Down and dirty, gritty police investigation, muddied by the mob and corruption, a bit of ego, and a dose of real life.

Never underestimate the tenacity of a f*ck up, or the determination of a lovable rogue under pressure. Sharp, gritty, and entertaining as hell.

Squeaky Clean by @callumrmcsorley

McILVANNEY PRIZE for SCOTTISH CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2023

I’m not sure how old Callum is, he looks like a boy in his photos (I’m getting old) - and this was his debut novel!!! How?!
Despite my jealousy, I loved Squeaky Clean. It’s funny in the way The Sopranos was - one minute you’re laughing and onside with the characters, the next you realise what you’re laughing at and how bad they actually are.

DI Alison (Ally) McCoist has messed up big time and no one trusts her. Carwash employee Davey Burnet has messed up too, and it’s going to change his life forever.

There’s kidnapping, murder, prostitution… the worst of Glasgow’s underworld. Can Davey escape its clutches? Can Ally put away the psycho at the head of it all? I couldn’t stop turning the pages to find out and can’t wait for the sequel next year.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

"Squeaky Clean" by Callum McSorley is a gritty, darkly humorous dive into the underbelly of Glasgow's criminal world. The novel introduces us to Davey Burnet, a seemingly inconsequential car wash employee whose life takes a dramatic turn when he unwittingly becomes entangled with the city's nefarious figures.

The narrative is fast-paced and brimming with tension, capturing the reader's attention from the first page. McSorley's Glasgow is not for the faint-hearted; it's a place where violence is a language and survival is an art. The author's use of Scottish vernacular adds authenticity to the setting, though it may pose a challenge for those unfamiliar with the dialect.

DI Alison McCoist, the other central character, is a flawed yet determined detective, whose reputation is as battered as the city she serves. Her dogged pursuit of justice and redemption is as compelling as Davey's struggle for survival. Their paths cross in unexpected ways, leading to a series of events that are as unpredictable as they are thrilling.

McSorley's debut is a bold statement, showcasing a knack for blending dark comedy with crime thriller elements. The characters are deeply flawed, yet undeniably human, making them both relatable and memorable. The dialogue is sharp and often laced with humor, providing levity to an otherwise intense narrative.

Overall, "Squeaky Clean" is a standout novel that offers a fresh take on the crime genre. It's a book that entertains as much as it provokes thought, leaving readers eager to see what McSorley will write next. With its unique voice and unflinching portrayal of Glasgow's dark side, this book is a must-read for fans of crime fiction looking for something out of the ordinary.

I am a bit late to the party with this book, but I am glad I eventually got there...
We start with a cop - DI Alison McCoist - yep... Ally McCoist - Rangers legend... And yes, she gets ribbed by it all the way through, and no, it doesn't get old or boring! She's a bit of a f-up having botched a sensitive murder enquiry - putting away the wrong person, and so, even though she is still attached to the MIT - by a very thin thread - she is given all the dross jobs... She's frustrated but determined to get back up to where she belongs... Also to avenge those who helped bring her down...
We also meet Davey Burnet who works at a car-wash. He is down on his luck, separated from his missus who is also refusing him access to their daughter. One day, a forgotten court case has him "borrowing" a client's car in order to try make it on time... But this decision turns out to be much much worse than he can ever envisage and is the catalyst for the spiral in fortune he suffers...
And that's all I am saying. It's all a bit interconnected and convoluted and best read as the author intends. One thing I will warn you about before you dive in, the dialogue is written in the Scottish Glaswegian vernacular. It's easily translated along the way but, if you are like me, you might need to "read aloud" occasionally!
The characters are brilliant. Occasionally larger than life but never verging into caricature. It probably helped that I took to Davey right from the start. Poor lad, he really didn't have any luck in life at all. And I know you make your own luck, but some people really are beyond hope/help. And Ally - loved her for all the wrong and right reasons. She's a maverick, she's tenacious, she throws off authority like it's a manky coat. She's her own woman. And she loves her wee dug.
It's brutal in places and funny in others. Starting off quite lightly it descends into quite a dark place so it's good that there is humour peppered throughout. All culminating in a complicated but wholly satisfying conclusion. It really is Tartan Noir at its very best.
And the very best thing about this book. Apart from it being brilliant, is that there is a sequel... Now... who do I have to "persuade" to get me a copy of that bad boy... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A new Scottish detective to play with in DI Alison McCoist introduced as a failure despised by her peers but somehow still employed. Given all the dead end jobs she stumbles into the misdeeds of a Glasgow kingpin gangster and the story rattles along on a tide of dark humour and extreme violence. Full of dodgy characters all speaking in a Glaswegian accent it takes a bit of concentration to keep up but is well worth it. Look forward to more of the same!

I’d recently read quite a bit of Tartan-Noir and was excited to read Squeaky Clean by Callum McSorley. I was also convinced to read the book as it was described as: wayward Scottish police meets Breaking Bad which made it sound fun.

