The Tasting Menu by Stuart MacBride

 

First Line: A scream ripped free as lightning tore the night apart-- light strobing across the bleak landscape, casting it in harsh shades of black and white.

 

Three friends go on a Highland foodie road trip to an exclusive hotel and restaurant on an island in Loch Broom. They're celebrating one member's retirement, and they fully expect stunning scenery, great food, and fine wines, all backed up with plenty of memories about the good old days. They are convinced this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

But all is not what it seems. One of the three friends is a killer, one is a liar, and one will do whatever it takes to survive. 

 

~

 

I was a great fan of Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae series until he introduced a character that I loathed. Unfortunately, she became a fan favorite, and when she featured more and more in subsequent books, I stopped reading them. But I miss this man's writing. I read his first novel, halfhead, with mixed emotions, and I've been MacBride-less ever since. Then I found this short story on Amazon, and I just had to read it. 

 

The three main characters are quite the combination. Michael Harris is a bestselling author who's pining for his former glory. After reading his latest manuscript, his publicist tells him, "Nobody wants gangster novels anymore; everyone's obsessed with cosy crime. Could you... tweak it maybe?" He was my favorite character; I loved his voice and enjoyed the pointed references to the world of publishing. Victor McAllister has been Michael's friend for years. Formerly a gangster, he's a bit of a Jack the Lad and is the one responsible for booking this foodie experience. The third character, recently retired Detective Inspector Alex Raith, is too much like the character who made me stop reading the Logan McRae books, so I have to admit that, if any one character had to die, I hoped it would be her.

Although I found the plot gave me a bit of indigestion, I did enjoy experiencing MacBride's humor again. He's got another series. I know I'll be giving it a try soon.

The Tasting Menu by Stuart MacBride

eISBN: 9781662518232

Amazon Original Stories © 2024

eBook, 127 pages

Short Story, Standalone

Rating C

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

I Have Stuart MacBride Covered!

Sometimes I really wonder about myself. Ever since Denis and I returned from the UK and I've worked on one of this posts comparing the US and UK covers of a specific crime fiction title, a vision of Harrod's book department flashes before my eyes. (And I drool every time.) I wonder if my subconscious is telling me that I should've made a purchase?

Too late now!

This week I've chosen another favorite author of mine, Stuart MacBride. The covers for the title I've chosen are very similar, and I don't know if that makes comparison easier or more difficult. 

Let's take a look!

 

See what I mean? They're basically identical with the only real differences being in the color and font choices. In fact they're so similar that I'm not going to do my usual breakdown for each cover.

The one thing that piques my interest is the fact that the UK cover is the one that has a blurb on the front telling us that it's "A Riveting Page-Turner." All the US cover says in that regard is that it's "The New Logan McRae Novel." I would think that-- since MacBride is a UK author-- that the US cover would be more in need of that page-turning blurb than the UK cover. Perhaps MacBride is better known over here than I realized?

Both covers have the same (rather bland) waterside scene. The US cover uses two splashes of red-- one for the author's name, and one for the shoe lying on the ground. However, the UK cover uses a pale yellow for MacBride's name, and the shoe is white, which blends into the very grey background compared to the more blue hued one in the US.

Which cover do I prefer? Neither one is the most scintillating cover that I've ever seen, but they're not bad. I do prefer the fonts and the red used on the US cover, I must admit. If I walked past in the bookstore, this would be the one that would jump out at me and insist on being brought home.

How about you? Which cover do you prefer? US? UK? Neither one? Too close to call? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Partners in Crime by Stuart MacBride

First Line (from "DI Steel's Bad Heir Day"): "Sod..." DI Steel stood on one leg in the doorway, nose wrinkled up on one side.

As advertised, here are two short stories from one of my favorite writers, Stuart MacBride. The first, "DI Steel's Bad Heir Day," features the inimitable Detective Inspector Steel and the poor put-upon Detective Constable Allan Guthrie. Not only does Steel force Guthrie to wear a Santa bobble hat complete with flashing lights, she's got him on the trail of her Christmas shopping. And then of course there's the matter of a missing man and an inheritance. This story is interesting in so much as we get to see someone else having to deal with Steel-- and it's certainly not easy.

