Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh is beset by troubles. Just back after a traumatic incident, during which she had sustained a head injury and had had to kill a seriously dangerous villain, she and her oppo, DC Duncan Fraser (aka The Dunc), have been assigned to the team hunting “The Bloodsmith”, a serial killer who has been eviscerating victims for the last year and a half. With no progress in the investigation, the pair are given the task of relooking at all the cases. To compound her situation further, she has acquired a stalker and is being shadowed by Charlie, a DS from Professional Affairs, because her superiors are concerned that the traumatic incident may be causing her psychological problems. Despite all this, the pair start to turn up new evidence, although there are some minor plot twists which will keep niggling you, such as the murder at the very start of the book which doesn’t seem to fit (don’t worry it will), and the recently released child killer (he was 11 when he killed an adult) who seems fixated on Lucy because she wrote her PhD about his case.
And then there is a major, astonishing, tour de force of a plot twist that I guarantee you won’t see coming, and a dénouement which fits perfectly and yet isn’t really foreseeable.
By my count this is Stuart MacBride’s 21st book. It is set in and around Oldcastle, a fictional place on Scotland’s East Coast which has featured in earlier books. Which might make you think this is part of a series, but it is a standalone. He writes in a fluid and interesting style, replete with crazy metaphors, an easy command of the vernacular, and a lot of blood spilling and sundry violence. His books have been called Tartan Noir but there is nothing Tartan about them; nor are they really Noir because they are far too much fun. Which isn’t to say that they are an easy read, because his descriptions of murders are very evocative, and his plotting is often ingenious and can stretch credulity. I can see that the plot twists in this novel might throw some readers but I strongly advise you to go with the flow, it does all make sense in the end.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.

Bloodsmith has been committing murders for 17 months and Operation Maypole are no nearer to catching him.
Everyone is asking questions and demanding answers!
And all the time other crimes are being committed.
Benedict Strachan was only eleven when he killed a homeless man but he has served his sentence and is now back on the streets. However he is convinced someone is out for him and wants Lucy to help him.
How many monsters are out there and will Lucy be able to survive in their world?

Super thrilling read from Stuart MacBride. DS Lucy McVeigh is trying to catch the Bloodsmith, a serial killer who remove the hearts of his victims. Can she work out who the vicious killer is from a selection of suspects when all is not what it seems.? Well paced thriller that has a cracking plot twist and MacBride's customary ensemble cast of wonderful characters and sparky dialogue. A real treat of a read.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an arc of No Less The Devil in exchange for an honest review.
I have previously read all of Stuart MacBride's published work and thoroughly enjoyed them. I really enjoyed the first 70% of this one too.......from there on in what happened???? Up to that point all his trademarks were there, the banter, the characters, the gore, the great story and then woosh we entered what I can only describe as the Twilight Zone! Glad I read it (and finished it) but won't be putting it on my recommended list.

Having read some of the authors previous books I was really excited to read this book. A long read with some excellent characters and the usual touches of humour you would expect from MacBride. Set post Covid it’s another really gritty Scottish Noir thriller but with a paranormal feel.

Briefly, it opens with the murder of a ex policeman but now homeless person in woods near Oldcastle in Scotland by two young people. DS Lucy McVeigh and her partner DS Dunk Fletcher are investigating a killer known as the Bloodsmith, a 17 month old unsolved murder. As the investigation proceeds Lucy discovers more bodies where gruesome butchering of the bodies has been carried out. Lucy is also looking into another old murder by an 11 year old boy who has, 16 years later, been released and is begging for protection, but from who or what?

