Grave Situation [Kindle Edition]

Alex MacLean (Author)

Book Description

Halifax cop Allan Stanton is a troubled homicide detective who has lost everything, including his family and his sense of justice. When he finally decides to leave the force and start over, he's assigned a string of murders that all bear the signs of a serial killer collecting trophies. As Stanton unravels each grisly crime scene, the mounting evidence points uncomfortably close to him, forcing him to confront a past he'd rather forget--and a dangerous future when the killer targets Stanton himself.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"In Grave Situation, Alex MacLean delivers a story that's part mystery, part police procedural, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way to the very last page." Joseph Nassise, bestselling author of the Templar Chronicles

About the Author

Alex MacLean is a writer, martial artist and an avid reader, with a special interest in books dealing with cultural history. He makes his home in Nova Scotia where he has spent many years working in the security industry. Grave Situation is his first novel. His second, One Kill Away, is due out in 2013.

Product Details

• File Size: 523 KB
• Print Length: 426 pages
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0058OJ428
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,239 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep The Lights On! October 17, 2011

By Pamela Kay Noble Brown

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

"Grave Situation" by Alex MacLean is the perfect book to read if you're looking for a book that makes you think. Allan is trying to solve a string of cases that bring him to the very abyss of sanity himself. I found myself flipping back several times to see if a clue I thought I'd picked up on made sense in an earlier scene. I was drawn into the story to the point that I wanted to jump in and help solve the cases.

MacLean has a knack for getting into the actual heads of each of the characters. He fleshes out the characters' backstories so well that even though I was appalled at some of their actions, a part of me came to understand what compelled them to behave as they did. I'm almost ashamed to say that a very tiny part of me even empathized with some of the more unappealing characters. This I can only attribute to the author's expertise in humanizing the thoughts and feelings of his characters.

MacLean also has the gift of painting a scene so vividly, that if I didn't know better, I would feel that I was actually in the scene as a silent observer. He has a talent for using the exact words necessary to convey the nuances, feels, and smells of what's going on in each chapter.

Overall, this is a fantastic crime thriller. It is the kind of book that you can't put down until you find out what happens next. If you do put it down, you can't wait to get back to it. I found myself thinking about the characters and their outcomes well after I finished the book. I look forward to reading more by this intriguing author. But be warned, it will have you looking over your shoulder. When reading "Grave Situation" here's a word to the wise...keep the lights on.

34 of 37 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not For Me January 11, 2012

By Therese Flicker

Format:Kindle Edition

The energy an effort that the author spent on this novel is immediately evident. There is great time spent making sure that details are accurate; however, I have to be honest. I couldn't finish it. For me, it was overly graphic and I question why. I am recommending this book for those who are not queasy readers and who love a good mystery/thriller. It just wasn't my style.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Only 2 disapointments: December 3, 2011

By Robert E. Brann

Format:Kindle Edition

#1 I couldn't find a place to put it down.
#2 I can't rush right out and buy your next book.

Excellent job. I loved every minute of it. Made me wish I'd been a detective . . . and several times felt like I was ! Add my name to your list of fans.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hell That's Impossible to Resist July 16, 2011

By CS

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Grave Situation by Alex MacLean is a dark, depressing, and somber - but ultimately gripping - ride through the hellish realities of police work and the ways in which it can tear a person inside and out.

This is the first book I've read about Canadian police officers, but as it turns out, crime is the same everywhere: Ugly.

The protagonist, Allan, has nothing left except for the job. His wife left him and relocated, and he never gets to spend any time with his young child, who is now living in another province with his mother.

The author takes great care in fully fleshing out all of the characters - physically, mentally, emotionally, and especially psychologically - and the overall story is all the richer as a result.

MacLean's novel is certainly not a light or easy read. My heart thumped often. But I completed it in two tense sittings.

15 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed review December 29, 2011

By Jersey Exile

Format:Paperback

This is a seriously mixed review. First, the good: Alex MacLean is at his best at crime scenes and autopsies. I don't know how accurate his descriptions are, but they are riveting. Now the bad: MacLean's dialogue and internal monologues are weak. At first, I thought the stilted speech/thought had something to do with the characters being Canadian, but I soon realized that I was being charitable; it's MacLean, not Canada. MacLean could certainly have used a better editor. He uses "parent's" when he should have used "parents'". "Toronto" is an international city, and does not need to be followed by "Ontario." The suspect enters a graveyard with a shovel and duffel bag, but leaves only with the shovel; the police don't find the duffel bag. What happened to it? A psychiatrist says, "the murderer is sorry for what they did," one of many examples of lack of subject/pronoun agreement. "It's never about the victim's..." Finally, motive was weak, and the driving force behind the plot was preposterous. Sorry, but I can't recommend this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed it but... September 5, 2012

By Ken Zufall

Format:Kindle Edition

If you're into procedural shows, you'll probably really enjoy this book. Heavy on details about processing a crime scene, autopsies, etc. But it was a bit too heavy on these details for me--felt like long bits of text book or actual cases. Overused flashbacks/memories for my liking...in fact, several of them seemed like fuzzy colored flashbacks you'd see in a TV show. MacLean did a decent job with the central mystery, despite introducing the killer early on--my expectations changed several times.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Graphic Police Procedural January 28, 2012

By Hapa Girl

Format:Kindle Edition

I received this LibraryThings' Member Giveaway free e-book from the author.

Grave Situation is a debut novel by Canadian author, Alex MacLean. Set in Halifax, the story is told through the eyes of a policeman, Alex Stanton and a killer, Herb Matteau. The killer is revealed at the beginning of the story, so the main thrust is in how he is caught, not in guessing his identity. For me, this lessened the suspense factor somewhat.

Mr. MacLean employs skilful descriptive writing and has a good eye for detail, excelling in police & medical procedures. Thoroughly graphic murder and autopsy details will have you squirming.

I found the theme of an emotionally empty and exhausted detective bordered on being a bit trite. And although the character was well-written, I had no sympathy for the killer. His abusive upbringing and recent financial tragedy didn't justify his grisly murder of three innocent victims.

The pace of the novel picked up as it came to a surprising end.

Grave Situation will appeal to those who enjoy dark police procedurals.

Feb. 2, 2012: Edited typo

More About the Author

Alex MacLean is a writer, martial artist and an avid reader, with a special interest in books dealing with cultural history. He makes his home in Nova Scotia where he has spent many years working in the security industry. Grave Situation is his first novel. His second, One Kill Away, is due out in 2013.