Long time since I have read a Stuart MacBride and did not realize he had a new series and this one is the 3rd, but as with all his books can be read as a standalone but the description of the characters are somewhat limited. Ash Henderson is ex DI disabled and Dr Alice Macdonald and she has a drink problem so a motley pair, and they consult with Police Scotland. This particular night the wind howling rain lashing and being on the North Sea coast the coastline is eroding away and a little lad who likes helicopters hears one and put his wellies on and goes out to investigate, to the horror of his mother, as she has to go and find him, and knowing the coastline is falling away and the flimsy fence work in place is very worried. She does indeed fine him and manages to get him to safety just as part of a Mr Graham Smiths house falls into the North Sea, but to her h0rror their are bodies mainly bones but how many? Investigations start and they realise this has been going on for over 5 decades Smith is sadistic manipulative and has the most pleasure in torturing his victims rather than the kill.. Can Ash & Alice work on this? not much evidence as it's all in the sea.
Good writing very complex sadistic bleak and somewhere some humour that is Stuart MacBride's books but I must confess it's hard to let go of Logan McRae.
Must thank Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC copy review extremely enjoyable a must for who love thrillers.

A great book for someone who loves a serial killer romp. Gloriously Scottish with swearing and slang to rival Brookmyre himself.

Loved the cast of misfit detectives and the renegade ex-policeman.

Definitely pacy, although I got slightly confused between the two stories running in parallel at times, and I thought the links between the two could have been slightly clearer.

I’d recommend that readers start at the beginning of the series - while it does work coming in halfway, there were moments where I was very aware that I was missing some back story.

Really lovely to see a series which wholeheartedly embraces minorities - including disability, colour or sexuality and does so in a way that’s not fetishising.

Nice twists and turns though I guessed some of the plot points in advance. Thoroughly enjoyable and I will definitely check out the rest of the series.

The Coffinmaker's Garden is the third instalment in Stuart McBride's Ash Henderson series. The story follows Ash he becomes involved in an investigation into Gordon Smith. Smith's house is falling into the sea, but with the house deteriorating human remains are discovered on sight. With the building crumbling no one can get in to retrieve the remains or discover how many people Smith has already killed - or if he's going to kill again.

Like the previous instalments The Coffinmaker's Garden is dark, gripping and absolutely unforgettable. The plot is razor sharp and full of twists that I definitely did not see coming. In true Stuart McBride fashion the story is gritty and mean - but with streaks of light throughout. The characters are incredibly well developed and the pain and heartache for the victims really comes across.

If you're a fan of Stuart McBride or love gritty crime novels, this is absolutely a must read.

This is the first Stuart McBride novel I’ve read and it’ll be the last. “A stunning new thriller from the Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller …” Somebody’s having a laugh – in fact it’s more like a comedy than a thriller. The writing was crude and childish, the characters were totally unbelievable, and the story was ridiculous. I read it to the end just to see if there was any improvement. There wasn’t, and it seemed to go on … and on … and on. The only thing I liked was the little dog, Henry. I couldn’t recommend this to anyone. Dreadful. While I’m here, perhaps someone would like to correct the error in “… and it had an a snot-green rattletrap Fiat Panda …”

This is my first book review of 2021 and this book really sets the standards for the year ahead.
This is the first Stuart MacBride book that I have read. I was intrigued by the title, book cover and description and it definitely did not disappoint. Although it is the third book in the series I felt that it read well as a standalone.
I do not like to give spoilers in reviews so have to be careful what I say but the character progression, descriptions and language in this book really puled me in. I love the way that the author adds in little Scottish words that I have never heard of but can understand their meaning just in the context they are written. I also love the way the author puts in details about the signs of the side of trucks that they pass and little adverts that come on the radio.
I did get a bit anxious about Henry (the dog) but I will let you experience that as you read the book.
This is a big book but you really see the world from the eyes of its characters and there are lts of twists and turns.
Buy this in hardback and you will be proud to have it on your bookshelf.
I now need to save up and get the other 2 books in the Ash Henderson series, as well as all the Logan McRae series.
Scotland is well known for its crime fiction but Stuart MacBride takes things to another level.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and Stuart Macbride for providing me with an advanced review copy of the book, in digital format, in exchange for an unbiased review.
The book is released in hardback and Kindle versions on 7th January 2021

Another brilliant read!
Stuart Macbride is always a safe bet because you know you will get dark and twisted with a big dollop of hilarious in the mix!

Ash Henderson is like the old fashioned movie detectives that you will never get down. You can beat him half to death and he will still get up and beat your ass! I can so see a Bruce Willis in a movie adaptation!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a long time reader of this author via the LoganMcrae series and also earlier books in this series I was a little disappointed in this offering. The humour at times seemed a bit forced and the storyline at times a bit over the top. Although still a very readable book for lovers of British crime novels as I am it is not the authors best by far.

