Scottish farmer and writer James Oswald is definitely prolific, to say the least, as this is already his seventh Detective Inspector Tony McLean case (and in addition has also written four fantasy sagas) since his first appearance in Natural Causes in 2012. A body is found impaled and tortured in the trees in an Edinburgh park which appears to have been dropped from a great height. Accident or a murder with a message as the victim happens to be a disgraced ex-cop? The tenacious McLean is an obstinate sod and ploughs his way through the investigation despite cuts in budget, in house pressures and the general desire to see the case wrapped up without too much of a fuss and forgotten fast. Atmospheric, with Oswald's trademark hints of the supernatural and elegantly written, with a clever series of twists and red herrings peppering the investigation at regular intervals make for a most pleasing read. Oswald is fast becoming one of Scottish crime's most reliable authors. ~ Maxim Jakubowski
ENTER THE DARKEST CORNERS OF EDINBURGH IN THIS GRITTY, MYSTERIOUS AND SPINE-TINGLING MURDER INVESTIGATION . . .
'Full to the brim with intrigue. You will not be disappointed' 5***** Reader Review 'Grips you from the beginning and doesn't let go' 5***** Reader Review
'Unsettling atmosphere, strong sense of place and a canny twist: Oswald easily outstrips the formulaic work of bigger names' GUARDIAN _______
The roots of murder run deep . . .
When a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland, forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Which makes Detective Inspector Tony McLean ask the question: was it an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message? . . .
As McLean traces the victim's journey, it takes him back to Edinburgh's past, and through its underworld - crossing paths with some of its most dangerous and most vulnerable people.
And waiting at the end of it all, is the truth behind a crime that cuts to the very heart of the city . . . _______
PRAISE FOR THE INSPECTOR McLEAN SERIES
'Oswald's writing is in a class above most' Daily Express
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'Hugely enjoyable' Mirror
'Oswald is among the leaders of excellent Scottish crime writers' Daily Mail
'The roots of murder run deep ... from publisher's description Unsettling atmosphere, strong sense of place and a canny twist: Oswald easily outstrips the formulaic work of bigger names' The Guardian
'This is the seventh gripping instalment in a series that just keeps getting better' Sunday Mirror
'The hallmarks of Val McDermid or Ian Rankin: it's dark, violent, noirish' The Herald
'Crime fiction's next big thing' The Sunday Telegraph
'Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers' Daily Mail
'Fifty Shades of Hay' The Times
Author
About James Oswald
James Oswald is the author of the Inspector McLean series of crime novels, respectively Natural Causes, The Book of Souls, The Hangman's Song, Dead Men's Bones and Prayer for the Dead. He has written an epic fantasy series, The Ballad of Sir Benfro, published by Penguin, as well as comic scripts and short stories.
In his spare time he runs a 350-acre livestock farm in north-east Fife, where he raises pedigree Highland Cattle and New Zealand Romney sheep.