This is a very violent and dark read and seemingly very well written until, for me, we approach the climax. The story rattles along quite nicely and I was totally immersed in the plot thinking easily 4/5⭐️ read; but the last 15% of the book lost me completely. It turns into something so weird and unbelievable that in the end I didn’t know, nor care, who was who and who did what to whoever!!! I had to keep going back and rereading it and still no clearer. Without giving the game away I will leave it at that, but personally I found the ending totally confusing and I’m not even sure what the outcome was. Maybe it’s just me, so don’t let this put MacBride fans off reading it. You decide. For me I wanted to love it but found myself disappointed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Stuart MacBride brings his own sense of the macabre to this addition in his repertoire. DS McVeigh has a selection of demons on both a highly personal level and in reality to face in trying to solve a case baffling the police .
It is not for the feint hearted and brings together a blend of individuals as we expect from this author.

Lucy McVeigh is on the trail of a murderer known as the Bloodsmith , he has killed a number of people and always leaves a message on the wall " HELP ME" written in blood . Lucy's bosses are pushing for results quickly .The only clue is that one of the victims , a homeless man , had been given a coat by a schoolgirl . Everything leads to a private school where all the students are exceptionally bright . Is there a link to the school and it's philosophy of helping their students in to top positions in society . and any hold the school has over them. Everything comes to a head in the school archive room when Lucy discovers papers linking previous students to crimes committed whilst students .

This book started off in the normal Stuart Macbride vein, however changes tone about three quarters of the way through. This isnt the standard Macbride fayre, however keep an open mind and go with it. It is well worth the read.

I have a feeling that this book may become a bit of a marmite one, in that you will either love it or hate it. Different from his other series of books, we are introduced to DS Lucy McVeigh who along with her sidekick "The Dunk" are investigating the Bloodsmith's killings which has not progressed with identifying who the killer is yet almost 18 months later. McVeigh has a lot of her own mental health issues going on and that is where the book takes another road. As the reader, you think that you have missed a page or two at times which is not the case - McBride is mimicking what is happening in Lucy's mind and once you understand that part, which is cleverly written, it makes sense however it may be off putting to many readers. I found the beginning a bit slow and the end a bit weird though the middle section was really good hence my initial comment. If this is to become a series then I will give it a miss - sorry to say. Overall 3.5*.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

There is much that feels familiar in Stuart MacBride's latest crime novel set in Oldcastle, the blend of darkness with comic humour, satirical, biting and slapstick, but this time with new protagonists, DS Lucy MacVeigh and her physically unfit, class and inequalities conscious partner, DC Duncan 'the Dunk' Fraser. It has been 17 months since The Bloodsmith killed his last victim, but there have been no leads whatsoever, and with the torrid media coverage, the police hierarchy are washing their hands of Operation Maypole and the stench of failure associated with it. It lands on DI Alasdair Tudor's plate, who pushes it on to MacVeigh and the Dunk, who begin to take a fresh look at the case by revisiting each of the 5 victims and do find new evidence, but struggle when it comes to finding any connections between the dead.

It is made clear that MacVeigh has a traumatic past, she is suffering from PTSD, for which she is forced to see her no good therapist, we do eventually learn the details of the 'event', something she is not allowed to forget about, with Sarah Black hellbent on ensuring she continues to pay. Then there is Lucas Weir, aka Benedict Strachan, who at 11 years old killed a homeless man, making a full confession, but never identifying his accomplice. The frightened Strachan has been recently released from prison, he is asking for MacVeigh's help, talking of 'them' being after him, is he just paranoid? On top of all this, she has a stalker who slashed her car's tyres, resulting in her having to drive around in her late father's ugly, embarrassing pink Bedford Rascal. There is more, Charlie from Professional Standards is intent on talking to her, seemingly turning up everywhere, but she will do anything to avoid him.

MacVeigh has a bigger murder board in her home than the one at DHQ, as she and the Dunk follow all leads, including visiting the exclusive St Nicholas College, but there is even more to Lucy than you might imagine. The surprising twist that emerges near the end is likely to divide readers, with some no doubt finding it a step too far. Whilst it is definitely an unsettling direction for the book to take, I did find myself coming to terms with it as I read on. Otherwise, this is the kind of entertaining, dark, hilarious and thrilling crime read that we have come to expect from MacBride. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Chilling story with dark places and a twisting plot. Author has described chilling plot with demons and dark places. Good read that has you in suspense.