This was the first novel I have read by this author. I found it a bit difficult to get into to start with - perhaps because it’s book 3 in the series - but then I found myself racing through it. I loved it so much I’ve bought the first two in the series and will eagerly await the next one - highly recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley for my Kindle version of The Coffinmaker's Garden. It took me quite a while to become hooked on this story but the main reason for this, I think, is because it's actually the fourth in a series and I haven't read the other three. At a push it does work as a standalone novel though but there are a few unanswered questions that I think I need answered and finding and reading the first three should do that.

The plot line is good and the characters are well drawn, although one has to suspend one's disbelief at the antics Ash Henderson (ex force) gets up to with no apparent censure from serving police personnel.

Once I was hooked I thoroughly enjoyed the book which is quite a mixture of the macabre and good honest humour.

This is not the first Stuart MacBride book I have read but the first in this series. I had never come across ex DI Ash Henderson and his sidekick Dr Alice MacDonald before, they are both employed by LIRU and investigate unusual cases. The book starts with a massive storm hitting the coast of Oldcastle and bones being discovered as the coast is being torn away by the sea. The police are called along with Ash and Alice to investigate and what they find leads to a huge investigation that could cost both of them their lives.

Scotland - Ash Henderson an ex police officer and Dr. Alice McDonald are with L.I.R.U. ( Lateral investigative and review unit ) they are civilians working with the police trying to find a killer of young boys. Alice has with her, her faithful scottie dog Henry along.
They meet up with Detective Inspector Malcolmson ( aka Mother!) and her team at Clachmara on the coast. The weather is wild and the coastline is crumbling from the cliff into the sea. The houses have been condemned and abandoned. Only a few resident remain and one of these is a recently released convicted killer, Helen McNeill who is desperate to find her grandaughter.
Whilst accessing McNeill's neighbour's house they make a grim discovery, they are now looking for two serial killers!
An author known for the Logan McRae novels. This is the fourth in the Oldcastle novels. It is the first one I've read and you probably should read them in order. For instance you don't know why Henderson was dismissed from the police force not how he got shot in the foot. How did Detective Inspector David Morrow ( aka Shifty) come to lose an eye?
It is the usual high octane manic activity that this author is reknown for. Alice is a complex character and a good foil for Ash. This is another successful series and is definitely recommended.

Stuart at his best. An autthor who puts more twists and turns into his work that you just cannot predict anything. It is the return of Ash Henderson but it is easily a stand alone book to read. There is much humour throughout as well as dark and nasty dark descriptions of the crimes that have been committed. This is a well written book that is very easy to read.
The title sets the scene for the book but it is certainly not gory , just great reading.

Well... having scored me an ARC of this book, I thought I'd better practice what I preach and play catch up first. With this duly done, I settled back and started this, the third in series featuring Ash Henderson.
Ash is not impressed when he is summoned to assist with someone that others would prefer to dodge being as she scares them to bits. But a side effect of this visit is that human remains are found in a neighbour's garden and more evidence in his cellar. Bad news though as the property is on the edge of a headland that is swiftly being lost to the sea, aided by the storm that is currently raging. All evidence is lost apart from that which Ash managed to grab before it went over the edge. Evidence of a prolific and longstanding serial killer.
And so begins the hunt for one Gordon Smith, owner of the lost house. A hunt that leads Ash and his colleagues a very merry dance. One that will have him pulling out ALL the stops to get to the bottom of. One that will very nearly be the death of him... but he's used to that by now.
I blooming love this series. Only new to both it and the author, for full disclosure, and cos it's also worth saying here, as well as playing catch up with this series, I also read the first in the Logan McRae series before this one and, from a sample size of one can also recommend that too.
I am also please to report that Alice spends a lot less time in the loo in this book and, from my perspective, that's a good thing. I'm not a big fan. Actually, she takes a slightly lesser role in some of this book which, as I still haven't completely warmed to her, was good news to me.
Ash is working alongside a new team in this book - a bunch of misfits really, headed up by DI Malcolmson, or Mother as she is better known. I say misfits, more outcasts really, and he himself teams up with DS Rosalind Franklin - a much better pairing for me. Alice continues investigating a child killer as part of the LIRU. Separately but always together, they have this bond.
Anyway... as with the previous two books in the series this one hits the ground running and the action barely lets up until the very last page. We reconnect with faces from previous books (see I was right to play catch up) and certain things are resolved. As well as being brutal with regard to the crimes being solved, this book also follows the previous insofar as being occasionally very funny. There is a definite gallows humour feel about some of what happens which maintains the balance and stops it all getting too much.
All in all, a cracking addition to an already impressive series. I have a few (lots) more Logan McRae to keep me going until the next in this series is due but that really can't come quick enough. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I loved this book. There was dark tension, plenty of twists and turns & most importantly just the right level of humor to really humanise the characters & keep you engaged.

