#BuryThemDeep #NetGalley The 10th in a series that just keeps getting better but perfectly capable of being read as a standalone. When it started and seemed to be about the secretive and possibly uninteresting Operation Caterwaul, I thought it seemed to be a fairly tame subject matter for a change. But I needn't have feared it soon became something much more fast paced and disturbing ! Plenty of action and plenty of twists and turns with old and new faces aplenty. I love the character of DCI McLean and I love the Scottish setting. Excellent read.

I am a great fan of the Inspector Mc Lean series and can't believe this is book 10. James Oswald is up there with some of the best Scottish crime writers of the time. Written in a bit of an unconventional style, I was hooked in from the first page with the intriguing plot and supernatural edge to the writing. Plenty tension, twists and suspense as well as excellent characterisation means a 5* read all the way. It's another winner for James Oswald. My thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

The Tony McLean series by James Oswald is always an enjoyable read. His depiction of Edinburgh is vivid, the characters are interesting and Tony's relationship with Emma continues to intrigue. There are a number of connected elements which gel well but I found the tales and legends which provided a background less than convincing.

I have been a huge fan of this series ever since I happened upon book one, Natural Causes, quite by accident whilst perusing book buying options, drawn in as I was by its Edinburgh setting. There is something so comforting about settling back with a well written tome that combines a brilliant police based investigation with something a little , how shall I put this, otherworldly. This is not your ordinary case and not your ordinary set of suspects, or even characters to be fair. So it is with a heavy heart that I write this review, knowing that the series will be taking a short hiatus while James Oswald turns his hand to other projects. Perhaps fitting as book ten is a nice round number, but still sad times for me (and I suspect many others ...) The only bonus - I have ten books I can read all over again! And again, and again, and again ... Whoop, whoop.

Bury Them Deep continues in Mr Oswald's not so conventional style with a case which is perplexing, intriguing, surprising and tense to the last page. When one of the team's civilian colleagues disappears in the middle of a major case, it is up to McLean and co to determine if there is a simple explanation or whether she is the victim of foul play. This is an Inspector McLean novel so of course there isn't an innocent explanation, but does the disappearance have anything to do with the multi-agency case they are working on? Well ... maybe, maybe not. Read the book and you will find out. That's how these things work you know.

I will admit that the opening chapter to this book had me intrigued. It is a passage which seems to have no obvious links to the premise of the book, but which becomes intertwined with the main narrative very quickly and very skilfully. It appealed to the macabre story lover in me, the sense of legend which is often built into the series, and although absolutely rotten and unsettling to think about its content, it certainly caught my attention and left me with that hangover senses of how and why throughout the book.

Not going to lie, there are elements of the book that have left me wondering just how ... varied(?) Mr Oswald's internet search history must be as he has never shied away from exploring some of the more colourful and less mainstream pass times of society. At least I am assuming it is just internet research or I am learning far more about one of my favourite authors than I necessarily needed to know ... It takes all sorts as they say, and the missing person in this case certainly defies the image that her colleagues have of her. I can understand some of the appeal of letting go, being someone completely different when you step out of the workday clothes. I wouldn't personally go that far but strangely it did kind of work for Anya. That split personality that leaves you wondering if she could be hiding far more than we think.

The story is full of tension and mystery and although a few of the more regular characters may be missing this time around (Madame Rose having recently defected to the author's other series), it still bears all the hallmarks of a McLean mystery. A seemingly unconnected chain of events sees the team managing a case far bigger than anything they could have expected, the surprises coming thick and fast for both Detectives and readers alike. The book draws readers back to one of McLean's most intense and memorable early cases and so if you haven't read some of the earlier titles, particularly Prayer for the Dead then you may want to do so before starting this book. One of the key characters here is someone McLean knows well, but his presence here will create major spoilers for that book in the very least so be warned.

The narrative ebbs and flow, the author creating a sense of tension and pace when necessary but also highlighting the frustration of inaction when the investigation keeps hitting a brick wall. There is a constant sense of threat and certain chapters had me on edge with the kind of quiet calm that belies the skin-crawling threat that is actually inherent. And then the ending. It wouldn't be a McLean book without that ultimate showdown and overwhelming jeopardy for those involved and this book does not disappoint. You'd think by now that McLean would know better, but thankfully he has still not learned, making it a satisfyingly intense but surprising conclusion for the reader, leaving you wondering if redemption is truly possible.

