'A Death in Glasgow' was a thoroughly enjoyable Scottish police procedural. Fast paced, well written characters (but sadly not always likeable) with a good plot that keeps you going until the end. My suspicions were proved right but in no way did it detract from my enjoyment of the book. Hopefully this is only the beginning of a series and there is more to come from Sgt May Mackay, Tam and Glasgow.

I’ve definitely found a new crime detective book I love!
This was a fast paced crime thriller which kept me guessing and on my toes
Loved meeting May and the team
Loved the setting! The crime was shocking and twisty
Brilliant book can’t wait for more

A Death in Glasgow is a well paced police drama which also gives great insight into the personal life of the main character May Mackay and her husband Tam. It was full of interesting information about the various parts of Glasgow and whilst the characters were not exactly relateable they were sadly quite believable.
A really good, absorbing read.

I enjoyed this book and I hope it becomes a great series.
The characters are great and so was the storyline

I enjoyed the story of Sgt May Mackay trying to discover what really happened to Holly Campbell when the case was initially dismissed as suicide. I liked the way we learned about May’s personal life and the tragedy around Isla. The police procedure was also very interesting and I enjoyed the setting of Glasgow. It Perhaps we’ll hear more of May in the future.

This was a fast-paced police procedural and I enjoyed following our main character, May. It really was non-stop action from the very first page!

However, there were some aspects I found impossible to overlook, especially the constant references to specific areas and parts of Glasgow. I'm from Glasgow and even I thought it was far too much. Of course, it's the name of the book but I feel like anyone who doesn't have extensive knowledge of the city and its surrounding areas wouldn't care about the in depth descriptions.

Another book I really enjoyed. A young girl is found on the tracks at Glasgow Central Station. Sgt May Mackay cannot get her head round the suicide which the Railway Police are purporting to be the case as Holly had a return ticket home. Why buy a return ticket if she did not plan on going home. Mackay decides to investigate further with the help of D C Sharma of the Railway Police. They are both struggling for anyone in their respective offices to take any notice of their assumptions. Due to Holly taking drugs in the past they feel that the case should be closed even through she had been clean for sometime especially with her relationship with the McNally family, Scott being her boyfriend and who her mom assumed got her into drugs in the first place. The book continues in a relatively fast pace and the central characters of the book were interesting. May and Dimple do not give up on their quest to find out the truth even though their careers could be in jeopardy. They find out that a “bigwig” in Glasgow may have ties to drug gangs and things become very difficult. They do continue and they eventually find the truth to solve the case. A good read

I really enjoyed this book. Sgt May Mackay is an experienced police officer in Glasgow. When a young woman, Holly Campbell, seemingly commits suicide by jumping in front of a train, her mother is convinced that she was murdered. She had a return ticket in her pocket and had a bright future after turning her life around. May is struggling with the death of her own daughter and she is determined to find whoever is responsible for Holly's death. The investigation leads her to involvement with some pretty nasty characters.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This was a great police procedural that didn’t just focus on the main crime but on the nitty gritty of day to day police work too. Trying to establish whether the death of Holly was suicide or murder rather than just accept the speedy decision of the British Transport Police causes unpopularity amongst her Inspector and the BTP for Sergeant May Mackay but she’s determined to establish the facts. The settings of the less than salubrious parts of Glasgow along with quite a cast of characters including a number of less than pleasant ones makes this a gritty read and I would definitely love to read more stories featuring May Mackay. I did have a gut feeling as to who was behind this but the ending still had surprises and it ended in an empathetic style.

Review of ‘A Death in Glasgow’ by Eva Macrae, due to be published on 8 January 2026 by Random House UK, Cornerstone.

When a young girl, Holly, appears to have committed suicide at Glasgow Central Station, Sgt May Mackay becomes embroiled in trying to find out the truth of what happened after her mother swears that Holly would not kill herself, was no longer taking drugs and had everything to live for.

May learns that Holly’s ex is a known criminal, and sets out to make a case against him, and the notorious McNally family.

A great police procedural, excellent character development and gritty details of a criminal underworld. I had my suspicions about where to apportion the blame, and whilst they proved to be correct, I was really surprised at how deep the lies and deception ran, and how it tied together at the end. A highly recommended read.

I absolutely loved this!! You know it’s an extraordinary story, when you don’t want it to end… BRILLIANTLY DONE!!… I’m actually envious of anyone who is about to start the incredible journey of reading this amazing book!

It really was jaw-dropping and left me speechless. I don’t know how any review I will write can do this book justice… A definite five star read.