The pandemic crime series which began before the readers found themselves living through a real-life pandemic. It was a fascinating idea before 202o and with the benefit of hindsight it is quite remarkable which elements of this “fiction” came to pass. Lesley Kelly’s post-pandemic Edinburgh is a fascinating city where lives have been devastated, people are trying to retain some semblance of normal and the political situation is at the “eggshell deplomacy” where the pandemic and the fallout is casting a huge shadow over everything.

This is the fifth book in the Health of Strangers series, we follow the Health Enforcement Team (a decidedly rag-tag bunch) who are tasked with ensuring the residents of their area of the city turn up for the compulsory regular health assessment checks. Their roles aren’t popular and people are don’t take kindly to a visit from the HET so, as you can imagine, their job satisfaction levels are not high.

As we rejoin events in this new book things in Edinburgh are not going well, food is in short supply and people are taking to the streets in protest. As the police are already stretched the politicians step in and decide it would be a good idea if the HET teams also step up and help maintain the peace. For one of their number it’s a step too far as she is already threatening court action against her employers as she’s being made to undertake tasks which don’t fall into her job description. However, a new Team Leader has been appointed to oversee the HET and she’s a career administrator with no practical experience of life on the frontline – the rules are the rules and there should be no reasons why the rules should not be followed.

Unfortunately the rules are not written to cope with the discovery of a terrorist cell operating within the city. A van full of luxury food goes astray en-route to a grand function due to be hosted by a prominent MSP. When the van is discovered so too is a a dead body and that discovery will lead to the revelation of terrorists in the city. For Mona and her colleagues at the HET team their days are about to be filled with international terrorists (though has Mona already met one of their suspects?). They are also dealing with the fallout of their latest investigation which had revealed a rogue operator within their team and in the aftermath of that discovery there are lots of red herrings floating around and police investigations are hampered by the false leads which were left for them to find, old loyalties within the team and an overwhelming level of suspicion between colleagues.

What makes these books sing for me is the humour which Lesley Kelly injects to proceedings. Dark humour and dry sarcasm is very much a feature of Scottish day to day life and the dialogue in Dead Man Driving perfectly captures the tone you’d expect from harassed and long suffering public servants faced with unwelcome challenges on a daily basis.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I am loving the evolution of this series and these characters. Where Mick Herron makes incompetent spooks an unmissable read, this is Lesley Kelly making the misfits in government healthcare equally essential reading. They are hopeless, frustrating and occasionally blessed with a flash of inspiration and they are wonderful to follow.

If you’re looking for a new Scottish Crime Fiction series to follow then you should look no further than the Health of Strangers books. A firm favourite.

It was fab to be back with the HET team! We're now 2 years into a flu pandemic & there's a lot of unrest in the City.

A lorryload of luxury food goes missing and Carlotta Carmichael MSP puts finding it into the North Edinburgh Health Enforcement Team's hands to find it as the driver is a health check defrauder. When they track it down all is not well. There are riots in the city with food rationing and disquiet.

It was good to see Mona back in the office and great to catch up with my favourite character Bernard whose ex-wife is causing problems. He doesn't want to loose Lucy over these issues. As well as being a fast paced tale there are lots of moments which had me laughing out loud. Great story would recommend.

As I started reading "Dead Man Driving" by Lesley Kelly, I was hooked from the very first chapter. This novel has everything I could ask for in a thriller- an intense plot, suspenseful twists and turns, and well-crafted characters that add depth and personality to the story.

The setting of the book, which is two years into a flu pandemic, sets the tone for a desperate society struggling with food shortages and an angry population. The story revolves around Carlotta Carmichael MSP, who is organizing a high-profile meeting of international virus ministers and is faced with the dilemma of a lorryload of luxury food getting hijacked.

The Health Enforcement Team is called upon to track down the stolen food, and that's when the story takes an intense turn. The characters are forced to confront the reality of a world plagued by illness and food shortages. The plot's unexpected twists and turns make it impossible to predict what's going to happen next, leaving you at the edge of your seat and wanting more.

One of the best parts of "Dead Man Driving" is the unique and interesting characters. Lesley Kelly has managed to create a diverse cast of personalities that all come together to add depth and complexity to the story. From the Health Enforcement Team to Carlotta Carmichael MSP, every character has a purpose and adds something special to the novel.

Overall, "Dead Man Driving" is a thrilling read that kept me captivated from start to finish. It's a five-star novel that deserves recognition for its well-written characters, engaging plot, and perfect execution of a pandemic-related story. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller.

I have been more into dystopianesque books recently - which is no surprise with how the world is. I really enjoyed this, it was well-written with a compelling storyline and well-developed characters. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.