The Good Son (J McNee #1)
-
- $1.99
-
- $1.99
Publisher Description
Nominated for the 2010 Shamus Awards in the US, this taut, psychologically acute crime novel marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in Scottish crime fiction, and is the first in the J McNee series
When a Scottish farmer finds his estranged brother's corpse hanging from a tree, the police claim suicide. But Private Investigator J McNee is about to uncover the disturbing truth behind the death. With a pair of vicious London hard men loose in the Scottish city of Dundee, its only a matter of time before people start dying. McNee must confront his own demons and these brutal killers in a violence showdown that threatens to leave no one alive.
The Good Son evokes the dark streets of modern urban Scotland while paying homage the work of classic American authors such as Ross MacDonald and Dashiell Hammett. The result is "taught, tough and profoundly touching" (Sean Chercover, author of "Big City, Bad Blood" and "Trigger City")
"I love McNee" - Robert Olen Butler, author of the Christopher Marlowe Cobb mysteries
"A really authentic and remarkable read!" Martina Cole on Ed's Dead
Praise for THE GOOD SON
"the most exciting, and gripping, Scottish crime fiction debut of recent years." John Connolly
"A thrilling new writer, a brilliant debut...The Good Son is very good indeed." - Tony Black
"McNee is the most convincing British PI for a while." - The Morning Star
"...an atmosphere of delicious gloom." - Mystery Scene
"Clever, tough, witty... a great character study with a wonderful plot and plenty of atmosphere" - The Globe and Mail
"The future of crime fiction is in good hands" - Crimespree Magazine
About the author:
Russel D McLean is the author of several crime novels, including the J McNee series, and the dark comedy, Ed's Dead. Born in Fife, he studied philosophy at the University of Dundee before falling into the disreputable world of the book trade, spending over a decade as a bookseller before leaving to concentrate on his writing. Find out more at www.russeldmcleanbooks.com and follow him on twitter @russeldmclean
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In McLean's uneven debut, PI J. McNee, a former Dundee cop, still bears the physical and emotional scars from the car accident that killed his fianc e nine months earlier. When a local farmer, James Robertson, discovers the body of his estranged brother, Daniel, an apparent suicide, McNee reluctantly takes the case. Even though the pair hadn't spoken in 30 years, James can't believe Daniel killed himself. As McNee starts digging, he discovers that Daniel worked as a heavy for Gordon Egg, an ex-gangster turned club owner in London's seedy Soho district. When a woman claiming to know Daniel arrives in Dundee, followed by two vicious thugs with ties to Egg's empire, McNee realizes he may have stepped into something bigger than he can handle. McLean relies too heavily on American noir clich s the tortured investigator, lost loves, crime bosses and their femme fatales and never puts his distinctive stamp on the formula, despite the moody Scottish setting.
