"One mistake can cost you everything…

When you catch a twisted killer there should be a reward, right? What Acting Detective Inspector Logan McRae gets instead is a ‘development opportunity’ out in the depths of rural Aberdeenshire. Welcome to divisional policing – catching drug dealers, shop lifters, vandals and the odd escaped farm animal.

Then a little girl’s body washes up just outside the sleepy town of Banff, kicking off a massive manhunt. The Major Investigation Team is up from Aberdeen, wanting answers, and they don’t care who they trample over to get them.

Logan’s got enough on his plate keeping B Division together, but DCI Steel wants him back on her team. As his old colleagues stomp around the countryside, burning bridges, Logan gets dragged deeper and deeper into the investigation.

One thing’s clear: there are dangerous predators lurking in the wilds of Aberdeenshire, and not everyone’s going to get out of this alive…"

❖ ❖❖

     "Logan hit the send button again. 'I need you to--' His left shoe parted company with the wall. 'AAAAAAAAGH!' Cracking through dark green spears, sending little green bombs flying, and thumping into the frozen earth below. THUMP. 'Officer Down!'

     'Laz? Jesus, what the hell's...' Steel's voice faded for a second. 'You! I want an armed response unit and an ambulance round to--'

     'Gah...' He scrabbled upright, bits of squashed Brussels sprouts sticking to his dirt-smeared suit. 'Officer back up again!'"

The Missing and the Dead, Book 9 of the Logan McRae series, is a little bit different than previous books in that Logan spends the majority of his time out of CID and in divisional policing. I found this change to be both a strength and a weakness.

On the strength side, I liked all of the day-to-day "beat cop" situations.

I also liked watching Logan command his team. Even though he's been transferred out of CID, Logan is still a sergeant, in this case a duty sergeant, and much like I loved watching him be a DI in the previous book, I loved watching a take-charge Logan here as well. He's such a great leader. Also, this new environment from CID to DP brings with it a new cast of characters, which were all unique and likable in true MacBride style. 

On the weakness side, while I did like the day-to-day policing, during the 60%-70% mark I got a bit of "beat cop" fatigue. It started to become somewhat redundant, and by that point I wanted the story to move forward on all of its dangling threads. There were moments where I actually felt like skimming, which is unusual for me when it comes to this series. Also, even though I loved the new cast of characters and their interaction with Logan, I really missed Rennie. Thankfully, Steel was still out and about for much of this. 

In regards to Logan, I love his growth as a character, particularly as it relates to the situation with Samantha. I love who Logan has become over the course of the series and I can't wait to see where he goes from here. Of course, there were one or two moments where I wanted to knock him upside the head, but that's par for the course when it comes to Logan. 

So, even though The Missing and the Dead has some weak points and I would probably consider it the weakest of the series so far simply because some portions could have been pared down, I still liked it and think it's a great addition to the series, especially as it applies to Logan's growth as a character. 

Final rating: 3.5 stars

"It’s the night of the big Referendum, and all Acting Detective Inspector Logan McRae has to do is find a missing ‘No’ campaigner. Should be easy enough…

But, as usual, DCI Steel has plans of her own. As the votes are counted there’s trouble brewing in the pubs and on the streets of Aberdeen.

Logan’s picked up a promising lead, but all is not quite what it seems, and things are about to go very, very wrong…"

❖ ❖❖

The 45% Hangover is a fun novella featuring the dynamic duo, Logan and Steel. The story showcases everything I love about their relationship: their banter, the way they snipe at each other, and the great unspoken affection they feel for one another. On top of that, the story itself is pretty good, too. It fits in nicely with the overall series.

Highly recommended for hardcore fans of the Logan McRae series.

Final Rating: 4 stars

"It's summer in the Granite City, but even the sunshine can't improve the mood at Grampian Police Headquarters. Aberdeen's growing Polish community is under attack from a serial offender who leaves mutilated victims to be discovered on building sites -- eyes gouged out and the sockets burned.

