February's Son

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Pub Date 31 Jan 2019 | Archive Date 31 Jan 2019

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Description

Bodies are piling up with grisly messages carved into their chests. Rival gangs are competing for control of Glasgow’s underworld and it seems that Cooper, McCoy’s oldest gangster friend, is caught up in it all.


Detective Harry McCoy’s first day back at work couldn’t have gone worse.


New drugs have arrived in Glasgow, and they’ve brought a different kind of violence to the broken city. The law of the street is changing and now demons from McCoy’s past are coming back to haunt him. But vengeance always carries a price, and it could cost McCoy more than he ever imagined.

The waters of Glasgow corruption are creeping higher, as the wealthy and dangerous play for power. And the city’s killer continues his dark mission.


Can McCoy keep his head up for long enough to solve the case?


Bruised and battered from the events of Bloody January, McCoy returns for a breathless ride through the ruthless world of 1970s Glasgow.

New to the series? Request book 1, Bloody January, here: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/publisher/title/151607

Bodies are piling up with grisly messages carved into their chests. Rival gangs are competing for control of Glasgow’s underworld and it seems that Cooper, McCoy’s oldest gangster friend, is caught...


Advance Praise

Praise for Bloody January:

‘An old-school cop novel written with wit and economy . . . Think McIlvanney or Get Carter’
IAN RANKIN 

‘A potent tale of death . . . Alan Parks's excellent first novel propels him into the top class of Scottish noir authors . . . Detective Harry McCoy . . . is so noir that he makes most other Scottish cops seem light grey’
The Times, Book of the Month

‘1970s Glasgow hewn from flesh and drawn in blood’ PETER MAY

‘The latest star of Tartan noir — perhaps even a successor to the late, great William McIlvanney . . . Gripping, utterly authentic and nerve-jangling, this novel announces a fine new voice in crime writing’
Daily Mail


‘Gripping and violent, dark and satisfying. I flew through it’
BRET EASTON ELLIS


‘Bloody and brilliant. This smasher from Alan Parks is a reminder of how dark Glasgow used to be’
LOUISE WELSH

‘[McCoy] is a great character and his patch and period are vividly and skilfully portrayed. Denise Mina and Ian Rankin had better watch out’
Evening Standard


‘Gripping and well-crafted’
QUINTIN JARDINE

‘Gripping . . . McCoy's Glasgow is a dark, brooding city, where the line between the police and the underworld is frequently blurred . . . An intriguing addition to the canon’
Herald


‘A blistering plot, unforgettable characters and writing so sharp it's like it's been written with a knife . . . Detective McCoy is a true noir antihero and the perfect guide through the vice and violence of Glasgow's underbelly. Bloody January firmly sets Alan Parks in the same league as Ian Rankin and Louise Welsh’
SARAH PINBOROUGH, bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYES 


‘The plot rattles along with nice twists and turns from the first chapter . . . Fans of Tartan Noir will lap this one up’
Allan Massie, The Scotsman 


‘A thrilling debut from a very promising talent’ 
RAGNAR JÓNASSON


‘Seriously good. It's brilliantly evocative of the 1970s in Glasgow (and I should know as I was there!). I loved Alan Parks' characters and I want to read a lot more of Detective Harry McCoy!’
ALEX GRAY

Praise for Bloody January:

‘An old-school cop novel written with wit and economy . . . Think McIlvanney or Get Carter’
IAN RANKIN 

‘A potent tale of death . . . Alan Parks's excellent first novel...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9781786891389
PRICE £12.99 (GBP)

Average rating from 29 members


Featured Reviews

I would like to thank Netgalley Netgalley and Cannongate Books for an advance copy of February’s Son, the second novel to feature detective Harry McCoy of the Glasgow Police.

When rising football star, Charlie Jackson is found mutilated and dead, alarm bells ring all over “the shop” as he was engaged to the daughter of ganglord, Jake Scobie. McCoy is called in early from leave to work the case but with his past coming back to haunt him and his criminal friend, Stevie Cooper, getting entangled in the investigation the hunt for a psychopathic killer on a mission is not always his top priority.

I thoroughly enjoyed February’s Son which is an interesting procedural (ok, it’s set in 1973 when procedure was a suggestion rather than a rule book) with some very good, clever twists that I never saw coming. The novel is told mostly from McCoy’s point of view with some brief chapters in italics from the killer. I like the fact that the author keeps his main narrative focussed on the one character as it gives the reader continuity and someone to identify with. It also allows the reader to speculate on events as they know nothing more or less than McCoy. I also like the killer’s chapters which are brief enough not to overly intrude on the main story but paint a picture of a very disturbed mind. There is none of the usual sob story back history (which I can’t stand as it is normally culled from the psychopath 101 textbook) instead it is a reflection of his current state of mind, making it fascinating I’d at times incomprehensible reading.

