There is very little that can be said about the excellent Tony McLean series that hasn't been said before! The characters, the plot and the wonderful Edinburgh backdrop never fail to delight. James Oswald keeps things fresh by mixing things up with promotions and demotions, new colleagues and fresh storylines. A super read.

Another great book from James Oswald in the Tony McLean series. James Oswald is an excellent writer , creating a dark, atmospheric tale set in Edinburgh. I have read all James’ books and never tire of them. I always know it is a good book when I am reading it at 5 o clock in the morning! Thanks to Netgalley for chance to review.

Superlative Series…
The twelfth in the Inspector McLean series and another case for Tony and the team to dissect. A standalone tale, although part of a series, and as compelling and as intriguing as those that come before. A credible cast, a plot peppered with intrigue and snippets of the supernatural and an excellent narrative. Another first class addition to this superlative series.

One would have thought that by book 12, things would be starting to get a little stale with Inspector McLean but this is absolutely not the case. There is a freshness to the authors writing which always makes each story seem absolutely original. I would also advise that whilst this story can be successfully read as a standalone I would, however, recommend that you read the all the previous books in the series just because they are all so good!

Once again, Mr Oswald writes a thoroughly riveting and engaging story that mixes the past, present and the 'strange and weird' with ease. The plot is complex with a few sub plots but it all comes together in the final conclusion but not without many twists, turns and some pretty strange and emotional moments along the way.

Mr Oswald creates many excellent, believable and memorable characters that stay with you long after you have read the last page and I eagerly look forward to the next one.

Thank you to Headline Publishing and Net-Galley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Another five star read in the Tony McLean series from the magnificent James Oswald. I have read all of these books and eagerly await each new one. Oswald is a master in creating great characters, tense plots and a hint of the supernatural, which is never overdone. The returning characters, including the beautifully named cats, are so real they feel like acquaintances rather than fictional beings. Madam Rose, my favourite character, appears quite briefly in this story and I wanted more from her. The tranquility of her house is described so well here, you can feel the magic. Bit of a cliffhanger at the end! Don’t know how I’m going to wait a year until I find out more. If you have never read these wonderful books, you are in for a rare treat. I recommend them to everyone.

You would have thought that by book 12 things would be starting to get a little stale with Inspector McLean but let me reassure you that this is absolutely not the case. Let me also reassure you that this can be successfully read as a standalone although I would recommend you read previous books in the series just because they are great!

Once again, Mr Oswald writes a thoroughly riveting and engaging story that mixes the past, present and the 'strange' with ease. The plot is complex with a few strands but it all comes together in the end but not without twists, turns and some pretty 'hairy' and emotional moments along the way.

Mr Oswald creates excellent, believable and memorable characters that stay with you long after you have read the last page and I eagerly await the next.

Thank you to Headline Publishing and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Another absolute stunner in the DI Tony McLean series, and this one every bit as engrossing as the rest, if not actually surpassing them in story, characterisation and sense of place. Of course there is more from McLean’s nemesis Jane Louse Dee, and all our favourite characters are superbly woven into the plot. This book is so much more than a police procedural, as all of James Oswald’s previous books in the series have been - crime, murder, drugs, touches of the supernatural, and of course, Madame Rose, without whom the books just wouldn’t be as extraordinary as they are. This book is the 12th in the series, but stands perfectly well on its own - if you haven’t yet discovered this author why not start at the beginning - you will have a great treat in store!

4/5 Very Good.

All That Lives is the 12th book in James Oswalds inspector McLean series and is another fine and atmospheric read.

With all the trademarks of Oswalds excellent storytelling, this series set in Edinburgh with a big twist of supernatural continues to thrill and get even better.

From the outset this book has a feeling of darkness lurking in the background, ready to reveal its evil head at any time, as slowly and expertly, Oswald crafts an entrancing tale of Death, and drugs, of a sinister foundation and in particular one lady and her far reaching tentacles that continue to penetrate further and deeper into McLean’s life and that of Edinburgh as a whole.

Fans of the series will love this but for newer readers I would suggest starting earlier books to get a feel of what’s to come in this enthralling series.

In Edinburgh, things aren't going well .Again.

Three extremely unpleasant deaths. A new unidentified drug. Links to past traumas.....

....and everywhere you look, The Dee Foundation and Jane Louise Saifre.

Does Tony McLean never get a break?

The latest brilliant instalment in the series which never disappoints

James Oswald has done it again. Tony McLean and his team are confronted by a series of unusual and horrific deaths. Are they connected to his nemesis - Mrs Dee, who is becoming more and more influential in Edinburgh, and the police force? Read, and find out. I thoroughly recommend this book, and although it can be read as a stand-alone, don't miss the other books in the series.

With thanks to NetGalley and Wildfire for an ARC.