I hadn't realised this was the third in the series (I will now be buying the first two) & there are references to the past books, however the story does not hinge on any of these & it works as a standalone.

Ash is one of the best characters I've read this year, treading a very moveable line of what is right & wrong but I was totally behind each step. The supporting cast were fantastic, their relationships made for really great reading.

I’d like to thank HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Coffinmaker’s Garden’ by Stuart MacBride in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

When a storm claims parts of the disintegrating coastline, human remains are found buried in a garden just before it gets swallowed up by the sea. As Ex-Detective Inspector Ash Henderson and Forensic Psychologist Dr Alice McDonald enter the house belonging to Gordon Smith they venture into the basement where they find polaroid photos supposedly of Smith’s victims. Their suspect is missing and nobody knows the identity of those in the photos as all the evidence has disappeared.

When I started reading I expected a serious crime thriller and believed it was going to be as exciting as the early novels in the Logan McRae series. It soon became clear that the book was far too long with an unrealistic plot and unbelievable characters and despite the interesting descriptive terms that at times made me chuckle there was little action to grip my imagination and keep me involved. MacBride appears to like his senior police officers to be caricatures such as DI Malcolmson’s ‘Mother’ which I don’t enjoy. I liked the partnership of Ash Henderson and Alice McDonald but they’d be so much more interesting if the story was serious and less tongue-in-cheek. I’m sorry I can’t be more positive in my comments but I promised to give my honest opinion and by reading others’ reviews I would appear to be in the minority.

Superb! MacBride offers another wonderful read. A wonderful cast of characters, great use of the locale as a setting and a pacy thriller following Ash Henderson as he tries to catch a serial killer who starts to target a little too close to home. Subplots a plenty and a possible happy ending for Ash and his friends? A brilliant author who continues to deliver fine writing and entertainment. Highly recommended

It was a dark and stormy night…

This thrilling instalment in the Ash Henderson series starts in truly dramatic fashion with the accidental discovery of a precarious crime scene. A heavy storm is lashing a beleaguered group of houses perched on a coastal headland which is rapidly being reclaimed by the sea. One of these doomed domiciles was harbouring a very gruesome secret; and time is running out for Ash and Alice to save the evidence.

As if this was not arduous enough, former DI Henderson and his colleagues are hunting a child murderer who could strike again at any moment. With assistance from a motley band of misfits (and moral support from wee dug Henry) Ash finds trouble and danger in equal measures whilst tracking two vicious serial killers.

I haven’t read the previous two books in this series (but certainly plan to rectify that shortly) so Ash, Alice, Shifty et al were all new to me. It’s fair to say that they are an unorthodox bunch and this book is all the more entertaining for that. Both storylines are engaging and well-plotted keeping your attention right to the very end of this highly enjoyable novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and to the publishers for a copy of this book in return for an honest review

I didn’t enjoy this book at all - a great disappointment having read Stuart MacBride’s ‘Logan McCrae’ books. The reader is asked to believe that serving officers of Police Scotland would willingly participate in the purchase of illegal firearms and in their use to commit murder. With their assistance. The heroics of the lead character, having been shot in the foot and having a finger chopped of are also beyond belief. The interactions between the characters are not explained initially such that it would seem to be a pre-requisite that the previous books in the Oldcastle series have been read.

This is the first of Stuart MacBride’s novels that I’ve read and I didn’t feel as though I had to have read the previous Ash Henderson books, although perhaps I would have understood some of Ash’s references to his past a little more...

The author has a very descriptive style which gave me a clear idea of the setting and I was able to envision the story well as it played out. Ash Henderson’s humour is sarcastic and dry – I’m sure this is something avid AH fans have come to expect. I laughed at most of it but found the author could lean a little too heavily on sarcasm and blunt comments which eventually started coming off as rude, unfortunately.

I enjoyed how the story started with one investigation but, in an early change of direction, became primarily about a second investigation, despite both running parallel to each other. I didn’t mind the length and enjoyed Ash’s various escapades and the twists in the book, however I didn’t feel fully satisfied with the way in which the climax was written. For me, a little more time dedicated to inevitable moment Ash comes face to face with the serial killer would have made a big difference.

Thank you to HarperCollins & NetGalley for the ARC. Reviewed on Instagram, Twitter, GR and will review on Amazon when able to.

I'm a bit addicted to Stuart MacBain books. I find it hard to believe that any policeman is as violent and plain unfortunate as Ash Henderson but that didn't stop me enjoying this story.
Ash was a police inspector before his demotion and subsequent imprisonment. His relationship with psychologist Alice Mcdonald is touching and counter balances his violent side.
MacBride gives the impression that Scotland is full of gangsters and serial killers, lawless as it was several centuries ago.
Luckily there are people like Ash, Alice and Shifty prepared to do anything to hunt them down.