The second story, "Stramash," has Steel on holiday with her partner. Unfortunately Steel has uncovered a crime, and instead of dealing with it herself-- her partner's insisted on this holiday and no work-- she calls the long-suffering Logan McRae to go all the way there to deal with it. Again-- it's not easy. A thought did cross McRae's mind in the midst of his misery: "A quick shove and she probably wouldn't wash ashore till she reached Ireland...."-- and I was mentally willing him to do the deed.

MacBride has done an absolutely brilliant job of creating DI Steel-- a character whom I loathe. I dislike the woman so much because she reminds me of a former boss who perfected shoving all his work off on his already overloaded employees. It's gotten to the point where I have an extremely difficult time dealing with an entire novel; there's just too much of Steel in one. However, these short stories are just the right length for me to get back in touch with my beloved Logan McRae and Aberdeen, Scotland.

MacBride writes with a wicked, twisted sense of humor that I enjoy. He can also create some fantastic plots for his mysteries, and his characters are so vivid that they leap off the page. His short stories show all this, so they're a good way to sample his writing before you bite into an entire novel. But if you find yourself wanting to give Steel "a quick shove," come sit next to me. We'll compare notes!
  

Partners in Crime by Stuart MacBride

eISBN: 9780007494729

Harper © 2012

eBook, 56 pages

Short Stories featuring Logan McRae and DI Steel

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.


 

The 45% Hangover by Stuart MacBride

First Line: "GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"

It's the night of the big Referendum when everyone should be out voting either for or against Scottish independence. All Acting Detective Inspector Logan McRae has to do is find a missing "No" campaigner somewhere in Aberdeen. It shouldn't be too hard even though, as votes start being counted, trouble is beginning to brew in the pubs and on the streets. But when has anything ever been simple for McRae? He's picked up a promising lead on his missing campaigner, but he's finding it difficult to follow it. Why? It's simple. Detective Chief Inspector Roberta Steel has other plans for him, that's why. And once her plans begin to fall into place, everything starts going dreadfully wrong....

"The 45% Hangover" would be an excellent introduction to Stuart MacBride's McRae and Steel mystery series because it's got all the marvelous pacing, humor and wit with none of the darkness that's usually found in the books. Yes, this is very light in tone and should not be read as serious crime fiction. Do what I did-- read it for fun, and fun ye shall have. I think I had a big grin plastered on my face throughout most of the story.

"The 45% Hangover" by Stuart MacBride

eISBN: 9780008123277

Harper © 2014

Digital Short Story, approximately 80 pages

Short Story featuring Logan McRae and DCI Steel

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

======

I needed a little separation from my mini-review above because I want to say something about the series in general. For the first few books in this series, I was in love with MacBride's storytelling, his sense of humor, and the character of Logan McRae. When I think of McRae, one of the first thoughts that springs to mind is "If it weren't for bad luck, he'd have no luck at all." Nothing goes McRae's way. Nothing. But somehow he always manages to get the job done. 

And then Roberta Steel became his superior officer, and my love affair soured. Evidently Steel must be a big hit because she's featured more and more in each book. Whereas so many other readers love her and think she's hilarious, I think she's a menace to her fellow officers. I can't stand her. I have never seen a character do so little work and create so much mayhem. If she only got paid for the actual work she did, the woman would be on the dole. (Err... welfare on this side of the pond.) I have had to work for people like her, and I just can't see the humor in it anymore. It's gotten so bad that I've been hesitating to read the books in the series that are sitting on my to-be-read shelves.

Have any of the rest of you had one specific character ruin a series for you? Please let me know that I'm not alone! (And if you're wondering why I rated this story as highly as I did, it was due in part to the fact that Steel came in for some well-deserved aggravation!)

 

January 2014 New Mystery Releases!

