actually reflect the different types of policing involved, and there also seemed to be more loose ends than normal. I still enjoyed the book though, and I hope that isn't the end of the series.
January 29, 2019
The usual great fun, multi layered, gritty Scottish detective story. Sergeant Logan McRae as always ever troubled and hindered by the sarcastic often witty comments from the politically incorrect DI Roberta Steel.The body of a little girl washes up on a sleepy coastal town and it is this case that forms the central story in The Missing and the Dead. As well as unravelling the mystery of the child Sgt McRae still needs to deal with a multitude of incidents and petty crime that form the day to day case load of Police Scotland.
Stuart MacBride is unique in crime fiction. He has the ability to hold his readers attention by layering his narrative with colourful incidents and shady characters that are the backbone of everyday modern police work.There is great humour and warmth in MacBride's writing and yet he manages to deal eloquently and sympathetically with the search for the killer of a precious young girl resulting in a surprising and yet equally sad conclusion. Long may Stuart MacBride reign as the king of Scottish noir.
Stuart MacBride is unique in crime fiction. He has the ability to hold his readers attention by layering his narrative with colourful incidents and shady characters that are the backbone of everyday modern police work.There is great humour and warmth in MacBride's writing and yet he manages to deal eloquently and sympathetically with the search for the killer of a precious young girl resulting in a surprising and yet equally sad conclusion. Long may Stuart MacBride reign as the king of Scottish noir.
January 29, 2015
Bit of a disappointment; all the misery porn got old fast and dragged the book down. The plot meandered more than a drunk walking a straight line, and the ridiculous ending had me flipping pages. The new sidekicks and new location were a great addition, and I enjoyed the sprinkles of humor throughout. And what ever happened with the gangster who was about to kick the bucket?
Overall, just ok, not sure I'll continue reading this series, I think it's jumped the shark.
Overall, just ok, not sure I'll continue reading this series, I think it's jumped the shark.
March 21, 2016
Took me quite a while to get used to the style of writing but then I really enjoyed it. Will read more of his books.
September 6, 2017
Cold Granite was enough to place Stuart MacBride on my list of must read authors, and the more I read the more I love his work. There is no doubt that he quickly became one of my favourite authors. Of his work, his Logan McRae series is my favourite. There’s a slight bit of bias because I know Aberdeen so well, but even without that element the series is wonderful � the criminal element is always intriguing, the characters are amazing, and the humour never ending. Overall, this series always delivers.
Despite having purchased all of the books in the series to work my way through them in rapid-fire fashion, I took an unintended break between books eight and nine. Books nine and ten were left with my family, hundreds of miles away from Aberdeen, meaning I needed to wait until I was visiting them to grab the books. I doubt they were too pleased when I jumped at the books and broke out into laughter before saying hello to anyone. I would apologise, but this series is such a massive addiction.
Compared to the prior books in the series, The Missing and the Dead is a bit of a change. Book nine gives us something new, something I was unsure about but quickly came to love. No longer are we following the trend of every other police procedural out there � now we’re following a uniformed officer. It was such an unexpected transformation, and I really enjoyed this change of pace. At the start, I wasn’t quite sure how much I was going to enjoy this change, but it really was a lot of fun. It gives you a completely different perspective, one that makes you stop and think in a completely different way. If there was ever an author to make you stop and think, an author to turn things around in a series, it is Stuart MacBride.
Despite changing things around, the classic Stuart MacBride elements are right there for all to see. The criminal element of this story pulls you in from the start, leaving you interested throughout. The characters were great � old and new alike. The humour was fabulous � I cannot remember the last time I giggled so hard (I cannot lie; Stuart MacBride always gets me in trouble with the amount of giggling that occurs).
Overall, The Missing and the Dead was a wonderful addition to the Logan McRae series. It was a perfect reminder of why I love Stuart MacBride so much, this series in particular.
Despite having purchased all of the books in the series to work my way through them in rapid-fire fashion, I took an unintended break between books eight and nine. Books nine and ten were left with my family, hundreds of miles away from Aberdeen, meaning I needed to wait until I was visiting them to grab the books. I doubt they were too pleased when I jumped at the books and broke out into laughter before saying hello to anyone. I would apologise, but this series is such a massive addiction.
