Good start to the series.

I enjoyed this eventually but found it a slow burn. I'm drawn like a moth to a flame by books set in the Glasgow of my youth. This is way better than a lot of them in terms of evoking time and place. Narrator is excellent with the neds ,gangsters and police but less so with anything other than broad Glasgow. Foreign and 'posher' Glasgow accents are grim and unbelievable.

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Loved it

As a Glasweigan I loved hearing about all the bars I grew up drinking in. Was surprised by other reviews that state there's lots of swearing, I genuinely didn't notice it and it fits the characters well. good story and I'm excited for the next one!

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2 people found this helpful

Brutal & brilliant

This is a very 'Glasgow' book - if you come from there like I do, you'll know exactly what I mean. Modern take on the old-school police thriller with a massively flawed central character. Lots of violence and sex, but not gratuitous or sexist. Really well performed - he's very good at the different accents. I'm really excited about this because it's the first of a series of 12 books by the look of things (one for each month).

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1 person found this helpful

Brilliant opener to the series!

Set at the beginning of 1973, this is the first Harry McCoy novel and what an excellent start to a series it is! Harry is a detective in the Glasgow police force, quite an achievement for a boy who grew up in various children's homes and with foster parents until enrolling at age sixteen. Part of his survival was due to his continuing friendship with Stevie Cooper who ended on the wrong side of the law running girls in shebeens and saunas, dealing drugs and dishing out any amount of violence and threats necessary to survive. Together with his new partner Wattie, McCoy finds himself investigating the shooting of a girl and the immediate suicide of the shooter. So just how did his informant hear of this and try to warn him? The case involves a vivid selection of Glasgow's characters, from the very wealthy who consider themselves above the law to those poor and hopeless at the very underbelly of life. McCoy himself is flawed, due to both his past and his current lifestyle, but it is this and his connections that make him such a useful officer despite his many failings. The book doesn't pull any punches in its violence or language and is certainly grim in places, making it a great portrayal of those times.
The narrator is absolutely perfect for this story, making you believe you really in the heart of Glasgow. with spot on timing and accents.

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Superb!

This book is dark and gritty. It contains violence and swearing; it's accurate for the time and setting. I loved the story and the characters. The dude narrating the book is perfect for it (except for pronouncing Police as ‘Pawless’ instead of ‘Poe-lis’, but that's just me being picky.
I'm off to finish the series now.

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Harry McCoy is interesting

Enjoyed this dive into 1970s Glasgow crime scene, feels gritty, real and not nearly as gruesome as some reviews suggested, Harry’s life is worth further exploration - already downloaded the next two books.

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Great start to a great series

Very real sounding story. Nothing sugar coated, no white knight to the rescue. Extremely well written and gripping throughout

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OK.

I thought this was an OK listen, nothing really outstanding and I wouldn't go looking for more in the series. I struggled a bit with the narration but that may just be me.

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Good Story but...

The narration of this dark, gritty and depressing tale is very good and I would certainly listen to more stories read by Andrew McIntosh. However, whilst I am a fan of Scottish crime stories and am not usually phased by their associated violence and swearing, I found the constant use of the ‘c’ word in Bloody January to be both irritating and offensive and this would deter me from listening to more from this author. Perhaps Alan Parks should bear in mind the comments he attributes to Susan regarding the word?!

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8 people found this helpful

Not a Scottish accent

Great storyline and characters. Distracted by narrator as Scottish accent not convincing. Constantly rewinding.

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