Wed 11 Jan 2023
A Mystery Review by LJ Roberts: J. D. KIRK – A Litter of Bones.
Posted by Steve under Reviews[5] Comments
Reviews by L. J. Roberts
J. D. KIRK – A Litter of Bones. DCI Jack Logan #1. Zertex Crime, hardcover, October 2020. Setting: Scotland.
First Sentence: The total collapse of Duncan Reid’s life began with a gate in the arse-end of nowhere.
The past comes back to haunt DCI Jack Logan. A boy has disappeared, and the case has all the characteristics of “Mister Whisper,” a serial child-killer Logan put away ten years ago. When another child goes missing, Jack is sent to lead the investigation. Did Jack have the wrong man all those years ago? Is this a copycat. Either way, Jack needs to do everything possible to rescue the boy.
It takes very little time to recognize the quality of Kirk’s writing and his skill for dialogue. He provides a well-done introduction to Logan’s team and their personalities. Sinead and DC Hamza Khaled are particularly well utilized in their roles.
One appreciates the hints of humour with their very Scottish flair— “But in a minute, I’m going to hear a cry for help from within this house, giving me no choice but to break this door down and investigate.” …Sinead hesitated, then nodded. …He watched as Sinead leaned past him, turned the handle, and pushed the door open. “It’s the Highlands,” she told him. “We don’t always lock our doors.” What a good example of Logan being out of his element while showing his fallibility.
Kirk establishes an excellent sense of place, whether it be a small, mid-terrace house, or the open area. Yet it is the excellence of conveying the fear and frustration of the family which are particularly compelling. His ability to escalate suspense is palpable, cementing the plot as being a ripping page turner filled with wicked twists. Be aware that there are scenes related to animal torture, and others not for the faint of stomach.
A Litter of Bones is a straight-through, non-stop read filled with great characters, action, suspense, emotional impact, twists and just enough humor for balance. There are no portents, just a wicked good story that keeps on turning the pages. It is dark, and there are scenes unpleasant to read, yet the positive qualities outweigh the negative and compel one to read the next book.
Rating: Excellent.
January 11th, 2023 at 9:50 pm
Well, I didn’t expect to discover this. There are already 16 books in the DCI Jack Logan series. The dates given in the list below may be those of British and/or Kindle editions:
1. A Litter of Bones (2019)
2. Thicker than Water (2019)
3. The Killing Code (2019)
4. Blood and Treachery (2019)
5. The Last Bloody Straw (2020)
6. A Whisper of Sorrows (2020)
7. The Big Man Upstairs (2020)
8. A Death Most Monumental (2020)
9. A Snowball’s Chance in Hell (2020)
10. Ahead of the Game (2021)
11. An Isolated Incident (2021)
12. Colder than the Grave (2021)
13. Come Hell or High Water (2021)
14. City of Scars (2022)
15. Here Lie the Dead (2022)
16. One For the Ages (2023)
January 12th, 2023 at 11:02 am
Steve beat me to it. I was just going to point that out too. His first book was May 2019 and he already has SIXTEEN in print? Wow.
January 12th, 2023 at 7:40 pm
I might look for these, but not if they are all serial killers and certainly not if they are all about child killers. I’ve had it with that trope save in the classical fair play detective series killer sense or Jack the Ripper.
January 12th, 2023 at 8:38 pm
I was wondering about that, too, so I went looking. Here’s the Fantastic Fiction description of book #5, THE LAST BLOODY STRAW:
“How do you solve a murder when everyone’s a suspect?
“Tormented by the recent loss of a colleague, DCI Jack Logan is on the warpath, determined to bring down all those he holds responsible for the officer’s death.
“His quest for revenge is cut short when a woman’s body turns up on the remote island of Canna, and Jack is summoned to investigate. As a storm closes in, Jack finds himself cut-off from the rest of the world, with no car, no phone signal, and only DC Neish for company.
“With time running out before the ferries resume, Jack must act fast to crack the case before the killer can escape. But with the victim widely hated on the island, everyone on it is a potential suspect.
“Even the scarecrow…Even the scarecrow…
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“The Last Bloody Straw is the fifth book in the DCI Jack Logan series, set in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Chris Brookmyre, and Stuart Macbride.”
January 12th, 2023 at 10:15 pm
Thanks Steve, sounds like a good starting place for me.