Compared to the prior books in the series, The Missing and the Dead is a bit of a change. Book nine gives us something new, something I was unsure about but quickly came to love. No longer are we following the trend of every other police procedural out there � now we’re following a uniformed officer. It was such an unexpected transformation, and I really enjoyed this change of pace. At the start, I wasn’t quite sure how much I was going to enjoy this change, but it really was a lot of fun. It gives you a completely different perspective, one that makes you stop and think in a completely different way. If there was ever an author to make you stop and think, an author to turn things around in a series, it is Stuart MacBride.
Despite changing things around, the classic Stuart MacBride elements are right there for all to see. The criminal element of this story pulls you in from the start, leaving you interested throughout. The characters were great � old and new alike. The humour was fabulous � I cannot remember the last time I giggled so hard (I cannot lie; Stuart MacBride always gets me in trouble with the amount of giggling that occurs).
Overall, The Missing and the Dead was a wonderful addition to the Logan McRae series. It was a perfect reminder of why I love Stuart MacBride so much, this series in particular.
March 12, 2016
So, I cheated. I'm only on page 550 when it dawned on me how utterly wasteful reading this book has been. I was first drawn in a year ago when I read the first chapter of this book off someone else's copy, and fell madly in love. I've always loved a good Stuart MacBride book ever since 2014 and sadly, I cannot continue this unfulfilling relationship with 'The Missing and the Dead'. I got to know a couple of plot-twists and the book is bustling with so many amazing topsy-turvy turns, but really? I've been at it for almost four months now getting nowhere. In the middle of a book that's a pain to read you ask yourself, am I the problem? What Macbride could've said in 200 pages he took a better half of almost a thousand to say. I love books and men big and interesting, don't get me wrong - this book was just big. Logan is a puppy, but I didn't want to read about no puppy. I love the 'fuck the system' attitude, but the past 150 pages have been a blur to me, and I must stop now. I give up, as much as it kills me. Sorry!
Read it for chapter one, it's worth the money.
Read it for chapter one, it's worth the money.
January 3, 2018
My first Stuart MacBride novel and most definitely not my last (bought a stack more while reading this)! Absolutely fantastic!
April 11, 2016
3.5 stars
"Logan hit the send button again. 'I need you to--' His left shoe parted company with the wall. 'AAAAAAAAGH!' Cracking through dark green spears, sending little green bombs flying, and thumping into the frozen earth below. THUMP. 'Officer Down!'
'Laz? Jesus, what the hell's...' Steel's voice faded for a second. 'You! I want an armed response unit and an ambulance round to--'
'Gah...' He scrabbled upright, bits of squashed Brussels sprouts sticking to his dirt-smeared suit. 'Officer back up again!'"
The Missing and the Dead, Book 9 of the Logan McRae series, is a little bit different than previous books in that Logan spends the majority of his time out of CID and in divisional policing. I found this change to be both a strength and a weakness.
On the strength side, I liked all of the day-to-day "beat cop" situations. I also liked watching Logan command his team. Even though he's been transferred out of CID, Logan is still a sergeant, in this case a duty sergeant, and much like I loved watching him be a DI in the previous book, I loved watching a take-charge Logan here as well. He's such a great leader. Also, this new environment from CID to DP brings with it a new cast of characters, which were all unique and likable in true MacBride style.
On the weakness side, while I did like the day-to-day policing, during the 60%-70% mark I got a bit of "beat cop" fatigue. It started to become somewhat redundant, and by that point I wanted the story to move forward on all of its dangling threads. There were moments where I actually felt like skimming, which is unusual for me when it comes to this series. Also, even though I loved the new cast of characters and their interaction with Logan, I really missed Rennie. Thankfully, Steel was still out and about for much of this.
In regards to Logan, I love his growth as a character, particularly as it relates to the situation with Samantha. I love who Logan has become over the course of the series and I can't wait to see where he goes from here. Of course, there were one or two moments where I wanted to knock him upside the head, but that's par for the course when it comes to Logan.
So, even though The Missing and the Dead has some weak points and I would probably consider it the weakest of the series so far simply because some portions could have been pared down, I still liked it and think it's a great addition to the series, especially as it applies to Logan's growth as a character.
