Thanks to Transworld and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Ach, it’s with some sadness I’m reviewing this latest in the Daley series from Denzil Meyrick, that grand author having died only very recently and now resting in Campbeltown, his very own beloved Kinloch. And what a belter of a book this one is. The Daley series has only improved with age and this is a roller coaster of an adventure which has a very bleak undertone and leaves an uncertain future for Daley, his family and even Scott.

Everyone should know by now that ignoring Hamish premonitions of awful events is not wise and his efforts to stop Jim Daley and his wife Liz from a weekend away in London fall on deaf ears. Jim and Liz’s marriage is under strain again as despite initially being supportive, Liz now no longer wants to leave Kinloch and go back to ‘civilisation’ as Jim gets promoted. That promotion also means a promotion for Brian Scott, taking over Daleys role in Kinloch. Brian and his formidable wife Ella are looking after wee James while his parents go for a romantic weekend away.

Liz however, has a dark secret. Once again she has been indiscreet and this time the man is out for money. She’s genuinely regretful and desperate to get this nasty character out of her life, so she goes to meet him and pay him off, she hopes, once and for all. It is, of course, a disaster. Things very quickly take an even darker turn and while she’s away, Jim finds that evidence of her infidelity. Waking up the next morning with a bad head and an even worse memory, Daley finds himself in a host of very serious trouble. Police Scotland and the Meet are both on his tail and Brian Scott decides to take some leave to find out what has happened as he can’t believe Daley is guilty of anything terrible.

The Met, of course, is known for its bad apples and very quickly neither Scott nor Daley know who they can trust, with Liz the victim of a terrible crime and Ella and young James being stalked in Kinloch, it looks like Daley is on the other end of a revenge feud. There are more bodies than usual in this outing and it’s particularly brutal with friends and allies being discarded while friends and allies also look decidedly suspect!

It’s a fast paced, tense and edgy thriller with real underlying sadness and a sense of despair but of course also has the touches of humour that we have come to expect. Last Orders as a title has that sense of premonition about it and if this is to be Meyrick’s last Daley novel, it’s certainly a tour de force.

Great read. Pulls you in from the beginning and teases you through the pages as to who are the good guys and who are not. I hadn’t read any of Meyrick’s books but I will look out for them now. Well thought out and written. Loved it!

Jim Daley is leaving Kinloch to take up his new role as Head of Divisional CID and Liz is not happy.

Jim decides to take her to London to pour oil on troubled waters.

Before the week is out, Liz is brutally murdered and Daley is the prime and only suspect captured on CCTV.

Brian Scott heads to London to help clear the Big Man's name and soon finds he can't trust old friends or new.

A fast-paced finale to the Kinloch series. 4*

Last Orders is the last in the DCI Daley series - and it goes out with a bang, a fast-paced thriller with less time than usual in Kinloch and instead largely playing out in London. Taking the main characters out of their usual haunts can be a risk, and circumstances mean Daley is sidelined for rather a lot of the book, but it all comes together for a tense “trust nobody” tale of corruption. Is it all entirely realistic? Not really.. but I think when you’ve spent time with the characters over the years that’s less important and we get to spend time with Brian Scott as he tries to fix things.

I think I’d have preferred the book bumpf to say a little less as we’re nearly a third of the way in before we get to events described there - but I’m no marketing expert!


Sadly this is Meyrick’s last Daley book following his death earlier this year; I wasn’t aware of this and was a bit surprised by the abruptly downbeat ending. Life in Kinloch goes on; Meyrick and his characters will be missed

Over the last decade the the DCI Jim Daley and DS Brian Scott series have gripped the world of crime fiction ; Last Orders is the 12th in the series and is sadly published after the death of Denzil Meyrick.

This is an absolute corker of a read- a rollercoaster that grabs you from the first chapter and doesn't let you go until the last page. In this final story, DCI Daley finds himself accused of murder - Who can we believe? Is everything straight forward? This wouldn't be a Kinloch story without the twists and turns; like a game of snakes and ladders - the closer to the truth the further it slips away.

As ever, the wisdom of Hamish prevails and DS Scott's malapropisms shine light within a tough story - the expected Denzil Meyrick humour has always been a delight.

It would be a shame to give any hints/spoilers of plot because if you've read the series ( and do read them in order for best impact) then this finale is excellent. I guarantee that this is a page turner- I couldn't put it down for two days.

This is police/crime writing at its best - yes, suspend belief - and dive into a brilliant story that will have you hooked!!

What a legacy Denzil Meyrick has left- this series should be considered a classic of this period - tightly plotted, stylish, humorous and wonderful tribute to the west coast of Scotland.

Thank you Denzil Meyrick

I was super engrossed reading this book, what a page turner, read in one night…it was unputdownable.With twists and turns , your imagination simply runs away with you as you live each breathtaking moment.Having to endure the pain filled moments of the characters in the fast moving scenarios leading up to the heartstopping finale and the best line of all,from a dying Glaswegian made me laugh out loud, Last orders is a must read for everyone, Meyricks fans are rewarded with wonderful tense compulsive chapters which has you racing to the end, so highly recommended.