It’s hard to believe that this is the 12th book in the Tony McLean series. What an amazing journey James Oswald has taken us on. And after reading this, it’s clear that Oswald has absolutely no intention of resting on his laurels.

All That Lives is a dark, intense book full of malevolent forces. Oswald creates an atmosphere of high pressure where everything feels slightly off kilter and events lead readers down a difficult and crooked path.

At the heart of all this darkness is of course Tony McLean’s nemesis, Jane Louise Saifre. When I think of her, it is as a kind of cross between an octopus and a Medusa figure. She is not someone you want to look directly in the eye because while you do, one of her tentacles is probably stealing your soul.

During the construction of a tram line at the South Leith graveyard ​ an ancient body is uncovered. Then a second body​ – a woman who went missing ​30​ years ago – ​is unearthed. There are disturbing similarities between these bodies despite the fact that they died some 700 years apart.

DS Janie Harrison is to the fore in this case and it’s terrific to see her stand her ground in the face of pretty fierce pressure from above. And what’s going on in the higher echelons of the force is incredibly worrying.

Budget cuts have seriously impacted the department and McLean’s workload is huge. He is knackered, his team equally so. It’s not good news either when he hears that Chief Superintendent Gail Elmwood has returned to duty. Her horrifying injuries seem to have been healed through an innovative trial process and though her face has a plastic sheen, her intentions are far more shocking than her appearance.

Elmwood has plans – project named Tantalus – to relieve the pressure on the detective force by going into partnership with he is planning to have his team working closely in partnership with charities run by the Dee Foundation. Tantalus, you will recall, got into trouble when he tried to serve up his own son at a feast with the gods. He was punished by Zeus to forever go thirsty and hungry in Hades. His terrible punishment was set as a warning for humanity not to cross the line between mortals and gods.

Tony is horrified but Elmwood is implacable. Troubles are piling up at Tony’s door but these are as nothing when personal issues come to the fore and leave him devastated. So Janie Harrison takes point on the terrible spate of drug deaths that have begun in the capital. A devilish drug is circulating in Edinburgh and it is killing people in a terrible way. On the streets it’s called Demon Breath and its impact is devastating.

It’s a powerful concoction of death and destruction and Tony is understandably creaking under the pressure. His team have to work out how these bodies are related and where the devil drug is coming from if more deaths are to be prevented.

Something has to give and what it is shocking and unexpected. It is only the tenacity of Janie Harrison that gives the team what it needs to follow this case through to a conclusion, but not before she has to listen to Madame Rose in order to prevent another, potentially even more horrifying, death….

With darkness pervading the heart of this book, James Oswald offers up a shocking, riveting storyline that is both tension filled and deeply disturbing. There’s a sense and a force behind the evil here that feels as if it is seeping into every corner of our lives and which strangely echoes some of the worst excesses of our own political existence at the moment.

Verdict: All That Lives is an engrossing, layered and deeply chilling story with all the characters we have come to love from this series. It is shocking and heart-wrenching and its impact will reverberate for years to come. It is an absolutely unmissable book in a series that I love.

In Edinburgh DI Tony McLean has his hands well and truly full. There have now been three shocking and disturbing deaths, all seemingly from this new drug called Demon’s Breath or Zombo, one that no one appears to be selling. Those that have made enquiries about it have met sticky ends and the people taking it suffer horrific self-inflicted injuries from convulsions before they die. But how are the victims getting hold of it? The drug, a vapour which is inhaled, brings back nasty memories of former Sergeant Needham’s crimes years ago. Professor Hattie Turner from the forensic archaeology department at the university where Emma (McLean’s girlfriend) is working is looking at a set of seven-hundred-year-old female bones found buried in an old undiscovered graveyard. Strangely (or maybe not so in her case as she always seems to be ahead of McLean) Madame Rose knows the woman’s name. Another set of bones with definite similarities to the first is unearthed at the building site of a new housing estate but these are much younger and pose more of a question to the cold case unit and McLean. Like how and why she got there from a hospice? Oh, and Chief Supt Elmwood is back part time after receiving what seems like miraculous treatment from Jane Louise Dee (formerly the evil Mrs Saifre, McLean’s nemesis and all too well known to the detectives) for the injuries she received when someone tried to burn her as a witch. The Dee Foundation seems to be everywhere McLean turns at the moment and it makes him feel uneasy. And then the cases all get far more complicated and sinister. So can McLean and his excellent loyal team of dedicated detectives get this awful poison off the streets before it kills more people and solve the mystery of the buried bones, all whilst dealing with heartache close to home and having the shadow of Mrs Saifre looming over him?
I love the appearance of all the recurring characters such as Grumpy Bob and Madame Rose who give this series a terrific continuity and add much colour to the story. There is a lot of history between many of the people involved in McLean’s personal and professional life. While it’s always better to read in order and I’d recommend every single book in this brilliant series of stories, most of what’s necessary to know about is well explained so that the reader can definitely enjoy this as a stand-alone. Beautifully written with intricate plot lines and a wealth of well-defined fascinating characters, this is a perfect addition to a series which is both hard hitting and also sometimes carries that mystic element of things that cannot quite be explained rationally. Completely and utterly recommended!! 5*

The twelfth in the Inspector McLean series, I found this could really be read as a standalone, but I will now be checking out the rest of the series.