How many of you have gift cards burning holes in your pockets, wallets, or on your desks? I have to admit that I have one burning a hole in my inbox, so perhaps I can help us all make our book-buying decisions by listing my crime fiction picks for new January releases.

All the books I've chosen are grouped by their release dates, and I've included all the information you'll need to find them at all your favorite book procurement sites. All book synopses are courtesy of Amazon because it's one of my favorite places to do a little showrooming.

Happy Reading!

=== January 7 ===

Title: Eggs in a Casket

Author: Laura Childs

#5 in the cozy Cackleberry Club series set in a small fictional Midwest town

ISBN: 9780425255582

Publisher: Berkley

Hardcover, 336 pages

Synopsis: "While Petra handles the breakfast rush at the Cackleberry Club, the café’s other two owners, Suzanne and Toni, head to Memorial Cemetery to help prepare for its 150th anniversary celebration. But as they search the winding paths for the historical society tent, they discover something else out of place: the body of ex-prison warden Lester Drummond lying facedown in someone else’s freshly dug grave.

In the small town of Kindred, everyone knows everyone, and Lester was no exception. Suzanne knew him as the creepy guy who made unwanted advances on her friend Missy Langston. But now it appears the man was hiding a few secrets…and at least one of them was worth killing for.

As the case cracks open, there are plenty of suspects to consider—from recent parolees to Missy herself, who Suzanne and Toni saw speeding away just before they found the body. Now, with a cemetery celebration in the offing, and the local authorities in over their heads, it’s up to the Cackleberry Club to unscramble the clues and clear their friend’s name."

Title: Murder Sends a Postcard

Author: Christy Fifield

#3 in the cozy Haunted Souvenir Shop series set in Florida

ISBN: 9780425252291

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Mass Market Paperback, 288 pages

Synopsis: "It’s the height of summer tourist season and Glory Martine is busier than ever running her souvenir shop, Southern Treasures. The shop’s parrot, Bluebeard, is becoming quite the celebrity among tourists—little do they realize he’s the bird-host to a ghost…

Residents of Keyhole Bay, Florida, are dismayed when Bridget McKenna, an auditor in chic attire, arrives to assess the local bank’s shady dealings. Curious about the new arrival, Glory brings dinner to Bridget at her temporary residence—the notorious Bayvue Estates, a halted development complex with no view and no estates – just a couple of hastily-completed model homes .

Bridget’s assignment is to figure out where all the money went. But someone wants to keep her in the dark permanently. When Glory finds out her new friend won’t be leaving town alive, she knows she and Bluebeard will have to catch a killer and unravel a financial scandal before it leads to more murderous mayhem…" 

Title: The Fire Dance

Author: Helene Tursten

#6 in the Detective Inspector Irene Huss series set in Sweden

ISBN:  9781616950101

Publisher: Soho Crime

Hardcover, 336 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Detective Inspector Irene Huss hasn’t seen Sophie Malmborg for over fifteen years, but she’s still haunted by the strange young ballerina’s role in the fire that killed her stepfather. Why had she refused to speak to Irene and the other case workers? Could an eleven-year-old—even one as disturbed and aloof as Sophie—truly capable of setting her own house on fire?

Irene’s questions resurface fifteen years later, when Sophie disappears, and the charred remains of a dancer are found in an abandoned warehouse. Irene has a startling realization that could shed light on the case that has been lingering in the back of her mind since the beginning of her career."

Title: Tapestry of Lies

Author: Carol Ann Martin

#2 in the cozy Weaving Mysteries series set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

ISBN:  9780451413611

Publisher: Signet

Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Synopsis: "Della Wright can’t believe her luck when celebrity designer Bunny Boyd walks into her weaving studio in small-town Briar’s Hollow, North Carolina, with a large custom fabric order. Bunny needs materials for her latest design project: Bernard Whitby’s mansion. Bernard is Briar Hollow’s resident millionaire, and Della soon discovers that Bunny has designs on the man as well as his house. And he’s happy to have a celebrity at his side when he announces his candidacy for governor.