Perhaps it all starts with a police car chasing a Beamer in Glasgow in February 19 97. It doesn’t end well for the driver of the BMW. In the present day, DCI Jim daily and DI Brian Scott stand by a graveside in Kinloch, Kintyre, possibly it’s a doom laden harbinger of things to come. Daley and his wife Liz are polar opposite and as a result haven’t enjoyed the easiest of relationships. Liz sure isn’t happy at the moment as Jim has a promotion and Dumbarton beckons and she doesn’t want to go there. However, that’s possibly the least of her worries, the tip of the iceberg. To cheer her up, Daley takes her for a weekend break in London and at 2 am Brian gets a phone call from Jim. “She’s dead, Brian” and then he says he killed her. The line goes dead. However, bad things are between them, Brian just knows Jim wouldn’t kill Liz, so what on earth is going on? Unfortunately, it’s going to get a whole lot worse and it’s not looking good for Daley as it seems he has a vengeful target on his back.

I came across this series a few years ago and I loved it straight away although I think I still have a couple of more recent ones to catch up on. However, it makes no difference to reading this cracking addition to a brilliant series. I really like the inhabitants of Kinloch and the atmosphere the author creates here is superb and it’s an unsettling one. Hamish sets it from the start with his strong sense of foreboding. He’s one of the most colourful characters in the series and he’s not wrong to have fears. Jim Daley and Brian Scott are amongst the strongest central protagonists in this genre and the banter is exceptional. Daley’s fuse is a short one as one character will testify (three cheers) and Brian can be hilarious but he’s a true mate. He’s certainly responsible for shining a light amongst the darkness and relieving tension with some of what comes out of his mouth. The author, as ever, doing a great job with Scottish vernacular especially with Brian. I love the blend of action thriller with humour which is Denzil Meyrick’s trademark.

This is a very immersive, perplexing mystery with several strands to the plot which keeps me engaged throughout. It’s told at a good pace, the writing is lively, the dynamics are good if not fascinating and there’s an abundance of tension which is heart stopping at times. I gasp in shock on occasion. Who are these brutal, scary, persistent enemies with a very long reach? It does start to play out as I suspect BUT the overall outcome I do not foresee, so well played!

This novel certainly takes the reader on a journey as alongside the tragic and sad there’s loyalty, belief and bravery. Some scenes are very exciting and movie action worthy (I believe a TV series is in the pipeline- about time!) and if this is Denzil Meyrick’s last book, then it’s a great legacy.

The author sadly died in February 2025 and is a big loss to crime fiction as well as his family.

I knew I’d love this and wasn’t disappointed. If you haven’t read this series I highly recommend it but it’s perfectly possible to read this as a standalone but why miss out??!!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House U.K., Transworld for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

A wonderful, wonderful book to end a superb series from an author who will be sadly missed. Jim Daley has been promoted and is about to move from Kinloch back to the city but his wife is not happy. They go on a trip to London in an attempt for Jim to persuade her to accompany him. While there the unthinkable happens and Jim is in serious trouble. Brian Scott flies to the rescue but even he might not be able to help his old friend this time. I am heartbroken that there is going to be no more Jim Daley. It has been a great series and I think this has been the best book yet. The characters are as fresh as they were on page one of book one and feel like old friends. The plot of this book was fantastic. So tense with so many twists and turns I feel dizzy. Denzil has certainly finished the series with a bang not a whimper. A superb author who will be greatly missed by many many people. I recommend all his books and am truly envious of those who are new to the series. Enjoy!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Oh my goodness. Just when you think this series can’t get any better, it does. Denzil Meyrick has created a hist of people I care about and this went straight to the top of my tbr. I finished it in a couple of sittings. No spoilers here, but this starts with somber graveyard scene as we attend the burial of an old Kinloch resident. Brian is now elevated to Inspector but retains his wit and bumbling ways. I live his malapropisms. They never feel contrived and add depth to his character. Jim Daley now has a wider remit and is still with Liz, his challenging wife. He’s away to London for a short break when the unthinkable happens…a frantic call from Jim to Brian telling him he’s killed Liz.
The sets of a series of tense scenes as Kinloch police are made aware of events in London and everyone tries to make sense of events. Meyrick keeps the chapters short and snappy. They’re tense and at the end of each, it’s difficult to resist the just one more. Dialogue remains sharp and well observed. Familiar characters play their part in an investigation which looks into how the past has reverberated into the present. It’s brilliant. Skilfully plotted and everything I hoped for in a series which packs a punch with every outing. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This is one of those ‘just one more chapter’ books, you need to know what’s going to happen, yet savour the excellent writing at the same time. It’s no wonder that this writer has such a good reputation. Fabulous slightly larger than life characters (in a good way), which makes you really care about them. Brilliant.