Dead Man’s Grave: The first book in a gripping new Scottish police procedural series for crime fiction and mystery thriller fans: Book 1 (DS Max Craigie Scottish Crime Thrillers)

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More than a ‘Who Dunnit’, this is a sharply focused police procedural with an expert eye for the hierarchies within a department. Good cops, bad cops, and corruption at many levels. The. Ore Max & Janie look into the murder that corruption is rife in this case, who Killed Hardie & why? It started off reasonably well, but began to pall as implausibilities and clichés mounted up. I wouldn’t dream of including spoilers, so you will have to guess for yourself whether, for example, Max is Taken Off The Case or whether there is a Tense One-To-One Climax In A Deserted Location From Which He Only Narrowly Escapes. I just didn’t find any of it believable; not the characters, not the way in which things developed and not the over-convenient way in which Max Gets The Better Of His Opponents. An ages-old feud between two Scottish families is unearthed when a top crime boss is found murdered in an unnamed grave.

Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster is a taut well written crime procedural that I was invested in from the very beginning to the end the characters were well developed & likeable, the setting in Scotland always draws me to a book thought I was there. I’m afraid I’m badly out of step with most other reviewers here, but I really didn’t think Dead Man’s Grave was much good. I tried it because it came with strong endorsements from Ian Rankin and Jane Casey, both of whose work I admire very much, but this is nowhere near their league. Max has always wanted to be one of the 'good guys' - that's why he joined the police force in the first place. He has a strong personal moral code and is not afraid to stand up against higher authorities for what he believes in. He has a sly sense of humour, and can take, as well as give, a good ribbing.The author was previously a Metropolitan police detective investigating serious crimes in addition to serving in the military police so I would recommend this to those connoisseurs of police tactical methods. The missing person in question is notorious gangster Tam Hardie, head of Scotland’s most powerful and ‘influential’ crime family - nothing happens without Hardie’s say so. Looks like someone did open the Grave though, as Tam Hardie’s decomposing body is discovered beneath the heavy slab of granite covering the grave, in what turns out to be a centuries old feud. One thing’s for certain, the Hardie family will not take this well, they already have connections to numerous murders, and someone murdering the head of their family will not be tolerated - retribution will be had! In a sense this is as much an action thriller/suspense story as an ordinary cop story. While this comment will date think "Line of Duty" but with a much better ending rather than anything else! In the end I found a book that I was not expecting at lot from initially very enjoyable. Personally I will read another by Neil Lancaster and I would definitely want to read the next in this series. 4.5/5 This was a compelling read from start to finish enjoyed every minute the characters were well fleshed out & likeable loved the setting of Scotland that a

So the plot is good but it is accompanied by an excellent writing style that is lively and encourages further reading. The humour is rough, realistic and funny and wouldn’t be out of place in most workplaces. The plotting is clear sighted and logical with little room for misunderstanding or ambiguity (not always a given). There are also some great descriptions of the Highlands scenery and locations. I’m sorry to be so critical, but I really didn’t get on with Dead Man’s Grave. I struggled to the end, but I won’t be bothering with DS Craigie again.

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You okay Guvnor?’ Max said, smiling at Fraser’s worn and unpolished Oxford shoes. Sartorial elegance was not at the top of Ross Fraser’s priority list. Max is an admirable character with along with his lovable dog. I look forward to the next in this new series and unlike other first books, this wrapped up well. No annoying loose strings or unfinished business.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Dead Man’s Grave, the first novel to feature DS Max Craigie and DC Janey Calder of Police Scotland. DCI Max Craigie & his partner DCJanie Calder are called to a burial ground near a church to look for a missing person they see a grave that says NEVER TO BE OPENED, but that doesn’t deter Max & Janie they open it to find the body of a notorious drug lord Tam Hardie he is the most wanted gangster in Scotland .Dead Mans grace by Neil Lancaster is the first in a series featuring DS Max Craigie and if this is to be the standard to expect then I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

The head of Scotland’s most powerful crime family is brutally murdered, his body dumped inside an ancient grave in a remote cemetery.

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Dead Man's Grave is the first in the DS Max Craigie series, and what an introduction to Max! He's a bit like a bull terrier - once he gets his teeth into something, he just doesn't let go.