It should be noted that this is a violent novel with frequent use of bad language. It will not suit every reader but I found it consistent with the era and setting. I like a novel set in my old home town of Glasgow, finding an easy familiarity in the locations and vernacular and this suits well. What I wasn’t expecting was the sense of nostalgia at the mentions of long defunct establishments. I was 10 in 1973 so I don’t quite remember the actual shops and restaurants but the names certainly took me back. Mr Parks has obviously done his research. I also loved the patter in the book. I don’t think it is too Glaswegian that readers from other regions won’t understand it but it nails the black, deprecating humour I grew up with.

I was a wee bit disappointed in the evolution of Harry McCoy (hence 4 rather than 5 stars). He is obviously a man in crisis and running off the rails faster than he can think, drink, drugs and violence are becoming the norm for him. It’s not pretty reading and it sickened me slightly but, on the other hand, I can admire it as a good piece of writing to evoke these sentiments. The best character is Chief Inspector Murray, McCoy’s boss who is tough as old boots and liable to lose his temper at any minute but with a well concealed soft centre.

February’s Son is a good read which I have no hesitation in recommending.

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This the second book in this series. And again the author has written a very gritty crime novel . Some of the scenes might be a bit grafic for some people, but i feel this only enhances the feel of the period tht the author is trying to portray.

All in all another excellent novel by the author, looking forward to the next one.

Would highly recommend this book 5 stars

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A second super atmospheric dark tale of 70's gangster life in Glasgow with our police hero walking a very tight line. Violence and dark humour abound as murder follows murder, child abuse rears its ugly head in the history of our hero and his gangster friend. It all builds to a shattering conclusion where the perpetrators get their just deserts in a unusual fashion and the tale is thankfully left open for another episode in this must read series!

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Loved loved loved this book cannot recommend it highly enough one to read in one sitting throughly enjoyed the twists and turns

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Noirest of noir set in 1970s Glasgow: brutal and violent throughout though not without dark humour at times. The plot is weird and perhaps goes too far on the bonkers side... but the portrayal of gangland politics and the complicity of the police evens out the strange stuff. What makes this so compelling are the characters: McCoy caught between his troubled past and his police present, Connor and Murray as his good and bad 'angels'. The writing is taut and atmospheric - yes, I'm in for more of this series!

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This story starts with a nicely nasty prologue and then Harry McCoy is back. There is an unpleasant murder scene of someone who may be well known. Assorted bodies are involved in this dark police story from 1970s Glasgow.
The book essentially carries on from the author's earlier book Bloody January. The characters are allowed to develop further in this book and McCoy seems little changed from the last book. However it does seem possible that his past may come back to haunt him again and to challenge his views on law and order. These are a little shaky at the best of times! While this book could be read as a standalone story I would recommend anyone who hasn't read the first book to do so first. It's a good read and provides useful background to some of the key characters.
It is worth mentioning that this book is fairly violent and does use quite a bit of bad language. That said I'm imagine that is perfectly appropriate for the 1970s crime scene in Glasgow. It's a tense and well paced read. Some of the main characters have developed nicely over the two books as far as I am concerned. I find McCoy - another troubled detective - a very good character.
My only real reservation about this book is that, if I'm honest, I found one of the story lines rather far fetched. That said I enjoyed reading this dark and at times powerful tale. I certainly intend to read the next one.

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It’s been three weeks since the events of that bloody January. Harry McCoy is about to return to work with the Glasgow police hoping for some more quiet times. But when Murray calls him in early, he knows that it must be serious: a young football stars has been found, not just killed but also mutilated. It is obvious quickly that his fame as sports stars wasn’t the reason for his killing, it is much more his engagement with the daughter one of Glasgow’s underworld bosses. And then it all gets very personal: Harry’s past is going to catch up with him and the eager policeman loses control.

I already really liked the first instalment of the Harry McCoy series, but the second was actually even better. This is especially due to the fact that the protagonist gets more contours, becomes more human and thus his character and decision making becomes understandable. The development and insight in this character was for me the strongest and most interesting in reading “February’s Son”.

Again the murder case is quite complex and all but foreseeable. Different cases are actually linked and it takes some time until you understand their connection and their particular relevance for McCoy. The whole series is set in 1973 which means there is a fairly different atmosphere in comparison to many novels set today. Glasgow is an all but friendly town constantly at war, the police’s job is to prevent the worst, not to take care of minor misdoings and therefore, they sometimes need to find less legal ways to keep the upper hand. The tone is harsh at times, certainly nothing for the highly sensitive. Fights are part of everyday life and a bleeding nose is nothing to worry too much about. Yet, this all fits perfectly and creates an authentic atmosphere of a time long gone. It will not be easy to outstrip this novel with a third.