It’s a great rollercoaster of a ride covering the underbelly of Glasgow. I enjoyed the dark humour and the way in which the dialogue was written in dialect. It made it feel very Glaswegian.

I really got behind DI Alison McCoist and found her an interesting protagonist. I can’t wait to read more books by Callum McSorley.

This book was okay. The characters weren’t particularly Likeable.
I liked the style of writing- the characters were mostly all Scottish, so it was written how they spoke.
I found myself not fully engaged.
If you like books about gangs, drug lords, blackmail, detectives and corrupt police, then you’ll like this book.

This would make a great tv show. Lots of gritty realism and pitch black humour. I loved it!

I know it’s a cliche but I couldn’t stop turning the pages (well, tapping the kindle but that doesn’t sound right) to find out what was in store for Davey and DI Allison McCoist.

With witty, dialogue and a fast paced story, this is surely going to be a bestseller. I can’t wait for more in the series.

WARNING: it's another unpopular opinion review!!

Right... I didn't expect this to happen to be honest. There was just something about Squeaky Clean that made me want to read it as soon as I first saw it. I love a Scottish setting in my stories, and the mix of dark comedy and Scottish crime sounded like a match made it heaven. The blurb made the story sound SO good, and I was excited to finally dive in. Unfortunately it didn't end up being the reading experience I thought it would be for me, and I ended up having to make the difficult decision to turn it into my third DNF of the year.

Before I continue I have to stress that I still love the premise of this first book of a new series. The idea of having a disgraced cop as one of the main characters is an ingenious one, as it opens up so many possibilities for both humor and interesting situations. Add the organized crime angle with Davey's POV, and there was a lot of promise overall. The Scottish setting itself makes for a great backdrop, but here is were it partially went wrong for me as well. As a philologist, I usually love the incorporation of local dialects, but there is local flavor and there is completely overdoing it. This Glasgow dialect was an absolute headache and nightmare to properly understand, and with the majority of the plot being dialogues it was sheer torture to keep reading.

This wasn't my only issue with Squeaky Clean though. I also struggled considerably with the main characters; they were all extremely unlikeable, and I honestly couldn't care less about what happened to any of them. There was also way too much swearing going on; instead of making the characters feel more authentic, they became even bigger caricatures. To make things worse, I simply couldn't see the humor at all, and there was not even a tiny chuckle to be found in the first 20%. This might have been partly due to my struggles with the strong dialect, but still... I spotted a few parts that I think were supposed to be funny, but the humor just didn't hit the mark for me. Very disappointing to be honest, especially considering I usually love my humor on the dark and sarcastic side.

I initially attempted to keep reading by skimreading all the dialogues, but since that is basically the majority of Squeaky Clean I just couldn't see the point of continuing. Especially since it was already abundantly clear that Squeaky Clean just wasn't the book for me... I seem to be in the minority though, so don't give up on my account if you think your knowledge of Glasgow dialect is up to standards and like the sound of the blurb.

Callum McSorley is a new writer on the Tartan Noir scene and with his debut novel he makes a huge splash. I absolutely loved this story of the dark underbelly of Glasgow, peopled by monstrous thugs and pitiful losers, watched over by a sometimes heroic, sometimes incompetent and sometimes corrupt police force, the whole thing leavened with a hearty helping of the darkest humour. All the major characters (damaged misfits everyone of them), and some minor ones too, are superbly drawn. Most of them provoked nothing but the deepest loathing from this reader with empathy and sympathy reserved for just one of the protagonists. The device of writing most of the dialogue in the Glaswegian dialect (or is it actually a language in its own right?) was surprising and just a little unsettling at the start but it soon became an integral part of the enjoyment of this terrific book. I honestly cannot recommend it highly enough.

Squeaky Clean by Callum McSorley is the dark comedy crime novel for everybody that has enjoyed at least one book by either Ivine Welsh or Ian Rankin (both I was obsessed by in my 20s, and now, I have another outstanding Scottish author to add to my favourites list in this genre!)

I was utterly howling throughout this book. I cannot even. I was sputtering, gasping for air, full on uggo laughing and no, I didn't care because Squeaky Clean is brilliant!

Winner of the McIlvanny Prize for Scottish Crime of the Year and rightly so. The characters are beatifully developed, the dialogue and banter is on point and the storyline a scorcher

DI Alison McCoist is really not like in her station, most think she is a mess, either corrupt or just a naff police officer. However, nobody thinks much of a carwash employee called Davey Burnet either. Until events cause them both to cross paths with the twisted psycopathy of Glasgow's premier crime boss

An absolute screamer of a novel that will leave scorch marks on your psyche and your sides split from laughing, The narrative is snarky, blunt and brutal but oh so relatable and utterly gripping, I cannot wait to read more!

