Book Synopsis:
‘If you only read one crime novel this year, this should be it’ Guardian
‘A bloody good read’ Val McDermid
When a young woman is found brutally murdered in Kelvingrove Park, only one man stands a chance of finding her killer. Jack Laidlaw. He is a man of contrasts, ravaged by inner demons but driven by a deep compassion for the violent criminals in Glasgow’s underworld. But will Laidlaw’s unorthodox methods get him to the killer in time, when the victim’s father is baying for blood?
Acclaimed for its corrosive wit, dark themes and original maverick detective, the Laidlaw trilogy has earned the status of classic crime fiction.
My Review:
The Dark Remains is a dark, gritty read that I thought was very well written.
Firstly I really liked the main character and enjoyed following him throughout the book. He is a bit of a world weary detective but one that is still keen to get justice and see the right thing done. He was quite a complex character, with many different skills and it was interesting to see how he used them in his work. He seemed to have a good working relationship with his colleagues and I enjoyed the banter between them that helped break up the story.
The descriptions of Glasgow were very vivid and I found it easy to imagine it in my mind. The book was written in 1977 so it was interesting to see what the city was like then and to see how it has changed. It seemed a much more gritty, scary place then I think it is now. I especially liked learning a bit more about the slums Huge before they were demolished.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book and would definitely like to go back and read more in the series. This is actually the fourth book in the series but I feel it reads well as a standalone as anything you need to know is explained. The plot was well paced, with the gradual increase in tension making the book quite hard to put down.
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to the publisher for my copy of this book.
About The Authors:
Two crime-writing legends join forces for the first ever case of DI Laidlaw: the original gritty Glasgow detective who inspired an entire genreWilliam McIlvanney’s Laidlaw trilogy changed the face of crime fiction in the 1970s and 1980s, inspiring an entire generation of crime writers including Mark Billiangham, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre – and Ian Rankin.When McIlvanney died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw’s first case – his first new novel in 25 years. Now, Ian Rankin is back to finish what McIlvanney started. In The Dark Remains, these two iconic authors bring to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow, and the relentless quest for truth.
William McIlvanney is widely credited as the founder of the Tartan Noir movement that includes authors such as Denise Mina, Ian Banks, and Val McDermid, all of whom cite him as an influence and inspiration. McIlvanney’s Laidlaw trilogy “changed the face of Scottish fiction” (The Times of London), his Docherty won the Whitbread Award for Fiction, and his Laidlaw and The Papers of Tony Veitch both gained Silver Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association. Strange Loyalties won the Glasgow Herald’s People’s Prize. William passed away in December 2015.
Born in the Kingdom of Fife in 1960, Ian Rankin graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1982, and then spent three years writing novels when he was supposed to be working towards a PhD in Scottish Literature. His first novel The Flood was published in 1986, while his first Rebus novel, Knots & Crosses, was published in 1987. The Rebus series is now translated into twenty-two languages and the books are bestsellers on several continents. Ian has received an OBE for services to literature. He is also the winner of an Edgar Award and the recipient of a Gold Dagger for fiction and the Chandler-Fulbright Award. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland, with his wife and their two sons.
Over The Rainbow Blog 