Another brilliant book in the Max Craigie Police Scotland series.
The characters are strong and familiar and the storyline is fresh and interesting.

Book 6 in the outstanding Max Craigie series.

You just know when you pick up a Neil Lancaster book you are in for a cracking read. And this was exactly that. I was totally engrossed in this fast paced and very dark thriller. If you love an intense story line that's dark and gritty then I can't recommend this book, in fact this whole series, enough. Each book just gets better. A serious contender for my book of the year.


A TRAGIC DEATH

When the body of Leanne Wilson is found at the bottom of a Scottish mountain, it is classified as a tragic accident. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise.

A RISING BODY COUNT

Then DS Max Craigie discovers that five other women in the last year have died by falling off mountains, and something feels very wrong. They were all experienced climbers and alone when they died. This can only mean one thing: there’s a killer on the loose.

A KILLER IN THE SHADOWS

The more Max investigates, the more he believes that they are dealing with something much bigger than a lone serial killer. With five victims and conflicting clues, how do you catch someone committing the perfect crime?

* * * *

Excellent book. Very good story line & very believable characters. Looking forward to next one in the series

Another great book in the Max Craigie police Scotland series. This one involves seemingly unconnected women coming to a sticky end after taking up hiking in the Munros of Scotland. Max is alerted to this strange occurrence by his old friend who is in helicopter search and rescue. The old team are here again as they work to finding out why, who and what next. A very well written book which transports you to the beautiful Scottish highlands while exposing the darker underbelly of corruption.

Another excellent read in this DS Max Craigie series from Neil Lancaster. Max is asked by an old friend, a helicopter pilot to look into the death on a mountain of a woman who was out walking alone. Shay suspects that the death was not accidental and moreover, he thinks that there are other women's deaths that have not been investigated correctly. As Max investigates it becomes clear that procedures have not been followed and the deaths have not been fully investigated.
It is a good story line but what really draws the reader in is the relationship between the team - a group of relatable and likeable characters who despite their bluster work well together, each knowing their strengths and who to rely on. Their banter and back chat as they work is irreverent and fun and provides a little lightheartedness in what could otherwise be a grim police procedural.
As usual with this series the setting plays and important role and this time it is the mountains and in particular the munros that are in the forefront. An excellent, well paced, page turning thriller, with some fun characterisation. I look forward to the next in the series.
With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins/HQ Digital for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

Wow just wow, How has this series got past me? Why has it taken till book 6 to attract my attention?
Hooked from page 1 of this superbly written, well paced with stunning scenery great characters., what more can you ask for.
Thank you to the publishers and the author for an ARC in exchange for a honest review. My book of the year so far. 5 stars is not enough.
Now I have to catch up on the previous 5 books before book 7.

Another fabulous instalment from Neil Lancaster. The Max Craigie series gets better and better. I could not put this book down. Authentic characters you really care about, strong women, good balance of personal and professional as well as some very unlikely heroes, stand up Barney! Still on path of rogue cops, Max discovers a pattern of women climbers falling to their deaths. Behind this lies a dark web of incels and misogyny which weaves so deeply into the criminal justice system it needs a team approach to smash it apart. Excellent.

Wow, this moved along at a fast pace and boy, it really kept me reading. This can read as a standalone book as I haven't read the others in this series. The characters are good and the investigation just flowed along. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Another cracking piece of Scottish crime fiction in the Max Craigie series ,this time set in the Highlands and involving the Mountain Rescue team.The book features all the great characters from previous books ,with all the expected humour and the edge of your seat suspense and clever computer experts.
When a Mountain Rescue team member becomes suspicious about the number of lone female climbers who have died in the Cairngorms,he alerts Max and an investigation begins.Gradually we become aware of the reason behind these deaths,involving a mysterious group,of men.
I really couldn’t put this book down until it was finished-highly recommended to all fans of Scottish crime fiction .I can’t wait for the next in the series!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

This is the sixth Max Craigie book and it is certainly not losing its attraction. Craigie is a policeman seconded to other agencies. He is currently working with a group who are pursuing the latest discovery, namely that there is a group of men filming the deaths of young blond women as they are pushed off .Monroes in the north of Scotland. The films are published on a dark website which generates large sums of money. It is a very original and exceedingly well constructed storyline. Bit by bit the story unravels as the perpetrators are unmasked. The culprits bring the police into serious disrepute. As a reader, I was desperate to know how it was all going to end. Max’s absorption with his job is a challenge as his wife is at home expecting a baby! If there was something about the book I would take exception to it would be the language used by some of the police team. That is not how Scots speak and does not add anything. That apart, this is a good read and I recommend it.

