The April Dead

This is a solid follow on from Bobby March, picking up with Harry McCoy in April 1974 this continues the gritty Glasgow crime series, the main crime this time being unexplained bombings with a side of a missing American naval officer thrown in. McCoy continues to tread a fine line with his friendship with hard man Stevie Cooper and this continues to test him. The storyline is set in a sensible timescale, it’s good to see the characters roles evolving and the storylines weave well throughout it. It’s got a hint of gruesome, plenty of no nonsense policing and the continued effect of the job on McCoy well thought out. Had a great ending, sets up well for the next book which I look forward to reading.

Compelling novel, good crime fiction, I could not put it down until I had finished it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me an advance reading copy.

Once again Alan Parks knocks it out of the park in the 4th of his hard boiled historical Scottish Noir series set in the dark, dangerous, violent, sectarian, mean and gang ridden streets of 1970s Glasgow, featuring DI Harry McCoy. His friendship with volatile crime boss Stevie Cooper goes back to their childhood days where Stevie protected him, makes him few friends amongst fellow police officers, but that doesn't stop him picking him up at Peterhead prison in Aberdeen after Stevie's 6 month stint inside. Stevie is not the same man who went inside as he returns to his past home, a council estate flat, an unforgiving man who prizes loyalty above all else, including from McCoy, as he hunts for a traitor amidst his cohorts. Harry and Wattie found themselves at the scene of a bombing in the Woodlands, hardly the kind of prominent target that would interest the IRA, so what is going on?

It turns out the only casualty of the bombing is the bombmaker, a young lad making a 'co-op bomb' the ingredients of which can be found in any supermarket, and whose remains are splattered into smithereens in the flat. Expecting the investigation to be taken over by Special Branch, McCoy is surprised to hear they are not interested and it falls to Glasgow police to investigate. Harry's worries are borne out when a bombing at the cathedral causes considerable damage, with numerous injuries and death, he is certain more bombs and carnage will follow. Additionally, Harry has been persuaded to look for the missing AWOL son, Donny Stewart, of a wealthy ex-naval captain, the American Andrew Stewart, a distraught father who has flown over to find him. Donny is based at the US naval base at Holy Loch. Wattie, and his reporter partner, Mary, now have an infant son, leaving Wattie struggling with the lack of sleep, as he implores Harry to help him. Pressure is piling on Wattie from Chief Inspector Murray who thinks little of his abilities, who puts Wattie in charge of the inquiry into the murder of Jamsie Dixon, with Stevie the main suspect. Harry's life is made even more difficult when a friendly warning to Faulds results in a meeting with bullying Special Branch officer accusing him of IRA connections.

In a dark, tense, action packed and thrilling narrative, Harry hunts for bombers targeting drinking establishments, and loyal to their murderous and insane army leader. A search of a country home finds shocking nightmarish evidence of unspeakable torture and killing, both from the past with the despicable, illegal, and unspeakable acts committed by the British military as the empire began to collapse, and in the present. Army boys have been going missing around the month of April for some years, preyed upon by those they trusted, only to end up as part of the 'April Dead'. This is a stellar series that will appeal to readers who love gritty Scottish Noir, the atmospheric 1970s Glasgow setting and the characterisations, particularly that of McCoy, are particular highlights. Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.

I have enjoyed this series and I think The April Dead is the best so far.

It is April 1974 and Harry McCoy is investigating some bombings in Glasgow which seem to be the work of an amateur. He is also approached by an American who is concerned about his son, based with the US Navy at Holy Loch, who has disappeared. A connection seems to appear and some very dark secrets begin to be revealed involving secret militias, rogue elements of the British Army in Northern Ireland and elsewhere and, of course, McCoy’s childhood friend and now leading crime boss, Stevie Cooper.

It’s all very well done. It is extremely disturbing in places, but helped by the fact that it is now April and isn’t cold, wet and dark all the time, so it’s not quite so unremittingly gloomy. I even laughed once at the dialogue. Alan Parks develops an excellent sense of time and place as always and the plot is very well paced so I was involved and carried along very nicely. The character development of McCoy, Cooper, Wattie and others is well done, too. There are some unlikely coincidences and other implausibilities, but they’re not too outrageous and it was easy to forgive them for the sake of the story. I was a little unhappy with the climax and the brief coda, both of which stretched credibility a bit too far for me and seemed to be setting things up for future books in a way that looks more like a sensational novel than any sort of period realism. I’ll definitely read the next one, though.