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Thrilling follow up to Alan Park’s Bloody January, taking place just one month after the previous book. Refreshingly there’s little of the endless exposition you can find in crime series, previous events are referred to in passing but there’s an assumption you’ve read it and can get on with business. If Bloody January this bleak, this is nigh on soul-destroying, with more depth explored in the relationships between the police and the underworld. With less violence against women than the first book, this explores a different field of torture, abuse and revenge.

I don’t think i’m selling this... it is expertly told and thoroughly absorbing, but by no means escapism!

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Set in the early 1970’s in Glasgow which, at the time, was a dark violent place and the police “polis” were a suitable match. Glasgow is my home town and I recognise the place and the era in this book. It’s gritty with a capital G and certainly not for the faint hearted. McCoy is an old school copper who returns to work and straight into a very messy case.

There’s corruption and blood everywhere in this book and it’s a struggle for McCoy to keep his head above water, told from his perspective it gets quite claustrophobic at times.

A rollicking good read for those who like off piste policing- following the procedure was not top priority at the time.

Recommended

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Gritty police drama set in 1970s Glasgow. The scene is all too grim and reminiscent of the time; the body count builds up; corruption abounds, Harry McCoy, the main character, is himself gritty and damaged - just how much we find as we read on. It's certainly not comfortable reading but is somewhat compelling and you certainly root for McCoy in-spite of his actions at times. Well written and well described characters and places. Not really my cup of tea but four stars for overall quality of the book.

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The second novel to feature Detective Harry Mc Coy and just as dark as the first one...but even better! Set in 1970's Glasgow this book took me back to my youth living in Glasgow. Gangland warfare, murders, violence, a weird plot,excellent writing and a touch of dark humour thrown in. What's not to love? I look forward to reading more. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC. Reviews on Facebook and Goodreads.

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Alan Parks writes the darkest of Scottish Noir and establishes himself as a heavyweight crime fiction author with this sequel to his debut, the harrowing Bloody January, set in a brutal Glasgow in the winter of 1973. DI Harry McCoy has been recalled early by Chief Inspector Hector Murray to lead an investigation into the gruesome murder of a promising Celtic footballer, whose fiancee just happens to be Elaine Scobie, the daughter of a ageing Glasgow gang leader. The suspect is clear from the beginning, a lethal killer consumed with a deadly obsession for Elaine. There are disturbing insights into the wily killer's mind in the narrative, but the police are thwarted at every turn when it comes to arresting him. The suicide of a homeless man in a church brings back the terrifyingly haunted past of McCoy, sparking a thirst for vengeance that threatens to unravel everything that matters in his life, including his mental health.

Nature abhors a vacuum, and when one appears in Glasgow's ganglands, it kicks off a vicious no-holds barred gang war as new drugs flood the city. And McCoy's friend, Stevie Cooper, a man he has been warned to stay away from, sits in the centre, like a spider with a spreading web that takes in every aspect of Glasgow's criminal underworld. With his life in danger, Harry is determined to get to the truth of a twisted and bizarre investigation that involves more murders, lobotomies, abductions and more as danger stalks him everywhere. Readers should be warned that Parks creates an authentically brutal and bleak picture of a Glasgow in the 1970s with its notorious hard men and a police force often in cahoots with the criminals, aiming to deal with only the worst aspects of the gang world. This is a fantastic, atmospheric, mesmerising and utterly gripping addition to this stunning series and I am looking forward with great anticipation to the next book. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.

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February’s Son is another very good, very dark thriller from Alan Parks.

Be warned, this is about as Noir as it gets; it’s cold, wet and dark all the time, there is some horrible violence and some very unpleasant characters, plus liberal (although entirely realistic) use of the f- and c-words. Parks is a good enough writer to forge this into a convincing and gripping novel.

It is February 1973 in Glasgow, just a few weeks after the events of Bloody January (which I would recommend you read first). DI McCoy’s shady relationship with Stevie Cooper continues as their joint childhood history comes back with a bang, and there’s a deranged gangland hit-man on a killing spree. A tangled (but comprehensible) plot develops involving the manhunt, struggles for power in the criminal underworld and historical child abuse. The latter is a terribly over-used trope in crime fiction nowadays, but again, Parks handles it with real skill so that it never seems like a lazy device but is a genuine part of the story. The prose and dialogue are excellent, painting very realistic portraits of both the setting and the characters and he paces and structures the story very well.

I have to say that the climax did get a bit silly and over-the-top, but it didn’t spoil my enjoyment. I thought this was very good and this is shaping up to be a very fine series. Recommended.

(My thanks to Canongate for an ARC via NetGalley.)