But the buzz surrounding Bernard’s announcement is quickly overshadowed by the murder of a local coffee shop owner. When her good friend Jenny becomes one of the suspects, Della decides to unravel the mystery. But she’ll have to work fast—before she gets tangled in a killer’s clutches."

Title: Zero-Degree Murder

Author: M.L. Rowland 

#1 in the Search and Rescue series set in southern California

ISBN: 9780425263662

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Synopsis: "As a volunteer for Timber Creek Search and Rescue, missing out on holiday festivities is nothing new to Gracie. After all, disasters don’t stop happening because of a cooked turkey. So when Gracie is called out on Thanksgiving for four hikers missing in the wilderness of Southern California, she packs up her gear and heads out to find them.

The mission quickly goes from routine to deadly. An early season blizzard sets in. The one missing person the team does find, famous actor Rob Christian, remembers being attacked by someone else on the trail, someone trying to kill him. And Gracie’s partner leaves to get backup, taking the radio—their only link to the outside world—with him.

Alone in the mountains, Gracie will have to use all her expertise to keep Rob alive. But with an unknown killer lurking somewhere in the dark, even that might not be enough to save them…"

=== January 13 ===

Title: NYPD Red 2

Authors: Marshall Karp and James Patterson

#2 in the thriller NYPD Red series set in New York City

ISBN:  9780316211239

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Hardcover, 416 pages

Synopsis: "When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City's most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie McDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren't prepared for what they see when they're called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what's really behind the murderer's rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently--and Zach knows whatever she's hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers."

=== January 14 ===

Title: The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches

Author: Alan Bradley

#6 in the Flavia de Luce series set in 1950s England

ISBN: 9780385344050

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Hardcover, 336 pages

Synopsis: "On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet upon the train’s arrival in the English village of Bishop’s Lacey, Flavia is approached by a tall stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear. Moments later, he is dead, mysteriously pushed under the train by someone in the crowd. Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia? Back home at Buckshaw, the de Luces’ crumbling estate, Flavia puts her sleuthing skills to the test. Following a trail of clues sparked by the discovery of a reel of film stashed away in the attic, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself. Surrounded by family, friends, and a famous pathologist from the Home Office—and making spectacular use of Harriet’s beloved Gipsy Moth plane, Blithe Spirit—Flavia will do anything, even take to the skies, to land a killer."

Title: The Poisoned Island

Author: Lloyd Shepherd

Follow-up book to The English Monster, set in 18th and 19th century Tahiti and England

ISBN: 9781476712864

Publisher: Washington Square Press

Paperback, 416 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Tahiti 1769. English sailors arrive on the shores of the Polynesian paradise— a place of staggering beauty where magic and ancient myths still hold sway. But they soon devastate the island with disease, war, and death, planting deadly seeds that will be carried back to England forty years later.

London 1812. On a gray June morning, the Solander docks, her hold containing hundreds of exotic plants from Tahiti for the King’s Gardens at Kew. The apparently successful expedition soon takes a horrifying— and inexplicable—turn: The crew of the Solander starts dying one by one. Thames River Police Chief Charles Horton can find no signs of murder or suicide to explain the deaths, and the ship’s surviving crew seems intent on hampering his investigation. When one of the plants begins to show frightening changes, it is up to Charles Horton to determine how it might be stopped." 

=== January 16 ===

Title: A Song for the Dying

Author: Stuart MacBride

#2 in the police procedural Ash Henderson series set in Scotland

ISBN: 9780007344314

Publisher: HarperCollins

Paperback, 528 pages

Synopsis: "A heart-stopping crime thriller from the author of three consecutive No. 1 bestsellers, including Birthdays for the Dead and the DI Logan McRae series. He's back...Eight years ago, 'The Inside Man' murdered four women and left three more in critical condition - all of them with their stomachs slit open and a plastic doll stitched inside. And then the killer just ...disappeared. Ash Henderson was a Detective Inspector on the initial investigation, but a lot can change in eight years. His family has been destroyed, his career is in tatters, and one of Oldcastle's most vicious criminals is making sure he spends the rest of his life in prison. Now a nurse has turned up dead on a patch of waste ground, a plastic doll buried beneath her skin, and it looks as if Ash might finally get a shot at redemption. At earning his freedom. At revenge."

