DNF - I did not realize this was part of older series. I was unable to find the older books, so will not be reading this one. I don't like when they give hints to background stuff and you don't know what it is. I get that it's so they do not reveal spoilers but hard to get into when you feel like an outsider

It’s 1972 and a body has been found behind The Parlour, a bar in Glascow, that of Bobby Carter, criminal attorney who worked for gang boss Cam Colvin. The pub is situated on the turf of a rival gang and, to save face, Colvin must find who’s is responsible and retaliate, meaning the Glaswegian cops are bracing for an all-out gang war. The case is in the hands of Detective Sargeant Laidlaw, cynical outsider but with a strong sense of morality, a healthy disrespect for authority, a penchant for quoting philosophy, and a preference for working alone.

After William McIlvanney’s death in 2015, an unfinished novel in his tartan noir Laidlaw series was discovered.and it was only fitting that Ian Rankin, who has continued the tartan noir tradition in his own Rebus books should complete it. The Dark Remains is the result. This is a well-written, smart, and engrossing noir thriller with plenty of red herrings and twists and turns to keep the reader engaged and guessing throughout. But, like Rankin’s Rebus series, it is less action and the mystery and more character study, their relations both on the street and at home, their backstories, and what motivate them to act as they do. A great read for fans of both or either author or intelligent mysteries.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

Happy to include this novel in the autumn instalment of Thrills & Chills, my seasonal round-up of the latest crime and mystery thrillers for Zed, the books section at Zoomer magazine.
Full review feature at link.

4 STARS;I've read a couple of Ian Rankins books but never anything by William McIllvaney and I must gave missed a lot of good reading over the years. I gather that this was a novel that Mr Mcillvaney was in the process of writing when he passed away in 2015. Rankin finished the job. I will certainly be looking for the next Rankin novel.In this scorching crime collaboration, bestselling author Ian Rankin and Scottish crime-writing legend William McIlvanney join forces for the first ever case of DI Laid law, Glasgow’s original gritty detective.

"Whatever else happens, the dark remains."

From the moment I heard about this book I've been stalking various websites, scheming how to get my hands on it. Turns out I didn't have to kill anyone, resort to blackmail or sell a child....all I had to do was ask. Huge thanks to McClelland & Stewart/Penguin Random House Canada for one of this year's most anticipated reads. And sincere apologies to the other books I promptly tossed after it arrived.

In 1977 William McIlvanney came out with Laidlaw, the first in a trilogy featuring Glasgow copper Jack Laidlaw. It was an innovative take on crime fiction unlike anything published before, requiring a new label....Tartan Noir. After McIlvanney died in 2015, an unfinished manuscript for a fourth Laidlaw book was found & eventually passed to some guy named Ian Rankin. Could he finish it? The answer is a resounding yes. This is a seamless collaboration that is so faithful to McIlvanney's style of prose, it's spooky.

The year is 1972 & Det. Jack Laidlaw has just been transferred to the Glasgow Crime Squad. His reputation precedes him & new boss DI Ernie Milligan is well aware of his history. The squad is currently working a missing person case. Bobby Carter, a flamboyant lawyer/fixer for local hard man Cam Colvin, is nowhere to be found. Until he is...face down in the alley behind a pub owned by rival wise guy John Rhodes. Oooh, this does not bode well. Laidlaw & new partner DS Bob Lilley are part of the team led by Milligan that need to find the killer before the city erupts in a full-on game of gangster quid pro quo.

That's really all you need to know about the plot. Cops. hoodlums, snitches & families.....just some of the peripheral characters you'll meet along the way. It's a master class in misdirection as Laidlaw drags the long suffering Lilley around Glasgow's less respectable streets. The bonus is the gritty, poetic prose. From descriptions of Glasgow & its citizens to Laidlaw's dryly sardonic dialogue, this was such a pleasure to read.

The setting is contemporary to when it was written but for some reason, it doesn't feel dated. There are plenty of cultural references plus a running gag about The Godfather. What may seem stereotypical to readers now was groundbreaking at the time. Jack was a new slant on the fictional cop. Yes he's a tough guy, but he's also a keen student/observer of the human condition. His philosophical & driven character reminded me of all my favourite detectives who came after....John Rebus, Jack Taylor, Harry Bosch & Émile Cinq-Mars to name a few. Many crime writers cite McIlvanney as an influence & it shows. (By the way, his son is no slouch either. If you're looking for a cracking read I highly recommend "The Quaker" by Liam McIlvanney.)

For the uninitiated, it's a smart & layered procedural full of great characters. If you're already a fan, it's quite simply a must-read. Rankin was the perfect choice to polish it up & I couldn't help wondering what would happen if Rebus & Laidlaw had met. Now there's a book I'd love to read.