Not at all my kind of book. Silly abbreviations and colloquial language. No good in my opinion. Did not finish because there are far better books out there.

4/5 - Very Good.

Where do I even start with this book? I’m a huge fan of MacBride, read all but one of the McRae books and I’ve always felt that even though they are written with humour and are aimed at serious crime readers, that there was a very subtle element of fantasy in there, you can cast an eye over my reviews of the McRae series and i mention it there, I call it an alternative Aberdeen…

And i think without spoilers, that MacBride has been granted his wish by his publishers and created a new series akin to James Oswald or John Connolly, yet not so serious, or supernatural, yet with a taint of the fantasy,

The thing is this isn’t mentioned anywhere and for the first 80% pretty much exactly this read and plays like a McRae Thriller, then BOOM, I gets turnt on it’s head and it’s just complete chaos.

If you’ve never read MacBride, or read MacBride like I take it then this was probably a shock, that is extremely marmite.

I however loved. It’s crazy, fun, yet serious but what it does is opens another avenue for MacBrides mind and I think he will have massive fun and success with it…. IF it’s marketed right. Which I have to say it’s not.

The title, once you read the book becomes very clear and very clever, but as I said , this book will have a massive divide in fans. Personally, give me of Lucy, Charlie and the Bloodsmith.. oh and The Dunk to!

I never repeat the blurb. I'm an avid, avid fan of other books by MacBride but this, having started so well, totally lost its way, at least for me. Muddled and far fetched, I was left unexpectedly disappointed 😞.

Operation Maypole has stalled. It is seventeen months since the serial killer ‘The Bloodsmith’ first struck and the police are getting nowhere. The press is brewing up a media storm and the ‘High Heidyins’ at police HQ desperately want a result. It’s the sort of case that can make a career, but more likely it seems, sink one without trace. The case is passed to DCI Ross to handle, and he foists it on to DI Tudor. Tudor is relying on his team to get the required result and DS Lucy McVeigh and DC Duncan (Dunk) Fraser keep getting the short straw.

Lucy has problems of her own and when the recently released killer Benedict Strachan appears begging for her help they multiply rapidly. When Benedict was eleven, he and an accomplice stabbed to death a homeless man in a dark side street one night. Benedict was caught and convicted but never revealed the identity of the other child with him and now released from prison is convinced ‘they’ are out to get him.

Back to fictional Oldcastle but this time not an Ash Henderson novel. Here we have new characters in the form of DS Lucy McVeigh and DC Duncan (Dunk) Fraser to keep us entertained and they certainly do that!
It treads familiar ground for regular MacBride novels in that the main character is a troubled cop (think Logan Macrae) who is saddled with a slightly barnpot side kick (think Tufty or Alice). Lucy’s problems stem from a girl’s night out and an apparent White Knight being nothing of the sort. The ordeal of Lucy and her friend are particularly harrowing, with no punches being pulled by the author. Strong stuff indeed but not gratuitous. This seems to explain Lucy’s erratic behaviour and motivations but of course there is always a little something extra added to the mix. The ‘Dunk’ provides plenty of light relief him being unfit and a short arse with a propensity to dress like a 1960s beat poet.

As with most of his work it is the author’s ability in mixing dark and light is what impresses. He can convincingly describe the grotty side of life in Scotland’s housing schemes and some the lowlife that add to this misery. The murders are gory and gruesome and sometimes quite inventive. These are always unflinchingly described making the novels not for the highly sensitive.

Then just when everything seems to be bleak and desolate, he resorts to humour which unerringly hits the spot. As usual there is plenty of dark, gallows type humour but also moments of the daft, strange, or surreal.
The dialogue is the usual mixture of snappy one-liners mixed with his trademark stream of consciousness ramblings in the background.