=== January 21 ===

Title: Bad Wolf

Author: Nele Neuhaus

#6 in the police procedural Von Bodenstein and Kirchhoff series set in the Tanus Mountain region of Germany 

ISBN: 9781250043993

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Hardcover, 416 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "On a hot June day, the body of a sixteen-year-old girl washes up on a riverbank outside of Frankfurt. She has been brutally murdered and shows signs of long-term abuse, but no one comes forward with any information as to her identity. Even weeks later, the local police have not been able to find out who she is. Then a new case comes in: A popular television host is attacked, raped, and locked in the trunk of her own car. She survives, barely, and is able to supply only vague hints to the police, having to do with her recent investigations into an organization whose members are from the highest echelons of society, and the potential uncovering of a shocking history they’d prefer to keep from the public eye. 

As the two cases collide, Inspectors Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein dig deep into the past and underneath the veneer of bourgeois society to come up against a terrible secret that is about to impact their personal lives as well. It is almost too late for a person very close to Pia before she and Oliver finally track down the big bad wolf. . . ."

Title: The Ways of Evil Men
Author: Leighton Gage
#7 (and last) in the police procedural Chief Inspector Mario Silva series set in Brazil
ISBN: 9781616952723
Publisher: Soho Crime
Hardcover, 304 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "The Awana tribe, who live in the remote Amazon jungle in the Brazilian state of Pará, have dwindled to only 41 members—and now 39 of them have dropped dead of what looks like poison. The neighboring white townsfolk don’t seem to be mourning the genocide much—in fact, the only person who seems to care at all is Jade Calmon, the official tribal relations agent assigned to the area. She wants justice for the two survivors, a father and his 8-year-old son. But racism is deeply entrenched and no one is going to help her get to the truth.

Unfortunately, this is far from the first time the Brazilian federal police have had a tribal genocide to investigate. Chief Inspector Mario Silva and his team are sent in from Brasilia to try to solve the increasingly complex case just as a local white man is discovered murdered. Someone has done their best to frame the surviving Awana man, and the town is about to erupt."

=== January 28 ===

Title: Beyond Belief

Author: Helen Smith 

#4 in the Emily Castle series set in England

ISBN: 9781477849729

Publisher: Thomas and Mercer

Paperback, 230 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "When famed psychic Perspicacious Peg predicts a murder will occur at England’s Belief and Beyond conference, her science-minded colleagues recruit twenty-six-year-old budding sleuth Emily Castles to attend the event as a “future crimes investigator.” The suspected victim: celebrated magician Edmund Zenon, who plans to perform a daring stunt at the conference—and is offering fifty thousand pounds to any attendee who can prove that the paranormal exists.

In the seaside town of Torquay, Emily meets a colorful cast of characters: dramatic fortune-teller Madame Nova; kindly Bobby Blue Suit and his three psychic dachshunds; Sarah and Tim Taylor, devastated parents mourning their late son; and religious cult members Hilary, Trina, and the Colonel. Tensions rise as believers in science, the supernatural, and the spiritual clash with one another. But once a body count begins, Emily must excuse herself from the séances and positivity circles, and use old-fashioned detective work to find the killer."



Lots of good books being released in January. Which ones will you add to your reading lists?

As for me, I have to admit that I almost don't want to read The Ways of Evil Men. I have loved Leighton Gage's series since the very first book, and it saddens me to know that there will be no more.

Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride

Title: Dark Blood
Author: Stuart MacBride
ISBN: 9780007362547
Publisher: HarperCollins UK, 2011
Paperback, 496 pages
Genre: Police Procedural, #6 Logan McRae mystery set in Aberdeen, Scotland
Rating: B
Source: Paperback Swap

First Line: Run.

