I've read each and every Stuart book out there, and each of them try to be better than the previous one, and wow, do they deliver! I love the gritty grime of Scotland, and the descriptions of the scenery makes me feel I am there myself. Another brilliant book, please treat yourself!

3.5 stars
This is a stand alone by the author. Detective Constable Callum MacGregor of the Scotland Police is a character that reminds me of Job in the bible. Every bad thing that you can imagine happens to him. He is assigned to a "misfit squad" because management believes that he took a bribe by ruining crime evidence and causing a major criminal to go free. In fact, it was his pregnant girlfriend, who is a crime scene technician. His squad is assigned what looks like a joke-- investigating a mummy found in a garbage dump. This is a very long book, 604p. It held my interest with some false leads, as the team gradually realize that they are dealing with a serial killer.
There is a humorous side to the book as some weird dietary habits are mentioned--raspberry jam on anchovy pizza?!
I think the book was a little too long. The characters were believable and plot led up to a satisfactory ending. Another character that I liked was Rosalind Franklin, an attractive black woman, sent to the misfit squad after she punched a Superintendent who grabbed her bottom.
Some quotes by Callum:
"Why did no one ever come back when they were told to? Anyone would think that people didn't want to get arrested."
"Poor sod. Living with Franklin must be like trying to cross a minefield on a pogo stick every day. Blindfold. While sadists threw burning squirrels at you."
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, HarperCollins for sending me this book.

I found this book a little bit too long and could have been at least a hundred pages shorter. I think that there was lots of extra bits to the story that weren't really needed, but were ok and feasible.
The main character, Callum, was a good egg and I felt sorry for him and how he was treated by his peers and girlfriend.
I didn't guess the ending until nearly the end which makes a change, I kept guessing other characters but didn't suspect that one.
There was a lot of violence in the story.

This book was a brilliant read, griping from the first to last page. I had real difficulty in putting it down and found myself thinking about the plot when not reading it. Stuart MacBride has a real tallent for pulling you into a story and holding your attention. This said, I found the ending really odd, the murderer did not sit comfortably into the storyline as the murderer. It is difficult to state my case without giving away the ending for others, so I will say only that the ending was very strange. I would however reecommend the book for its gripping storyline.

This is my first read from this author and o am just thrilled! I am definitely going to read his other popular series! Excellent plot

Stuart MacBrides A Dark So Deadly was a fascinating read with a plot that twists and turns leaving you intrigued to the very last page. In Callum MacGregor, Mr MacBride has found a worthy opponent for Logan McCray. I look forward to further books in the Callum MacGregor series

Brilliantly written thriller, with a strong plot and diverse characters. Excellent. It was a real page turned. I was hooked from the start. There was great attention to detail.

Many thanks to Stuart MacBride and Netgalley for the copy of this book. I voluntarily agreed to give my unbiased opinion on this book.

Stuart macbrkdes earlier novels were fantastic but this latest one I found disappointing and couldn't settle myself into it to the extent that I was bored and didn't want to read. Sorry Stuart but this one didn't hit the mark for me..

I didn't think I would enjoy this book but it did keep me entertained. I didn't see the end coming which was a good twist.

A misfit mob, a Scottish PD earmarked for failure, and chasing a serial killer by mummification (amongst other things) where everything seems to go wrong. So much so that it's as if something was tinkering from the inside.
Well written, the characterisation excellent and a few twists and turns, most notably right at the end.

The opening chapter, which starts mid-fight, I did find a little difficult to get into (first impression disjointed), likewise the style of some conversations punctuated with transcription of background (for example TV) conversations, but once used to it, it all adds to the real life picture.

Once it got going, and I got going with it, I just wanted to read more and more until the end.

Wow, what a fantastic read. Enter the Misfit mob - with DC Callum MacGregor, his boss Mother, and new partner DC Franklin.

This is another dark tartan noir from the excellent MacBride with enough comic moments, mostly involving Callum to keep you turning the pages.

I look forward to seeing more of Callum and his clan.

I almost cheated my self out of reading this amazing, convoluted thriller. The first two chapter were so confusing with a bizarre flash-forward, quotes from books and songs I've never heard of and a extensive violent street scene using incomprehensible Scottish slang, that I put the book aside. After a week or so the book called to me saying "You need to find out what's going on here." I picked it up and didn't quit reading until the very end. This book has it all...child abduction, a maligned hero, a group of misfit police officers threading their way through a quagmire, love gone wrong, and an amazing number of twists and turns that left this reader in the dark until the very end. If one hangs in there through the first two chapters, which eventually make sense, this is a terrific read and I recommend it highly.

Im new to this author. Cant recommend enough, fantastic writing, storyline. Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish *****

This is a stand alone novel, although it takes place in Oldcastle and locations used in the Ash series of novels.

