Having been a fan of the Logan Mcrae series I looked forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint.
The characters are new but the style and the humor remain the same> DS Lucy Mcveigh with her sidekick known as The Dunk is on the trail of a serial killer. Lucy is, as you would expect, quite maverick in her approach whereas The Dunk is more conventional but still trails along in her wake, As the plot unfolds we learn more about the traumas in Lucy's earlier life and we watch as she seems to mentally unravel. The ending is totally unexpected and surprising. This is a book that should appeal to most fans of modern British crime writing and especially those of the Scottish noir genre.

Stuart MacBride’s new novel is bound to stir up some controversy amongst his readers! It’s a book of two distinct parts. The first 80% of the book reads like a traditional hunt for a serial killer, although one imbued with MacBride’s trademark grittiness and sarcastic humour. Someone has committing five brutal murders, including souveniring the hearts of seemingly unconnected strangers in the Scottish town of Oldcastle. After seventeen months, the police investigation is no closer to finding the killer, and the case has now been bumped down the line to DI Turner who instructs DS Lucy McVeigh and her partner DC Duncan (the Dunk) Fraser to review all the evidence to date. His team are also investigate the recent killing of a homeless man found next to the killer’s signature message scrawled on a wall.

While the main plot to date doesn’t have the pace and brilliance of McBride’s Logan MacRae series and it isn’t gripping me yet, there’s also an interesting subplot involving an elite school, some precocious children and a creepy teacher that is looking promising. Then very abruptly, 80% of the wat through the novel, a very unpredictable, twisty shock of a bombshell asks readers to re-interpret everything we thought was happening to Lucy.

Lucy is depicted as a prickly, difficult character who overcame a difficult childhood to go on to become a well respected detective. Her insight and different way of looking at things has often provided the breakthrough needed to solve a crime. However, she is currently suffering PTSD from having recently killed a man in self-defence and is being harassed by his mother who believes she murdered him. To make matters worse, she has a stalker who keeps turning up at her home and work and someone called Charlie from Professional Standards who is trying to get her to talk to him. She is fortunate that she has the relaxed and affable Dunk as her partner and MacBride’s signature snappy dialogue, sarcasm and humour keeps their relationship interesting. After the major twist, the book takes on quite a different flavour.

I did find that I got more accepting of the twist as I read on, but personally I’m not sure the added craziness and stretch of credibility was necessary as the novel was heading for a pretty thrilling ending without it. One thing is for sure, once you get over the initial shock, it’s a wild ride, very original and definitely edgy.

What a gripping first book. Really enjoyed the story and the twist I did not see that coming. So looking forward to reading more about Lucy and her friends. Stuart MacBride never disappoints and I will wait very impatiently for the next book.

I'll start by declaring myself to be a fan of the writing of Stuart MacBride, in particular the Logan McRae series of novels, and thoroughly enjoyed my last read of The Coffin Makers Garden.

I found this a bit of a struggle early on, possibly as I didn't find the main characters to be as easy to like as in previous novels however persevered and was, after a while, quite keen to continue to see where this story would take me. It's certainly a good story although not your typical police procedural but throughout I didn't feel invested in the characters and for this I wouldn't be able to give this the full 5 stars, instead it will get 4 for being an enjoyable read despite my issue with the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for this advance review copy.

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

what on earth have i just read....

totally bamboozled by it all...and i think its gonna take me days to even think through it all...

i cant even say if i liked it or not....just very confused by it

I’m a huge fan of the Logan McRae series written by Stuart Macbride so was keen to read his new novel and unfortunately I was disappointed.

I really struggled to connect with the characters........the stereotypical policeman in particular annoyed me and I think because of that I couldn't get into the plot. At times I felt it dragged on and I found it jumped around which was difficult to follow and left me confused about what was going on.

While I wouldn't recommend this one, it definitely doesn't put me off reading the next in the Logan McRae series.

A Stuart MacBride book is always witty and humorous and comes with his trademark dark edge. This book satisfies in the usual way until around three quarters of the way through when it really does lose the plot and goes off in a very peculiar direction and were it not for writing a review I would have been tempted to stop. For the completists amongst us who want to ensure we have read all of the work of the author then its a given, for anyone who has not tried his writings before this would not be the best one to begin with.

