Caro RamsayReseñas

This is actually not a new series, the first originally published in 2007, just recently published as an e-book, I think. I will certainly be checking up for more.

A serial killer is acting as a vigilante, targetting women who have betrayed others. So far three have been brutally killed, and there is no sign that "he" is stopping.

It is a complex plot, with clues that seem to lead nowhere. In many ways this is a very solid police procedural. The ending will leave you wondering where the series is heading.½

A wealthy family are slaughtered in their mansion and the evidence hints at satanism however when the local chief disappears DCI Christine Caplan is called in. She has been demoted and wants to clear up this murder quickly. As she investigates she realises that there is more to the tale and suspects her new team of involvement in the murders and a lucrative drug smuggling operation.
This is a new strand for experienced novelist Ramsay and I quite enjoyed it. As the series is new there were lots of characters and the back-stories were a little confusing at times. However the plot is tight enough, linking devil worship and eco-living, so it skipped along well.

I'm enjoying this new series from Caro Ramsay. DCI Christine Caplan is called to the scene of a suspected suicide, but things don't seem to add up. When her boss--and friend, though they have to balance that relationship carefully--brings her in on a missing young woman suspected of killing two younger sisters, everything seems to point to this mysterious Girl A. Though officially all information about Girl A is protected, the local officers under Caplan's command know many of the details. It's always nice to see a strong female lead character of appropriate age in an honest light. Though this is the second book in the series, it could be read as a standalone, though references to Christine's children do allude to the previous book. Strongly recommended!

Thanks to Severn House for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

This is the first book by Caro Ramsay that I've read, but it won't be the last. The Devil Stone is what I hope is the start of a new series, DCI Christine Caplan has been "asked" to step down to DI in the wake of an irregularity with some evidence (I wonder if we'll learn more about that backstory at some point) when she's sent to cover a murder investigation that has misplaced its DCI. Everyone seems to be trying to get her to back off, from the DI who tries to freeze her out of the investigation to the ACC who says she's got Christine's back. Fast-paced and full of twists and turns, I recommend this police procedural.

Thanks to Severn House for access to a digital ARC via NetGalley.

This is book 9 in the Anderson & Costello series, I have not read any of the others and can say from reading this one that it can be read as a standalone. There are a lot of characters in this book and lots of POV but you need those for this story.
This book kept me captured from the opening scenes. I do like a good crime mystery, the investigation of it and the solving; it makes your own brain tick!
I like both Anderson and Costello’s characters, they were well developed. Since reading this I have began the series from book 1.

Great new Scottish crime entry!

Detective Chief Inspector Christine Caplan has just been slotted back to Detective Inspector.
A review of lost material had her demoted temporarily. She carried the card for someone else, a member of her team she’d trusted.
Part of her punishment is to go up north to Otterburn near Cronchie to take a secondary lead on a bizarre murder—five members of the one family with satanic ritual overtones.
Only when she arrives one of the lead detectives is missing. Things are not as they seem.
Back home she’s also being looked at for police brutality when she stopped a young thief who’d knocked a pensioner out of her wheelchair in an effort to steal her bag. And now the three eyewitnesses have all mysteriously turned against her.
The thing is the thief was high. A new drug’s in town that’s diabolical! Snapdragon! People are dying!
Who to trust, at home and up north? Those above her seem to be intent on making her the scapegoat. And I certainly wouldn’t trust her superior ACC Sarah Linden.
Tension, intrigue, targeted deaths, a target family, a time to cry! What more do I want?
Thrilling new entry into the modern Scottish crime scene!

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.

I did like the characters well enough, but the story didn't do a lot for me. I liked the narration though so am going to try another.

Not going to finish

Brought up on the Benbrae estate into a world of privilege, Megan Melvick has tried to escape the confines of her family. Now she has been called home as her sister lies dying and she fears the family madness is so close to the surface. Profoundly deaf, Megan struggles with her mental health and events in the past seem to be colliding with the present, the disappearance of her mother and the death of her childhood friend.
I found this quite an annoying and 'long' read. I know there is a huge market for this sort of 'psychological thriller' and I think there was a good concept underneath it all but I didn't really engage. Megan was an unlikeable character to my eyes and overwhelming 'gothic' tone was too much

