Cold Granite [Hardcover]

Stuart MacBride (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 3, 2005

The debut thriller from a bright new Scottish talent set to rival Ian Rankin. 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. There's a killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood. If that wasn't enough, Logan also has to contend with a new boss, DI Insch, who doesn't suffer fools gladly and thinks everyone's a fool, and his own ex-girlfriend, the beautiful but chilly Isobel MacAlister, who also happens to be the chief pathologist. The only good news is WPC 'Ball Breaker' Watson, Logan's new guardian angel. 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. If Logan isn't careful, he's going to end up joining them. Set in Aberdeen, where the rainy season lasts all year, criminal gangs vie for supremacy on the streets and the oil industry brings an influx of wealth and vice, this is a gritty, powerful and page-turning debut thriller by a writer with a wonderfully observant eye and a characteristically Scottish sense of gallows humour.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Relentless rain reflects the tormented mood that permeates MacBride's impressive debut set in Aberdeen, Scotland. Det. Sgt. Logan MacRae, back from a lengthy convalescence caused by a crazed suspect's knife attack, is plunged straightaway into the investigation of a brutally murdered child. To make matters worse, the victim's family learns of the death from a reporter before the police have a chance to inform them. Angered and embarrassed by the press leak, Logan, aided by WPC Jackie Watson, vows to expose the source within the precinct. Enter Colin Miller, flashy journalist, who befriends Logan, causing suspicious stares from Logan's superiors. More children go missing, and soon the populace of Aberdeen is screaming for blood. Further inciting the rabble, a notorious defense attorney earns acquittal for a habitual child molester. As a result, a hapless, ruined scholar–turned–street sweeper becomes a scapegoat for the chilling fear that grips the community. Logan must eliminate the distractions caused by the sensational publicity and summon his barely restored strength to anticipate the killer's next move. MacBride allows his characters their humanity, while weaving intriguing subplots in this edge-of-your-seat page-turner.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* One year after being stabbed in the line of duty, Scottish Detective Sergeant Logan McRae returns to his Aberdeen beat to tackle a case that makes even his most callous colleagues cringe: the strangling and mutilation of a four-year-old boy. Fears of a pedophile serial killer are confirmed when more children turn up missing and, then, dead. To make matters worse, someone is leaking privileged police information to a member of the press. DS McRae digs in his heels, doing his best to ignore the dirty looks of ex-girlfriend Isobel, the forensic pathologist on the case. MacBride's impressive first outing has plenty of atmosphere, subversive humor, and a sinuous plot reminiscent of fellow countryman Ian Rankin. Among his memorable characters: an overeducated schizophrenic with a secret cache of roadkill and a grumpy detective inspector forever gnawing on fruit pastilles. Dubbed "Granite City" for its stark, stone edifices, Aberdeen is a place of social misfits and surly moods, where gunmetal gray clouds dump endless buckets of icy rain. "Everyone looked murderous and inbred," writes MacBride. "The whole city looked like a casting call for Deliverance." Newcomers to the police procedural, take note: MacBride's deft debut is more macabre than most. Allison Block
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Harper Collins; 1St Edition edition (May 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0007193130
• ISBN-13: 978-0007193134
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,426,250 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid cast of characters, offbeat setting, good crime story, December 4, 2006

By 

Joseph P. Menta, Jr. (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cold Granite (Mass Market Paperback)

This was my first venture into the Scottish police procedural, though I guess there are quite a few titles out there if the category has its own name: "Tartan noir". In any event, I enjoyed the tough but likable law enforcement officers of Aberdeen, Scotland and the creepy yet engaging crime story in which they move about. "Cold Granite" also benefits from interesting supporting characters, including an ambitious reporter who keeps getting in the way of the police investigation yet still sort of becomes friends with the central invesitigator, Detective Sergeant Logan MacRae. There's even the occasional romantic scene, between Logan and one of his female officers, to lighten up the dark story from time to time (though the scenes don't so much as depict a romance as Logan's desire for one). I liked the energy and vibrant images of "Cold Granite", as well as its easy readibility. I'll be sure to look for Stuart MacBride's second offering.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gritty New Scottish Police Procedural, October 1, 2005

By 

Suzanne Epstein (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cold Granite (Hardcover)

Logan McRae is a Detective Sergeant with the Aberdeen police. After being away for a year, recuperating from a serious stabbing, he returns to find himself thrown into the worst kind of case. A child's mutilated body is found,and soon another child goes missing. The plot diverges into several, possibly-related, cases, leading to long days and sleepless nights for the force.

MacBride has created engaging characters, with layered dimensions. McRae has to earn the respect and trust of his co-workers and superiors. He is forced to work alongside his former lover, who is the icy medical examiner.

The book contains gritty, realistic descriptions of crimes against children, so be forewarned. But for fans of Scottish police procedurals, MacBride is a welcome new addition to the bookshelves.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good procedural., October 1, 2005

By 

L. J. Roberts (Oakland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cold Granite (Hardcover)

I am an admitted fan of police procedurals, and this was a good one. I particularly liked that McRae wasn't an angst-ridden, alcohol-driven character--although McRae did his fair share of imbibing-whose relationship to his fellow officers and superiors is realistic. The subject matter is difficult; anytime children are involved, it's hard to read. The story was well plotted, with interesting twists and turns and good suspense. I even enjoyed the bit of a nod to Ian Rankin. Altogether, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next MacBride.