DS Lucy McVeigh and 'DC 'The Dunk' Fraser are part of the the searching for a serial killer known as the Bloodsmith on account of the way he kills his victims. The team hasn't had much success in catching him, so Lucy and The Dunk are in the process of revisiting his crime scenes when they find new evidence.
In the meantime, Lucy is being stalked by a bearded bloke who she believes has been hired by the family of a man she killed in a life or death situation one year earlier.. He always seems to be one step ahead of her and she is unable to catch him.
When another body is found, it is tied to the serial killer and clues lead them to a exclusive private school, St Nick's. This is turn is tied to a killer who has been released from jail after 20 years. Lucy knows him as she did her dissertation on him and therefore has a personal interest.
When the cases become blurred and Lucy's steps are dogged by Charlie from professional standards. Can she hold onto everything to solve the case?
Another excellent read from Stuart McBride. More please.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘No Less The Devil’ written by Stuart MacBride in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

DS Lucy McVeigh is asked for help by Benedict Strachan who says he’s scared ‘They’ are out to get him. Lucy doesn’t have time for what could be a figment of Strachan’s imagination as she and her partner DC Duncan Fraser aka The Dunk are involved in Operation Maypole as their boss DI Tudor has been handed the job of catching the Bloodsmith who despite other departments having failed to solve is still free after seventeen years to roam their district of Oldcastle, a fictional town in Scotland.

This, the latest thriller by Stuart MacBride, has plenty of black humour and irreverent Scottish jocularity that only Mr MacBride can conjure up. The plot is well-written with interesting and likeable characters, especially Lucy and Dunk whose irreverent dialogue I found hilarious, but although it started out well I couldn’t get into this one as much as I did with either the DI Callum MacGregor or DI Logan McRae series. I enjoyed it more than ‘The Coffinmaker’s Garden’ but not enough to say I actually liked it. This is my own opinion and I’m sure other readers will disagree with me, but I may well give it another try in the next month or so.

I'd not read any books by Stuart MacBride before, but had heard excellent things about this writer of 'Tartan Noir' and approached this book with enthusiasm.

The book centres on Operation Maypole, the Scottish Police's attempt to catch the serial killer they've named the Bloodsmith. It's been 17 months since his first kill and DS Lucy McVeigh is tasked with going over the evidence collected so far in the hope of establishing a new lead. With her partner, the Dunk (DC Dncan Fraser), she revisits crime scenes and uncovers new information - although she is in danger of being distracted by a cry for help from a paranoid prisoner who was previously convicted of killing a homeless man. As the murders continue, Lucy finds herself dealing with forces beyond her own comprehension....

I absolutely loved the majority of this book. The main draw for me was the relationship between Lucy and the Dunk - one that is mildly antagonistic but very funny. The Dunk is a humorous character, dressed all in black like an international man of mystery, yet scarily unfit when it comes to climbing stairs. I loved the scenes with the partners working together and laughed out loud a few times at MacBride's descriptions of people, including the Dunk.

As well as the wonderfully vivid and descriptive language (perhaps too vivid in the case of some of the crime scenes!), MacBride also proves adept at plotting a tense and compelling crime novel. I genuinely raced through this (and it is quite a long book) because there was variety, humour and a very high body count - never a dull moment.

Even when the novel takes some dark turns - and Lucy's past trauma is described in shocking detail - I was totally on board. Everything seemed to be heading for a perfect police procedural and I was totally sold.

So why three stars instead of five? I think this is partly my fault for expecting the novel to fit the genre neatly - I had expectations for the resolution and it just didn't go the way I thought, In fact - without giving spoilers - it takes some unnerving, unexpected and brave paths. I think some readers will absolutely love the denouement - it's clever and interesting - but it was just a little too confusing for me,

However I felt about the latter stages of this novel, I'm definitely keen to read more by MacBride. The humour, characterisation, vibrancy of language and sharp eye for detail absolutely won me over and I've already bought another book to try.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me access to the book in exchange for an honest review.

Quite bizarre! Initally I enjoyed this more than it's predecessor, the Coffinmaker's Daughter. Well written and vivid. Growing to love the character of DS Lucy McVeigh and her search for the bloodsmith. Particularly enjoyed the creepy school, this book had so much potential but i felt the last few chapters had been written by someone else. What some might consider a clever twist, i found confusing and unnecessary.

A book by Stuart Macbride is always good and this one was no exception. Thoroughy enjoyable in the usual OTT, humorous way that he has.
A good deal of rapid action, some miserable impressions of weather and industrial landscapes.
Police procedure is an alien concept as usual, but it all makes for interesting reading.
Some great characters in there, oily, suspicious and some downright criminal.
Loved it.

