First published 1987
Detective Inspector Jack Laidlaw faces another brutal case in Glasgow's unforgiving streets. When a violent death connects to papers left by Tony Veitch, Laidlaw must navigate the city's criminal underworld to uncover the truth. The investigation pulls him deeper into a web of corruption and violence that threatens to consume everyone involved. Laidlaw's unconventional methods put him at odds with his colleagues as he pursues justice through Glasgow's darkest corners. The case tests his resolve and forces him to confront the moral complexities that define his approach to police work. McIlvanney delivers a gritty portrait of urban crime and the detective who refuses to compromise his principles.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, detective
Vibes: dark, gritty, suspenseful
Tropes: moral-ambiguity, unconventional-detective
Setting: Glasgow
Period: 20th-century
344 pages · Paperback · RIVAGES
Content warnings: violence