Book 2 in the DS Malkie McCulloch series. A good addition to the series, gripping storyline and I liked the way that the main character’s personality is showing more .

First I want to thank NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Doug Sinclair for my ARC of The Last To Die.

This is my first book by Doug Sinclair but it won’t be my last! This was a fast paced, keep you on the edge of your seat book! I didn’t want to put it down. It took me a little bit to get into because there are two different POVs and two stories going on. This is the second book in the series but can be read as a standalone. I will definitely be going back to read the first book!

Definitely tartan noir and rather gruesomely gory. Malkie is a demoted DI, now DS through his frank talking, doggedness, irreverence and personal issues. He's still working though and remains teamed with Steph, his DC. They are working on the murder of a young man which started as intrusion of an elderly lady, retired police officer. Time rapidly jumps back to the death of a young woman decades before. She had been causing a disturbance and taken into custody for her protection but then released and later found dead due to hypothermia. Five police officers were involved and one was cautioned. The story rapidly becomes one of revenge, gory exsanguination, there's definitely psychotic behaviour in there. There is also a lot about Malkie's problems and I found the whole story depressing rather than engaging with it. There was a neat, even if expected, twist at the end. It might have been better if I had read the first in the series before this. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

The second outing for DS Malkie McCulloch.

On a cold Edinburgh night Malkie is called out to a fatal stabbing in a park, following a trail of blood drops he is led to a house, but after calling for back-up he hears an altercation inside and sees a burly man creeping up behind an elderly woman, he calls out to warn her but gets knocked out for his pains. When he awakes the house is empty.

The elderly woman, Lilibeth Crosbie, was a retired police officer. Worried for her safety the police set out to find her, only to find that two missing persons reports had already been filed for her, 45 years ago by someone called Ben Hutchison. Digging further back into the archives, it appears that Crosbie's career had effectively been terminated after she realised a female prisoner from custody on New Year's Eve 1977 on her cognisance and the girl apparently got lost and froze to death.

Something, or someone, has stirred up memories of that night and one by one the officers who were on duty at that police station that night are being hunted down and killed.

I really enjoyed this book, less graphically gory than the first book (my taste tends more towards police procedural and cosy than thrillers), I recognised the link between the way in which the victims were killed. However, sitting here writing my review a scant five minutes after finishing reading I have lots of questions - some of the 'what came first, the chicken or the egg?' variety. (view spoiler)

Read my spoilers in my Goodreads review, here.

So overall, really enjoyed it but I now have questions and I'm not sure if I didn't read it properly or if the plot doesn't really hold up to scrutiny.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Also available on Kindle Unlimited.

Yes, the next book to this series is here!!!!

last to Die by Doug Sinclair is the second book in a new DS Malkie McCulloch crime series which is set in Livingston West Lothian in Scotland, with this book I was totally gripped from the beginning till the very end. It had it all lots of suspense, murders, serial killers and action, with great twists and turns that bought this book alive!
I loved it especially the two main characters DS Malkie McCulloch and DS Malkie McCulloch. Looking forward to the next book in this series.

I highly recommend this book A 5 star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my ARC.

This book is the 2nd in a series that I had not previously read. That didn't stop me from enjoying every page. Well written and keeps you guessing!

This is a good read, a fast paced story. The second in a series that I had not heard of before and I will definitely be reading the first to find out more about the characters and their background.
The characters are interesting, very varied and have distinct personalities.
D S Malkie McCulloch starts out investigating a murder. This soon leads back to an event in the past having long lasting consequences, and further murders. I like the different points of view from which the story is told, adds to its complexity and pace. Malkie himself is dealing with tragedy in his life and the story of this unfolds as the book progresses. I look forward to reading further books in this series.

4.5⭐

Detective Sergeant Malkie McCulloch is back, and this time he's on the hunt for a killer hell bent on revenge.

When he's called to parkland near the River Almond where a body has been discovered, sitting on a bench and the assumption is the deceased has been mugged and killed for drugs.

That is until a witness mentions an elderly woman standing over the body who has since disappeared and an attending PC discovers a trail of blood leading to a nearby home which Malkie follows and what he discovers when he enters the house leaves him floored.

And when the deceased is quickly identified as a local criminal, everyone involved believes it has to be a case of robbery gone array.

However, Malkie remains sceptical. Given that a pensioner would struggle to overcome a young man brandishing a weapon, and if that had truly happened, why did she flee the scene?

Which is what Malkie is determined to uncover!

But what he doesn't expect to learn is that this particular elderly woman was once a police officer with lots of skeletons and was involved in a tragic case forty-five years ago, which flips Malkie's case on its head, especially when another body is found.

And as Malkie and Steph investigate, the links between the past and the present become disturbingly clear, and the race is on to catch a killer who will go to any lengths to exact their revenge.

And with a fast-paced storyline, great characters and a killer I did not see coming Last to Die was a gripping read and I'm really excited for what comes next!

I would also happily recommend Last to Die to all. 😊

The author is amazing how she builds the story with intricate details, suspense, and twists that don't see coming. I've read all of her books. Her characters are well developed with emotional human characteristics. It makes you feel that you are experiencing the story, and then she masterfully creates a suspense and mystery that draws you in to see what will happen next. We'll write and definitely recommend

Scottish-noir, crime-thriller, series, gritty, depression, mental-health-issues, police-corruption, police-detectives, politics, retired-cop, triggers, vengeance, secrets, lies, betrayal, murder, criminal-acts, unputdownable, mysteries, mysterious-character, investigations, investigators, recriminations, grief, grieving, septuagenarian, disgraced-cops, friendship, friends, justice, retribution, multiple-murder, office-politics*****

DS Malkie McCulloch is a mess. Nearly buried in PTSD complete with horrible nightmares and still battling the depression that came with the events that fried his mother, left his father still grieving, and himself with overwhelming financial burden. But he's been cleared to return to work with his old partner DC Steph Lang. As if. Malkie seems to get the job done, but he is not a by-the-rules team player and seems to have very little control over his tongue. We hear his point of view, his superiors point of view and several of the criminals who initiated this series of events that originated nearly a lifetime ago. The due diligence is as good as it can be, all things considered. Twisty and twisted to the point of belief, this is one unputdownable book!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. Thank you!

