‘“Crime is common. Logic is rare. Therefore, it is upon the logic rather than upon the crime that you should dwell,”’ she said, dryly, as she got out of the car.
‘Sorry?’ said Max.
‘Doyle?’
‘Eh?’
‘Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, you know, Sherlock Holmes. That’s from The Adventure of the Copper Beeches. Have you read it?’
‘I only read books with exploding helicopters on the front cover,’ said Max, shaking his head.”

One of the best compliments I can pay Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster is that I’m fairly certain that lead detective Max Craigie would not enjoy it. No exploding helicopters, far too little of the Rambo on the run which people might expect from this genre.

Lancaster has made a name for himself as a writer of kick ass thrillers with fast paced plotting and bone crunching action. And his biography does suggest that, more than most writers, he has the experience to back this up.
Armed Forces background, surveillance and undercover work for the Met and now successful thriller writer based in the Highlands. His debut novel featuring, ‘Going Dark’ was part of a trilogy featuring Tom Novak, a man who seemed in capable of not being chased by various Eastern European mafia hoods and corrupt law enforcement officers.

This time out we have Max Craigie, a former soldier struggling with PTSD and recently moved from London to Scotland under a cloud with a fatal shooting on his record.

When a prominent gangster disappears near a creepily titled grave in the Badlands of Caithness, it isn’t long before Craigie and other outsider from the squad, Janie, is sent to get involved.

Lancaster manages to twirl this plot on a sixpence with no warning for the reader and this is a really attractive trait for the reader. Expectations are dashed at every turn and, for readers who have enjoyed the Tom Novak series, whilst there are similarities between Craigie and Novak – both military men, both are or have worked in the Met, both have ties to Scotland – here the character of Craigie is more cerebral, more open to human relationships and more easily likeable than the sociopathic here of the ‘Going…’ series.

The other aspect of this new series of novels which demonstrate the evolution of Lancaster as a master craftsman is the humour. Whilst plot is clearly where this author lives, funny interchanges between Craigie, Janie and their foul mouthed but essentially cheery boss, Ross, are handled with aplomb.

“‘What’s your instinct on this one?’ Ross asked.
‘Honest answer?’
‘No, I want you to bloody lie to me, you daft twat. Stop pissing about.’”

For my money, exchanges like this make the book one of the funniest novels in terms of character relationships outside another crime writer with a Black Isle connection, Ian Rankin.

And, it would appear that I am not alone in my appreciation of the novel. While I was halfway through my advanced copy, it was announced that Dead Man’s Grave had been long listed for the coveted McIlvanney Prize from Bloody Scotland. This puts Lancaster alongside luminaries such as Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Stuart MacBride and Denise Mina which is the right company for any crime writer, I’d have thought!
My only complaint on that score is that I’ve been a reader for that award since the inaugural year and I rarely get a novel as good as this.

In conclusion, Dead Man’s Grave is a fine introduction to a series and packed with plot twists, enjoyable characters and the verisimilitude of the author’s experience make this a fine addition to the Tartan Noir canon.

This was a good police-procedural thriller, a new detective on the scene, DS Max Craigie. Set in the Highlands of Scotland and gave a good sense of place. The plot was well thought out and takes us right back into the history of some of Scotland's oldest families and the rifts and rucks between them. The author may well have been a policaman as the detail felt very authentic. It will be interesting to see how Craigie develop in future stories, well worth a read.

“He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster
And when you gaze long into an abyss then the abyss also gazes into you”.

With those words from philosopher Nietzsche, we get a glimpse into the soul of Detective Sergeant Max Craigie, in this, the first of the series featuring Max and his colleagues in the Serious Organized crime team at Gartcosh, Scotland.

Max is a serious cop, - a man who has faced trauma, both on the job, and in his previous time with the military and it has left it’s mark. Looking for a new beginning, Max has left the Met and taken up shop in Scotland, where he comes home to a remote cottage with idyllic views after spending his days battling the darkest criminals of the Scottish underworld.

Thick with detail, this procedural novel rings with authenticity, as we follow Max, his partner, DC Janie Calder, and his boss, DI Ross Fraser, along with a whole host of homicide unit specialists, through the investigations of a series of brutal murders.