I found this a highly enjoyable, well written police procedural, with a nod to the occult, and the supernatural.

A dark, disturbing, multi layered read, with some fantastic characterisations. Utterly compelling, gripping, and a proper page turner of a book.

Many thanks to Wildfire Books for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

James Oswald writes fantastically gripping crime novels with wonderful supernatral twists and All That Lives is no exception.

The twelfth book in the Tony McLean series is dark, compelling and absorbing as always, with plenty of twists and turns. Characters such as Madame Rose and Grumpy Bob add to the cast of familiar favourites who are all wonderfully written and add their own unique charm to the series.

The various subplots within the story are weaved together to form a thrilling, tense and edge of your seat conclusion that kept me guessing and is wonderfully executed. I'm now left wondering what is next for McLean and can only hope we don't have to wait to long to find out.

Thanks to Headline, Wildfire and NetGalley for the ARC.

My thanks to Headline Wildfire for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘All That Lives’ by James Oswald in exchange for an honest review. I was delighted to be invited to take part in the blog tour for this title.

‘All That Lives’ is Book 12 in Oswald’s highly acclaimed Inspector Tony McLean series of police procedurals set in Edinburgh. I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition, narrated by Ian Hanmore, for an immersive experience.

I have been a long-standing fan of this series and appreciate the way in which Oswald subtly integrates aspects of the supernatural into the narrative.

This proved a dark, complex tale with a number of investigations and subplots that eventually link-up. So, a few details….

When the battered body of a young man is discovered in a derelict lumber yard, it is assumed to be a murder but then evidence is found to link the death with a dangerous new street drug creatively named Demon Breath or Zombo. Yet he is just the first casualty as it appears that a sinister new player has entered the picture.

Add to this is the discovery during an archeological dig of a body dated from seven hundred years ago. While definitely a cold case there are indications that this may have been a sacrificial death. Then a more recent body is unearthed in similar circumstances.

Meanwhile, there are budget cuts effecting Police Scotland and McLean receives the unwelcome news that Jane Louise Dee of Saifre Industries is extending her nefarious influence into the City’s social services. While she is lauded in society as a saintly philanthropist, McLean has good reason to believe that she’s more akin to the Devil incarnate.

Certainly there was a lot going on though Oswald brought the various threads together in the kind of gripping conclusion that had me on the edge of my seat.

Aside from a number of familiar faces, including the enigmatic Madame Rose and Grumpy Bob, it was great to see DS Janie Harrison coming into her own. In addition, Tony is now clearly under the paw of two delightful cats.

While the McLean novels work fine as stand-alones, it is such a wonderful series that I would recommend it to any crime fiction aficionados who enjoy a touch of the Gothic with their police investigations. In addition, reading the series in order allows for a deeper appreciation of its themes and the characters’ individual journeys.

While ‘All That Lives’ has a melancholic ambiance, it will be interesting to see where James Oswald takes the series next. I know that wherever the journey leads, I shall be there.

Highly recommended novel and series.

The twelfth book in the highly readable DI McLean series set in Edinburgh.

The author gets the mix of crime with a supernatural thread running through the story, which is believable. This is one of the authors skills in that DI McLean is sceptical of any otherworld influence on this and other cases he has investigated.

The other key ingredient to the long running success of this series is that the reader wants to see what happens next to their favourite characters, be it DI McLean or personal favourite, Grumpy Bob!

From the discovery of old, and not so old bones and the rise of a new, lethal drug, James Oswald deftly weaves a tale that ratchets the tension up to a satisfying finale.

James Oswald is on my 'must read' list whenever he has a new book published and 'All That Lives' is one of his best to date.

Another Inspector McLean novel in a series that never fails to entertain. Many of the old characters still appear in this tale of seemingly straightforward murders but the hint of weird darkness is never far away . With ancient remains found as well as deaths from a strange drug intermingled together the pressure on McLean builds both at work and at home as his partner suffers a stroke. Old adversaries in the force teaming up with one from the outside all add to the mystery. Even Grumpy Bob from previous episodes and now retired but working on cold cases with ex super Duguid make welcome appearances in another excellent yarn with a shock ending….or is it?

