The Dark Remains by William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin

(Ad) Good Morning, today I have a review for The Dark Remain by William McIlvanney and Ian Rankin.

Blurb

If the truth’s in the shadows, get out of the light . . .

Lawyer Bobby Carter did a lot of work for the wrong type of people. Now he’s dead and it was no accident. Besides a distraught family and a heap of powerful friends, Carter’s left behind his share of enemies. So, who dealt the fatal blow?

DC Jack Laidlaw’s reputation precedes him. He’s not a team player, but he’s got a sixth sense for what’s happening on the streets. His boss chalks the violence up to the usual rivalries, but is it that simple? As two Glasgow gangs go to war, Laidlaw needs to find out who got Carter before the whole city explodes.

Review

I have never read a book by either of these authors but I was drawn in by the blurb. All in all I enjoyed the book. The characters, especially Laidlaw is a complex individual who clearly has a lot of depth.

My only complaint would be that I wished there was a bit more action, I felt that the story, although progressing wasn’t exactly the most exciting thing I’ve read.

The best bit was the twist ending. I genuinely didn’t see it coming and that is a huge bonus with any crime book.

About the Book

William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw trilogy changed the face of crime fiction in the 1970s and 1980s, inspiring an entire generation of crime writers including Mark Billiangham, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre – and Ian Rankin.

When McIlvanney died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw’s first case – his first new novel in 25 years. Now, Ian Rankin is back to finish what McIlvanney started.

In The Dark Remains, these two iconic authors bring to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow, and the relentless quest for truth.

About the Authors

William McIlvanney is the author of the award-winning Laidlaw trilogy, featuring Glasgow’s original maverick detective. He died in December 2015.

Both Laidlaw and The Papers of Tony Veitch gained Silver Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association, while the third in the series, Strange Loyalties, won the Herald’s People’s Prize.

The McIlvanney Prize, named in his honour in 2016, is awarded annually for the best Scottish crime novel of the year.

Ian Rankin is the number one bestselling author of the Inspector Rebus series. The Rebus books have been translated into thirty-six languages and are bestsellers worldwide.

He is the recipient of four Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards, including the prestigious Diamond Dagger, and in 2002 he received an OBE for services to literature. He lives in Edinburgh.

@beathhigh | ianrankin.net

Thanks for reading.

Emma-Louise x