Along the way Max uncovers a centuries old feud, a horrific crime family headed by a monster nicknamed “the peeler”, and a river of corruption, extending deep into the darkest corners of the police services itself.

Tightly plotted, tense and filled with action, this book reads like the best of Jack Reacher meets Harry Bosch (or better yet, Inspector Rebus) - with Max soon finding himself a lone-wolf cop facing a momentous and deadly task, surrounded by enemies and no clear sense of who can be counted on to help him.

My stop on the #HQStories #Blogtour for #DeadMansGrave by @NeilLancaster

I’m afraid I’m badly out of step with most other reviewers here, but I really didn’t think Dead Man’s Grave was much good. I tried it because it came with strong endorsements from Ian Rankin and Jane Casey, both of whose work I admire very much, but this is nowhere near their league.

DS Max Craigie has just moved back to Scotland after time in the Met. Craigie is endowed with a range of abilities and qualities which are verging on the superhuman; intelligent, empathetic, a street-tough boxer, ex-army with an extraordinary array of skills as a result, with an ESP-like ability to sense when he is being watched, and so bursting with integrity it’s a wonder it doesn’t give him a nosebleed. He becomes embroiled in an investigation into Scotland’s toughest gangland family which reveals deep corruption within Police Scotland. He sets out to bring the whole lot down – as he tells us very regularly.

It started off reasonably well, but began to pall as implausibilities and clichés mounted up. I wouldn’t dream of including spoilers, so you will have to guess for yourself whether, for example, Max is Taken Off The Case or whether there is a Tense One-To-One Climax In A Deserted Location From Which He Only Narrowly Escapes. I just didn’t find any of it believable; not the characters, not the way in which things developed and not the over-convenient way in which Max Gets The Better Of His Opponents.

On top of this, the writing wasn’t very good. Neil Lancaster will insist on spelling things out for us which he’s already implied, and peppering this laboured prose with stale usage and cliché. Lots of people need to get their ducks in a row, for example, and characters eyes are often filled with hate while others keep being gripped by resolve or determination. He insists on telling us all these things rather than showing us. What is obviously a joke or banter is invariably followed by a description of someone chuckling or of a smile spreading across their face to make sure we’ve got the point – and ruining any lightness which may be intended. Dialogue is often pretty clunky, with people telling each other things they already know or talking in a way which doesn’t ring true. People spontaneously explain their motivations in painstaking detail, which no-one in real life ever does. Sententious speeches crop up pretty regularly, presumably because we need to be reminded what splendidly upright people the good guys are. (Did I mention that Max is gripped by a determination to bring all the bad guys down?) Even the title makes little sense as a thriller – I mean, graves are supposed to be for the dead, aren’t they?

I’m sorry to be so critical, but I really didn’t get on with Dead Man’s Grave. I struggled to the end, but I won’t be bothering with DS Craigie again.

(My thanks to HQ Digital for an ARC via NetGalley.)

The warning that this grave, isolated in the far north of Scotland, should never be opened has been observed for centuries but no longer. A body has been buried there and it is the body of a master criminal of Scotland’s leading criminal family. His sons are after the perpetrator and from there we are on a roller coaster of revenge. It is a complicated read given that part of the strength of the criminal family is its police access. There are many characters because the English police are drawn into it too. You will also be an expert on tracking vehicles! It starts brilliantly and keeps up its shady momentum throughout. The breakaway Scots police officers who bring the whole thing crashing down are well constructed. I recommend it.

A great crime novel, set in Scotland. Max Craigie is an engaging hero, flawed enough to be appealing but thankfully not the stereotyped agonised detective. I started thinking I was reading a novel about one murder but it twisted and turned far beyond that. A very enjoyable read, looking forward to No.2 in the series.

It's like a Scottish version of Line of Duty, bent coppers, gangsters.

Based in and around Scotland I was waiting for Jim Taggert to pop up and say " There's been another murder" book is very well written but annoyed me when they called females bints not many men would call their wife that or another woman without fear of getting slapped in the face.
Book was a bit slow to start and once you pick up on the lingo it was easier to follow, Max Craigie is back in his homeland of Scotland and he has picked up the job of finding the head of the Hardies a local gang who have their fingers in all the pies and some so deep within Police Scotland and now with a murder Max seems to be getting shut down at every turn and now his mental health is being questioned but like a dog with a bone Max doesn't give up and with help from his quirky partner Janie they uncover a world of corruption but just how deep does it go, who can Max trust?