Richard Knox was a violent rapist of elderly men. He was caught, put on trial, and convicted of his crimes. While in prison, he found God, and now that he's been released all he wants is to make a new start in a place where no one knows his past. Unfortunately for Detective Sergeant Logan McRae, Knox's new home is in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Add Knox to a stew that contains gangsters from Edinburgh, a local crime lord, an inspector from Newcastle who wants to keep an eye on Knox, and folks from Newcastle looking for a missing mob accountant, and you can see that there's more than enough to keep McRae busy for two or three lifetimes. His problem is that he's still being jerked back and forth between two detective inspectors who can't seem to be able to live without McRae being at their beck and call every single hour of every single day.

MacBride writes edgy, violent tales with such a finely-honed dark sense of humor that I've often found myself laughing like a total nutter only a page or two after being left stunned and slightly sickened by something else. I know that makes me sound as if I'm a bit schizophrenic, but perhaps being a bit unbalanced helps you to understand what's going on once you've immersed yourself in MacBride's world.

I find myself having very strong and very personal reactions to the books in this series now. Logan McRae has found himself caught between two superior officers for far too long. At first, I found both of the superiors (and I'm using the term very loosely here) to be hilarious although their lack of willingness to do any real work greatly bothered me. I've gone through in the real world what McRae is going through in MacBride's fictional one. Although I did my best to find the humor in what I went through, there wasn't much to be found, and as McRae's woes keep going on a seemingly endless loop, almost every molecule of humor has been leached from the situation for me. I love the character of McRae too much to stop reading, so I'm hoping that MacBride will be kinder to him in the next book!

Despite my negative reactions I found Dark Blood to be another excellent book in this series. All the plot lines seem hopelessly tangled, and it's a miracle that McRae is able to sort out any of them at all. But MacBride reminds us that life isn't a fairy tale. Real life isn't neatly wrapped up and tied with a bow just as the last page is turned. The ending of Dark Blood may leave you as angry as it did me, but-- sadly-- what happens is far from being a new occurrence on planet Earth. I only wish that McRae had seen "The Shawshank Redemption" as many times as I have.

Dark Blood at Amazon.

Dark Blood at The Book Depository.

Dark Blood at Your Favorite Indie Bookseller.

Blind Eye by Stuart MacBride

Title: Blind Eye
Author: Stuart MacBride
ISBN: 9780007244591
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2009
Paperback, 517 pages
Genre: Police Procedural, #5 Logan McRae mystery
Rating: B
Source: Purchased from Bookcloseouts.

First Line: Waiting was the worst bit: hunkered back against the wall, eyes squinting in the setting sun, waiting for the nod.

There's strange goings-on in Aberdeen in this fifth outing by Detective Sergeant Logan McRae. For one thing, it's summer, and the folks in Aberdeen, Scotland don't seem to be familiar with sunshine or warmth. For another thing, the Polish immigrant community is being targeted in a series of gruesome attacks, and McRae actually gets to leave the country to follow up on leads. Most people seem to think these attacks are hate crimes against the Polish, but when a local crime boss is targeted, McRae begins to wonder if something else might be going on.

Other than that, the situation seems to be normal: The Detective Chief Inspector seems to have it in for our lad and Detective Inspector Steele continues to go out of her way to make his life miserable. Even though I'd love to slap her briskly about the head and shoulders most of the time, I do like the character of Steele: she serves to remind people that men don't have the politically incorrect slob market cornered.

The story moves right along at a good pace, but I'm beginning to notice a change in McRae. Through four books the young man has been unerringly idealistic no matter what is done to him or how many idiotic superiors try to break him. There has been plenty of humor to break the gruesome case load into manageable portions.

Not so much in this one. The humor is less, and all the characters seem grimmer. With the lack of humor, the violence of the villains isn't as well disguised and isn't as easy to stomach.

How many more infinitely inferior superiors must McRae go through before he leaves the force? Give the poor man a promotion, an entire weekend off, and transfer D.I. Steele!

