Rather slow to be fair but exceptionally well written and one not to be missed, loved the lead character and the story was believable, few twists and turns and really liked it a lot. Prefer mine faster paced but in all a good thriller.

Such an intriguing and effective read. Truly brilliant. Recommend! I also loved that it was Glasgow set!

Plot: A city torn apart, A detective with everything to prove. A killer who hunts in the shadows.

Intricate & gripping this one certainly deserved all the awards it got! I've knocked a star off because I found the start a bit slow but once it got going there was no putting it down.

People: The characters are brilliantly drawn with strong personalities, I do hope this is the start of a series & we get to meet Duncan McCormack again soon.

Pace: A slow start that increases in pace as it built to its surprising climax.

Disclaimer: A huge thanks to Harper Collins for sending me this title. All opinions are my own.

Set in 1960s Scotland, this story follows Detective Duncan McCormack as he finds himself taking on the hunt for a serial killer named the Quaker.

Sent to check on the progress of the investigation team rather than the crime itself, McCormack sons becomes embroiled in the hunt for the killer when he finds the team not fit fir the task.

McIlvanney writes an engaging and intriguing crime thriller with a captivating writing style.

McCormack Is a little different from what’s out there today and the story itself is done well.

A well crafted thriller that captures your interest. I like the author doesn’t need to resort to gruesome and gratuitous vileness to get his crimes across and this feels an excellent procedural and I’m very interested in what’s to come.

I love a Scottish setting, and this one did not disappoint. Glasgow in the 60s draws obvious parallels with the real life Bible John case, but this felt fresh, and not derivative. Would definitely recommend this book.

No wonder this won all the awards! The Quaker has EVERYTHING you need in a gritty crime novel; dark settings, disturbing characters and a storyline that leaves you wanting more. Brilliant stuff.

Gritty and believable and not unlike a Rankin Rebus novel, which is a high recommendation.

Good story and a main character that brings you along with him through clearly difficult time.

Very enjoyable and I'm the look out for more from the author.

Loosely based on the Bible John serial killer from Glasgow in the 1960’s, McIlvanny uses this to set the tone for his new police thriller series and successfully creates an intriguing character in McCormack who is the type of copper who always gets his man!

Books about crime with a thriller edge are often hard to make unique thes edays - but McIlvanney has achieved that with The Quaker - refreshing and unique characters make this an interesting read.

great Scottish crime thriller with similar themes of the true life Bible John murders. Excellent central /lead character and several twists to story keeps you page turning. An excellent read

Not quite up there with Rebus and Ian Rankin (my favourite crime series and author) but make no mistake this is a fine read.
Edinburgh and Glasgow are often used as settings for crime fiction but with good reason. The Glasgow setting of this one is used well. With an abundance of crime fiction detective novels to choose from it's difficult to get the balance of developing characters you care enough about and selling a good story with a fast enough pace. I thought this one struck a fine balance of the two and is recommended by me.
Thanks for the preview copy.

A well-crafted piece of tartan noir, based initially on the killings of the infamous Bible John. But then it goes off completely into the realm of fiction and develops into a gripping fully-rounded novel, which gives a real taste of Glasgow in an earlier era.

A gripping and atmospheric thriller that kept me turning the pages! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reading copy.

Everything you want in a crime novel and pretty standard. A little slow at times and no momentus twists and turns but still pretty compelling.

1969 and Glasgow is in the grip of terror. A killer nicknamed 'The Quaker' has raped and murdered three woman, abducting them from the Barrowlands Ballroom and abandoning them to be easily found. The police have got clues but are nowhere near solving the crimes so they draft in a talented detective from the Highlands. McCormack is not liked be the team and when one lead draws him close to managing to nab the Glasgow organised crime kingpin he wants to move but his superiors say no.
Loosely based on the 'Bible John' crimes this is a deft and engaging crime novel. McCormack has his own demons which are never pushed but are made very obvious, the sexist nature of policing in the era is obvious and the setting is handled well with a deep understanding of time, place and people. An impressive book in a crowded genre.

Good new offering from Liam McIlvanney, pacey and his usual style. Interesting subject matter, and kept the pages turning.

I couldn't really get into this but I did find it picked up the pace in the second half. Well-written and a fairly good story but it didn't grip me in the way I expected. Nonetheless a fairly easy read.

Duncan McCormack #1

Set in Glasgow in the late 1960's to a time when the city was controlled by who also has some control over the police. The local press are making a laughing stock of the police force.. Now, the police have brought someone in to observe the officers conducting the investigation into a serial killer called the Quaker, who had brutally murdered three women. The women had all left the same nightclub.DI Duncan McCormack is the officer brought in to observe and ensure that enough Is being done to solve the murders. Then another woman is murdered. The police have arrested a suspect, but have they got the right man?

It took me a few chapters to get into the book, then I was hooked. It's loosely based on a true story. The first half of the book is basically building the scene. The second half is where the action and tension mounts up. I liked DI McCormack and the way he dealt with the difficult position he found himself in, he also has a secret. The murders are describes in detail, but they are not too graphic. It still might upset a few readers though. This is a well written police procedural. I do recommend.

Ripper Read!! Loved the setting...reminiscent of the 60's, Scotland still emerging as an identity.
The mystery is interesting and the story gritty.
McCormack is a flawed and engaging character.
Easy to read as the plot gallops along, letting us make the connections, or not!

It's easy to see why this book has received so many plaudits. Draws you in from the start and doesn't let go. I believe the author has a few back catalogue books also so I shall look out for them. Recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for ARC.