In this scorching crime collaboration, bestselling author Ian Rankin and Scottish crime-writing legend William McIlvanney join forces for the first ever case of DI Laidlaw, Glasgow's original gritty detective.
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.
William McIlvanney's Laidlaw books changed the face of crime fiction. When he died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw's first case. 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 Laidlaw's relentless quest for truth.
I haven't read any William McIlvanney books before so when I saw this collaboration with Ian Rankin I just had to read it and what a gem it is. It's dark, as the title suggests, but it's often humorous which makes it a well-balanced, highly entertaining novel.
The dark and dangerous streets of 1970s Glasgow are brought to life so vividly that I felt as if I was walking in DC Jack Laidlaw's shoes. I absolutely loved Laidlaw - he really doesn't care what people think about him and he'll do whatever's necessary to get the job done.
This is Laidlaw's first case and I am already chomping at the bit to read more. I don't know how I haven't read any William McIlvanney novels before so thanks to Ian Rankin, McIlvanney will definitely pick up more new fans after reading The Dark Remains.
Flawless, gritty and gripping, The Dark Remains is a fantastic collaboration between two of Scotland's finest crime writers. The writing is exceptional and completely seamless; there's no way to tell where McIlvanney ends and Rankin begins. I loved it - McIlvanney has a new fan here!
I received an ARC to read and review for the blog tour and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
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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.
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