Can justice carried out by vigilantes be ratified?

Scott Paterson, a thug, and a known killer had been given a verdict of “not proven” in the High Court. Hours later he’s found dead. Shortly after his body is found, his lawyer, Fergus Grigor is found at the bottom of a cliff. His body is so badly broken that the pathologist can’t identify if it’s a murder or suicide.

DS Max Craigie’s enjoying a day off when he’s summoned by his boss, DI Ross Fraser to report for duty. Coincidently, his partner DC Janie Calder is at the barbeque he’s arranged for his friend, a fellow officer he’d worked with at the Met, Niall Hastings, and his wife Jeri. Katie, his wife, is used to him being summoned by his boss at all hours.

Max and Janie work for a covert group called Policing Standards Reassurance. Their targets are fellow police officers of dubious character and the reason they’ve been summoned is that the death of Scott Paterson appears to have been carried out by someone linked to the police. Their tip-off? A freelance investigative journalist, Shuggie Gibson

Neil Lancaster is a master storyteller. The team that Neil and Janie are part of is relaxed, under the command of foul-mouthed Ross Fraser whose use of bad language is a front hiding a heart of gold. Norma is the IT boffin of the team, and when necessary, they would summon Barney, a wizard with surveillance equipment. The storyline is fast-moving, and the ending is so highly charged I couldn’t put the book down until I’d reached the final page.

Elite Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC to review.

I will be honest, I was confused during the first four chapters. I kept thinking that I was starting to read the narrative of the lead character. Only to discover that it was a false start and was instead various narratives of multiple connecting crimes. By the time we arrived at the main character, I was almost ready to give up. However, I am glad that I did not. The plot arcs combined into a well-done mystery with lots of layers and twists. I give The Night Watch a solid 4/5 stars.

This is another great read for fans of DS Max Craigie and his colleagues. The action is fast and furious, the developing storyline is strewn with plausible blind alleys and the final denouement is as adrenaline fuelled as ever. In Craigie’s capable hands the bad guys (and evil lasses in this novel) are bang to rights in a very satisfying way. Okay, it’s never going to feature on the Booker shortlist, but it will grab your attention firmly by the collar and not let you go until you reach the end. Recommended.

This was my first taste of Neil Lancaster, and I have to say that The Night Watch was a hit with me. His team, based in Scotland, exuded a gritty realism, and ironic banter used as a coping mechanism by everyday people in continuous, stressful situations. Details of the childish pranks were delicious insight into real policing. Then Mr Lancaster let you feel the stress, see the ways in which the case against the suspects could fail, and really feel need for speed to stop the nefarious activities, and understand what the cost of failure would be. How Policemen can be asked to put their lives on the line to prevent bad things happening even to bad people.
Well worth a read.

This is a good police procedural story. I was interested, engaged with the main characters, and I love the main character, DS Max Craigie, super policeman, along with DC Janie, Barney, tech guy, ex spook, and DSI Ross, except for the profanity that he uses, truly abominable, which is why I will not read anymore of these books. I hate profane people, it tells me how stupid you really are, if you can't think of a better word than the f bomb, then I firmly believe your IQ is extremely low. I would have highly recommended this book, except the language is atrocious.
Thank you, #Netgalley #DigitalHQbyHarpers
carolintallahassee

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged right from the start and never faltered.
I have read other books by about DS Max Craigie but this was the best in my opinion. If you haven't read the earlier books it would not spoil your enjoyment of this as it also works as a standalone read.
It is a well paced police procedural with twists that keep you guessing
. A cracking read!

The Night Watch is a killer concept, an unflinching look at generational trauma and the mind’s reaction. Suffused with menace…it’s bloody brilliant.

To follow a series with a sense of abandonment there have to be certain elements that scream to them. The X factor – something that keeps them coming back for more, the DS Max Craigie series is no exception. Travelling the pages is like walking a tightrope, danger threatens to knock the characters askew. There are so many elements that just make this series work – flawed characters. The realism of human nature. Betrayal. Raw storytelling.