As you are reading its progresses as you might expect a typical Stuart MacBride book to, perhaps a little formulaic for some but packed with just what his readers have come to expect. Then at 75% through it starts to get a little bit strange. At 80% in the author borrows Spinal Tap’s guitarist Nigel Tufnel’s amp and turns it up to eleven ("It's one louder, isn't it?") and it gets totally insane. It would be difficult to explain without a spoiler but certainly everything is suddenly turned on its head. I expect this will divide opinion, but I loved it. It’s not often you can read a book by an established novelist whose work you are familiar with and think I never saw that coming.

A crime novel packed with light and dark, brutality and laugh out loud humour, peaking with a totally unexpected twist.

It's fair to say DS Lucy McVeigh doesn't have a huge amount of confidence in her partner DC Duncan Fraser, commonly called the Dunk! Unfortunately they've just been assigned to the team involved in Operation Maypole, investigating a serial killer known in the Scottish press as the Bloodsmith so they will be working closely on everything. There is very little to go on however, and most of those involved feel they are getting nowhere fast.

Added to this are the problems resulting from the release of 27 year old Benedict Strachan who was jailed sixteen years earlier for murder. Scarred by his experiences he is convinced 'they' are just waiting for an opportunity to 'get him'. As Lucy used his case as part of her dissertation, 'Children Who Kill' he is now convinced only she can help him remain alive.

I have read and enjoyed this author's work before and am sure I will again but this was a disappointing and strange experience. It was a little confusing at the start but seemed to find its feet encouraging me to feel hopeful for the remainder of the story. Instead everything got seriously weird and, to me at least, more than a little unrealistic. Although I didn't feel the PTSD was clearly signposted it did gradually became apparent, unfortunately it wasn't enough to even begin to explain the sudden changes which became the main focus of the story.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this and can't recommend it in any way.

Whilst all of this book is good, the last 20% truly had my mouth hanging open and me thinking omg!!! Such huge twists and turns that I truly didn’t see coming. A truly brilliant crime thriller!

I can’t decide which descriptive words best describe this book but hopefully you’ll get my point…Dark, clever, witty. Brutal, smart, entertaining. Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant! I am a fan of Stuart MacBride but this has to be one of my favourite. It starts as an excellent police procedural and then with an unexpected twist it turns into a brilliant psychological thriller.

This is a difficult review to write as normally i love Stuarts books, particularly the Logan Rae series.
I struggled with this book, I think because I couldn't really get involved with the characters, we know Lucy is struggling with PTSD following a very distressing attack on her and a friend. Her symptoms are not helped by the fact she's being stalked everywhere she goes. Her colleague "Dunk" doesn't really seem to help much or have any police knowledge sbd just quotes random facts about the hierarchy and influential people.
They are assigned to a case that previous departments have failed to solve. The book starts to get interesting at around 50% but then veres off into the ridiculous at 80% leaving me totally blindsided and bewildered as to what I've read.

This is a stand-alone novel from Stuart MacBride. I have read all his Logan McRae books which I thoroughly enjoyed. I therefore thought I knew what to expect from this new book, a bit of humour, and a fast paced book. I don’t want to give any spoilers except to sat the first 80% was really good, kept you interested the last 20% I just couldn’t understand.
A serial killer called The Bloodsmith has evaded capture for the past seventeen months, DS Lucy McVeigh, her Sergeant D. Duncan Fraser, the Dunk and her team are given the unenviable task of finding out who the killer is. McVeigh appears to be suffering from PTSD, she is also trying to track down Benadict Strachan recently released from prison for killing a homeless man when he was a child, and who has disappeared, after being beaten up, saying someone is stalking him., The story revolves round McVeigh and The Dunk revisiting the murder sites of The Bloodsmith’s victims and following the clues until they know who The Bloodsmith is. As I stated the first 80% of the book is fast paced full of dark humour and kept me guessing. The book is more than just a crime book, MacBride paints his characters so well., you can visualise them, the character development is good as is the story until the last part when it veers off into the absurd. My thanks to Random House UK and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my opinion.