Excellent, gritty, police procedural thriller.
I really liked the main character who is a bit of a maverick and as such wanted him to succeed.
Just the right side of violent for me and when you mix a relatable protagonist, the head of an organised crime family and a centuries old family feud, what's not to like?
Will certainly look out for others by this author.
Many thanks.

When Tam Hardie Senior is reported missing by his son, Tam Hardie Junior, DS Max Craigie and DC Janie Calder find his body dumped in an ancient grave that reads ‘This grave can never be opened’

Tam Hardie was the head of Scotland’s most sinister crime family and now Tam Hardie Junior is the head and is seeking revenge.

This book has everything you could want, from gangsters, murders, bent cops and revenge. This is my first book by Neil Lancaster and it certainly kept me entertained. It is packed full of tension and is fast paced. Well written characters and enough twists to wring you out! I look forward to reading more from this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and HQ for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book I have read by this author and hopefully, it will be the first in a series. The plot involves organized crime in Scotland along with police corruption. The main characters are a detective sergeant and a young detective constable on a fast-track path who together defy orders to investigate a murder which has implications of systemic corruption within Police Scotland. The book is well written and the story held my attention well.

If you love some of the recent TV police dramas this will appeal, it's got mystery, dark violent scenes with sinister characters and plenty of bent coppers piling on the pressure on to main protagonist Max, a likeable but deeply flawed local lad recently back in Scotland following a career in the military and Met. It's well written with enough attention to detail and clever plot to keep you hooked from the inspired beginning to the gripping end scenes.

I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Dead Man’s Grave, the first novel to feature DS Max Craigie and DC Janey Calder of Police Scotland.

When ageing gangster Tam Hardie goes missing Max and Janey are asked to investigate. It doesn’t take them long to find his body hidden in an old grave in the Highlands under a stone carved with the message “this grave can never be opened” and not much longer to find the killer and uncover an old feud. The consequences of the murder are much worse with the bodies piling up and evidence of police corruption emerging.

I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Man’s Grave which has an unusual opening premise, a fast pace and plenty of twists and turns. It is told mostly from Max’s point of view with the reader given glimpses from the other side’s point of view to widen the perspective.

I’m not sure where to start with how much I liked this novel. I was hooked by the opening scenario of the old man in a strange grave and drawn in further by the reason for his murder. It’s not your standard “man killed, find killer” fare as the killer is found quickly and this is just the appetiser. It’s what happens next that is the real menu and that is compulsive, exciting and not too unrealistic for a violent novel. I like the mix of known and unknown where the reader knows the identity of the main villains but not the identity of the corrupt officers. It gives the novel an edge with Max and Janey pursuing proof of what the villains have done while being obstructed at every turn by unknown forces. It’s so compulsive I read it in one sitting.

So the plot is good but it is accompanied by an excellent writing style that is lively and encourages further reading. The humour is rough, realistic and funny and wouldn’t be out of place in most workplaces. The plotting is clear sighted and logical with little room for misunderstanding or ambiguity (not always a given). There are also some great descriptions of the Highlands scenery and locations.

I like Max and Janey. They are well developed characters who are smart and dedicated, even a little idealistic at times, and their banter is great.

Dead Man’s Grave is a great read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Dead Mans grace by Neil Lancaster is the first in a series featuring DS Max Craigie and if this is to be the standard to expect then I’m looking forward to the rest of the series.

A Scottish crime story, Max, ex military who suffers with PTSD finds himself stationed back near his home town in Scotland after a move from his base in London where he was involved in a questionable shooting and has also left his wife behind who wants a break from their marriage.

The story involves a Scottish crime family, an old feud going back a couple of centuries and police corruption going to the highest level.

This book hits the ground running and doesn’t let up throughout. Well written characters and excellent story construction make this a hugely enjoyable read. Max is a great central character and well rounded enough to carry the story.

