I just love these books so much. It has been an absolute joy diving back into the next adventure of Max Craigie. Lots of suspense and drama and just the right amount of police work and mystery. Perfect in every way

The Devil You Know by Neil Lancaster

Six years ago, Beata Dobrowski arranged to meet her lover in Glasgow, but didn’t arrive. There were no leads, until now when an imprisoned gang boss called Davie Hardie wants to talk in exchange for his freedom. He is prepared to take the police to her grave. DS Max Craigie is drafted onto the case, but he knows someone in the team is selling secrets. Max wants to catch the killer, but he also wants to expose any police corruption no matter where he finds it. I hadn’t read any Neil Lancaster, but now I will be looking for the others in this series. This was original, action packed and full of humour as well as natural dialogue. I found Max a really interesting character in his own right but he also has a great team in fellow police officer Janie Calder, Barney who is a former spook, Norma who’s like a female ‘Q’ with her skills in technology and intelligence analysis. Then there’s the rather dry and sardonic DI Ross Fraser. They are the perfect combination of skills and expertise. They’re fighting a powerful opponent in their potential ‘Mr Big’ but also someone who’s fighting them from the inside.

This particular Mr Big has hidden himself in plain sight and it will take some risky manoeuvres to unmask him. It’s clear that Max’s efforts may force them to seek retribution against him and the team. We can see those bad guys on the lower rungs of the ladder, but they’re merely puppets. If they’re visible they’re also expendable. The breakthrough will only come from tracking and misdirection. That doesn’t mean there’s no action - there’s plenty of car chasing, unexpected revelations and an incredibly dramatic last few chapters. Not to mention a final reveal that’s well worth the wait. Ross was very quickly my favourite character. He’s a determined and talented DI but he also has a naughty streak which is my particular weakness. He likes to wind up his superior officers, indulging in some irreverent humour and the odd colourful turn of phrase. I wasn’t surprised to learn that Lancaster had been a police officer because it shines through in his detail and dialogue, including a lovely Scottish turn of phrase here and there. All of that brings an authenticity to the story. I didn’t guess the mole so I had that surprise element too. It’s very fast paced and hard to put down, but the author also grounds his story beautifully in it’s Scottish setting. We’re in no doubt that this is a Scottish book. The plot is clever and twisty without losing it’s believability. I’m surprised this series hasn’t been snapped up for a TV series because I could see it all in my mind’s eye and it would be brilliant.

Yet another 5 star police procedural from Neil Lancaster. This is, without a doubt, one of the best series of books in this genre.

Having read all the previous books in the series, I was really excited to read about Max, Janie, Ross and Norma again. They are only a small team, but oh so good at catching corrupt officers.

These books are full of action and you know with this author it's going to be true to life as he is ex police himself. It shows in the writing. Just brilliant.

I can't wait for more from Max and his team.

Good but I preferred the previous books don’t know why but just couldn’t get into this one.
So sadly for me only 3 stars

Having read the rest of this series, I found myself invested in Max and the rest of the characters. I find Neil's books to be slow burners until the action kicks in then I can't put them down.
Max is a proper English cop and these novels are a brilliant read if you want a British Crime Drama Series.

With thanks to the author, publishers HQ Digital, and NetGalley for providing me with a DRC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Number 5 in the DS Max Craigie series, and another 5* read!

Having read the previous four instalments in this series and given them all 5* ratings, I had really high hopes for this book, and I am happy to say that I was not disappointed. This was a thoroughly enjoyable return to the world of Max, Janie, Ross and Barney, once again joining forces to battle corruption in police Scotland. There is no need to have read any of the earlier works though, this book could be enjoyed equally well as a standalone read by someone not familiar with the series.

Even though the team is small, the character of each one is well fleshed out and each one brings their own unique set of skills to the whole, while the plot is as intricate and expertly-woven as it has been consistently throughout this series. As in those previous books though, it is the dialog that really takes this book to the next level. I don’t know if there is a better author out there at writing dialog in this sort of context, mixing the serious and professional descriptions of the active investigation with jokes and office banter. In particular, Ross Fraser has to be one of the funniest characters I’ve come across, and had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion!

I’m delighted to see that a sixth instalment is due to land in 2025, and cannot wait to get my hands on it!

In book 5 of the DS Max Craigie series, imprisoned gang boss Davie Hardie of the notorious Hardie crime family is wanting to cut a deal to reveal the whereabouts of a body. Hardie claims that Polish sex worker, Beata Dabrowski who went missing after a meeting in a Glasgow hotel 6 years did just disappear but was murdered and he can lead them to the body.

But, he insists on leading them there in person, and he refuses to have Max and his team involved.

As expected in these scenarios, the excursion doesn't go to plan and as police corruption is suspected, DS Max Craigie is brought in to work on the case.

There follows a calamitous set of events where Max and the team work to protect the surviving Hardies and also get to the bottom of the cold case around the missing sex worker. I found it to be an exciting and entertaining read and I love the character of Max Craigie, he will stop at nothing and risk everything in order to solve the case and dig out the mole.

This is a great series with believable and likeable characters and I can't wait to read book 6. My thanks to the author, Netgalley and HQ Digital for an ARC  in return for an honest review.

This book is a perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and psychological thrills. The characters are compelling, and the plot is packed with shocking surprises. Loved it.

Another brilliant and nail-biting book from one of my favourite authors
Neil Lancaster excels in bringing to life a team of just six members of an elite team who fight not just criminals but police who have joined the elite of criminals.

I love this series of nail-biting novels which I can never stop listening to until the bitter end when criminal police, often high ranking officers who have gone over to the dark side have been safely locked up.

The narrator was brilliant! He was able to capture each characters' accent, whether make or female perfectly and not only that but do it in such a way that we were aware where the characters originated in Scotland. Not an easy task!

