Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This is the second book in the DS Don Colyear. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it won’t be the last ! A great storyline and great characters, will definitely look out for his next book in the series

It was a compelling and highly entertaining read that kept me turning pages.
The plot is fast paced and twisty, the characters are fleshed out and like the light touches.
It's the first I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Into The Dark follows the two protagonists as they try to figure out who committed a horrendous crime - but also how did a resident of a care home call the police predicting this crime before it occurred. The premise was interesting, and overall, I enjoyed the book, although some of the side plots did detract from the main story. I would certainly recommend the book and read future ones in the series.

An engaging read! It has enough twists and turns to keep the reader hooked. But the writing, the plot, and the characters truly take the reader along for a absolutely gripping ride.
A wonderfully thrilling read.

Second in this series, it is easily read as a stand alone. There's action, suspense, and a few twists and turns to make this an engaging read. The characters are credible, as one would expect from an author who spent 10 years as a police officer.

This was definitely an interesting read. The story started off at a decent pace with Sergeant Donald Colyear asked to check with an elderly man about a phone call he had made a couple of months back. They believe it was a crank call but with no suspects yet in the gruesome murder of a ten-year-old they want him to take a statement from the old man. That the old man has dementia further complicates the case and, in his dementia, induced state he further shares information which Donald traces to another murder and another one which he believes is yet to happen. An interesting turn of events where he is the only person working on this theory and is facing the ire of the main police team who sees this as a waste of time. What I also loved about the book was the description of Edinburgh city. The characters in the book had their own perspective about the city and each in their own way was correct. This book, I think, is one of the first in the series for Donald Colyear and I will eagerly wait for his forthcoming adventures.

Into The Dark is a stark warning that we can all become products of our past if we allow it to consume us. The past can haunt us, and it can keep tiptoeing back into our lives. Is it ever possible to bury the past? This premise is one that sends chills down my spine. Edinburgh is known for its culture, its connections with Europe but it also has got a dark side. Murder and deceit can be found in dark corners just like any other city. Sergeant Donald Colyear is back in Edinburgh and is about to be found embroiled in a case that is as dark as it is brutal.

See no evil

Hear no evil

Speak no evil

Don is now settled in his new role of community sergeant on the outskirts of Edinburgh. He manages a small team and is the happiest he’s been for a long time. Not much happens, he just needs to keep on top of paperwork, local robberies, vandalism, and anti-social behaviour. Yes, life is good. That is until Alyson (DC in CID) calls upon him for a favour. An elderly gentleman in a care home within Don’s beat has made a call about a victim missing eyes, well, it just happens to match a case of a murdered boy that they are desperate to crack. They both go along to interview Mr. Beeswax. Unfortunately, it isn’t all plain sailing – he has advanced Dementia.

I thoroughly enjoyed the relationship dynamic between Don and Martin. So often that period in life is seen as a nuisance and once our parents are being taken care of by someone else that it is out of sight, out of mind. It was a beautiful depiction of having genuine respect for another human being. Stuart Johnstone’s examination of the human condition was succinct and touching.

The murder of a young boy and the subsequent events leave Police Scotland reeling. Long hours, snappy conversations and the divisional bureaucracy is splitting hairs. Events lead to a crescendo of shocks and emotion. There is a romantic interest for Don and it’s great seeing him moving on, with some hilarious moments from his colleagues in the community policing department. The author hasn’t only created a bubble of death and mystery but real deep-thinking points also.

Into The Dark was like quicksand. When you opened the pages of the book it sucked you in, further and further, until you were all in…nothing was going to pull you out. Doug steers you in each direction, a myriad of compulsive, addictive stories. He’s the crazy driver but you got in his car willingly. You’re in for the long haul, there is no getting out. The backdrop was spot on, a true portrayal of Edinburgh. From the weather to the culture, each character sees their city differently. Their experiences aren’t the same. It really breathes a dark and foreboding element into its pages…fear lurking within.

Into The Dark is hypnotically readable. It was intense and surreal with a sense of creeping dread pouring from its spines.