The book revolves around DC Callum MacGregor, who is part of the Misfit Mob, drawn up of members of the force who have various misdemeanors to their name or are recovering from serious illness, or in one case terminal illness. The Misfit mob get the cases no-one else wants and the action starts when the team are assigned to see where an ancient mummy was stolen from after turning up at the Oldcastle tip. But then Callum uncovers links between the ancient corpse and three missing young men, which leads him and his fellow Misfit Mob into investigating a serial killer.

It is a long read at over 600 pages, however Stuart MacBride's trademark black humour and ability to relay the less glamorous sides of policing keep the reader engrossed. I have to say DC Callum is one unlucky fella, as despite his often best intentions it often turns bad for him. His childhood links into the case the team are investigating and there are plenty of twists and turns you'd expect in a good crime novel.

Stuart MacBride excels at having you laugh one minute, then shudder as he describes how the serial killer treats his victims. Never read a duff book by this author and 'A Dark So Deadly' will please both longstanding fans and anyone who has yet to try this enjoyable crime writer.

Firstly many thanks to netgalley for an ARC of this in return for honest feedback. I love the fact that this is a stand alone book - few and far between these days!!! This is the first book that I have read from this author, but I will 100% be seeking out more!

As the title suggests, Dark So Deadly is dark in more ways than one. The story centres around DC Callum MacGregor whose career has been derailed after he takes the blame for his pregnant girlfriend after she compromises a crime scene. His life goes from bad to worse, as he is also accused of being 'bent' and taking bribes from known gangsters who allegedly paid him to contaminate the scene! Callum is sidelined and transferred to DI Flora Malcolmson’s team which consists of other officers who have fallen from grace and affectionately named the 'Misfit Mob' who look set to never return to proper detective work again... that is until they land a case that has the hallmarks of a prank case and their fortunes are turned around!

As the investigation into the mummified remains deepens, the misfit mob find themselves looking for a serial killer and as they progress, the team find their feet and get to grips with real detective work once more.

I really enjoyed the pace of this book, although it was a long read, the story merited it. I look forward to reading more from this author!

This book was a mixed bag for me. I found the crime story interesting and well-paced and the modus operandi was imaginative and satisfyingly gruesome. But the scenes between the police officers seemed contrived and the dialogue a bit corny. It was almost as if the TV show New Tricks inspired the idea of the squad of oddballs. Overall I enjoyed the book but it was a bit of a slog to get through at times.

Absolutely fabulous read, my very first Stuart MacBride but definitely won't be the last. It has everything a reader could want, dark and light and every shade in between, horrific happenings, intrigue, lighthearted moments, and a hugely complex cast of characters. I'm not the type of reviewer who describes the whole plot, I'd much prefer other readers to have the pleasure of finding out for themselves , but what I will say is that DC Callum MacGregor ,the main protagonist , has to be the unluckiest man in Oldcastle.
Two or three times I thought I saw how it was going to pan out, but except for one brief thought which I immediately dismissed, I was way off. I shouldn't have dismissed that brief thought it was almost correct...but only almost. Great book, loved it, and it really did keep me guessing to the end through lots of twists, turns ,and red herrings.

I can't even go into all the reasons why I loved this book, there are just too many! It hit the mark for me on so many levels; it's dark humour, the fantastic characters, the setting, the twists .... what can I say, just brilliant.

Tried 3 times to get stuck into this book but several chapters in it just does not grab my attention. I know it should be good so it must be me!

First line: "<i> The wall whispers to him with splintered wooden lips.</i>"

This was a longer book than I've read in awhile, but it was a great read nonetheless. This is the first novel I've read by Stuart MacBride (to my recollection), but it was a great debut into this author's work. The characters are realistic, they have a certain depth which allows you to connect to the character's emotions in many situations. The plot was intricate and kept me coming back for more. There were twists and turns left, right, and centre... the majority of them quite unexpected.

I've come to realize that I don't really like most novels set in the United Kingdom... I've never discriminated upon a book because of its setting, but I find it harder to "get in" to the novel, so to speak. Compared to North American English, the terms used are sometimes quite different and obscure. This novel was different to me in the sense that, although I was initially discouraged by the Scottish setting and the sheer length of the book, I actually was pulled into the story quite quickly. The terms that are, most probably, used quite frequently in Scotland were not distracting to my reading, as they sometimes can be.

The main character, Callaum MacGregor, is quite a hoot. You learn so much about his way of thinking, his emotions, and how he copes with what life throws his way. I have to say that this poor man went through <b>a lot</b> of things throughout this novel that left me saying to myself: "How is this even possible?" or "Again, seriously?!". He gets handed a lot of shitty situations and manages to come out swinging despite it all.

I was definitely surprised by the outcome of this novel. Like I said previously, Stuart MacBride's work is phenomenal in the sense that he keeps the reader going. He brings you on a wild goose chase to figure out who the murderer is, just to show you that it's not really them. I will definitely be looking into reading more of this author's work in the near future.

Finally, a big thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this novel!