Thoroughly enjoy the Max Craigie series and this book is a great addition. Keeping you on tenterhooks trying to work out what is going on, I certainly didn't predict the ending coming... Well worth it!

When Shadows Fall Neil Lancaster
5 stars

Another DS Craigie story brilliant as always

This is the 6th book in the DS Max Craigie series but only the third one that I have read, the other three are on my list to catch up on, however this can be read alone and still enjoyed.

Ds Craigie is awaiting the imminent arrival of his first child and is supposed to be taking it easy in order to be available at any time for his wife, Katie. However when a woman's body is found at the bottom of a mountain despite her being a proficient climber and having all the relevant safety equipment with her, Max's mate Shay Hammond, is not happy that this was just a tragic accident. As Max begins to investigate he discovers more mysterious falls of women,all of whom have blond hair and have recently become single.

The actual subject matter is quite horrendous as it turns out that a group of men are actually paying to watch these deaths on the internet but even more disgusting is the fact that someone in the police working with Max is involved.

This story was well-plotted but also gives us an insight into the characters who are working in the Scottish Highlands with Max, all of whom have their own personalities which are very enjoyable to unravel, I particularly like DI Ross Fraser, the foul-mouthed detective but with a heart of gold.

I read this book in a few days and loved it, the series seems to be getting better each time and I can foresee potential problems arriving for Max now he has a newborn. How will this affect his dedication to his job? Hopefully I will find out in the next instalment.

,
Karen Deborah
Netgalley Reviewer

When Shadows fall is the sixth book in the DS Max Craigie series by Neil Lancaster and another exceptional episode in the series. The series is set in the Scottish Highlands.
Leanne Wilson is found dead on the bottom of one of the Munro mountains and local police have put it down to be a tragic accident. But search and rescue pilot Shay Hammonds thinks that something more going on as there has been other female lone women hikers all with blond hair been found dead on the mountains.
DS Max Craigie and his team to investigate further when the get more than they have bargained for. The deaths has something to do with corruption in the local Police force.
This another great episode in the series by Neil Lancaster. Yet another intriguing plot and the tension and suspense builds slowly throughout the story. These are such likeable characters of Max Cragie and his team, the banter and all their skills of each of the team to get the job done. This is a great page turner that I didn’t want it to end. 5 stars from me.

When DS Max Craigie receives a call from an old friend concerned about a series of deaths on Scottish mountains, he initially doesn’t think much of it. But when he looks into the details, he too is concerned.
All the deceased were women, were climbing the mountain alone, were blonde and all were written off as accidents.
Max doesn’t believe in coincidence and takes the information to his team, who all agree it needs to be investigated. It quickly becomes clear someone is picking off these women and getting away with it. Leaving no clues and no forensic evidence. The question is can they find the killer before they strike again.
If you like a fast paced, tense, twisty thriller you have to read not just this one but all the Max Cragie books. They are so well written it’s a crime not to read them!

This series is an automatic read for me (it’s skipped to the top of my NetGalley tbr). Max Craigie is awaiting the birth of his first child, when a climber who has seemingly fallen to her death sparks curiosity about why her case has not been more closely investigated. In looking more closely, Max and his colleagues uncover a serial killer who could also be much closer to home than they would like.
It’s great to be reunited with this group of investigators and to see Max’s dilemma over balancing work and home.
Another fantastic addition to this series.

Murder or accident? That really is the crux of the question posed to DS Max Craigie in this latest, quite fabulous, offering from Neil Lancaster. I am totally hooked on this series of books, and When Shadows Fall is a brilliant example of exactly why. A challenging case, a seemingly uncatchable foe, and a whole cast of characters who elicit so many emotions - and a fair amount of smiles and laughter too - who could possibly need more?