Sergeant Don Colyear is an officer working as part of community policing in Edinburgh, it is a long way from the big cases but it suits him. Elsewhere in the city detectives are trying to find the perpetrator of the horrific murder of a thirteen year old boy, but they seem to be getting nowhere. When a strange call comes through to 999 of someone ranting about a key element of the murder Don is charged with finding out about the caller which has been traced to a care home & Martin, a resident who has moments of lucidity in his dementia. When another murder takes place officers are dropped in from Glasgow & Don finds himself more involved than expected.

I enjoyed the first book in this series so I was delighted to meet Don again, although in a completely different setting. This was a fascinating police procedural with elements of the supernatural. I loved the variety of characters & the different paths the story took. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- I'm already looking forward to seeing what Don gets up to next.

'Cut his eyes out, so he has. What kind of a monster could... Cut his eyes out?'
The brutal murder of ten-year-old Callum Bradley sent shockwaves across Scotland but, as the weeks have stretched on with no solid leads, the investigation has been scaled back. Sergeant Don Colyear, Community Police Officer, is tasked with tying up a loose end: a 999 call which may have hinted at the boy's mutilation and murder. However, the call was made fully three weeks before the crime took place.
The caller turns out to be a resident at an Edinburgh care home, drifting in and out of lucidity due to dementia. Enough to write off the potential lead as a dead end. But when a fresh murder disturbs the city, the clock is ticking and Don is drawn far away from his usual beat onto a dark path to catch a violent killer.

This is a wonderful addition to this thrilling series!
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and action with wonderful world building that adds so much to the story.
Such a thrilling read that I couldn't put it down.
Can't wait to read more of these.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own honest voluntary review.

I was sent a copy of this book for an honest review.

I loved this book. Brilliant story, which had that 'sitting on the edge of my seat' feeling! Well written and it had lots of nice human touches which I liked.

#IntoTheDark #Netgalley

Into the Dark by Stuart Johnstone is a Scottish police procedural set in Edinburgh and is the second in the Don Colyear series. As the first book was only published last year and unfortunately not read, this is essentially a standalone review. An old man in a nursing home makes a desperate call to emergency services, triggering the interest of the Glasgow detectives. An old friend of Sergeant Colyear involves him in a local interview and then a second murder in Edinburgh is linked. A Dublin murder team moves down, whilst Colyear continues his Community Policing role and the parallel stories unfold. The murder investigation slows until Colyear begins to see a possible connection that causes increasing danger and escalation into a climatic unexpected conclusion. A first-rate police procedural with wonderful characters and a gripping plot that is a pleasure to read. Not surprisingly, Stuart Johnstone is a former policeman and this is a most believable, five-star not to be missed rating. With much thanks to Quercus Books and the author for an uncorrected proof copy for review purposes.

Book two in the Sergeant Don Colyear series has a slight hint of the supernatural in this police procedural and it took me a while to get into it. It was a good read with interesting and believable characters, as well as being a fun read for summer. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Several weeks ago a young boy was found murdered. No one has been charged and the case is turning cold.

Sergeant Don Colyear has just been notified that a phone call was taken hinting at the boy's murder and mutilation. But the call was made 3 weeks before the crime occurred.

Upon investigation, they find the caller .. he's a resident of a care home, suffering from dementia. When questioned the man cannot remember making the call or seeing any body.

A new murder rocks the city and Colyear is lured onto a dark path to catch a savage killer.

Second in this series, it is easily read as a stand alone. There's action, suspense, and a few twists and turns to make this an engaging read. The characters are credible, as one would expect from an author who spent 10 years as a police officer.