Detective Sergeant Logan McRae is assigned to the investigation, codenamed Operation Oedipus, but with the victims too scared to talk, it's going nowhere fast. When the next victim turns out to be not a newly arrived eastern european, but Simon McLeod, owner of the Turf n' Track bookies, Logan suddenly finds himself caught up in a world of drug wars, prostitution rings and gun-running courtesy of Aberdeen's oldest and most vicious crime lord."

❖ ❖❖

"Logan walked over to the window, rubbing a clear patch in the dusty glass.  Looked like another beautiful day to be a police officer, with outbreaks of  infighting, sulking, and recriminations."

In Blind Eye, Book 5 of the Logan McRae series, Logan and Co. are back with bacon butties, hangovers, and all-around police investigation shenanigans. But it's not all fun and games--Logan has a bit of a tough time in this, and has to deal some serious demons. It was a new side to Logan's character that was interesting to watch. 

DI Steel is more brilliant than usual. MacBride adds another dimension to her here, including allowing us to see her life outside of HQ, making her even more human and likable. It was a pleasure to see these other facets of her character, all of which made me adore her that much more.

In terms of the case they worked on, it was great and what I've come to expect from this series. My only issue is that Logan sometimes tends to miss obvious clues. This has been an issue in previous books, with the exception of Book 4, but here this trait was at an all-time high. It drove me nuts because it almost verged into stupid territory. But, ultimately it didn't matter since I still loved the story. I stayed up later than I should have on numerous nights because I couldn't put it down.

So, would I recommend this to fans of the series? Yes, definitely. Blind Eye is another great installment of the Logan McRae series. 

Final rating: 4 stars 

"The case was closed. Until the killer walked free…

When an offshore container turns up at Aberdeen Harbour full of human meat, it kicks off the largest manhunt in the Granite City’s history.

Twenty years ago ‘The Flesher’ was butchering people all over the UK – turning victims into oven-ready joints – until Grampian’s finest put him away. But eleven years later he was out on appeal. Now he’s missing and people are dying again.

When members of the original investigation start to disappear, Detective Sergeant Logan McRae realizes the case might not be as clear cut as everyone thinks…

Twenty years of secrets and lies are being dragged into the light. And the only thing that’s certain is Aberdeen will never be the same again."

❖ ❖ ❖

"DI Steel yawned, stretched, then said, 'What's green and smells of pork?'

Logan didn't look up from the copy of yesterday's Evening Express he'd found on the back seat. 'No idea'.

She grinned at him. 'Kermit's willy!' Pause for laughter. Nothing. 'Miserable sods.'"

Logan and crew are back in Flesh House, the fourth installment of the Logan McRae series. This one was a lot darker and gorier than previous books (seriously, don’t eat while reading this), but it also contained a nice dose of humor, suspense, and moments that actually made me teary-eyed. The crime solving was also great, with the case keeping me guessing right until the end.  

This installment was a little different than previous books in that Logan was entirely focused on solving solely one case. Another difference is that for the first time in this series Logan didn’t miss some obvious clues, which he sometimes tends to do. 

Stuart MacBride really knocks it out of the park with Flesh House. It is now my official favorite of the series so far. Can't recommend it enough. 

Final rating: 5 stars

"The inspector [Steel] let it die down before carrying on. 'But just because those bastards think we're worthless, doesn't mean we have to prove them right! We will do a damn good job: we will catch crooks and we will get the bastards convicted. Understood? We are not at home to Mr. Fuck-Up. Come on, say it with me: we are not at home to Mr. Fuck-Up.

Come on. Once more with feeling: We are not at home with Mr. Fuck-Up!' 

Logan snuck a look at the other people in the tiny, untidy room.

Who were they kidding? Not only were they at home to Mr. Fuck-Up, they'd made up the spare bed and told him to stay for as long as he liked". 

These characters are so endearing. As much as I like Logan McRae, secondary character Detective Inspector Steel is stealing the show. The woman steals every single scene she's in. She's such a hot mess, and I can't get enough of her.