I love the blend of crime and the supernatural in the DI Mc Lean series and I think this has to be the best so far! Set in Edinburgh, it's dark, compelling and absolutely fascinating to see the story unfold. This is a multi layered read with an intricate and complex plot and excellent characterisation. I love the way Janie is developing and stepping up, especially when Mc Lean goes missing. The body count rises, with all victims seemingly connected to the charitable Dee Foundation and Jane Louise Saifre, an old adversary. It's an excellent 5*read in one of the best crime series around, written by an author at the top of his game. I highly recommend the whole series to lovers of the genre. Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC.

All that lives by James Oswald.
Inspector Mclean #12.
Two victims. Nothing connects them, except that someone buried them in the exact same way.
Seven hundred years apart.
Omg I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love this series and never want it to end. Great story. 5*.

Ahhhh. It's a bittersweet feeling writing this review. The sweet part is that I have just read the latest book in one of my favourite crime series, complete with enhanced (at least compared to recent books) from one of my favourite characters, Grumpy Bob. The bitter part ... well, I need to savour the feeling of contentment that follows the reading another brilliant foray into the world of Tony McLean and co as this is the last we'll be seeing of him for a wee while. I know! But let's not dwell on that. They're all still here right now, and back with a case that sees the return of possibly McLean's longest standing nemesis - Jane Louise Dee or Mrs Saifre as he less than affectionately calls her.

Violent deaths due to new, lethal, drugs, unmarked graves and centuries old bones, and a touch of the supernatural - this book has all the hallmarks of a classic McLean investigation and from the very beginning drew me into the sense of mystery and uneasiness that I have come to expect and love from these books. I can think of nothing worse than. the fate which befalls the first 'victim' in this particular novel, and the urge to open a few windows and breathe in fresh air may well prove overwhelming for some. And this is before we even get to the main crux of the team's investigation - the suspicious death of a young man who initially looks like the victim of a very vicious attack but, it turns out, may have been the master of his own fate. There is a new, highly deadly drug on the scene, but just who is behind its creation and distribution proves very challenging to pin down. Alongside this, Janie Harrison is called to a building site where an unmarked grave has been discovered. Annoyingly the ownership of the site proves equally as troublesome to pin down ...

There is a kind of weariness to this book, reflected in McLean's demeanour - and that is before his personal life takes a dramatic turn for the worse. You can see how he has been ground down by the job, the constant cuts, the politics and the constant sense of corruption and wrongdoing that hangs around certain members of the constabulary like a bad smell. Enter stage left, Detective Superintendent Gail Elmwood, with her new found camaraderie with the aforementioned Mrs Saifre, and fans of the series will have more than an inkling of just what it is that is grinding McLean's gears. I like seeing the exploration of this side of McLeans' nature, exacerbated as it was by a dark turn in his personal life. He has always been a character who refuses to kowtow to management demands, taking his own line of investigation no matter what the potential repercussions. And believe me, this time around, they have the potential to cost him very dearly.

Once again, Janie Harrison take a much more pivotal role in proceedings and the continued to development of her character really adds something to the story. She is every bit as sceptical as the next copper about some of the more unusual aspects of the case, but, as with anyone who spends a significant amount of time in the strange world of Inspector McLean, ready to roll with the punches. She's really coming out of herself and proving to be a very astute and dedicated Detective Sergeant, stepping into the big shoes of Grumpy Bob as McLean's go to partner in crime fighting.

There is a wider cast of characters, our faithfuls like Angus Cadwallader, Duguid, and Emma, as well as Mrs McCutcheon's Cat and newcomer Cecily Slater's cat, who are on hand to keep McLean in check when Emma can't. Madame Rose plays a small but vital role in proceedings as always, but it falls to Janie to get to the crux of the issue and root out the real evil that is overwhelming Edinburgh, one seemingly charitable offering at a time. It did give me great pleasure to see Grumpy Bob step out from behind the desk one more time, showing us once again his canny, nature. It might have been a very different ending to the story if not for old Bob.

As ever, this is a standalone story but in truth is better read at the end of your McLean journey. So much of what happens in this book has links back to earlier novels that even though much is recapped for readers (and new Detectives to the team) throughout the book, it adds more weight if you understand the journey McLean and the team have been on to reach this point. I can't say that this proved to be an absolute conclusion to a long standing series arc, but it certainly draws a lot of the underlying threads together, and there will be more than the odd knowing nod from those who have been there from the start.

So, yes. A bittersweet experience. Did I love it? Of course I did. What's not to love in a story that is a police thriller with an undercurrent of the supernatural, one that features memorable characters I've really come to care about and that helps transport me to the darker, mystical side of a city I love too? But I am still sad. the ending to the book leaves a strange feeling - a small sense of hope, but at an unquestionable point of change. I just hope the wait for more, if it comes, is not too long.