Beata Dabrowski has been missing for six years, when she failed to meet her boyfriend in Glasgow.
The case has gone cold until now.
Davie Hardie is a gang boss who wants to talk in exchange for his release from prison.
DS Max Craigie is bought in to investigate but is it wise to use a killer to trap one?

Very enjoyable. This series is developing well and is very believable apoart from the magical skills of the ex-spook.

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read an advanced reading copy the fifth book, The Devil You Know, in the DS Max Craigie series. I have enjoyed all four novels in this series. This is a Curly Wurly of a read with twists and turns on every page! I loved this novel. Neil Lancaster is one of my favourite authors.

Davie Hardie is a hard man, son of deceased Tam Hardie senior. At present Davie and his older brother Frankie, are incarcerated in Shotts Prison, North Lanarkshire, Scotland. The Hardies have a hate/history with Detective Sergeant Max Craigie.

I love all the characters in the DS Max Craigie series. My firm favourite is DI Ross Fraser, what a great character! Second favourite character is protagonist, Max Craigie. All other characters in the team are DC Janie Calder, Barney, ex MI5 technical specialist and Norma, Intelligence & Research Analyst, who bring their banter, humour and thoughts into the mix. I'm going to miss them and hope for another book in the series.

I have missed these characters and feel they are old friends. The banter between the team members is laugh out loud, and the dialogue is jam packed with Scottish humour! I couldn't put the book down and read it in two days. I enjoy Lancaster's style of writing and vocabulary. The book is dark, gritty and sometimes gorey. A great plot that will keep you reading.

I recommend this book, you will not be disappointed. I give a 5-star rating.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING ARC OF THIS BOOK IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST

What a fast paced book!
Max Craigie, while dealing with his own demons, manages to help with the Hardie family. I like the character Barney who is an ‘off the wall’ type of person, but he knows his stuff.
I was keen to finish the story, but at the same time, I didn’t want it to end.
I recommend it.

Another cracking Neil Lancaster book where we meet again Max Craigie and his team. This is a fast paced police procedural story with the usual violence and corruption. We get to know a bit more about the key players and crime in Scotland. I really want this to be made into a series for tv - like Line of Duty. Can’t wait for the next one in this great series.

I'm a massive fan of Neil Lancaster and the DS Max Craigie series.
All the favourite characters are here, including the remnants of the Hardie family. Uncovering corruption at the top with a clever storyline, this book twists and turns right up to the end.
When will these books be made into a TV series?

Book 5 in the DS Craigie series and they just get better and better. Do not worry if you have not read the previous books as the author fills in the gaps accordingly and it does read well as a standalone.
Once again Craigie is up against his old nemesis in the Hardie family with the last remaining members of the family incarcerated in prison. One however is pursuing a deal to get moved to an open prison in exchange for giving information on a cold case murder. Knowing the family and their hatred of the police Max Craigie gets suspicious and involve his team despite being specifically told not to.
Once again we enter a story of gangland violence and police corruption at the highest level. The thrills, twists and turns commence.
This author skillfully describes the scenes perfectly and takes you on a journey of great suspense and behind the scenes investigations.
I cannot commend this book and the series highly enough

As you would expect from this author, this is an exceedingly well written book. The question throughout the story is who will be the character called Ace who is orchestrating a series of crimes and assassinations. When he is revealed, the story comes together. One be one, a family is being murdered and the police are targeted too. Based in more than one Scottish location, the book is gripping and the scenarios are attractive. Glasgow’s roughness is well used as are the more remote locations. This is a very good read and I recommend it.

Neil Lancaster has done it again!
Another exciting story for Max Craigie and the team. Yes the series continues he's but there's enough here for a new reader to enjoy and maybe make them want to go back for the earlier books.
The purpose of this team is to root out corrupt officers in Police Scotland and it's something that they do with grit and determination. There's a case that they have been ordered not to get involved in, but it soon switches when other evidence co.ex to livht. Despite the intensity of the investigation there are some moments of light relief, and personal issues for some of the team.
This is well worth a read.

I love this series and even better they are Scottish. This installment was just as good as the previous books I’ve recommended them to so many people. Amazing.

From Good Reads:
Absolutely action packed as ever. Plot twists galore,. Corruption, great bad guys and an unforgettable cast of good guys.
These are just getting better and better - a must read series for me now.

Another winner in this brilliant series featuring Max, Ross and the team delving into corruption in Police Scotland. Plenty of action and the story takes the reader on a thrilling ride trying to sort out the goodies from the baddies - not as easy as it may seem. Roll on book 6!!

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.

Neil Lancaster is a solid and really good author. I love the way he introduces the Scottish dialect into the books - it makes it his own, well for me anyway.
This is a book that you really do need to have read the preceding books to really understand the background.
I got so involved in the story it was a definite one session read for me and so enjoying the series.

