This audiobook was narrated by the author, who did an excellent job in my opinion. He also has done an excellent job in writing this series so far, and it is one of my favorites (but my favorites changes every year or two). It's pretty dark, but with enough humor to keep it light. In this one, there is someone who cuts out his victim's eyes and then burns the sockets, leaving them alive but blind. There is also some crippling by smashing the person's kneecaps with a hammer. Much of the recent blindings have been done to Polish immigrants and letters were sent blaming them for taking away jobs, etc - the usual hatred against immigrants by poor citizens.

The main character, Detective Sergeant Logan McRae, is a cop in Aberdeen, Scotland that means well, but somehow things always go wrong no matter how hard he tries. Usually this is because he's just too nice a guy, or he tries too hard, etc. But in many ways, he's his own worst enemy. When things go wrong, he often follows along by doing more wrong because of it, usually drinking too much. He had to go to Poland for a case, where he shot someone and then almost got blown up, causing him to have bad dreams and other PTSD symptoms. So, instead of taking up offers of help from a psychologist, he starts smoking again (which he doesn't really like), and drinking a lot.

In one instance, he's encouraged to stay overnight and his reply is:

‘But I've got plans.’ Which was true – he was going to go home and sit in the dark drinking vodka until he passed out. Same as he'd done every night since getting back from Poland.
‘I don't care: you're sodding well staying!’

But to give him his due, he usually has impossible instructions, or clear instructions but he gets in trouble for following them. He's constantly being told things like "Don't do anything without clearing it with me first!", and then he comes back and is asked why he didn't do something about a problem. Or he gets suspended and then has to work or meet with someone while suspended (without pay of course).

As bad as things get, it's hard not to laugh every few pages. I'm going to be disappointed when I finish this series, I think.
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Well, this was better not only than I was expecting, but better than most others in the series.

At first, I wasn't keen on reading it at all, because it dealt with non-Scottish elements and what's the point of reading a Scottish crime novel that is too modern? But then, that's the way of the world, and it actually worked well. Sometimes I just have to get over my biases.

This book started off a bit like the rest, and maintained the persistent (and good) balance between humor, pacing, and serious procedural. What made it stand out was the twists, and not just twists for the sake of shocking the reader, but turns of play that made sense in their unpredictability. What's more, this book took a turn for the dark toward the end, not quite to the Denise Mina level (have I mentioned how I love Mina?), but dark nonetheless. It tempered, a bit, the "how will they prevent Logan from becoming a Detective Inspector this time" recurring plot line. In fact, MacBride seemed to be nodding toward this bookly occurrence by actually having the possibility of promotion come up, and Logan seems to be the shoe-in. Spoiler alert, he doesn't get it.

As my mentor once said, these books aren't great literature, but they're great fun. Perfect for summer reading, and while I have a long list of more "serious" reading to do in the months ahead, I think I'll stick with DS McRae for a bit longer. MacBride seems to be hitting his stride, and finally giving Rankin a run for his money. ( )

Logan McCrae books are graphic and violent but I enjoy reading them. I liked this one less than the others I've read in the series. I like the character of DS Steele more than Logan himself. ( )

I love the Loga McRae books. They can be a bit gruesome but the humour that runs through them offsets this somewhat. possibly the language used may be slightly difficult for a non Scot to understand. Great books; worth reading. ( )

Well, it will be redundant, but again, each book by Stuart MacBride featuring Logan McRae and company just gets better than the last.

Some may suggest that MacBride follows a similar formula in each book by use of multiple threads going on at the same time, but that is okay. There's nothing wrong with sticking with a formula that works.

Along with his other books, this book is violent, but not in an exploitative way.

Also, in this book MacBride has the return of villains in past books, while introducing new, nastier villains.

Another thing that has evolved is the relationship between McRae and DI Steele. Previously, their relationship tended to loom on being one-sided, but as the novel goes on, the reader finds Steele has more layers than once thought.

Still, though, MacBride really needs to move way from characters with weak stomachs when it comes to the gore.

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