There is a cat killer operating in the Glasgow area. Eddie the vet is asked to look into this, but he has suspicions that the killer might go onto humans. Nobody in the police takes him seriously, even when the coincidences are too great to ignore.
This is the second book by this author and whilst I thoroughly recommended the first one to my father-in-law, I'm not sure I would recommend this one. The first book was a more gentle tale. This one is rather explicit, and at times nasty, in the murder scenes.
As an overall serial killer story, it was well set out with the reader being just a step ahead of Eddie and Catherine, the young policewoman who is helping him. Even when the story was particularly nasty, I wanted to keep on reading to make sure that the killer got his justice.
I struggled a bit with the Glaswegian vernacular, but there was a glossary at the end for if I wasn't sure of anything. Luckily there wasn't too much so it didn't take me out of the story.
I preferred the first story (The Cabinetmaker) but this is definitely an author I'd like to read more of.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OM3UVCI/?tag=jookuf-21
This starts off as what seems to be a run of the mill 70s Glasgow police procedural. It is John's first week in CID, where the other officers make Gene Hunt look like a by the book type of policeman. A lad has been murdered on the street by a gang of yobs and the cops think it's an easy case.
Whilst the language in the scenes at the police station is the worst you can read, this story moves away from there. The basis of the story is a boy's death, but the heart of the story is John's developing relationship with the boy's father, Francis. In fact the story spans decades and becomes gentler as it goes on and John's career develops.
When I first looked at this book I wasn't sure I fancied it, but I was recommended it and as I read more and more, I didn't want to put it down. The relationship between John and Francis as Francis teaches John to be an expert craftsman was very heartwarming. I really enjoyed this story, it had heart in a cruel world and was well told.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00F0WWVYQ/?tag=jookuf-21