I received an E-ARC with a request for my honest review.

This book follows DS Lucy McVeigh living in Oldcastle who is working on a serial killer case where ‘The Bloodsmith’ has still not been found after seventeen months.

The investigation is intensified, and Lucy and her partner are ordered to take a look at the crime scenes to see if they can uncover any missing evidence.

Meanwhile Lucy is still dealing with a traumatic experience and trying to support a recently released prisoner who spent time for murdering a homeless man.

Lucy is torn between all she is dealing with but must work through everything to discover the truth.

What will Lucy discover and is all as it seems? Will they find the Bloodsmith before more victims are discovered?

I must firstly say that this book has one of the creepiest beginnings I have ever read, it had me gripped straight from the start as I wanted to find out what was going to happen next.

I liked the way the characters were portrayed with black humour and straight forward talking which made them seem very realistic. I loved the work relationship between Lucy and ‘Dunk’.

One thing I would say, and I will try and do this without any spoilers, is that there is a certain revelation towards the end that made the storyline less believable for me personally. I thought the book was amazing up to this point and then I found myself getting very confused, and even though there are clues leading up to it I didn’t feel it fit.

I would still love to read more books by this author as I was engrossed throughout, and the writing was brilliant.

Overall, a brilliantly written crime thriller with an eerie and dark feel.

For a story about detectives investigating a brutal serial killer, this was a surprisingly unexpected twist on the typical police procedural. DS Lucy McVeigh is not your typical police hero and is deeply flawed following a disturbed childhood and a more recent traumatic event. Also, a man who committed murder as a child has been released from prison and is showing signs of psychological distress. Added into the mix is a sinister Hogwarts-like super-selective school which appears to be educating the future elite and whose reach is extending into the main pillars of the establishment. The mix of an unreliable narrator and the complex and interlinking storylines is almost too rich at times but the writing is highly compelling and very funny at times.

I’m a big fan of the Logan McRae series by Stuart MacBride so was keen to read his new novel.

Set in the fictional Oldcastle, DS Lucy McVeigh is trying to solve the case of the Bloodsmith killer which has been ongoing for seventeen months. She’s a troubled character with a difficult childhood and a recent traumatic incident leaving her with PTSD.

I didn’t like Lucy’s character at all and thought she was too big for her boots. Her partner, Dunk, is a stereotypical unfit officer, eager to please and quite endearing in comparison.

Maybe because I couldn’t connect with the characters, I didn’t get into the story the same. At times I felt it dragged on and jumping between cases was a little confusing.

It was quite a long book and unusually for a MacBride novel, it felt it. Normally I get totally engrossed in the story and fly through them, but sadly not with this one.

The pace of the story picks up towards the end but I found it a bit confusing and it wasn’t clear what was happening.

There is some funny dialogue and the descriptions of the setting are good.

Overall, I was disappointed with this book and didn’t enjoy it as much as I’d hoped.

It hasn’t put me off reading more of Stuart MacBride’s books and I recommend the Logan McRae series.

2.5 stars rounded to 3.

Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for a copy to review.

Scotland near Aberdeen a fictional Town called Oldcastle. The police are baffled a serial murderer nicknamed Bloodsmith is responsible for several killings.
Detective sergeant Lucy McVeigh is recovering after a vicious attack in the house of a girl friend who was brutally raped and beaten by a man - Neil Black. Lucy had to kill him otherwise she and her friend would have been murdered.
Now back at work and with her police partner Detective constable Duncan Fraser ( the Dunc ) they are part of the team working for Detective Inspector Tudor trying to catch the Bloodsmith. Lucy and Dunc are given the task of revisiting the crime scenes of each victim.
Lucy is approached by Benedict Strachan who has just been released from prison. As a child he and another murdered a homeless man. Lucy is trying to get Benedict to tell who his accomplice was. Now an adult Benedict is confused and scared of something or someone.
Lucy and Dunc's investigation lead to an exclusive school who turn out leaders of government and industry. Lucy was due to get into this school when young but her parents couldn't afford the fees.
This is an engaging book which is quite long. About two thirds of the way through the story seems to go into the realms of fantasy. I'm not sure that the latter third works, but the author always entertains and surprises you.

The Bloodsmith butchered his first victim seventeen months ago, but the Oldcastle Police Force are still without any leads. Bodies are found in a terrible state, with the phrase “Help Me!” written in blood on the walls. But with no leads and no progress, resources are being assigned away from the case. Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh is asked to revisit the case from the beginning – but when she reviews the murder scenes, it seems the killer’s message, long since cleaned away, has reappeared.