So, not quite a five-star read for me, but not far off it. Be aware that this is not for the faint of heart in places, but I can recommend it (and the earlier books) warmly.

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

These books just keep getting better. Whenever a new one title in this series is published it will always be the next book I’ll read.

Another instalment of this period Scottish detective and it remains as entertaining and authentic as ever. This time the plot is slightly more expansive and the pace quicker, but the same grit, dirt and rawness of Glasgow in the 1970s remain and I for one are very happy for that.
The era and the terrain is as detailed and real as ever and the strong characters fade in and out with the same sense of vivaciousness and vividness. Visceral, dirty and as entertaining as ever. Here's to more and more of this, as the possibilities are endless with this author's skill and dexterity.

I loved this book. A gripping cold case story with a thrilling present day connection. A real page turner and great characters. Looking forward to see what they do next. Really well written book that I couldn't put down

Bombs exploding in 1974 Glasgow sees the return of detective Harry McCoy searching for a missing American sailor who's blood was found at one scene alongside a read bomb maker. Complicating his investigation is a gangland murder closely linked to his boyhood friend, himself a gangster, His search for the Sailor brings him conflict with a decorated army officer who's building his own private army. A classy thriller that brilliantly depicts life in 1970's Glasgow.

Another superb addition to the Harry McCoy series.

This time, Harry is faced with a mounting number of problems: a bombing campaign, a missing US sailor and Cooper is back on the scene. If that wasn’t enough to cope with, Watty is having a crisis of confidence and the gnawing pain in McCoy’s stomach turns out to be a peptic ulcer.

The story moves at a cracking pace. McCoy is as dogged as ever, pursuing every lead whilst keeping his boss Murray, Cooper and even Special Branch happy. Plotting is tight and every twist and turn is plausible and satisfying. A real page-turner.

McCoy has his demons, which drink and fags fail to quell, but his humanity shines through. A Glasgow detective who is up there with his Edinburgh counterpart.

I can’t wait for May!

There are a small number of authors whose books I will buy without reading reviews because I know I am in for a great experience. I have just added Alan Parks to that select group. Having now followed his deeply-flawed cop, Harry McCoy, from January to April, I am completely hooked on the author's particular take on Scottish noir. His taciturn, stripped down style of writing only serves to render shocking events even more so. And there are shocks a-plenty in The April Dead, the best offering by far in McCoy's journey through his metaphorical year. The story hits the ground running – bombs going off in Glasgow, a missing American sailor, mysterious goings-on at an army base and a great cast of characters, all fully rounded and none of whom get forgotten as the plot thickens, as so often happens. As if that wasn't enough, McCoy's deeply toxic relationship with Stevie Cooper is further explored, with a little more about Cooper's background being revealed. I am hoping for more Cooper in future 'months'.
The only discordant note for me in this offering is that Wattie, McCoy's ineffectual sidekick, is becoming a bit of a caricature and one of the things he does in the novel merits him being dismissed from the force. But McCoy is nothing if not loyal, so I guess Wattie is here for the foreseeable.
Expect surprises, twists and a satisfactory ending. There is a tantalising strand left pointing towards future events but it doesn't detract at all from a decent conclusion but does its job of whetting the reader's appetite for the next book.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After reading Parks' last novel Bobby March Will Live Forever, I had a suspicion he was becoming my favourite Scottish crime author. The April Dead confirms this. Parks' novels are clearly influenced by similar authors in the genre but they have something extra special. Set in 1970's Glasgow, the Harry McCoy series is gripping, dark, full of violence and perfectly written.

Harry McCoy is one of the best characters I've read in a long time. Flawed yet with a good heart, he is continually torn between his strong morals and desire for justice and his ongoing tense friendship with gangland boss and childhood friend Stevie Cooper. This relationship is a constant highlight of the series and adds a interesting naunce to Harry's character.

A fast paced, gripping, tense and excellently written page turner that I couldn't put down. I eagerly await book number 5. Parks' works are a masterclass in Tartan Noir.

Thanks to Canongate and NetGalley for the ARC.

Another great story of mid 70’s crime in Glasgow with Detective Harry MaCoy investigating bombings and trying to locate a missing U.S sailor. All the characters from previous episodes of this super series appear again with violence and dark humour never far away. A quasi military organisation is discovered by Harry and a race develops to prevent more bombings. There are sub plots to keep his relationship with gangster boss Steve Parker going which all add to the tale and an ending that sets up the next episode for May!