A fairly standard police procedural tale with a good storyline & interesting characters. Thoroughly enjoyable

The Devil You Know,book 5 in the DS Max Craigie series,maintains the high standards of these previous superb stories.
The Hardie gang family feature heavily again in this case,where initially the imprisoned boss offers to give details about the murder and concealment of a woman’s body six years ago,in exchange for his demands.
The fast moving tale is grippingly realistic as Max and the team are drafted into the case to establish how secret information is being leaked and just who is behind the actions of a professional killer.
Once again Neil Lancaster’s writing draws the reader quickly into the storyline which feels so authentic that it stands apart from most detective and crime series.The characterisation and narrative makes for an engaging and engrossing tale that takes sometimes familiar elements of murder and criminal detection and gives it a fresh slant that seems like the genuine article in smart investigative policing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another great read from Neil Lancaster. I love the Scottish setting, the gritty characters and fast paced plot. I highly recommend this book and the whole series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of The Devil You Know, the fifth novel to feature DS Max Craigie of Police Scotland’s Policing Standards Reassurance Team.

Davie Hardie of the infamous Hardie crime family is feeling uncomfortable in prison and offers a deal in return for a shorter sentence and a cushier prison. His first step is to reveal the whereabouts of Beata Dabrowski’s body, a woman who went missing six years ago. The dump site gets compromised and Max and the team are suddenly back on the investigation after being frozen out because someone is selling secrets.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Devil You Know, which is one of the best books I have read recently. It combines an action packed plot with some trenchant black humour in the dialogue. I should point out that some of the language used is strong, which may not suit every reader, but, to my mind it simply adds to the humour as the range of insults is truly imaginative at times. Of course, it may just be funny to me because it’s familiar and very well done. The author captures the Scottish voice and attitude exactly.

The plot may be a touch OTT and it may rely on serendipity for some developments, but who cares when it’s so readable. Basically the team come off as amateur hour up against some serious professionals (and that’s just the other officers!) but don’t be fooled. There is a serious sneakiness to their investigations that I can only marvel at as they nab another criminal. It moves along at a fast pace with several new murders, some ambushes and the unveiling of a Mr Big. It doesn’t lack for action or at some moments tension, but it’s stronger on humour and sneakiness.

The Devil You Know is a great read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Following an in-depth police procedural with gritty crimes, relentlessly brutal criminals, and lots of tense action, The Devil You Know is another brilliant and fast-paced instalment in this always entertaining series.

Although I consider myself an avid thriller reader, I don't always enjoy them when they are centred on drug-related crimes and gangs or corruption, but Neil Lancaster makes his stories and characters so engaging that I would happily read anything written by him. Because although the Hardie gang are very pivotal to this story and Craigie is determined to uncover any potential cases of corruption, I was fully invested from start to finish.

His writing is effortlessly engaging, and his characters have such brilliant chemistry that I always look forward to returning to them. This book could also easily be read as a standalone, so I'd definitely recommend giving it a go if you're wondering whether this is a series for you. Because, no doubt, like me, you'll soon be addicted and will need to read them.

I still need to read the first two books in this series which I keep meaning to prioritise (but for me that could mean anytime in the next year), but this is definitely one of my current favourite series that I'm always eagerly looking forward to a new release from.

Six years ago Beata, a young Polish woman, was murdered after her married lover called in a favour from a crime boss he had in his pocket. Now the crime boss is dead, one of his sons is missing presumed dead and the other two are in prison. The youngest, Davie Hardie, offers to show the police where Beata's body was dumped and, in return for immunity, a move to a nicer prison, and cutting his sentence, he will also name a very important person who ordered the murder. His only condition, Max Craigie and his team have nothing to do with it.

When Max finds out about the deal from his hush-hush friend the team are of the view that once a Hardie always a Hardie and Davie would never help the police, they suspect its more likely to be an escape attempt. However, the new Deputy Chief Constable has a point to prove and she dislikes the team so they are ordered to back off and forced to take a week's leave.

Of course it all goes spectacularly wrong, Barney's (ex-MI5) van has been evicted from the car park by the DCC and 'coincidentally' he has chosen to park his van close to the lake in which Davie says Beata's body was dumped, luckily a friend has given him a new drone to test and so Barney captures everything in high definition film.

Separately, those men who actually murdered Beata are being quietly killed off. It seems that Beata's married lover, who is now someone of great importance, is getting rid of any links between him and Beata's disappearance.

Yet again, a great detective story. For me there were three main suspects and I was right on one of them. I'm really enjoying this series.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

A gripping read, I couldn't put it down until i had finished the novel. This author's books keep on getting better, so I am looking forward to the next one. Highly recommended.