Final rating: 3.5 stars
"Logan hit the send button again. 'I need you to--' His left shoe parted company with the wall. 'AAAAAAAAGH!' Cracking through dark green spears, sending little green bombs flying, and thumping into the frozen earth below. THUMP. 'Officer Down!'
'Laz? Jesus, what the hell's...' Steel's voice faded for a second. 'You! I want an armed response unit and an ambulance round to--'
'Gah...' He scrabbled upright, bits of squashed Brussels sprouts sticking to his dirt-smeared suit. 'Officer back up again!'"
The Missing and the Dead, Book 9 of the Logan McRae series, is a little bit different than previous books in that Logan spends the majority of his time out of CID and in divisional policing. I found this change to be both a strength and a weakness.
On the strength side, I liked all of the day-to-day "beat cop" situations. I also liked watching Logan command his team. Even though he's been transferred out of CID, Logan is still a sergeant, in this case a duty sergeant, and much like I loved watching him be a DI in the previous book, I loved watching a take-charge Logan here as well. He's such a great leader. Also, this new environment from CID to DP brings with it a new cast of characters, which were all unique and likable in true MacBride style.
On the weakness side, while I did like the day-to-day policing, during the 60%-70% mark I got a bit of "beat cop" fatigue. It started to become somewhat redundant, and by that point I wanted the story to move forward on all of its dangling threads. There were moments where I actually felt like skimming, which is unusual for me when it comes to this series. Also, even though I loved the new cast of characters and their interaction with Logan, I really missed Rennie. Thankfully, Steel was still out and about for much of this.
In regards to Logan, I love his growth as a character, particularly as it relates to the situation with Samantha. I love who Logan has become over the course of the series and I can't wait to see where he goes from here. Of course, there were one or two moments where I wanted to knock him upside the head, but that's par for the course when it comes to Logan.
So, even though The Missing and the Dead has some weak points and I would probably consider it the weakest of the series so far simply because some portions could have been pared down, I still liked it and think it's a great addition to the series, especially as it applies to Logan's growth as a character.
Final rating: 3.5 stars
July 27, 2019
The Missing and the Dead is book nine in the Logan McRae series by Stuart MacBride. Logan McRae finally received his reward Acting Detective Inspector after catching a serial killer. Logan McRae did not realise that the promotion was going to be in rural Aberdeenshire. However, Logan McRae did not stay long in Aberdeenshire because the Major investigated team in Aberdeen wanted him on their investigation to catch the killer of a young girl found near Banff. The readers of The Missing and the Dead will continue to follow Logan McRae, and the Major investigated team to find the killer.
The Missing and the Dead is another fantastic addition to this excellent series. I love the portrayal of the characters by Stuart MacBride and the way they intertwine with each other throughout the book. I like Stuart MacBride writing style and the way he describes his settings. As always I was engaged with The Missing and the Dead from the first page.
The readers of The Missing and the Dead will learn about running murder inquiry in Aberdeen. Also, readers of The Missing and the Dead will understand the role of rural policing in Scotland.
I recommend this book.
The Missing and the Dead is another fantastic addition to this excellent series. I love the portrayal of the characters by Stuart MacBride and the way they intertwine with each other throughout the book. I like Stuart MacBride writing style and the way he describes his settings. As always I was engaged with The Missing and the Dead from the first page.
The readers of The Missing and the Dead will learn about running murder inquiry in Aberdeen. Also, readers of The Missing and the Dead will understand the role of rural policing in Scotland.
I recommend this book.
March 5, 2016
This story is a departure for Sergeant Logan McRae. A development opportunity has him back in uniform, policing a more rural area. Its a fascinating insight into dat-to-day police activities. Logan is also hot on the heels of some nasty villains and copping a bollocking for his efforts as usual. Things don't always go as planned for Logan and he gets into hot water quite often. Some of the story lines from the earlier books are continued and our fave character, DCI Steele, is in scintillating form. Very entertaining.
March 9, 2019
I have read all in order to this point. Thought to stop a few books ago as I was becoming disenchanted with too much stupidity by professional police. So I tried this one. At about 50% I started skimming ahead. Decided it is "Not my cup of tea". Too long by half. I am sure I missed where Logan again forgets to charge his cell, or forgets it in the car, or is on meds and binge drinking and getting sick and another hangover, missing another appointment, etc., etc. Just did not work for me. I think I am growing weary of too much sameness.
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