The body of Aasta Ariti is discovered in the Firth of Clyde, a case headed by DCI Colin Anderson and DI Costello who believe they know who the murderer is. (Felt that this sub-plot was not really necessary).
But soon they are given another case, the murder of eighty-one year old Jimmy Pearcey in his home in Invernock. But old and new secrets surround the case. Can Anderson and his team reveal all.
(Unfortunately part of the story continues from the previous book in the series, which really makes it necessary to read the previous book)
Still couldn't take to the two main characters which does tend to affect my enjoyment of the story.
But overall an enjoyable crime story.
An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Christmas is approaching but also death as at Planet Burger a man is stabbed. But with no why and how it makes the case difficult to investigate
Then DCI Colin Andersons' potentially disastrous Christmas is saved. As up in the highlands, at Glen Riske, a body is discovered in one of the holiday lets. Could it be murder.
I found the mystery part of the story, interesting and enjoyable. But for me there was too much extraneous, and boring details about the Anderson and Costellos' personal lives. So overall I liked the mystery, but didn't love the final story. Also the two main police characters are really not that likeable.
A NetGalley Book

This is a series I’ve been dipping in & out of since I picked up book #1 in 2015. “Absolution” was an impressive debut & remains one of my faves along with “Tears of Angels”. Now I have another to add to that list. This is a cracking read that weaves together a horrific murder in the present with one from more than 40 years ago.

We’re back at Glasgow’s Partickhill station with DCI Anderson & DI Costello. They rose through the ranks together & the result is a synergistic partnership based on trust. Their latest investigation is one that will likely fuel a media frenzy. But before they get too comfortable, something strange happens. They’re taken off the case & ordered to check into the background of a local man. Huh? Who is this guy…a drug lord? gangster? politician? Nope, turns out he was an eccentric OAP named James Pearcey, recently found dead at home. What the hell….

Whey they approach boss “Toasty” Warburton for an explanation, he’s weirdly tight-lipped. All they are given is an empty out-of-the-way office filled with case files going back more than 40 years. And just so they don’t have to inhale all that dust alone, the long suffering DC Gordon Wingate & perpetually cranky DS Vik Mulholland join the party.

At this point I would normally add some tantalizing tidbits about the plot & hint at the twists that got me good. But I’m going to quit while I’m ahead for a couple of reasons. First, I live in fear of accidentally blurting out something spoilerish. Second, you really should go in with as little idea about the story line as possible to maximize the number of times you’ll mutter “ Ho-lee ______ “ (insert personal choice) .

For those unfamiliar with this series, significant parts of previous books dealt with Anderson’s complicated personal life. It’s been quite a ride & clearly, still unresolved. But this book is more of a straight-up procedural which was the perfect choice. One of the current cases is connected to the murder of a housewife in 1978 & once these story lines get going, you would resent being pulled off them to deal with current day domestic drama. I was riveted by the story & characters that emerged from those dusty files. If Anderson & his crew want to find a killer in the present, they’ll have to understand exactly what happened decades ago to a woman named Birdie Summer.

Because the investigations are unique to this instalment, don’t worry if you haven’t read previous books. References to past events are brief & don’t impact the majority of the plot. These characters have been through a lot together & their relationships reflect that. There’s an ease & familiarity that shines through in the dialogue. They can be supportive & bicker like siblings in the same breath. They are all well defined & I particularly enjoy Costello’s ability to bluntly shoot from the lip.

This is a compelling read that truly keeps you guessing til the final pages. And as an added bonus, it gave me one of the strongest contenders ever for my annual COTY Award *. Congratulations to Sandy Muir, a character so icky that just typing his name right now makes me want to wash my hands. Again.

(*Creep of the Year Award, fictional)

A family man's stabbing leaves Anderson and Costello and their teams baffled. The perpetrator left no clues. No motive emerges. No witnesses identified themselves. Two more bodies show up a week later at a cottage where the family intended to spend Christmas. Investigation uncovers dislike for these victims. The novel spends a little too much time discussing problems within the detectives' families and explored some things which needed omission to tighten the novel. Those who read previous series installments may appreciate some of the detectives' family problems more than I did. I did not feel I knew the detectives because I missed earlier installments. I may try the first couple of books in the series to see if I warm to the series. If so and I continue reading the series, I may revisit this installment to see if it improves with the background from earlier cases and without the distractions of reading in a time of COVID-19. I received an electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

First off, you need to read The Suffering of Strangers to understand The Sideman. I rarely say this when I jump in mid-way through a series, as I can usually figure out the who’s and when’s and how’s. When I read other reviews stating this, I dismissed the comments. But this time, I should’ve listened. You can read it as a standalone; I did. But you might be frustrated at not knowing the background and the characters’ complicated relationships.

Think of The Sideman and The Suffering of Strangers as one big book chopped into two smaller ones. That’s my impression, anyway.

Thankfully, Caro Ramsey provides a list of characters and their role. I spent a lot of time flipping back to that page to make certain I understood who was whom. Trying to piece together the plot of a novel while reading another novel was distracting. I rather wish she’d simply put both books together into one! The publisher might not have liked that, but it would’ve made things clearer.

But my confusion wasn’t enough to turn me off from the book and this series; other readers may feel otherwise.