Many thanks to the author / Alison & Busby / Netgalley for the digital copy of this Scottish crime fiction. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

[i]Thank you to Netgalley and Allison & Busby for the ARC in exchange for my honest review![/i]

Into The Dark follows two investigators as they try to figure out who commited a horrendous crime - and how to stop them before they do it again. Added to it is the mystery of a senior resident of a care home having, while hallucinating, called the police predicting this crime before it was ever commited.
This was a fun, fun read, especially because the side characters (I love you, Morgan) can be so charming. The mystery itself is interesting to follow, but what makes this book its own thing is the fact that we're so close to day-to-day police work while things unravel.
I must say that I had to issues with this book. First, the fact that some of the follow-ups on the investigation never seemed like logical conclusions to the clue that had been discovered, as if the consequences and the actions that followed were obvious on the author's head, but never that clear for the reader. My second problem with it, though minor, is that there are a bunch of tiny side 'quests', if you will, that take the focus away at times and have absolutely nothing to do with the main case, not even as red herrings. That makes the pacing a bit off at times.
Having said all that, I was intrigued and had a great time reading this, which is more than enough to make me like a thriller. Into the Dark, though not a masterpiece of the genre, sure made me want to look into the author's previous work and look up for what he writes next.

The first word that springs to mind when thinking about this book is fluffy for some reason!!
It's a far from serious, easy to read police procedural with an enjoyable plot for the most part although I didn't really get why Martin was shoehorned into the plot or what the point of Don being "sensitive" adds.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Allison & Busby for an advance copy of Into the Dark, the second novel to feature DS Don Colyear of Police Scotland.

Don is now settled into his new position in Edinburgh when DC Allyson Kane asks for his help in tying up a vague lead in a murder enquiry. An old man with Alzheimer’s has called the police about the mutilation and murder of a young boy. The problem, apart from the caller’s lucidity, is that the call came three weeks before the murder. Then there is another premonition and another murder. Don gets sucked in to investigating on his own.

I thoroughly enjoyed Into the Dark, which is an absorbing read that held my attention from start to finish, so much so that I read it in one sitting. I like that the novel is told entirely from Don Colyear’s point of view in the first person as he is a well drawn character who is easy to identify with. His take on life and his activities draw the reader in. At the same time the plot has a lot of forward momentum with developments in every chapter. I wouldn’t call it fast moving but there is enough there often enough to arouse the reader’s curiosity and make them want more.

At first I wasn’t sure where the plot was going, but I was sure I wanted to find out, not just in the murder enquiry but in Don’s Community Policing work as well, because that provides the laughs. This is a well constructed novel with the author’s experience as a police officer being used to good effect. There is the frustration of the early investigation where leads don’t pan out and the team doesn’t get far, the mundanity of community policing where probationary PC Morgan Finney pulls a surprise rabbit out of the hat, the inter divisional strife and later in the novel Colyear’s lone wolf antics, all wrapped in a feeling of knowledge.

Don Colyear is a likeable protagonist. He’s smart and empathetic, but mostly he can’t get out of his own way. It makes him human and occasionally funny.

I like the Edinburgh setting as there is comfort in the familiar. I’m not sure, however, if the author really evokes the city for those unfamiliar with it. Yes, the festival crowds get a mention, as an inconvenience, and various areas are described but I don’t feel the essence is there.

Into the Dark is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Solid Scottish detective tale- full of interesting characters and a good mix of the personal and the investigation. Unlike some others, focuses on the detecting side rather than the criminal, which worked really well in this one. Looking for a follow on!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

I thought this book looked like my kind of read. I felt it initially was a real slow burner and I did wonder if it was for me. I persevered with it though and am glad I did. I really liked the main character Don Colyear, and thought he was realistic and believable. He is a police officer and is asked to look into a phone call made from a residential home that may link to the murder of a young boy. He looks into this, and another murder even though he isn’t on the investigating team and gets better results than the team itself which could cost him his job. After a slow start this book did start to pick up and I liked the characters, the friendship between Don and Aly and the little snippets about Don’s home and personal life which were funny at times. I loved the no nonsense DCI, her language was awful and she doesn't suffer fools. The book raced to a satisfying conclusion with all loose ends tied up nicely. Overall, this became a good, enjoyable and entertaining read, although it didn’t wow me. It was well written and I liked the twists in it. I hope there is a second book, I’d like to see how Don Colyear develops as a character.

Good book! I really enjoyed reading this one! This book had suspense intrigue, and a great storyline! It had me glued to every page! I stayed up reading till 530 in the morning! Lol I definitely recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!