A long read, not too easy due to the (totally necessary for authenticity) Gaelic and Glaswegian dialect but a skilfully woven tale of a serial killer's crimes and the attempt of the team to bring him finally to justice, under the watchful eye of a senior officer parachuted in to see why the investigation has stalled. Set in Glasgow in the 60s/70s, this was a truly enjoyable read.

Particularly enjoyed this book as it is set in my hometown of Glasgow so its always nice to be able to really picture the setting. I enjoyed the writing and the storyline and I particularly enjoyed the character of McCormack who was had his own troubles whilst dealing with issues within the Force. A good book and I look forward to reading more.

A good story with lots to keep your interest throughout. The ending finished well although possibly slightly obvious

One of the more intriguing turn-ups in literary awards in 2018 came via the McIlvanney Prize given each year to the best Scottish Crime novel. In 2016 this award was renamed in honour of the writer known as “The Godfather Of Tartan Noir”, William McIlvanney who died in 2015. The previous winners since the rebranding had been Chris Brookmyre and Denise Mina and in 2018 the Prize went to Liam McIlvanney, William’s son for "The Quaker".

There’s certainly no nepotism at work here as this is a very strong slab of crime fiction which fulfils the criteria perfectly and beat off the other shortlisted new titles by previous winners Brookmyre and Charles Cumming together with Lin Anderson.

This is Liam McIlvanney’s sixth publication which includes three fiction (a two parts of the way through trilogy begun in 2009) and three non-fiction works, two of these in conjunction with Ray Ryan. This novel is, hopefully the first in a new series, set in late 1960s Glasgow featuring DI Duncan McCormack, a member of the Flying Squad team who is seconded to an ongoing murder investigation to produce a report as to why a triple killer known as “The Quaker” has remained undetected. His interest in the case turns into a personal obsession whilst those above him want the investigation scaled down.

I like the feel of the period, clearly illustrated as a time when “the polis” operated with different standards. McCormack is a closeted gay officer at a time when homosexuality in Scotland still equalled a prison sentence and career ruin and this adds a fascinating dimension which stands this character out from the norm of crime fiction detectives.

The victims are also allowed to express their viewpoint in first person narrative sections, another thing which here is done well and adds to rather than impedes the flow of the piece.
I found this very readable and highly entertaining. I very much liked McCormack who is an outsider here in more than one sense and I would be very keen to read more novels featuring him.

McIlvanney currently works and lives in New Zealand but has convincingly conveyed the feel of Sixties Glasgow. There’s political incorrectness a-plenty with the nickname of a killer known to make biblical references a case in point. The novel was actually loosely based upon a real like killing spree by an individual known as Bible John, an undetected serial killer from the same time and location. Those who like their crime gripping and hovering around the edge of darkness should seek this out. I have limited experience of Scottish crime but this has certainly whetted my appetite to read more.


The Quaker was published in hardback in June 2018 and in paperback by Harper Collins in Feb 2019. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy..

Duncan McCormack was an interesting detective if a little similar to one or two other policemen with a hidden secret or problem. The story was told in a rather muddled manner at times and I was confused as to what had happened in Glasgow and what with the Flying squad. That said the police procedure was well researched and I would read another by 5is author. I would just like it to be a bit more focused for my liking.

Another really good Scottish crime writer compares with Ian Rankin and Stuart MacBride.

The Quaker being hunted by a Glasgow team of detectives turns to Duncan McCormack a DI with the Flying Squad after over a year with three murders and no clues. A desperate and personal investigation ensues which becomes more intense when McCormack starts to look closer to home.

A great book ,best I have read for some time looking forward to seeing more from Liam McIlvanney.

Smart, sharp, atmospheric, clever. Deftly evocative of a specific time and mood. Not easy reading, but rewarding.

4 Stars from me

This is a great, gritty, atmospheric thriller with an air of 'Life on Mars' about it owing to the timeframe of 1969. The sexism and outdated viewpoints are captured beautifully, as is the impact of and resentment towards DI McCormack when he is drafted in to find fault in the original investigative team.