This is becoming a favourite series of mine based in 1970's Glasgow it is a dark and gritty crime thriller with main character Harry McCoy dealing with a spate of bombings and a missing American and his relationship with thug Stevie Cooper. Parks keeps you wanting more with a page turner with many twists and turns and learn more about the relationship between Cooper and McCoy .

It's not going to be hard to get Alan Parks Harry McCoy series in order. After Bloody January, February's Son and Bobby March Will Live Forever, The April Dead brings more death to the streets of Glasgow in the 1970s. And, while there might not have been a great deal that was new in the last book, The April Dead does expand on a period that has proved to be significant in relation to the expansion of crime not just in Glasgow but in the wider UK. The connections extend further, crime becomes less localised and part of a larger network, all of which has greater implications for the Glasgow police force, and Detective Harry McCoy.

We're in April 1974 in this latest book in the series. A man has been killed in an explosion in a small flat in an unlikely part of the city to be targeted by bombers. An IRA campaign has however already targeted London, Manchester and Birmingham, and the gruesome remains at the scene do make it look like the guy was making a homemade bomb when it went off. It's a scene that is a bit much for McCoy's delicate stomach and his latest diagnosis of peptic ulcer to take, so he is happy to pass this latest development over to Special Branch to look into further. He has other things to worry about, but this one is clearly not going away anytime soon.

Chief among McCoy concerns is keeping a lid on the ever present and escalating gang violence in the city, and that means keeping his childhood friend Stevie Cooper on a leash. That's a tall order, but he hopes he can keep the latest feud at bay even for a little while after Stevie gets out of his latest spell in prison. It doesn't quite work out that way of course. He doesn't need the additional problem of a missing person investigation, but retired US Navy captain Andrew Stewart is very persuasive and concerned about his son Donny, who has been missing off the US naval base a few days now. A quiet boy, it's not like him to wander off, and not a good time for it either with further bombs going off in the city. Another thing that clearly isn't going away either.

That is something you get a strong sense of here in The April Dead; the relentless nature of crime and the fight against crime, the way it slips into everything, and in somewhere like Glasgow that can mean some uncomfortable places. The divisions in the city during this period have already been noted in previous books - the class divide, the haves and have-nots, the sectarian divide - and they all go deep, so deep that even the traditional opportunities for escape in music, football and boxing all end up embroiled in the same problems, whether it's the drugs or gangs or religion. That often means picking a side - if you even have a choice - and for McCoy - a police detective with a friend who is at the head of one of the criminal gangs in the city - that's a tricky one.

That much we've seen already, but The April Dead seems to go further, expanding Parks' view of the 70s as more or less the birth of the modern age. There are clear links here that suggest that crime in the present day and even terrorism on British soil is influenced by the social changes of 50 years ago, and there are even perhaps remnants of a dark past that go back further and deeper than that. From historical child abuse to colonialism and Scottish independence, the way Parks shows crime reaching into all parts of society is frightening, but the ease and conviction with which these connections are drawn is also impressive.

Which is what makes Parks' Harry McCoy series always a terrific read. It's not just the authenticity of its 1970s Glasgow crime setting, but how the author manages to tap into the period's underlying values and lack of values. On one level it's simple enough but there are deeper undercurrents that run through it that highlight McCoy's dilemma, and the difficult choices he has to make aren't getting any easier. I'm amazed that Parks hasn't received greater recognition for his Harry McCoy series up to now, but in The April Dead it takes a leap to a new level. If you haven't read Parks yet this isn't a bad place to start, but any of the books should be enough to convince you that there is a thrilling, groundbreaking series in the making here.

A bombing campaign, a murdered gang member and an missing US sailor, It's all in a week's work for Detective Harry McCoy and his sidekick Watty.

The story leads him out to Argyll & Bute and the secretive Colonel Lindsay and his hippy sister.