Buy from Amazon.

Buy from Alibris.

January 2011 New Mystery Releases!

You may think that, with the holidays and everything else that's been going on here at Casa Kittling, I may have forgotten all about keeping track of new mystery releases. Not so! I am a true bookaholic and crime fiction fiend, and looking for gems on the horizon is as natural to me as breathing.

Before getting down to brass tacks, I would like to mention something that I stumbled across last November: FictFact. Have you heard of it? It's a great place to track your series reading, and if you don't find some of the series you're following, the people at FictFact are wonderful at adding new authors and series from member suggestions. It's not just for crime fiction, and if you'd like to add me as a follower, look for "cathyskye".

Now to get back on track: The following books are my top picks for mysteries being released in January. The titles are grouped by release dates, and I've included the information you'll need to find them at all your favorite book spots. Let's see which titles have me drooling this month....

===January 4 Release===

Title: Backstage Stuff

Author: Sharon Fiffer

Series: #7 in the Jane Wheel series set in Kankakee, Illinois

ISBN: 9780312609795

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2011

Hardcover, 304 pages

Title: Double Prey

Author: Steven F. Havill

Series: #17 in the Posadas County series set in New Mexico

ISBN: 9781590587829

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, 2011

Hardcover, 250 pages

Title: Prey on Patmos

Author: Jeffrey Siger

Series: #3 in the Inspector Kaldis series set in Greece

ISBN: 9781590587669
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, 2011
Hardcover, 250 pages

===January 6 Release===

Title: Shatter the Bones

Author: Stuart MacBride

Series: #7 in the Logan McRae series set in Aberdeen, Scotland

ISBN: 9780007344215
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2011
Hardcover, 448 pages

*This is being released in the UK on this date.

===January 18 Release===

Title: World's Greatest Sleuth

Author: Steve Hockensmith

Series: #5 in the Holmes on the Range series set in Montana

ISBN: 9780312379438
Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2011
Hardcover, 336 pages

Title: The Girl in the Green Raincoat
Author: Laura Lippman
Series: #11 in the Tess Monaghan series set in Baltimore, Maryland
ISBN: 9780061938368
Publisher: Avon, 2011
Paperback, 176 pages









If someone handed me all these books to read, I wouldn't know which to pick first! Hopefully I've managed to include a title or two which tickles your fancy, too!

halfhead by Stuart MacBride

Title: halfhead
Author: Stuart MacBride
ISBN: 9780007298709
Published by: Harper Voyager UK, 2009
Trade Paperback, 376 pages
Genre: Dystopian Fiction, Police Procedural
Rating: B-
Source: Purchased from Bookcloseouts.

First Line: There's blood everywhere.

I've been known to warn folks that, if they have a low tolerance for gore, they might want to give MacBride's Logan McRae mystery series a miss. That warning would go quadruple for halfhead, a novel set in Glasgow, Scotland in the near future. It's a future firmly based in today's events, but I pray that it never comes to pass. Here's the synopsis from the back of the book:

They call them halfheads: Convicted criminals, surgically mutilated and lobotomised by the State, then sent out do menial jobs in the community so everyone will know what happens when you break the law. There are no appeals, no reprieves, and no one ever comes back. Until now.

Dr Fiona Westfield, one of the most prolific serial killers Glasgow has ever seen, is waking up. Surrounded by blood and death and darkness. And she wants revenge.

William Hunter has risen through the ranks since putting Westfield away; now he's Assistant Network Director, in charge of tech-crimes and police actions. Then a routine murder investigation uncovers an appalling conspiracy.

The vast connurb blocks on Glasgow's deprived south side are about to explode: eleven years ago the VR riots killed millions - now someone wants to start them all over again. And Will is being dragged back into a past he desperately wants to forget.

See what I mean? This world isn't pretty. Not even close. It's a world of Compressed Urban Habitation in which as many people as possible are crammed in as small a living space as possible. It's a world where the masses are kept tractable by continuous feeds of VR-- virtual reality. There are high tech weapons and high tech transportation, and lots of crime.