Really looking forward to the next in this series. The book itself is a standalone but has been set up beautifully for the next one. My first read by Neil Lancaster and certainly won’t be my last.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Netgalley and the publisher HQ Digital very kindly lent me the ebook written by Neil Lancaster, to be published in July 2021, Dead Mans Grave is a Scottish police procedural crime thriller featuring Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder on the trail of a killer who murdered the head of Scotland's most powerful crime family. The ‘who’ did it was soon solved but this is only the start of a good series. Took me to about 44% of the way through to really feel I was on a 4/5 rating, nothing particular about the 43% but I got caught in the story and enjoyed the cat and mouse games being played between the gang and the police. Some have said there are a few gory bits but nothing to squeamish, its the thought of it rather than the description.
What I felt that let it down right at the end was the ‘twee’ ending between his estranged wife and his beloved cockapoo all lovey dovey on bench, just a little cringe worthy for me which spoilt it a little, but I still give it a 4/5

The head of a ruthless family is found dead inside a grave in the Scottish Highlands.
Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at the site and soon realise that this could be part of a feud going back to the 1800's.
As more people are found dead and are at risk of dying it becomes plain that there is corruption at the heart of the Scottish Police Force.
Max and Jane find themselves trusting no-one as they try to solve the case and flush out the corruption but at what cost to themselves.

I never heard of Neil Lancaster before until I saw others review this book and I thought I would give it a go. WOW I am so glad I did. Dead Man’s Grave is a fantastic start to the DS Max Craigie series, and I can’t wait to see how this series develops.
Gangland boss Tam Hardie likes searching his family history so when he found dead in a grave that says, ‘This grave should never be opened.’ This starts a blood feud that started 200 years ago. DS Max Craigie and Janie Calder seems to get stuck in the middle of it while they investigate the murder which then Tam Hardie Jr starts a Vendetta against the murderer’s family and the police. Which leads to a lot of dead bodies and discovery of corruption in the Scottish Police force.
DS Max Craigie does not shy away from any action as he is ex-military that toured Afghanistan goes out of his way to blow the cover of the corruption in the police force with some help with his old buddies from the Met Police.
I thank HQ for a copy of Dead Man’s Grave. I have read a lot of Police procedurals but for I found this to be fresh and original. I also liked that it was a mixture of police procedural and gangland crime. It was also full of action that packed a punch. I couldn’t put this down. I loved it. 5 stars from me.

I really enjoyed this book, a good police procedural which starts in a cemetery, with a grave marked "NEVER TO BE OPENED", very eerie and atmospheric. Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at the scene and what starts as a missing person enquiry ends up as a murder investigation and they uncover that this murder is part of a feud between two Scottish families that stretches back to the 1800s. As the investigation progresses, they uncover large-scale corruption within the Scottish Police Service.

The book is well written with a good fast-paced plot, the only downside was that Craigie’s speeches were slightly corny at times. I liked the ending which sets things up nicely for another book.

I found this book a slow burner which took me a long while to get into. This novel was a disappointment. Just ok and not the gripping storyline I had expected. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Big thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC!!

When detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at a murder scene, they soon discover this murder is part of a blood feud between two Scottish families that stretches back to the 1800s.

I loved this book!! The location felt authentic and Max and Janie were terrific partners. Dead Man's Grave had my favorite things: a police procedural with lots of mystery and intrigue, AND a sweet dog named Nutmeg! Max is a bit of a troubled soul who has PTSD from his time in Afganistan. Janie is a brilliant, young detective who is considered "weird" by the others at the station. Put them together and their broken parts made a whole!

This is a compelling book and one I highly recommend. I'll definitely read it again and I am grateful this is the start of a series! (My only issue is that the format was wacky on my Kindle Fire tablet, but no one else has mentioned it in their reviews so it must have been a problem on my end.)

Dead Man's Grave has all the hallmarks of a first in series. DS Max Craigie is six month's into his new job. Fresh from "the Met" he's under pressure to prove himself in the Serious Organised Crime team in Police Scotland and his first major job has been a bit of a damp squib. Janie Calder is young, bright and female, an accelerated promotion officer, together they are a team of outsiders ideal to take on a police force rotten to the core.

Tam Hardie was the head of a crime family until, researching his family history, he ended up dead in a grave marked "This Grave Never To Be Opened" reviving a centuries old family feud.

This is a police procedural and it seems painstaking in its accuracy. Just a note, there is some realistic language too. It's a little reminiscent of Line of Duty but I enjoyed the story and I'd be interested to read the next one as the newly formed anti-corruption team take on the bad guys in Scottish law enforcement.