A detective no one believes in. A killer with nothing to lose… the boring go-nowhere cases. So when an ancient mummy is found at the Oldcastle tip, it’s his job to track down its owner.
But then Callum uncovers links between his mummified corpse and three missing young men, and life starts to get a lot more interesting.
No one expects the Misfit Mob to solve anything, but right now they’re all that stands between a killer’s victims and a slow lingering death. Can they prove everyone wrong before someone else dies?
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I enjoy reading books that take place is interesting locales.
This is a great Scottish mystery writer. I started one book in the series and quickly tore through several. Can’t wait for more! Great sense of place. Perfect pitch with dialect and characters. Fascinating stories. Gritty and hard life at times. Not to be missed. Does make me homesick. Although I’m not used to murder!
I’m a fan of Stuart MacBride. This one was slow to get started but worth it in the end.
Stewart Mc Bride is a very talented writer!!
It’s VERY long, and feels as though it unfolds very slowly, but it’s intriguing.
Toooo much flight of words resulting in loss of stream of story.
Excellent, once you understand how Scottish police works is very good.
4 stars
This book is a departure from Stuart MacBride’s Roberta Steele/Logan MacRae novels. This one “stars” DC Callum MacGregor.
Callum is a beleaguered police officer who has been dumped into a squad of losers. DS McAdams is his direct boss and he is a smart aleck, wise cracking individual. McAdams calls his DI boss DI Malcolmson “Mother.” After a somewhat comedic chase of a villain through the streets, and a rather clumsy arrest, McAdams shows up and collects Callum. They’ve got a murder! In a dump so there have been seven bodies located. McAdams and Callum are assigned the “mummy.” Convinced that it’s a thousand-year old body, Mother takes off in a huff. Callum notices that there is a burned smell above the miasma of the dump but shrugs it off when McAdams wants to leave.
Callum is not as dumb or inattentive as his superiors think he is. This is the story of the typical days of DC Callum MacGregor. What he finds while he is on the periphery of the case of their mummy is that there is a serial killer running about.
Filled with snarky humor and acerbic comments, this novel is typical Stuart MacBride. Well written and plotted beautifully, it’s this author at his best. Although I didn’t like it as well as his Logan MacRae/Roberta Steele series, it could just be because it was the first of a new series. Perhaps this reader needs to get used to the new character.
Well done, Mr. MacRae! I will continue to read his novels and look forward to the next one to be published.
A little dark
solid police procedural, complex plot, good characters.
The most fun, addictive mystery I have read this spring!
Most of the characters were odd and to an extent unlikable. They were walking through life blindfolded. It seemed every character knew what was best for everyone but themselves. It is a long convoluted story that draws you in.
Started off slowly and was a bit confusing, but made up for it in the end. The longer length made for more twists and turns.
A good read but not a happy one.
I first started reading this author through his Logan McCrae series, which was awesome. A Dark So Deadly was equally entertaining.I love crime stories set in Scotland, Ireland, and England. This one certainly fills the bill. There are plenty of gross descriptions of autpsies, murder scenes, and terrible crimes. However, the witty remarks of the characters break the somber feeling. I laughed out loud at several. The twists in the plot are masterful. This was another “finish at 2am crime novel”-the type that you hate to end.
Couldn’t get into this book. Guess I don’t like the writers style. I didn’t finish it.
The characters are very human and interesting….definitely not stock; but ordinary people with ordinary problems encountering very unique situations
If you’re not up on some of the Scottish terms you’ll still be able to follow this wonderful bunch of misfits and losers!
Interesting read. Character inter action sometimes difficult to understand.
What a great book! Once I acclimated myself to Scottish slang, I was hooked. Wonderful characters, interesting setting. This is one of my favorites.