The story of 'The Quaker' is really quite dark and frightening, it's a wonder any women ever left home during this time, let alone went to the dance halls where he was known to prey. 

I loved DI Duncan McCormack, he was a well rounded character to get to know - as was Goldie - and he holds a strong line throughout the book. There are also some great little sub plots and the time and detail taken on them is admirable and really added to the quality and craftsmanship that shines out from the pages.

The reason I have given 4 stars rather than the 5 that the quality of this story deserves is because for all the brilliance, there are regularly patches where the story lags and becomes slow. Possibly it is a writing pattern/style that I am just not familiar enough with but for me it let the book down.

Having said that, I enjoyed meeting DI Duncan McCormack and would certainly go out of my way to pick up book 2 as I look forward to reading more about him and how his future unfolds.



Synopsis: Glasgow, 1969. In the grip of the worst winter for years, the city is brought to its knees by a killer whose name fills the streets with fear: The Quaker. He’s taken his next victim — the third woman from the same nightclub — and dumped her in the street like rubbish. The police are left chasing a ghost, with no new leads and no hope of catching their prey. After six months, DI Duncan McCormack, a talented young detective from the Highlands, is ordered to join the investigation — with a view to shutting it down for good.

His arrival is met with anger from a group of officers on the brink of despair. Soon he learns just how difficult life can be for an outsider, for McCormack is an outcast in more ways than one. When another woman is found murdered in a tenement flat, it’s clear the case is by no means over. From ruined backstreets to the dark heart of Glasgow, McCormack follows a trail of secrets that will change the city — and his life — forever . . .

Brilliantly crafted with great depth and nuance, The Quaker is an electrifying thriller that expertly captures the gritty atmosphere of paranoia and hopelessness in a city on the verge of a great upheaval.

This is the first novel by Liam McIlvenny that I have read and I really enjoyed it. It took a while to get into the book but the writing was excellent and I as drawn inexorably into the violent and edgy back streets of Glasgow in the 1960s. Loosely based on the Bible John killings, there are many twists and turns and lots of police procedure. Highly satisfying tartan noir!

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was an engrossing,entertaining, gruesome Scottish police thriller. I found the whole storyline set in Glasgow in the late 1960’s absolutely fascinating. The writing was excellent and well written, the characters and the areas of Glasgow seemed so realistic that you kept reading until the end. There were so many twists and turns to the plot you wondered how Liam McIlvanney managed to keep it all flowing and cohesive.
One of the best police books I have read for some time.
Highly recommended.

Fairly closely based on the Bible John murders in Glasgow in the 1960s, The Quaker offers a fictitious resolution to these unsolved murders.

Three women have been slain in Glasgow, meeting their killer in the Barrowlands ballroom and never making it home. The third victim had shared a taxi with her stocious sister and The Quaker; the sister offered the best – and only – hope of catching the killer. But after a year there had been no breakthrough and DI Duncan McCormack is sent into the investigation to determine whether or not to scale it down.

This leads to a complex story that is, on the face of it, a police procedural – with red herrings, corruption, distrust and a jewel heist – and part a social commentary on the changing social values of the 1960s. The Glasgow of the time had not yet reconciled itself to the abolition of the death penalty or decriminalisation of homosexuality. Single mothers were still scandalous, Catholics were still routinely disadvantaged, pubs were still not places that nice people went. In many ways, the killer represented a reaction against the encroaching modernity.

The novel is well written, had a suitable number of red herrings and creates a great sense of place. The sense of time, however, doesn’t always feel quite right. I’m not sure 1969 Glaswegians wore cagoules and worried about neds – maybe they did, but just that seed of doubt can dispel a setting.