Thank you to Netgalley, Pushkin Press, Pushkin Vertigo and the author Callum McSorley for this incredible ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

I have Scottish grandparents so I always jump at the chance to read some Tartan Noir. I absolutely loved this mix of the tough and gritty crime underworld with moments of pure hilarity, and the fact that a lot of the spoken elements were written in the Glaswegian dialect made it feel so much more authentic. There were some brilliant characters here, particularly Davey who is unfortunately one of those people who seem to attract bad things happening to them, but happily for me this made for a really entertaining story. A dark and brutally funny debut, I would love to see some of these characters return in a sequel.

This was great fun, real Tartan noir and with a brilliant hero a scary villain and a cop called Ally McCoist how can you go wrong?

It took a while and some help from my Scottish partner to get used to the dialect and patois but after a time you barely notice it and just enjoy a cracking good tale with excites and intrigues all the way through.

It has a bit of everything and will surely be a massive seller. I can heartily recommend it.

Squeaky Clean is the very assured ,and already very successful, Scottish Crime thriller by Callum McSorley. If you're a fan of Stuart MacBride, Chris Brookmyre and Irvine Welsh you'll love this......and not be fazed by the sweary and bloody storyline.

Detective Inspector Alison McCoist and car wash attendant Davey Burnet have something in common, they've both made bad mistakes at work. The main difference is that while McCoist's cost her ridicule and left her under suspicion by her colleagues, Davey's put him in the middle of a war between rival gangs of equally psychotic thugs.
With Alison seeking redemption and Davey desperately trying to stop his entire world falling apart this is a very funny and fast-moving story full of flawed,but very well-drawn,characters. McSorley balances some quite disturbing scenes with plenty of humour and empathy as some of the characters struggle to do the right thing against all the odds.

Some readers might struggle with the dialogue and a "Weegee-English" glossary would have been good but as with an Irvine Welsh book it's a learning curve,albeit mostly one of learning new Scottish obscenities.

Great read,great fun.

No, sorry, this wasn’t for me. Just couldn’t get into it at all, as there was no instant appeal.
Perhaps I found it too similar to one or two other authors, whose books I had read, but by the time I had read half a dozen or so, had had enough.

So..... I'm not a fan of books that are just so dramatically Scottish. And I am Scottish. But not..... like that Scottish lol. I get it, its glasgow, some people do talk like that, I just probably wouldn't associate with them though lol. It actually pains me as a Scot lol. Anywho that aside it's a well plotted out book. Its got a bit of gangster vibes and a bit of police procedural thrown in but I did really like that it was just mainly about Davey and the nuances of being human. Not everything is black and white, the good guys aren't always good and the bad guys aren't always bad. It's a bit too dark and brutal for my liking and dare I sound sexist for saying it.... probably more of a man's book who might not be quite as sensitive to the content. Jist wisny fir me lawd 👍

What’s not to love about a book that’s dark, written with foul language and you read in your head with a Scottish accent! Love it… it’s my first by this author and I’m hoping he fine tunes and writes more. Reminds me of another author haha ( JD Kirk!)

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me the chance to read this advance copy.

Squeaky Clean is a gritty mystery about Scotland's dark underworld. Allison McCoist has been demoted within her department for making a grave error during a homicide case. Davey is a car wash attendant who makes a grave error in the hopes of bettering his life. The story follows both of these characters as they have run ins with Scotland's gang lord, a very despicable character.

I thought this book was going to be a police procedural. It was in a way, but the book focused less on the mystery of what happened and more upon the character of Davey, who is a likeable guy who is trying to do his best while bad choices lead to worse consequences.

I almost put this book down for two reasons:

One, I found this book difficult to read because of the writing style. The author writes out the Scottish accent and my brain hurt from trying to process the writing.

Two, I found this book difficult to read because of the content. This has way more bad language than I am used to reading. It also has some extremely graphic and violent scenes. This book really gives you a picture of the dark underworld of Scotland and it isn't pretty. For me, this content was too much and I had to skip over certain scenes in order to finish the book.

This book includes scenes involved crimes against women.

While I did not particularly enjoy this book, I did appreciate how the author shows that everyone contains multitudes. The good guys aren't always good and the bad guys aren't always bad. I also appreciated the storyline in general, though I wish more had been included about DI McCoist.

For those reading this outside of Europe, one piece of information (that I eventually googled and discovered) is that there was a famous footballer named Ally McCoist. This is a running joke among characters in the book because of the DI's name, but I didn't get it until I googled it.

This book was marketed as being darkly funny and I do not see that at all. There was no humor in this book, just evil people getting their way with innocent people who are trying to do a good job.

If you read this for book club, it is bound to lead to a rousing discussion. Otherwise, I would not read this author again for enjoyment

It worries me that a lot of my favorite crime authors are getting older, and one day perhaps not all that far off, series I have been reading for a long time will come to an end. Which is why I'm so happy to have stumbled onto Callum McSorley and DI Alison McCoist. I hope to reading about her and her dog Bruce for many years to come. The dialect of the dialog took me a minute to get used to, but I did and it was easy reading by the end.

Squeaky Clean is a compelling story, that's well told - exciting twists and turns throughout, everything you want out of a good crime novel. It hooked me early on, and I read it quickly. Looking forward to Paperboy!