A second case appears at exactly the worst possible time. Benedict Strachan hunted and killed a homeless man when he was eleven. Now out of prison, he is begging Lucy to help him, convinced that “They” are out to get him, despite his claims that he kept his silence. Is it possible that someone – or something – is after Benedict? How does the threat to Benedict relate to the Bloodsmith? And how can one police officer possible handle the encroaching darkness?

So, how is Awesome April going? My plan, after Mediocre March, to read only great books?

I was worried about this one. Not the content of the book, Stuart MacBride is always a favourite of mine whenever I find time to read his work, but given my reduced reading attention span at the moment, I knew I had to make sure I put aside enough time. Stuart doesn’t write short books, giving the story and characters time to develop, and, more importantly, the Puzzle Doctor household has just acquired a Nintendo Switch and between Mario Kart driving duties and exploring Hyrule in Breath Of The Wild, I was concerned about my reading time. So given that this book is out on the 28th of the month, I started reading it nice and early. And then two days later, I finished it. So there you have it – No Less The Devil is better than Breath Of The Wild, the apparent best video game of all time. Let’s see the publisher use that on the blurb!

Having said that, I suppose I should say something about the content of the book, but the less said, the better, I think. It’s not a traditional detective story by any means, but a modern police procedural. There’s not that much of a whodunnit here – the one surprise villain is very guessable – but that’s not the point of the story. It’s much more of a “what’s going on?” story, black as the night and, despite this, with some very witty dialogue. The story goes in some unexpected and dark directions and the ending is, shall we say, not a traditional end to such a tale and will be staying with me for some time.

Oh, one thing, Lucy spends some time early on referring to a past incident – I thought I’d missed something, not having read The Coffinmaker’s Garden which is, according to Wikipedia at least, part of the same series of Oldcastle-set books, most featuring Ash Henderson. This is completely a standalone novel, however, and the background is revealed during this book, an incredibly effective and disturbing sequence.

Definitely a book that you should read knowing as little as possible beforehand – I wager some reviews will use a certain phrase that might well end up spoiling things for people who think too much. If you’re a fan of modern crime thrillers, then this is definitely one that should be on your must-read list.

No Less The Devil is out in hardback and ebook in the UK on Thursday 28th April from Transworld Publishers. Many thanks for the review e-copy.

I liked this book from the start, it was a very long book. The characters were very well written and interested. The downside to the book is that by the last quarter of the book I got very confused and list with who was real, who wasn't, who the killer was etc etc. It may just be me, but I'm still not 100% sure what happened by the end.

I'll be honest, I really struggled with this book and overall, found it to be a disappointing read. I so enjoy this author's work and I'm not quite sure what happened with this book, but, it really meanders - especially towards the end.

It's not a bad read, just a confusing one. It's been 17 months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer catching him and they are under a lot of pressure from many sources, not least the media.
Along side this is the story of Benedict Strachan who, when he was just 11, hunted down and killed a homeless man. Now, after after 16 years he's back on the streets again - battered, frightened, convinced a shadowy 'They' are out to get him, and begging D S Lucy McVeigh for help. He seems paranoid, but, what if he's right? Lucy is struggling with her own demons and this creates a tense, complex plot that, for me, started off well and then just went a bit bonkers.

I'm very grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview. Definitely an OK read.

I really like MacBride's writing style. The darkness permeating the narrative and his humour are up my alley, but despite all that I've struggled a bit with No Less The Devil. If I was to sum it up in just a line I would say I only truly enjoyed the story between 20% and 80%. A very slow start that throws us in the middle of a 17 months old investigation with an accent on Lucy and Dunk's relationship rather than a fast track to understanding the background of the murders. As things start to become clearer, the narrative turns into a frenzy of action and discovery that was very satisfying, culminating with the revelation of Bloodsmith's identity. But then the last 20% veer into fantasy land with me skimming entire paragraphs as the text was grating on my nerves without actually bringing anything to the narrative. And the subplot with the college was just nah, very cliche, I was certain about it since her first visit there, and needless to say its probably just a ploy that's gonna feature in the next book in the series.

Lucy is a fascinating character. A clever and determined woman, brilliantly reckoning with her past and all the darkness that seems to follow her. Can't say I've been very happy with her final choice, but I guess pragmatism vs idealism(what I would have preferred) is more in line with her character. It would be nice to see where her decision is gonna take her!