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Neil Lancaster's Max Craigie series is fast becoming a regular treat. I've previously reviewed the first three books in the series, so there was no question that it went straight to the top of my To-Be-Read pile as soon as it dropped through the letter box.

Blood Runs Cold features the well-established team of DS Max Craigie, DC Janie Calder, the wonderfully foul-mouthed and irascible DI Ross Fraser, the ever-competent Norma and of course Barney, their tame ex-spook (with the obligatory cameos by Nutmeg the cockerpoo). Four books in and Lancaster is now really comfortable writing these old-friends, but I'm pleased to say that he has continued to grow and develop the characters. As ever, the dialogue and interactions between them are natural and realistic, and often laugh-out-loud funny.

​For those unfamiliar with Neil Lancaster, he has worked as a detective in London's Metropolitan Police, and before that was a Military Police Officer. He now lives in Scotland, and so his books are set there, with his investigative team part of Police Scotland. Consequently, his police procedure is spot-on, but he balances that authentic detail with a fast-paced story.
The theme this time is one that Lancaster cares deeply about, dealing with the trafficking of young victims for prostitution and county-lines drug running, and it shows in both the authenticity of the writing and the compassion he shows towards those involved.


Max Craigie's initial involvement in the case is personal; a fifteen-year-old former trafficking victim that his wife is working with disappears after going for a run. Max agrees to take a look into it and soon discovers that there are other disturbingly similar cases. With it becoming increasingly apparent that there is a leak somewhere within law enforcement, the case soon falls within the remit of Craigie's specialist anti-corruption team and they start to investigate.


Lancaster has chosen not only to follow Craigie and his team, but also tell the story from the perspectives of the trafficking victim, Affi, as well the bad guys. This really fleshes out the story and helps ratchet up the tension, giving a delicious sense of foreboding as we the reader sometimes know more about what is coming than the heroes. Spending time inside the head of young Affi not only evokes sympathy, it also ensures that we are really invested in her and genuinely fear for her safety. Similarly, we gain an insight into the bad guys, and whilst we may not sympathise with them, we can see why they do what they do and their motivations.


I've said in previous reviews that this is a series that gets better every time, and I still believe that. Neil Lancaster is not only a terrific writer, but also a brilliant story teller. I'll be elbowing my way to the front of the queue for the next one!

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If there's one thing more exciting than getting a parcel, it's getting an unexpected parcel. So I was thrilled a few weeks ago when I opened a mysterious package to find a proof copy of the latest DS Max Craigie novel, The Night Watch, sent to me by Neil Lancaster's publicist.
Now first of all, I want to remind you of the rules for this blog. I only recommend books that I've enjoyed, it doesn't matter if the author is a mate. The first two in the series have been top notch - and I'm delighted to tell you that this series just keeps on getting better.

This outing is a real whodunnit. The book kicks off with two murders; a recently released convict and a prominent defence solicitor. Pretty soon, Craigie's team are called in to oversee the investigation, since there are links to past events that might indicate corruption.
I'm not going to outline the plot here - read it for yourself and enjoy the ride. But as ever the central mystery is satisfying complex, there are some terrific action scenes and it packs an emotional punch.

Best of all, Craigie, his ever reliable sidekick Janey Calder, and gloriously foul-mouthed boss, Ross Fraser (and Nutmeg the cockapoo), are all back, on sparkling form, along with Barney their slightly dodgy covert surveillance technician and Norma their IT whizz.
This is the third go around the block for these characters, and it really shows. Lancaster writes them like old friends. The dialogue is pacy and confident, and laugh-out-loud funny at times. Lancaster is an ex-detective, and so the detail is spot on, whilst never being too onerous. Fans of the series will be delighted to find that all of the characters get their chance to shine, with genuine growth and development, but newcomers to the books are given everything they need to join in the fun.

Max, Ross and Janie are fast becoming one of my favourite crime teams.  The book isn't out until September, but I am already waiting impatiently for book 4.
Highly recommended!

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Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to receive a pre-publication copy of Dead Man's Grave the first of Neil Lancaster's new DS Max Craigie series. It was a damn good read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Well, the second in the series, The Blood Tide, is on its way in February 2022 and again I have been sent an early copy.

Once again, Craigie is back, along with his team - the brilliant Janie Calver, the foul-mouthed Ross Fraser and reader's favourite, Nutmeg.
The first book cleverly set up the characters and the premise for the series, but was careful to keep plenty back, and so we learn more about them this time around.
As before, the book is set in some of the most beautiful parts of Scotland, with the action taking place in the remote countryside and coastal regions, rather than the gritty streets of Edinburgh or Glasgow. Indeed it is the isolated, windswept landscape that inspires the central idea. Scotland has hundreds of miles of coastland, but only a couple of patrol boats to try and stop smugglers. It is this lawlessness that provides opportunities for the criminals at the heart of this novel.

Lancaster is a former Met detective, and as before his intimate understanding of police procedure adds a note of authenticity to his writing. But he resists the urge to over-inform, keeping the pace brisk and driving the story through plot and characterisation.

Something that I really enjoy about Neil's writing, is that he fully fleshes out his bad guys and allows the reader to spend time with them, instead of just keeping it centred on Craigie. Because of this, the reader is often privy to details that the police are not. Indeed the book seems to be heading towards a conclusion by its mid-point, with key players already identified by the team. But of course, the fun is that they are just the tip of the iceberg and the pace kicks up another couple of notches, and the stakes are raised still further, as we head towards a very satisfying conclusion, with plenty of surprises along the way.

I really enjoyed this, and look forward to future instalments in what I am certain will be a long and successful series.
I heartily recommend this book.

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Neil Lancaster is a former Military Police officer and Metropolitan Police detective, and so, as a writer of police procedurals myself, I was excited to read something by somebody who really knows what he is talking about!
Dead Man's Grave is the first in a new series starring DS Max Cragie, a former Metropolitan Police detective who relocates from London to Scotland, after an armed operation goes wrong.
The book starts with the discovery of a grave by the head of one of Scotland's most notorious crime families, inscribed with the ominous words 'This Grave Can Never Be Opened' . The murder of the crime boss uncovers a blood feud dating back to the 1890s and leads to the unmasking of a corruption conspiracy at the heart of Police Scotland.

As you'd expect from a man with Lancaster's experience, the book is packed with authentic police procedure, but more importantly, it's a damned good read! The plot is complex, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Several times throughout the book, the story seems to be heading for a conclusion, but Lancaster throws in a sudden swerve that takes the story off in a different direction, until it finally reaches an explosive and satisfying conclusion. 
From the outset, the characters leap off the page; from Cragie's gloriously foul-mouthed boss DI Ross Fraser, to the sparky DC Janie Calder, they are all expertly realised. Cragie and Calder make for a compelling duo, with just enough revealed about their backstory to hint that the series has legs.


In the interests of disclosure, Neil and I share the same publisher, which in part is how I obtained this advanced reader's copy. But as I have always   made clear, books only appear on this blog if I have genuinely enjoyed them and think others will also.
So I have no hesitation in making this a #RecommendedRead.


Dead Man's Grave is available for pre-order from HQ Stories, and is published in July 2021.