Review - Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride

Dark Blood by Stuart MacBride
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Re-read! Time taken to read 2.5 days

Blurb From Goodreads

The new Logan McRae novel set in gritty Aberdeen from the author of Cold Granite and Blind Eye Richard Knox has served his time, so why shouldn't he be allowed to live wherever he wants? Yes, in the past he was a violent rapist, but he has seen the error of his ways, found God, and wants to leave his dark past in Newcastle behind him and make a new start—or so he says. Detective Sergeant Logan McRae isn't exactly thrilled to be part of the team helping Knox settle into his new Aberdeen home, and he's even less thrilled to be stuck with DSI Danby, the man who put Knox behind bars for 10 years, supposedly here to "keep an eye on things." Only things are about to go very, very wrong. Edinburgh gangster Malk the Knife wants a slice of the development boom Donald Trump's golf course is bringing to the Granite City, whether local crime lord Wee Hamish Mowat likes it or not, while three heavies from Newcastle want a "quiet word" with DSI Danby about a missing mob accountant, and Richard Knox’s dark past isn’t done with him yet.

My Review

This was another re-read, a friend had given it to me and I couldn't remember it (originally read in 2010). Logan McRae and DI Steel along with the rest of the team are juggling cases and just trying to get the job done. Richard Knox is a rapist who preyed on the elderly and is now out and needing to be kept safe and monitored. Soon a web of deceit and entanglement to other criminal links become apparent and everything kicks off.

DS McRae and Logan are hilarious, the language is atrocious as they constantly argue and banter with each other. McRae's character might annoy some as he is a tad whiny and not as strong as his previous appearances in books but again if you know the history you would maybe forgive it in this story. The crimes and some of the scenes are gritty and gory and not for anyone easily offended. I would also say if your not familiar with Scottish slang you might struggle to get the humor and understand some of the content.

It is a busy novel with a lot going on which makes for a page turner and pulls you in. I don't always read books in sequence but for these I would say you really should as it helps understand McRae's frame of mind and their is reference to previous happenings from the other books. I enjoyed it and will look out for the next in the series, 4/5 for me this time (same rating as when I read it previous).

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