Wonderful. Thrilling. Tense. Suspenseful. Just absolutely adored this one. a brilliant read from an amazing author.

Case interesting but pace off🤔

2.5-3🌟stars
I love a Scottish setting and that and the crime spree itself in Doug Sinclair's Last to Die were good, but I had an issue with the story's pace, largely due to the frequent turn to DS Malkie McCulloch's personal life. I felt the balance between investigation business and personal issues was weighted too much in McCulloch's life not relevant to the case and, as a result, the plot was long and choppy. I never clicked with any of the characters.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

The second book in the Malkie McCulloch series - what a nail biter! Full of surprising characters and plot twists, this one will keep you guessing right up to the end. A Well written and believable Scottish crime novel with a damaged and likeable police detective at its heart. I can’t wait for the next instalment!

I read just Blood Runs Deep, then Last to Die, to get the full benefit of the series, and its definitely worth it as a lot of the characters from.the first book continue to the second book.
Malkie McCulloch is an unconventional and undisciplined detective, either loved or loathed by his colleagues. He's recently demoted from Inspector to sergeant at the start of the first book, and has also suffered a family tragedy which has created distance between him and his father. Despite himself, he has the support and friendship of his excellent colleague Stephanie Lang. In this book, they are trying to find Lillian, a disgraced former police officer who was attacked by an intruder in her home, then disappears, and her former colleagues start getting murdered. There's some WhatsApp chapters involving Lilian's former colleagues and a mysterious woman manipulating them, which helps the reader with the background to the case.
Malkie tries to work out what really happened, while dealing with his own chaotic personal life. Malkie is constantly in trouble at work, so it's amazing that he still has a job. He's a likeable character and it's nice to see his personal life improving. Recommended.

Last to Die
by Doug Sinclair
Pub Date: May 02 2024

Last to Die is a great crime thriller you won't want to put down until you've finished it completely in one sitting! At least I didn't. It's full of twists and turns, mystery, suspense, action and of course murder.

It is a second book in a series, Blood Runs Deep is the first book but it can be read as a standalone.

Synopsis: On a cold New Year’s Eve night, a young woman lies slumped on a park bench. Snow gathers on her hair. If her glazed eyes were closed, she might be sleeping. Nobody will find her for hours…

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #LasttoDie and #StormPublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this book.

On a cold New Year’s Eve night, a young woman lies slumped on a park bench. Snow gathers on her hair. If her glazed eyes were closed, she might be sleeping. Nobody will find her for hours…Thirty years later, in the Scottish town of Livingston, a retired police officer disappears from her home. A trail of blood leads from the pensioner’s doorstep to the edge of the nearby river, and as he follows it, DS Malkie McCulloch fears the worst. But at the end of the trail, instead of an elderly woman, he finds the body of a young man.The deceased is identified as a local criminal, and the case appears to be a robbery gone wrong. But Malkie isn’t convinced. How did the pensioner overcome the burglar? And where is she now? Digging into the former police officer's past, Malkie uncovers a connection with the tragic death of a young woman decades before – and the case is flipped on its head. Is the missing pensioner not as innocent as he’d assumed? Have skeletons in her closet come back to haunt her? Then another body is found, and the link between the crimes of the past and the present becomes chillingly clear.
This is the 2nd book in the series and can be read as a standalone. It's a fast-paced read that is set in Scotland. The plot and characters are enjoyable and the story pulled me in and kept me reading until the very end. DS Malkie and his partner DC Steph did an excellent job with the case serving up revenge."The past will always catch you" is written on the cover and how true was that! I am now looking forward to the next book in the series. If you like revenge in your mystery thriller, then you will love this book.

Overall I thought the book was okay. At times, I felt like the author was trying to be too sophisticated and fancy in his writing and I had to reread a few paragraphs a couple times. I also had a hard time keeping track of all the characters. Maybe it’s because I didn’t read the first in the series, but I really couldn’t understand why Malkie’s coworkers disliked him so much. But I did like the twist at the end.

The second Doug Sinclair book featuring DS Malkie McCulloch is every bit as enjoyable as the first. The character of Malkie is building into one of those detectives you hope the author continues to include in future books. Could not put the book down and read in a day. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

"The past will always catch you," is the tagline on the front cover of Last to Die and it is certainly appropriate. Doug Sinclair does a fantastic job of capturing just how chilling that revenge can be in his latest DS Malkie McCulloch tale. Our protagonist is an interesting character and the book is helped by a solid supporting cast of characters. Storm Publishing has proven to be adept at gifting us entertaining reads and Last to Die is no exception. It is engaging from start to finish. It is a well paced adventure with a wholly satisfying conclusion. I promise you'll be looking forward to Malkie McCulloch #3 after reading this one. Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #LasttoDie #NetGalley

I received an ARC review copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. I dove into this book without having read the first in the series and finished it in one sitting! The story revolves around a case that happened 45 years ago and is connected to a recent death. I found the characters, the setting, and the plot all to be well done. It was full of twists and turns and unraveled in a creative way. A resounding 5 stars—highly recommended!