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Glasgow in the 1970s this is a brilliant Scottish noir crime thriller that portrays that time brilliantly.
It is the second book in this series and personally i wish i had read the first book Bloody January first but it was still a great read and i will be looking out for further books by Alan Parks.

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Gritty. Dark. Violent. Glasgow February 1973. This is the background & setting to February's Son the second book in the Harry McCoy series by Alan Parks.

McCoy faces a particularly gruesome murder on his first day back at work after some time off recovering from the traumas he faced in book one. The victim is a young promising footballer but why and of course by whom are just two of the questions facing McCoy and his colleagues.

The writing is intense as 1970s Glasgow comes alive espevially its violent underbelly.

If you want a cosy crime book then this isn't one for you but noir or hardboiled readers will thoroughly enjoy it. Highly recommended

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Although Alan Parks wrapped up the first Harry McCoy novel well, you could tell that there was unfinished business both personal and professional at the conclusion of Bloody January. Based around a historical case, Parks nonetheless had delved/descended into the murk of gangland violence and police corruption in Glasgow in the 1970s to ensure that there would undoubtedly be more dark corners to dig down into further. In February's Son Alan Parks get down and dirty once again on the mean streets of Glasgow.

Unfortunately for Harry McCoy, he has associations with both the police and the gangs that make it difficult to know where his allegiances lie. Obviously with himself above all else, since it's at least managed to keep him alive this far. That ambiguous quality to the character is what keeps things interesting and provides a broader view of life and crime on the streets, McCoy having to mix with some disreputable and distasteful types and take actions that lie well beyond the remit and the behaviour expected from a respected officer of the law, but evidently there's nothing 'normal' about crime and police methods in Glasgow in the 70s. There's a tough balance to be maintained in uncovering crime and just trying to keep a lid down on it.

That might seem like fairly standard 'maverick cop' territory, but McCoy is a much more complicated figure than that, indulging in drinking, drugs and prostitution provided by an old friendship that he has maintained with Stevie Cooper, one of the most ruthless and violent gang lords in the north of the city. Bloody January revealed however that their friendship goes back to a horrific childhood that they shared which has clearly marked them for life, and both evidently have their own ways of dealing with that experience in their choice of professions, and the moral ambiguity that lies between them.

McCoy has yet to come to terms with what Bloody January has thrown at him when February 1973 brings yet more trouble. A badly mutilated body is found at the top floor of an unfinished new office development with a message scored on his chest. It doesn't appear to be any random drug or gang related crime, but rather the man is soon identified as Charlie Jackson, a promising young playing for Celtic. Football being another of those things that create divisions in Glasgow, this could be very bad indeed, but there's another complication; Jackson was engaged to the daughter of Jake Scobie, one of the city's crime lords.

The murders and violence soon escalates in February's Son as McCoy investigates the theory that Scobie's psychopathic former right-hand man has gone off the rails in his obsession for Elaine, Scobie's daughter, and Parks' handles the crime investigation aspects of his second Harry McCoy novel just as thrillingly and with a building sense of menace as his first book. Like the first book, the novel might be set in the 70s but it's certainly not for nostalgia, even though the author captures the period well in his characterisation and in the choice of music references (this ought to really come with a soundtrack), and in the colourful language and biting humour.

Bloody January used its setting and period to delve beneath the surface glamour of the 70s to the reality of what lies beneath it. Glamour may be not something you associate with Glasgow in the 70s, but in February's Son McCoy's investigation and associates show him both sides of the social divide; the ostentatious lifestyles of the rich and privileged side by side with life for the customers of the drinking dens on the other side of town, and cops looking through catalogues to purchase necessities on the never-never. Almost invariably, those with the money are up to no good, and to gain money, power and prestige, you're going to have to get your hands dirty it seems.

McCoy likewise has to get dirty in order to get to the dark motivations that lie hidden beneath the surface glamour and social respectability. He also has to come to terms with his own dark nature and propensity for violence in February's Son when his investigations uncover other issues from his past that have never been addressed. There's consequently less of the self-conscious noir references in February's Son and maybe less of the seventies as a setting for period colour but rather by going back to this time, we are reminded of where some of the deeper divisions we see in society now come from.

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very dark, very descriptive and with a very anti-hero, hero!
February's son throws you straight in at the deep end with a seemingly quite corrupt 1970s police force, a grisly murder with more bodies piling up, drugs galore and a lead detective who is having problems of his own over and above the body count.
The pace is fast and the descriptions are pretty gruesome but the writing transports you to 1970s Glasgow incredibly effectively (well, as far as I can say having not been there in that era!).
The dual threads of murder and corruption read well together and I will seek out the previous novel to fill myself in with some back story of Harry and look forward to meeting him again (perhaps in March?!)

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