I both love and hate this book. Love it, because it is another McLean classic that had me hooked from the off, and I get a healthy enough dose of Grumpy Bob Laird (love Grumpy Bob). Hate because I have to wait to see if and when there may be a book eleven. Ah well - back to book one then I suppose ... 😉

the latest in the series enjoyed was dark with elements of folklore added and a support worker disappears and delve into the Edinburgh dogging scene and bones are found which incorporate cold cases. the plot kept me interested but felt though the ending was slightly rushed.

Wow, another fantastic Tony McLean book from James Oswald. Fully of mystery, intrigue and a want to read on until you'd cracked the storyline. An excellent read!!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Headline Publishing Group for an advance copy of Bury Them Deep, the tenth novel to feature DCI Tony McLean.

When normally reliable civilian administrator Anya Renfrew fails to turn up for work alarm bells ring. Tony is worried about her wellbeing but the brass is more interested in the ramifications for Operation Caterwaul, a top secret, multi-jurisdictional enquiry Anya was about to start work on. When Anaya’s car is found burned out in a local wood, Tony’s worries increase as she may not be the first woman to disappear there.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bury Them Deep which is an engrossing read with a strong plot line and plenty of twists. I put off my plans for the day to keep reading as I couldn’t put it down. I should, however, point out that readers wanting a credible police procedural may be disappointed as certain events and the solution are not wholly realistic but if they are just looking for a thumping good read this will fit the bill nicely.

The novel is chiefly told from Tony’s point of view with a couple of other voices inserted occasionally to broaden the narrative. I really like Tony’s voice which is a realistic mixture of hapless male on the home front, healthy cynicism on the politics of law enforcement and eerie smarts in the investigation, able to see links and draw conclusions that others miss. There is always a hint of the supernatural in these novels but Mr Oswald is very subdued on this subject in this novel until a surprise at the end. I loved it and found it inexplicable but apt given preceding events.

I found the plot and writing engrossing. Some characters arouse suspicion but there are no hints so I had no idea if my suspicions were correct (some were, some weren’t) so I had to keep reading to see how it played out. Equally some events give hints of what might be to come but again I was guessing and had to read on. It is very well done, invoking curiosity and guesswork without giving it all away until the denouement. I liked as well the way the author weaves his tale around old myths and legends and sets Anaya’s disappearance in a wood. It adds a certain atmospheric spookiness to the read. I also enjoyed the Scottishness of the two teenagers, Bobby and Gav. I’m not saying how they fit into the narrative but they are unconsciously amusing.

Bury Them Deep is a great read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read the latest from James Oswald. I must say I get a bit miffed when James is referred to as the next Ian Rankin. They are both great writers in this genre, anyone who has not started reading the Tony Allen series is missing a treat. Once again this novel is carefully crated with an underlying supernatural twist. I didn’t think this was the best in the series but enjoyed it nevertheless. Edinburgh provides a dark, gothic backdrop for this hard hitting story. Look forward to the next one.

As I only had a sneak peak , I cannot say much about this book but I’ll definitely read it when it’s out

A return to form for oswald in this next gripping installment of his longstanding inspector McLean series.

An excellent plot coupled with less transsexuals and plenty of action, more than makes up for the previous novel in the series which sadly did not live up to expectations.

Excellent characterisation, tight prose and a great story make this into a must read.

James Oswald is becoming the name to watch out for in Scottish crime fiction, move over Mr Rankin. This latest McLean novel is another masterpiece in plotting and characterisation, this book will hook you in and keep you up all night. I was disappointed by the non appearance of Madam Rose though, I kept waiting for her to appear. There are a few loose ends that I hope will be tied up in the next book. An absolutely brilliant five star read.

Another brilliant instalment in Oswald' s MCLean series with a slightly supernatural twist. I'd prefer to have fewer questions at the conclusion

It isn't really possible to give a review of this based on the opening chapter alone. Still there is enough to indicate another intriguing story in this excellent series. I look forward to the whole being released! Have now read the full story and what an addition to the Tony McLean series. As dark as ever with weird events to the fore, moments of humour and lots of violent action,an old protagonist, old foes turned allies it's all there. An exciting climax as expected all means the next chapter is avidly awaited!