The plot is quite lurid and appears to have been driven backwards from the ending. I’m not sure in the real world that a set of actions would ever have led to the consequences as they unfold. But it’s a good yarn, nonetheless, and might go some way to reigniting curiosity about the real Bible John.

Full of surprises
6 February 2019
Format: Kindle Edition
This story is obviously based on the murders committed by "Bible John" in Glasgow in the 1960's but the author has used it as the basis of a brilliant plot with lots of twists, turns and jaw_dropping surprises. If ever a book was hard to put down its this one. The writing is brilliant and the characters are realistic. A really good book to get you teeth into _ definitely recommended.

This novel ticks all the boxes. Wonderfully complex and gripping plot. Brilliant writing by McIlvanney. Gloriously evocative setting - Glasgow in the late sixties as the infamous Gorbals are being demolished. DI McCormack yet another of those policemen with a personal secret he'd prefer his colleagues not to know about. Add into this mix the odd corrupt copper, a veritable crowd of Glasgow gangsters, and what looks like a rampant serial killer and you have all the ingredients for a murder thriller "par excellence". In the Quaker this is exactly what you get!

Fantastic book! It was good to read a crime novel set before the days of technology. This is a gritty book that I couldn’t put down and thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Set in 1968, ‘The Quaker’ is the tabloid name given to the notorious serial killer who is terrifying Glaswegian women, preying on them in the Barrowland Ballroom and raping and strangling them hours later. He has already killed three women – Jacquilyn Keevins, Ann Ogilvie and Marion Mercer - when we join the narrative, along with DI Duncan McCormack, a Highlander who has been parachuted in to report on the badly stalling Quaker case, the suspicion now being that the criminal has long left Glasgow. Needless to say, McCormack is not welcomed with opened arms by the Quaker team who have worked incredibly hard to track down their man and see his presence as a symbol of their failure to apprehend their man.
Over the course of the novel McCormack follows clues, is fed false leads, puts himself in real danger and yet doggedly continues to look for the Quaker. Over the course of the novel, against the odds, McCormack wins round DS Goldie who originally labels him ‘the brass’s nark’. The latter slowly begins to appreciate McCormack’s determination, his astute analysis and his innate understanding of human nature.
Liam McIlvanney not only knows how to tightly plot a complex story superbly well; he also creates characters who are far more than the stereotypes one might expect in a police procedural. However, perhaps his greatest strength is his ability to recreate Glasgow of the late 60s in a way that makes us stay with McCormack every step of the way. The day-to-day details are utterly authentic and the reader is able to imagine the crumbling tenements, the damp blankets, the Vauxhall Velux, the bottles of Bass, the library ledger and the many more details that make up this not so swinging society.
This is an excellent read. I can see it making its way to the small screen too. There are plenty of surprises and McIlvanney’s story also reminds us that integrity and truth are worth fighting for, a message that’s welcome in any time.
My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

Wow! I really enjoyed this book and sped through it; it's incredibly well written and you are soon engrossed into the awful crimes and the plight of the central detective and the dramatics and angst of the team he finds himself working with.
The story is gritty and disturbing and is loosely based on real events from 1960s Glasgow. I love the close-up detail in the narrative and the scenes and characters came screaming to life from the pages.
It's difficult to write about this, as I wouldn't want to reveal any of the plot, but it's a 100% recommended read for fans of the crime genre. Some great plot twists, carefully constructed characters and superb overall structure and plotting. A fantastic gritty read!
Thank you so much for the review copy, I shall definitely be purchasing my own copy for a hands-on re-read!

The Quaker is simply one of the best crime novels I’ve read for a long time. I devoured it.

Unusually the book begins several months after a series of murders has already taken place. Glasgow of the late sixties is in a state of flux. Families are being moved out of the slum tenements that are being pulled down; relocated to the new build flats further outside the centre of the city. And amidst this, three women have been murdered by a man that the press has dubbed The Quaker. There’s no link between the three victims or commonality, beyond them having been dancing at the Barrowlands dance hall.

