1. Premise 8
2. Prose 9
3. Plot 9
4. Characters 10
5. Overall 9
Comments (optional - but try to keep it under 3000 words!)
MacBride has a distinctive plotting style that works beautifully for him, but perhaps for no one else. Whereas many novels – mysteries in particular – skip back and forth between characters or set of characters while developing a central storyline, the books in this “Logan McRae” series turn that approach on its head. These novels feature McRae and company working three or four plotlines simultaneously, skipping between them instead of characters. Of course, this is probably a more realistic look at what real cops and inspectors do, and one might think it makes for a hectic read; but that is part of the story – how hectic the lives of these public servants really are. And while one might guess that sticking with the same characters chapter after chapter would get tedious, MacBride solves that by making the characters endlessly fascinating. The various plotlines focus on some of the more peculiar and controversial topics that law enforcement encounters. Sexual abuse of children, sadomasochism gone off the rails, serial rapists; these are the ones featured in this, the third book of the series. Weaving the personal life of our hero into the storylines is magnificently done. And the writing style never flags, making for some of the most truly un-put-downable novels I have read. This is enhanced, for me at least, by the fascinating Scottish phrasings and colloquialisms used throughout by this Aberdeen-dwelling author. Example: “’guddling’ – fishing with the hands by groping under the stones or banks of a stream.” This used in the context of searching a vehicle for clues to a crime. I love the Scottish writers for this, and none more than MacBride!
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