Max Craigie is called upon by an old friend, Shay, who works in Mountain Rescue within the Cairngorms. He has attended the scene of what, at first, seems to be a tragic accident - a woman who has fallen to her death from one of the trails throughout the mountain range. Something about it all doesn't add up for Shay and fortunately he know just the man to turn to. It's slightly out of the remit of the team that Craigie works for, but given that this is not the first sudden death in the mountains, and the semblance of a pattern between the deaths and the type of victim, plus a less than robust follow up investigation, it isn't that much of a stretch for the anti-corruption unit to elect to conduct a 'thematic review'. Queue one of my favourite teams heading north to Inverness to oversee things and make sure that they insert themselves right in the middle of the investigations.

When I say one of my favourite teams, I really do mean that. They are such a diverse crew, but each of them really adds something to the series. Be it their Max himself who has had his moments of challenge but it all set for the biggest upheaval of his lifetime on the homefront, team analyst Norma, whose brilliant skills have helped the team out on so many occasions, DC Janie Calder, Max's long suffering but somewhat perfectly matched partner in crime-fighting, or their oft curmudgeonly boss, DI Ross Fraser, there isn't a single character in the team I don't enjoy hearing from. Ross especially if I am honest as he is so grumpy, so inappropriately abrupt with those who deserve it, but very capable of leaning into his softer side, as he proves regularly in this book. Neil Lancaster has the perfect balance between their kinship and their determination, the tough talking when necessary and the laughter and banter just when we need that too, that I find myself drawn in to their story, their camaraderie, as much as I am the case in question.

Speaking of the case, this one is so current and relevant to today's society and the rise of a very objectionable perspective on life from a certain group of individuals, that it has almost too much of an air of possibility and plausibility about it. As readers we get the perspective of the killer (it's not a spoiler this was no accident - it would be a very short book if it were) and they are particularly hideous as you might expect. Their confidence that they cannot and will not be caught added to my fascination with the story and the pace at which I powered through it all. As always, Neil Lancaster has managed pace perfectly, creating some real moments of tension where it seems like one or more of the team might be in real danger, and more than the odd moment of misdirection too.

The narrative style used to enlighten readers as to what is going on works really well, and while there is no doubting the devastating nature of the incidents on the victims, the darkest elements are left off the page. It is more the tension and psychological aspects of the book and the killer's attitude that got my hackles up, that and the knowledge that people like that do really exist and, in certain circles, seem to be glorified in their behaviour and attitude these days rather than vilified as they should be.

If you love this series, you will love this latest addition too. It's pacy, tense, full of banter and full of anger inducing moments and it is 100% addictive. I tore through it and loved every moment, but with an ending like that I'm wondering just what changes lie ahead. It's a game changer for Max for sure, but in a good way before anyone panics. No - not a cliffhanger. Let's face it - there were enough of those in the book already ... Definitely recommended.

I've read and enjoyed all but the second of the Max Craigie books and I was keen to read this latest one. It's another gritty Scottish police procedure with police corruption and, I think, the best one since the first one. There are twists and turns to keep your attention and it has a satisfying ending. And I managed to enjoy the story without the need of a glossary to understand some of the Scottish terms. Neil Lancaster does it again.

I have read all 6 Max Craigie books by the brilliant Neil Lancaster who just gets better and better. The story centres around female climbers in the Highlands who it would appear initially have either fallen or committed suicide after being found at the bottom of the Munroe. Max and Janie become suspicious when there are too many similarities between the victims, (young, blonde women).
It soon becomes obvious to the team that they are looking for a serial killer or killers. As the hunt for the killer/s intensifies Ross, Norma and Barney all become heavily involved with Max and Janie to track down the suspects. As ever loved the banter between all the characters.
Running alongside the main story is that Max who is constantly away from home while his wife Kate is soon to give birth to their first baby and needs him back at home.
There are many twists and lots of drama to unfold in this brilliant plot from a master of police procedure and a great storyteller
Another highly recommended book and I am so looking forward to the next instalment in the Max Craigie series.
Thanks once again for the advanced copy

Fantastic from the first page . It is exciting to see a new Neil Lancaster book published and this is no exception. Fast paced and twisty ,I kept thinking it was finished and then another twist came along and another. Brilliant writer .

I haven’t read all the books in this series, but this works well as a standalone. Max becomes suspicious about deaths involving women in the Highlands who have allegedly fallen. The story is a clever blend of police procedural as deaths are investigated alongside a strong sense of location and the effort involved in mountain rescue. It’s tense, fast paced and a great piece of escapist fiction which takes you to a different place. Dialogue, in particular, feels very real and flows naturally between the characters. Enjoyed this and finished in a couple of sittings.