Despite feverish press coverage, and an artist’s impression being on posters across the city, the investigation has dried up and the police have no new leads. And so, we’re introduced to DI Duncan McCormack, something of an outsider who comes from the Highlands, who is really there to see whether the case should be shut down after months of getting nowhere. It’s a no-win situation. The team on the case know why he’s there.

Elsewhere in Glasgow, a group of career criminals are planning the robbery of one of the city’s auction houses, where some valuable jewels will be going under the hammer. All of this in a city of gangsters that run or take cuts of most of the criminal activities that take place.

All of these stories will somehow collide in what is a masterful piece of fiction.

The sense of place in this book is fantastic: smokey pubs, phone boxes and lots of whisky. There’s sectarianism bobbing around just below the surface, and a smattering of Gaelic. This is seedy Glasgow through a noir lens.
Unusually, we get a first-person perspective from each of the murder victims. Author Liam McIlvanney (son of the famed Scottish crime writer William McIvanney and nephew of the late sports writer Hugh McIlvanney) says that he used this device to try to work around the problem that many crime novels have, of female victims being avenged by male detectives. Of course, all the detectives in Glasgow at the time would have been male, so there’s no getting around that. I think this was a smart decision.

The novel is, of course, based on the true-life murderer Bible John. I say “of course,” but in fact I didn’t really know the details of that case until I read about it afterwards – only vaguely recalling the name. I came into the novel cold, and while those who do know the details of that case will no doubt get a lot from it, it’s absolutely unnecessary to be acquainted with those horrible true events.

The book does veer away from the true-story and reaches a bracing conclusion.

I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

"He thought of the men in the Murder Room, men in shirtsleeves, bent to their work. He understood what it was now, the fear that he'd smelled as the days wore on. It was the fear that they'd already missed him, that the Quaker was gone... They didn't want him gone. They wanted him caught... Otherwise he would always be there. Every time a woman was killed, or a girl went missing... 'Is he back?'".

It's late 1969 in Glasgow and three women are dead - raped and murdered by 'the Quaker', whose sinister smirk in police posters follows everyone around the city, because he cannot be found. The serial killer meets women at dance hall The Barrowlands, and his smart charms attracts women despite his biblical sermonizing. After a few months have passed and the killings have stopped, intuitive Detective Inspector Duncan McCormack is drafted in from The Flying Squad with the unenviable task of shutting the investigation down. He is met with resistance from the detectives who have been working the cases to no avail and soon uncovers new links that take them in a different direction. A new murder gives them all hope the Quaker can be found, but is it the Quaker or a copycat?

At the same time Alex Paton, a local peterman (safe cracker) returns from living in London for a job for local mobster, McGlashan. He and McGlashan's crew rob a major auctioneers but whilst Paton is in hiding out after the crime in a condemned flat he stumbles accross the Quaker's new victim. Could Paton be the Quaker?

Set against the back drop of emigration and demolition, large areas waiting for regeneration (which feels like a character in the novel), late 1960s/early 1970s Glasgow is not appealing! Grim and tough the novel is lifted by McCormack's steady determination to identify the Quaker and bring him in. A solid and chilling police procedural, with twists and turns, I thoroughly enjoyed this and am hoping for more McCormack books.

Loosely based on real events, The Quaker takes us back to 60's Glasgow, where a serial killer stalks and a police team stutters.

As far as sense of time and place goes, this author has it spot on, enveloping you into the world seamlessly. The story itself is compelling and gritty with a huge sense of atmosphere and a good snapshot of a different way of doing things. 

My one issue was the meandering and occasionally unfocused nature of the drama playing out on the page. There were large swathes of this book that I personally found unnecessary and distracting- however that is purely subjective, the writing is excellent and for the most part fascinatingly addictive.

A solid gritty crime read. I'll certainly give the next one a go.

I always love a book set in Scotland & this one didn’t disappoint. Brilliant & well written look forward to reading more by this author.