Plot
Caro Ramsey is excellent at building suspense through this book. Even toward the end, I struggled to see how all the elements fit together. She does a terrific job keeping all the various attacks, assaults, and deaths spinning with multiple possible interpretations.

The Suffering of Strangers featured a sensational case: the brutal stabbing deaths of a mother and her preteen son. Costello and her lover, Archie Walker, discover the brutalized bodies. The press has been all over the police to solve the crime, and continues to titillate the public with lurid details disguised as investigative reporting.

It’s a tough crime to read about. Lots of novels have gruesome murders but this one left me feeling gutted. After reading Costello’s angry resignation letter, I felt connected to her and other sympathetic characters. Costello’s rage and sorrow made me feel the needlessness of the deaths. And then, the possibility that the mom opened the door to her own killer . . . that it was someone she knew and trusted. Chilling.

Characters
There are many characters to keep track of in the book. This isn’t a bad thing! But the relationships are complex and it would’ve helped to have read the first book. The line between work and private life doesn’t exist. There are also two different police forces to deal with and not all the characters from one police department know each other.

There’s also the continuing developments from The Suffering of Strangers. Colin Anderson now has a grandson by a now-deceased daughter he didn’t know existed until the previous book. That daughter had been adopted by George Haggerty, so naturally Haggerty thinks of baby Moses as his grandson, too. He feels free to stop by the Anderson house for chit-chats with Colin Anderson and catch-up time with the baby.

That Haggerty is a suspect in the gruesome deaths of his wife and son and Anderson is a homicide investigator complicates the two men’s relationship. Anderson wants to move forward from the case, but it’s difficult.

Ramsey even develops some minor characters. One person who could’ve been a caricature shows unexpected strength and plays a pivotal role in helping the investigation.

Costello doesn’t show up as much as I expected. However, I got to “know” her through the thoughts, actions, and words of others. But thanks to her resignation letter–the prologue of the book–I sensed a woman who is frustrated with the system and guilt-ridden by her own perceived failure to protect others. She’s moralistic, and while her work partner of twenty years can reel her in, once she resigns, Costello cuts off Anderson and the rest of the world.

Violence
Various other crimes complicate these relationships. Some of the crimes happened in The Suffering of Strangers, some in the distant past, and some are ongoing and unknown. Drugs, baby-selling, stabbings . . . it’s a violent book.

Many of the characters appear traumatized. Valerie, the dead mother’s sister, is an alcoholic. She’s still recovering from being strangled (!) in the previous book. At one point, she awakens in a hotel room, hungover and struggling to remember what happened. She has soiled herself, doesn’t know what she has or hasn’t done, and is deeply ashamed. Ramsey describes Valerie’s emotions so poignantly that I felt the woman’s shame. She’s a sad but compelling character to me.

Narrative Style
This is the second book I’ve read recently that had long monologues from characters that didn’t always include dialogue tags. At several points, I wasn’t certain which of the possible two to four characters was speaking. As I’ve run across this twice in police procedurals by UK authors, I wonder if this is simply a US vs. UK style-issue.

There were also some “throwaway” characters, ones that show up only to discover a major clue/the body/etc., and never reappear. Given that there were already so many characters to keep track of, this needlessly complicated things, especially at the beginning when I was still trying to figure out who was important. (Especially true in this novel, where the backstory is VERY important.) If I read two or three pages about a particular character’s actions, I tend to believe that person will be important somehow later on. Then, when it’s clear they were the dramatic extras, it’s disappointing. Maybe not everyone is like this, though.

Recommended
I think many readers of police procedurals will enjoy this, especially fans of previous Caro Ramsey novels. I recommend reading The Suffering of Strangers first, though. I’m adding that to my to-be-read list!

Thanks to Black Thorn Books and Netgalley for a free copy of The Sideman by Caro Ramsey in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really quick read, I was able to complete it in one day. This is the 9th book in a series, but the first one I have actually read. The story picks up when a 6 week old baby boy is abducted from a vehicle while mom is inside a small gas station picking up a bottle of wine. The story gets weird when it comes to light that the abducted baby has been swapped for a Down syndrome baby about the same age. Costello, a ballsy female detective is assigned to the case. Believing the baby was targeted, Costello starts by tearing apart the lives of both parents of the missing baby. When little to no leads come up using the DNA of the Down syndrome baby, Costello starts to believe that the baby may have been involved in an underground ring of high stakes baby sales, and that due his defect he was deposed for a healthy infant. The race is on to find the missing baby before he is sold off and never found again. This is. Fast paced, high energy read. While I wasn’t too familiar with any of these characters from previous novels, it didn’t really have an impact on the enjoyment of this novel. The only thing that threw me off at times was there are a lot of small part characters in this story and sometimes I lost track of exactly who was who, but generally I got the point. The story ends with some unforseen twists. A worthwhile read. Novel supplied by Netgalley.