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group

I've devoured the five available books in this series in the past month and can't wait for more. Following the anti corruption team in Scotland I love the setup of these books.

I love that although the stories are mainly focused on the main plot crime and corruption we see a little more of the main characters each time.

As with all of the others I didn't see it coming who was involved in the crime and I was gripped from start to finish. I highly recommend this author and series and can't wait to see where the team go next.

Book 5 in the excellent series and it just keeps getting better. It's like Line of Duty with sparkles!!

In this installment we find Max and the gang involved in the murder of a Polish sex worker from 6 years ago which has links to the remaining Hardy family who are serving out their time in prison and a shadowy figure called Ace.

Written with the humour and bluntness I've grown to love from Neil this is I think my favourite of the series. I really hope that there will be more.

4.5 stars!

Six years ago Polish sex worker, Beata Dabrowski met up with her lover in a Glasgow hotel and then simply disappeared. The case has remain unsolved, until now.

In the present day, imprisoned gang boss Davie Hardie wants to talk to the police about the same missing person cold case in exchange for his freedom. Davie knows exactly where Beata is buried, and he’s prepared to take the police to her grave. But when the mission to locate Beata’s body is hijacked, DS Max Craigie is drafted on to the case. Someone is selling secrets.

Max will stop at nothing to expose police corruption and uncover Beata’s murderer. . . but can you ever really trust a killer to catch a killer?

I have read one other book in this series which I thoroughly enjoyed but you can definitely read this as a standalone. Neil Lancaster is phenomenal at unraveling a twisted tale about corrupt policing/police officers. From the beginning, I was hooked into this murder mystery which branches off into many different directions but is not confusing in its execution and comes altogether in the end. Given Neil Lancaster's lived history as a former serving police officer, he is convincing in portraying the investigative and strategic techniques adopted by the authorities but also the fast-paced plot and suspenseful, dramatic storytelling meant I couldn't get enough of this book.

DS Max Craigie is the complete hero, intelligent, suave, compassionate, resilient and his quick-thinking means he stays one step ahead of the game (which is just what you want when there are suspects being murdered at the drop of a hat that brings its own setbacks in the investigation). The supporting characters are also well developed, highly skilled and motivated individuals who work brilliantly together and work to their own strengths and you find yourself rooting for the whole team as they try and dissect the clues and work together to complete the mission. There are jokes and camaraderie between them which not only diffuses the building tension but also made me smile during the read.

If you are wanting to read a fast-paced thriller then I would highly recommend this book. I am excited to read the rest in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest unedited review.

I was delighted to receive an ARC of this book, as I'm a big fan of Neil Lancaster and this one did not disappoint.

Great characters, excellent storyline, and enough twists and turns to satisfy the most ardent roller-coaster fan!

If you've not read anything by this author, and you like the genre, give it a try!

I’ve loved every book in the Max Craigie series so far, and this fifth instalment is no different! We catch up with Max and the team as the devils they know – aka the Hardie family – are finally behind bars. When one of the brothers starts making plans to work with the police in exchange for a reduced sentence, both Craigie and the other Hardie brother’s suspicions are raised. When the deal goes horribly wrong, Craigie is forced to work out what happened, and why, with help from an unexpected source.

This is another absolutely riveting story, and I loved the interactions between Max and the supporting cast of characters, all of whom are brilliantly well written. The plot is fast-paced and there are plenty of humorous moments throughout. I can’t wait to read the next one!

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

A really gripping read - I found it very enjoyable and it kept my interest throughout.. Highly recommended.

What a tense page turner. I struggled to put the book down as I wanted to know what was happening.
This is another book in the Detective Max Craigie series but it is easily read as a stand alone book which I did. Characters are well described and come to life. I found it hard to put the book down. Very cleverly written with lots of twists. Loved it.
I look forward to reading more of Neil Lancaster’s books.

A woman is murdered and 6 years later Davie Hardie wants to expose the high profile murderer for an easier time at prison. He does not want Max Craigie involved as he and his team helped to convict the Hardie crime family. Then people are murdered who could be linked to Beata’s murder.

An enjoyable read. The setting is Police Scotland and there is gritty action and believable characters.
It is a similar style of writing to other well-known detective writers who specialise in the Scots characters. These are hard driven people, worse are the villains they are chasing. Very good.

I call these comfortable reading! It is a series centred around DS Max Craigie and his enemies, the Hardies. The crime family is now either dead or in prison. One of the remaining sons, Dave Hardie wants to strike a deal by showing the body of a missing person. His only condition is that Max isn't involved. As a body is found, a group try to free Dave Hardie, but hidden in the hills is a sniper, and so we enter into a fast-paced crime thriller. I enjoyed this from start to finish and would recommend it.

This is my first outing with the team. What an outing. Full of action with a realistic plot and characters which were well developed despite not reading tge previous 4 I was able to enjoy the relationships between the team and be comfortable in the writing. It was so engaging and full of twists and turns. It was good to have brutually honest characters abd realistic interactions with hints of corruption and rehabilitation as being possible. A pleasure to read was tge length it needed to be. Ideal fie anyobe who loves a good mystery which is well written full of fantastic chatacters. The other 4 are added to my to be read list . Thank you netgallery and publisher and author for thus highly recommended 5 star read.

Another story in the DS Max Craigie series by Neil Lancaster and it was very much in line with what I'd experienced before in this series. Having said that, this is a book that you could read without having read the earlier instalments. I know that I have read one of the previous books but am terrible at remembering a book once I've read it on kindle. That wasn't a problem with this book, which was quite self-contained, although you might get something different/more if you'd been following DS Craigie's story from the beginning. Very much reminds me of the Rebus series as a police procedural,set in Scotland, albeit Craigie, whilst still troubled seems a much nicer guy.