This is my fourth Harry McCoy novel and Alan Parks delivers again

Detective Harry McCoy is back on the mean streets of Glasgow for the fourth time in Alan Parks’ latest Tartan Noir thriller The April Dead. Those who started with Parks’ debut Bloody January and followed McCoy through February’s Son and Bobby March Will Live Forever, will notice a distinct pattern in the titles. But hey, if it worked for Sue Grafton it can work for Alan Parks.
It is 1974, and McCoy is called to the site of an explosion and the death of a bombmaker, caught by his own device in the heart of Glasgow. Not long after he is approached by a retired US Navy Captain whose son has gone missing from the US Naval Base in Glasgow. The investigation into the bombmaker will touch on the troubles in Ireland, Scottish nationalism and link to the young man’s disappearance. But at the same time, McCoy is still managing his relationship with his old friend and local crime lord Stevie Cooper, fresh out of a stint in prison and the target of a vengeful crime family. The history that sits at the heart of this relationship, that goes back to when the two were in and out of local orphanages, has driven much of the action and the moral greyness of this series.
Once again, Parks unerringly drops the reader into a grimy, but slowly changing, mid-1970s Glasgow:
Whole town seemed grey, miserable-faced people hurrying past, all wrapped up against the cold wind coming from the water. They passed some closed-up shops, wooden boards over the windows covered in graffiti. A group of kids were sitting on an abandoned car with a smashed windscreen, fire going in a metal rubbish bin lighting up the scene. And like Glasgow, there were the inevitable lads on corners freezing in wee bomber jackets and wide trousers. All pinched faces, all passing fags and cans, all looking for trouble.
McCoy himself is a classic noir policeman. Dogged and intuitive, determined to get to the truth. Unsuccessfully trying to stay off alcohol and cigarettes. Loyal to his nervous offsider yet inherently compromised by his relationship with Cooper. Somehow able to weave his way through the moral grey areas and layers of favours to just keep himself out of trouble. And much like Adrian McKinty’s Sean Duffy, Harry McCoy is a well realised product of his time and a great guide to the violent streets of 1970s Glasgow.
There is a slight stretch of the credibility meter when the off-book missing persons investigation intersects with the main case (although this is always on the cards). Even so, The April Dead is another solid entry in a great ongoing series.

I love Alan Parks series, it’s a carefully constructed piece of ‘old school’ crime novel with a particularly Scottish sensibility. This, the fourth, is arguably a little softer than some of the earlier books which were at times almost unbearably grim- this is just casually brutal!
The addition of an American outsider to the relationships brought a new dynamic and perspective which I was initially unsure about but got past very quickly - it really worked and opened up some new depths in terms of McCoy’s relationship with Cooper and his past.

Cliche, but I regret it’s a year until whatever “May” brings.

Side note- I bought my dad the first book for Christmas and now he has the next two and is waiting for this.

* 4.5 stars *

4th in the Detective Harry McCoy series, and ‘The April Dead’ is another sure fire winner for author Alan Parks.

It’s 1974, and Glasgow has an ongoing reputation for violence, with opposing gangs using extreme methods in order to be top dog. The local polis aren’t beyond reproach either, with their own form of violence - heavy handed certainly, truncheons, boots and fists always at the ready.

It’s against this backdrop that an American sailor goes awol from the Holy Loch submarine base. McCoy is investigating an explosion at the time, when a piece of evidence found at the scene, suggests that the missing sailor might somehow have been involved.

With the threat of more bombs to come, McCoy follows a dizzying array of leads, whilst his continuing relationship with Glasgow thug and gangland boss Stevie Cooper, keeps the reader turning the pages with increasing speed.

Though there are some distressing scenes, it is, nevertheless, fast paced, dark, gritty and gripping, and let’s be honest, Parks sure can write. McCoy is a pretty flawed character with current health issues, but here’s the thing, I found myself really worrying about his health! - yes I know he’s fictional, but such is Parks skill as a writer. Tartan Noir it most definitely is! Great stuff, great series.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Cannongate Books for an advance copy of The April Dead, the fourth novel to feature DI Harry McCoy, set in Glasgow in 1974.

A homemade bomb goes off in a flat in Glasgow and nobody can understand why. In the meantime McCoy is approached by an American asking for help in finding his son, a sailor who has apparently gone AWOL. Then a gangland figured is murdered and McCoy’s friend Stevie Cooper comes under suspicion. When McCoy links the missing sailor, Donny Stewart, to the bomb site and a the shadowy group involved and realises there is a pending gang war he starts to feel the pressure.

I thoroughly enjoyed The April Dead which is a complicated read with several strands and much to digest. I found it compulsive reading, perhaps because it’s set in my old hometown and brought back so many memories- I’ve even drunk in some of the pubs mentioned, not all, obviously, as McCoy does a lot of drinking, mostly in insalubrious locations, but mostly because it is such an engrossing tale.

The novel is told entirely from McCoy’s point of view so the reader can get up close and personal with both his thinking and mentality. In the 70s policing was more lax in terms of rules and regulations, but even so McCoy pushes the boundaries. He shapes the story to fit his own moral code, which often deviates from the letter of the law, and yet he is an honest policeman. He helps his criminal friend, Stevie, but only as far as he deems acceptable. It’s all very grey and, at times, ambiguous but there is never any doubt about which side he is on.

The novel is broad in scope, taking on, not just various different plot lines, but wider themes as well, like The Troubles and cults among others. Things that were topical at the time and really took me back. Much of it is hinted at early on and is easy to interpret, but the novel goes further than I would have guessed and some revelations really took me by surprise.

As I said the plot is engrossing with its well researched sense of the era and it’s compulsive plot. The reveals come at a steady rate, the twists come as a surprise and the tension ramps up as the scale of what they are dealing with becomes apparent.

The April Dead is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Set in Glasgow in April 1974, Alan Parks has given us his 4th Harry McCoy book - his best yet in my opinion.
Harry McCoy is a DI who has links throughout the dark and seedy criminal underworld. This time Harry is racing against the clock to solve a spate of bombings, whilst also trying to locate a missing American Navy officer and helping a young colleague with a murder case.
The atmosphere in these books is terrific. You can almost smell and taste the grim settings.
On first discovering Alan Parks I was a little thrown by his unusual writing style. Abrupt sentences, no words are wasted...but it works and adds to the sense of urgency. A great cliff hanger this time means there's more to look forward to!

Alan Parks is fast becoming one of my favourite authors I was hooked from the first page.
Set in Glasgow the main character is a Glasgow detective called Harry McCoy who had a harrowing childhood along with the now criminal Stevie Cooper who has just been released from prison and believes there is a traitor in his crew and he seeks out Harry’s help even though it would be illegal he plays on the loyalty card.
At the same time Harry meets an American who is looking for his son who has disappeared from the naval base and no one seems to care except his father. It soon transpires that the son is gay and may have mistakenly got involved with the wrong people.
Whilst investigating the missing boy Glasgow is suddenly in the midst of mysterious bombing and having discounted any involvement from the IRA the investigation begins closer to home.
Lots going on and the storyline flows perfectly - an exciting and interesting game to follow I loved it.

From Good Reads:
No 4 in this series and they are just getting better.
Set in a dark, dirty and gritty 70's Glasgow, our hero is a troubled rough diamond with an absolute heart of gold - and a best friend who's a gangster.
Read these!

The April Dead is book number 4 in the Harry McCoy series by Alan Parks and it is another solid and enjoyable read although definitely not a cosy crime novel.

Set in Glasgow in April 1974 McCoy is involved in the investigation into a series of bomb explosions whilst also dealing with a mysterious American naval Captain

This book, along with the rest of the series, seems to capture the time and location well and is a book I would recommend

Is it possible I've succumbed to passive smoking? After having finished The April Dead where McCoy lights up on every page, I think I may have! What a great detective thriller of the old school type. McCoy, a pragmatic detective with the nous to work with what you've got, not what you'd wish for. His deathwish lifestyle of smoking, heavy drinking and poor diet are taking their toll on his stomach, more particularly the ulcer in it. However, he has the task of trying to stop a spate of bombings and in so doing, uncovers a militia led by a modern day Braveheart. Not a nice character, with some serious issues.
If you like a really gritty detective thriller set in the 70's, this one's for you. McCoy is the real McCoy. There's wry humour in amongst the grime too. Hard to put down and exciting to come back to, it's a five star review from me.
One little niggle (and I have no experience of this, just what I've read) I thought burnt human flesh was a similar smell to roast pork, not beef?

Alan Parks and Harry McCoy return for a 4th book , entitled The April Dead.

In a series that has fast become one of my most hotly anticipated series of the Year, Parks again writes an absolutely superb thriller dripping with the dark and gritty prose he has established.

Back on the streets of Glasgow in the 70s and McCoy and wet behind the ears partner “Wattie” find themselves hunting for a bomber when an accident in a flat seemingly kills the bomb-maker, when he detonates his homemade explosive.

Parks has become a master at running several plot lines through his books, and in this Harry is also on the case of a missing American Naval Soldier as well as the ever dangerous gangster and child friend Stevie Cooper continuing to prove more than a just a thorn in McCoys side. Add to that some threats from the Government’s inner sanctum and failing health, McCoy really is up against it.

In McCoy , Parks has created a character who though seems so hard and thick skinned he actually in fact is far from that, and appears to care deeply for Wattie, and even Cooper, and is almost his one man mission to keep Glasgow safe in the face of all adversities.

The Strings to this outstanding thriller soon knit together as Parks paces his story with masterful skill leading to a quite absorbing and entertaining read and finale that left both an open mouth and sly grin upon my face.

Quite Brilliant and one of the stand out reads for me so far this year.

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