Even without reading about this book on MacBride's website, I would've known that this is his first novel, and that the Logan McRae mysteries that I love came later. Why? The plot and the action are very good, but the gore factor is so over the top that one scene in particular made me ill (and I'm not squeamish). The characters show depth, but MacBride's trademark twisted, dark sense of humor feels as though it's slipped a gear; it just doesn't quite work. Perhaps it was because the tone of the book was so unrelentingly grim and horrific, but I barely cracked a smile at the humorous bits, let alone laughed out loud.

Although the various elements don't always work smoothly, I did find halfhead fascinating for its view of what the future may hold, and for the simple fight of good against evil. However, if you're not in the mood for a huge slab of tough, extremely rare steak, I'd leave this one alone and stick with MacBride's Logan McRae books.

Buy from Amazon.
Buy from The Book Depository.

Flesh House by Stuart MacBride

Title: Flesh House
Author: Stuart MacBride
ISBN: 9780007244553, Harper Collins, 2009
Genre: Police Procedural, #4 Logan McRae mystery
Rating: A

First Line: "No, you listen to me: if my six-year-old son isn't back here in ten minutes I'm going to come round there and rip you a new arsehole, are we clear?"

When the newest Stuart MacBride mystery arrives here at Casa Kittling, I feel as though Fort Knox has just delivered another gold bar. Yes, I love these books, but if a blend of (often) black humor and very gruesome scenes aren't your thing, save yourself some time and skip this review.

Detective Sergeant Logan McRae works the mean streets of Aberdeen, Scotland, and he'd probably tell you that police headquarters is often more dire than the streets. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, a strong sense of duty, and he often has brilliant flashes of intuition. He is also a piece of taffy pulled between two of the most obnoxious detective inspectors you'll ever find in crime fiction-- and they both have death grips on him. If I were McRae, sooner or later I'd snap and wear my "Some Mornings It's Not Worth Chewing Through the Restraints" t-shirt to work where I'd tell both inspectors exactly what I thought of them as I turned in my warrant card.

Twenty years ago "The Flesher" was butchering people all over the UK until the Grampian Police put him in prison. It's eleven years later, he's out on appeal, and now he's missing and people are being turned into oven-ready joints again. When members of the original investigation team begin disappearing, McRae realizes that the case might not be as clear cut as everyone else seems to think.

Flesh House begins slowly and continues to build-- typical MacBride. Most of the humor is in the first half of the book. I've begun to think of this as a diversionary tactic. MacBride wants you to keep laughing while he moves his chess pieces into position all over the board. Hopefully by the time you wipe the tears from your eyes and calm down, his trap is set and you don't have a prayer of escape. Me? I'm a sheep to the slaughter when it comes to this particular crime fiction writer. He can be hilarious. I'll give you a few examples. You'll either agree that he's brilliant, or you'll look at both of us as if we forgot to don our strait jackets this morning...

Logan had met their state-of-the-art security system-- it was a sixty-eight-year-old man called Harold. Logan had sneezed more alert things than him.

Which sounded incredibly unlikely to Logan: Insch wouldn't ask for help if his crotch was on fire. From the look on her face, Isobel didn't believe it either.

As Logan watched, Detective Constable Simon Rennie boogied his way past them, doing a pretty good impersonation of an octopus being electrocuted.

This is MacBride's most complex mystery yet, and since cannibalism is one of the strong themes running throughout the book, I'm wondering how many fans he lost with Flesh House . He definitely doesn't sugar coat the theme. (I have a very high tolerance of such things, and it even bothered me a time or two.) But I kept reading because I love his writing and I love the character of Logan McRae. The slapstick, the underlying seriousness, the gruesome scenes are all woven into stories that I can't resist. A carrot was dangled in front of McRae in this book, and it seems to have changed his way of thinking a bit. All the threads weren't tied off neatly at the end, so I'm just going to have to see what happens in the next book.

I can't wait.