#BuryThemDeepASneakPeek #NetGalley
Mind blowing thriller. A must read.
When a member of the Police Scotland team fails to clock-in for work, concern for her whereabouts is immediate... and the discovery of her burnt-out car in remote woodland to the south of Edinburgh sets off a desperate search for the missing woman.
Meanwhile, DCI Tony McLean and the team are preparing for a major anti-corruption operation - one which may raise the ire of more than a few powerful people in the city. Is Anya Renfrew's disappearance a co-incidence or related to the case? Don't miss this amazing thriller to know the answers.
Characters were awesome. My favourite character is of McLean. Other supporting characters were good.
Narration is simple and thrilling.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette for giving me an advance copy of this awesome suspense thriller.
A must read for thriller fans.

This is the latest in James Oswald's Edinburgh series featuring DCI Tony McLean, still unhappy about the now more managerial role dealing with budgets, reports and senior management meetings. He is infinitely happier on the front line of policing, it is where his strengths lie, right in the middle of the actual investigating of any given case. His map and knowledge of Edinburgh is one where streets and villages are marked and memorable for his various past murder cases. Unusually Edinburgh is in the midst of a sweltering heatwave, its the summer holidays, school's out and there are bored kids on the streets, and with the dry as tinder landscape there are numerous fires, some natural but not all. Tony is part of the tightly controlled Operation Caterwaul, where every member is heavily vetted due its extreme political sensitivity, partnered with the NCA and the Americans, involving the targeting of major figures in the business world for fraud and money laundering.

One of the operation team's administration support members, the long serving, capable and totally reliable, Anya Renfrew, fails to turn up at the start, triggering paranoia and suspicions, threatening to comprise the entire operation. Tony's gut instinct is that Anya's disappearance has nothing to do with the operation, he is worried for her as he is charged to find out what happened to her. As he interviews those who worked with Anya, it becomes clear that other than work based relationships, she is a remarkably contained woman whom people actually know very little about. Senior management's concerns hit sky high levels when it becomes apparent that Anya indulged in a secret double life, and does not live at the address held for her by the police. Her car is discovered burnt out in a remote and isolated part of Gladhouse woods and reservoir, an area with a sinister history of missing women going back years, brimming with Scottish folklore, myths and legends, such as that of the cannibal Sawney Bean and his family, brought back from Ireland for the entire family to be hanged locally without trial in the reign of James I. In a narrative that takes in American spooks, the apparently coincidental arrival of three billionaire tech guys that provide a security nightmare, a fire on the moors that reveals a charnel pit of dead remains, some of which are recent, Tony is to find himself in extreme danger in his search for the truth about Anya.

Tony's personal life with his partner, Emma, is still fragile after previous tragic events, but he is buoyed when she shows a strong interest in studying Forensic Anthropology with the famous Professor Harriet Turner, whom coincidentally he knows. Additionally, Tony finds he must face up to the horror of meeting up with childhood friend and multiple murderer Norman Bale, now incarcerated for life at Bestingfield Secure Psychiatric Hospital, when it looks like he might have significant information on the missing Anya. This is a trademark intense and dark read from Oswald, riveting with elements of the supernatural, with some insane secret cults with gruesome traditions that go back a long time historically. This is a great series and I loved this latest addition, finding it a compulsive novel that I just could not put down. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Jenni and Headline for an ARC.

In the tenth Tony McLean novel, Oswald falls back on some of the most intriguing aspects of his earlier books. Anya Renfrew is a member of the Police Scotland admin team, the kind of quiet efficient woman you wouldn’t give a second glance. But Anya leads a dangerous double life, and when the always punctual woman fails to show up for work, Tony and his team grow concerned. Their search into the woman’s private life only leaves them more mystified. Is the anti-corruption case Tony and his team are working on related to Anya’s disappearance. And what about the man locked up in a mental asylum, the one claiming to be a person Tony knows dies years ago? DNA backs up the man’s claims, will Tony need to disinter a body to discover the truth? The earliest books in this series had a little more of the supernatural to them and I’m glad to see that in the 10th book, Oswald has returned to that. Oswald is one of the best crime writers of the decade and deserves a lot more fame than he’s getting

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher for this sneak preview. This book is now on my wish list for 2020

Reading the teaser you can't tell a lot as it is too short to make a value judgement on a whole book.
That said it is an interesting start and you can clearly see the style of Oswald which draws you in to want to read more.

Definitely a sneak peek, and I can't wait for the actual book. James Oswald is such a good writer, with brilliant characters, plots and twists. Roll on February.

This was a sneak peep of the next Inspector McClean novel, it really was short and sweet. Yes I would read the next in the series when it becomes available.
With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc.