I came across Stuart MacBride when he won "Celebrity Mastermind" a week or so ago.  The host asked Macbride what he did when his first novel, "Cold Granite",was so well received that his publishers asked him for the next novel in the series, even though he had no plan for one. MacBride replied, "Well, it was write another novel or carry on working in IT. So... here's another novel."

That was enough for me to get hold of an audio book copy of *Cold Granite"

Set in the perpetually rain-drenched granite streets of Aberdeen, "Cold Granite" tells the story of DS Logan "Lazarus" McRae's return to work after a long sick leave recovering from a knife attack. On his first day back he ends up investigating the death of a young child.

What follows is a very Scottish police procedural, crammed with local colour, larger than life characters, raucous humour and unflinching descriptions of death, decay and violence.

The pace is perfect. The relationships inside the police force and between the police officers and the press felt very real. There are plenty of credible suspects, a twisted trail of crimes and criminals and, at the heart of it all, a young DS still learning his trade. McRae works hard, is not yet comfortable with his rank, occasionally screws up but mostly spends his energy doggedly pulling together the pieces of the puzzle that can lead him to the murderer.

It is straightforward crime fiction that delivers good entertainment and memorable characters.

Like MacBride's publishers, I'm demanding more. Fortunately, I'm twelve years late to this party so there are another nine books already in print.

"Cold Granite" is narrated with great skill by Steve Worsley. Click on the SoundCloud link below for a sample

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The first in the DS McRae series and the reader is introduced to Detective Sergeant Logan McRae newly returned to active duty after a serious stabbing incident, which we learn a little about as the story proceeds. The bodies of a number of children are discovered, mutilated and sexually abused and in the gritty atmosphere of a dark and constantly rainy Aberdeen Logan must find the killer before the body count mounts. As in all Stuart Macbride books the humour is dark and the story at times bleak and difficult to read but equally unputdownable. The pace is very fast, characters introduced at every opportunity ( I particularly like Roadkill working for the council ensuring all the streets around Aberdeen are kept free of.....roadkill!) The somewhat obscene DI Steel plays a minor role but it's good to note that in later books she takes centre stage much to the annoyance of Logan McRae as her manners and attitude leave much to be desired. This is my second reading of Cold Granite and it is a great introduction to the wonderful writing style of Stuart Macbride and the harsh environment around Aberdeen situated in the Grampian region of North East Scotland.

"DS Logan McRae and the police in Aberdeen hunt a child killer who stalks the frozen streets. Winter in Aberdeen: murder, mayhem and terrible weather!

It's DS Logan McRae's first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn't get much worse. Four-year-old David Reid's body is discovered in a ditch, strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. And he's only the first. There's a serial killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood.

Soon the dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. And if Logan isn't careful, he could end up joining them..."

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            "Aye? Shame. He was fucking tasty in his day. Quite the lady-killer.

             But we couldn't prove it." - Detective Inspector Steel

There is a lot to like in Stuart MacBride’s police procedural, Cold Granite. To start with, the story is sprinkled with humorous lines like the one above, delivered by likeable, almost quirky, characters. Some moments actually made me laugh out loud, which I found surprising as I didn’t expect it to be filled with such dark humor. The author does a great job of balancing the humorous moments with the more serious, and quite gruesome, aspects of the main story.

Detective Sergeant Logan McRae, the MC, is also very likeable. I liked that he was human—sometimes he got things wrong and sometimes he got things right. He was also just a man trying to do his job. One thing I would have liked, though, was a little more insight into his personal life. We do get a backstory involving a case he worked prior to the events of Cold Granite, but I would have liked to learn more about his family, parents, friends (outside of the police force), etc. It would have been nice to have seen a bit of interaction with them. I think because of this, Logan initially felt like a bit of a void to me. But, of course, this changed as the story progressed. And I assume we’ll get more of this in later books of the series.

Another aspect of the story I liked was the setting. It takes place in Aberdeen, Scotland, and the city itself truly becomes like a secondary character. The author intertwines the city, the weather, the regional slang, etc. with the story, and makes it come alive. 

The main mystery/crime was really well done. Some things I caught quickly and then had to wait for Logan to catch up, but the main part of the mystery kept me guessing until the very end. Just a word of warning that MacBride doesn't hold back when it comes to the horrifying aspects of the murders. There are minor descriptions of autopsies, and detailed descriptions of the children’s injuries, as well as other horrors endured by these poor kids. So just keep that in mind.

All in all, an extremely enjoyable read. Highly recommended for fans of police procedurals.

Final Rating: 4 stars

"Pubs, churches, and rain. Three things Aberdeen had in abundance.

The sky above was dark and low, the sodium glow of the streetlights giving early morning a jaundiced feel, as if the streets were unwell. Last night's torrential downpour hadn't let up at all, the heavy raindrops bouncing back off the slick pavements."

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One of the interesting things about reading this police procedural, despite the gruesome foundation of the story, is the setting. It takes place in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, and in many ways the city itself is one of the characters. It really comes to life here. I love how the author intertwines the city, the weather, the regional slang, etc. with the story. 

I don't know why, but I don't often read police procedurals that are based in countries outside of the United States. But I'd love to read more of them. If anyone has any recs, I'd love to hear them. 

So, this might sound silly, but here are the fun things I've learned so far:

❖ A Procurator Fiscal is a what we in the States call a public prosecutor. 

❖ An Aberdeen Buttery is a morning roll. They can be eaten cold, with butter or jam. Here is a recipe: http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/butteries.php. If anyone wants to, you know, bake some and send them my way.... 

❖ Bacon Butty, which is basically a bacon sandwich.

❖ Scaffies, which is slang in Aberdeen for refuse collectors. And Tip, which is a landfill or garbage dump. 

 Who says genre fiction can't be educational? :)

really enjoying the book. Have read lots of the later books in this series but finally discovered the first one and enjoying the characters being introducted