The New York Times review of this book a few weeks ago highlighted something I had noticed myself. Too many people have nearly the same name and it makes it hard to keep them straight. (This reminds me of my first attempt at "War and Peace" which used full names with patronymics, family names alone, given name and patronymic, and all of the different nicknames for each of the given names, which in Russia is alot. I had not studied Russian at the time and was thoroughly confused.)

While the overall story is OK, I found it to be implausible, given the strict recordkeeping standards we expect today. It occurred to me that swapped babies will be blocked from entering the school system and accessing National Health as the births were not properly registered.

As a result I've downgraded the book.

I received a review copy of "The Suffering of Strangers" by Caro Ramsay (Black Thorn) through NetGalley.com.

A baby is taken from his mother’s car; in his place is a baby with Down Syndrome. The cold case review team is looking into a series of historical rapes. Do these have anything to do with each other?

This is number nine is a series featuring Glaswegian detectives Costello and Anderson. I haven’t read the prior novels, and, unfortunately, this made me fell that I had come in in the middle of something. A number of different characters were introduced and I really had to pay attention to keep them straight.

Despite that, I found this to be a satisfying police procedural that was an engrossing read.

First in the Anderson & Costello series, as the teams searches for a serial killer under the sometimes intuitive, often drunk and muddled DCI Alan McAlpine.
As a first effort, it is at times difficult to follow, but the series improves with time.½

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I'm abandoning this at 36%. I see now that this is the tenth in a series, but the subtitle "a Scottish procedural" led me to believe that it would stand alone - it really doesn't. It starts in the middle of an on-going narrative involving mysterious events at something called "Blue Neptune" and people who are all related to one another by adoption or having sold their baby or having discovered just recently that they fathered a baby that was sold and then adopted. Many of these people are already dead when the book begins.

There is an enormous cast of characters and I can't tell which are from previous instalments and which are new characters, whose stories will feed into the plot of this book.

It is too exhausting to keep going without starting again and making notes of who everyone is. I found it well-written and I am sure it's great if you're familiar with the previous nine books in the series.

Edited to add that I see that I did in fact read the ninth instalment last year, although clearly I have forgotten all about it... (I gave that one four stars and enjoyed it).

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is the ninth in the Anderson & Costello series of Scottish police procedurals, but I have not read any of the earlier instalments. I suspect that if I had done so, the first few chapters would have been an easier read for me, while I was trying to piece together who everyone was. Still, this works quite well as a stand alone story, despite the whole "getting the gang back together" scenario that develops.

The set-up is intriguing: a mother leaves her baby in the car outside a shop for a few minutes and when she returns, her baby has been switched for one of a similar age with Downs Syndrome. Costello is handling this case and also that of a mother who has climbed out of the window to escape from her social worker. The social worker was insisting on seeing her six week old baby and there is no trace of the baby in the home. As is so often the way in crime fiction, the two cases turn out to be linked.

I enjoyed this story enormously. The detectives were sympathetic characters with distinct personalities and back stories, but the focus was on the work. The police work itself felt realistically portrayed; it was certainly a lot more chaotic than is often the case in crime fiction. There was a section towards the end with a lot of action and excitement, but then there was still further investigation to be done, which gave the reader a chance to "catch up" with the plot.

Recommended; I am keen to go back and read the rest in the correct order.

DCI Anderson and DI Costello are investigating the disappearance of a young lady called Paige Riley, and trying to make sense of girl who believes she has been abducted by aliens. As this is happening the body of a man is discovered in a refuse bin. There is also the ongoing search for Paul Kerr whose mother Irene fears that he may be the body in the bin. This was not a story I particularly enjoyed and at times I found the writing somewhat confusing. Having said that I did love the events and residents of Athole House.."home for the retired stars of stage and screen" and in particular the Duchess who was looked after and cared for by her son and care assistant Sandra..."He always dressed the Duchess in the style of the women she admired; Jackie Onassis, the Queen, Walls Simpson..." The intentions of Sandra and the hilarity and sadness of the paying elderly guests were to me the high points in a plot that I found at times very difficult to engage with..."Enjoy the scenery as you fill up your incontinence pads and ring bells that nobody ever answers so you are left to rot and decay in some old stinking armchair, the TV left on, sound blaring and the same episode of Deal or No Deal playing over and over again..." Thanks to the good people of netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

A dark but very enticing Scottish noir police procedural with a reasonably unexpected protagonist.½

Complexly written thriller/police procedural. Somewhat difficult to keep the characters straight. Multiple quick shifts in perspective and aspects of the several past and ongoing crimes. Very Scottish - makes Ian Rankin's wring seem simple in comparison. Not a hint of happiness in the entire book, but enjoyed it.