Neil Lancaster’s storytelling is like no one else. The police procedural should be tackled with a finesse that only a few authors can pull off with any sense of realism. Lancaster does just that. As an ex Police Officer, you are transported into the seedy world of criminal activity, and the work that goes into bringing that person to justice. It’s a team effort and you get a feel for that in The Night Watch.

Some stories start with a feather falling from the sky, The Night Watch starts with a barrel of powder exploding in your face. Hardened crime enforcer, Scott Paterson is found slumped against a tree with his throat slit on the grounds of a golf club. He had just been released from remand on a not proven charge so he was feeling quite jolly with himself until of course he met his end. The police are in the difficult position of trying to fathom just who could overpower him – a man mountain weighing around 18 stone wouldn’t just comply if you asked nicely. There’s just one small coincidence – Fergus Grigor has turned up dead at the bottom of a cliff at Dunnet Head (loved how we had a connection to Caithness and Sutherland. As a Golspie girl it was great to have those vivid images of Dunnet,) He was the Solicitor that got Paterson released so it all smells a touch rank.

DS Max Craigie and his team, Policing Standards Reassurance Team, sniff and stamp out police corruption. DI Ross Fraser, DC Janie Calder, and their analyst, Norma, act on the information gained from Shuggie Gibson – a Journalist with grit, determination, and an ethos for doing the right thing. He informs Craigie and his team that the killer is a Police Officer. He doesn’t need to question this information too far – a taser, the nature of the victims, and the killing itself scream a vigilante on a mission.

The Night Watch also examines the humanity of these incredible characters We see the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and how it manifests itself. There are so many layers to this story that just left the reader feeling completely immersed in the case. A fly on the wall, we get to experience the nuances of human action and reaction. It was perfect *insert chef’s kiss*

A few days late but, A big thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for approving me of a copy of an e-arc of this book!
Wow! Such a great book. IN LOVE!!!

This is my favourite of the Max Craigie books so far. When a Glasgow gangster just released from prison after a not proven verdict, and his lawyer are both found dead in seemingly unrelated incidents there is enough doubt that DS Max Craigie and the team are called in to review the MIT who are investigating. Are there links to an earlier case. A chilling case as they seek a killer cop, but not without humour, most notably with the language and dietary habits of DCI Fraser and the way the team are gelling together. Barney, the elderly technical guru comes into his own. I'm really looking forward to following Max, Janie and the team into more adventures. I hadn't foreseen the outcome of this one - it took me by surprise and I did yell out at one point! Excellent. #netgalley #TheNightWatch

EXCERPT: There was a faint cackle of laughter behind him. The snap of a twig under a boot. Paterson froze. He turned slowly, looking into the undergrowth for the source of the noise. Something moved, came out of the dense trees, a slow-moving shadow, only just visible. He gasped, sucked in a lungful of air.

The shape approached, one arm outstretched, clutching something.

Scott Paterson cried out in terror and turned to sprint into the darkness.

He ran for his life.

ABOUT 'THE NIGHT WATCH': He’ll watch you.
A lawyer is found dead at sunrise on a lonely clifftop at Dunnet Head on the northernmost tip of Scotland. It was supposed to be his honeymoon, but now his wife will never see him again.

He’ll hunt you.
The case is linked to several mysterious deaths, including the murder of the lawyer’s last client – Scotland’s most notorious criminal… who had just walked free. DS Max Craigie knows this can only mean one thing: they have a vigilante serial killer on their hands.

He’ll leave you to die.
But this time the killer isn’t on the run; he’s on the investigation team. And the rules are different when the murderer is this close to home.

He knows their weaknesses, knows how to stay hidden, and he thinks he’s above the law.

MY THOUGHTS: Gritty and absorbing, Lancaster had me hooked from the outset. The Night Watch is a police procedural that doesn't stint on the suspense.

Max Craigie, Ross Fraser and Janie Calder are a tight knit team and this is reflected in their understanding of one another and the light relaxed banter between them. They are ably assisted in this case by Norma, and by Niall, an old friend of Max's from the Met, and who he brings in to work undercover.

I raced through this in a little more than twenty four hours, desperate to discover just who the vigilante was. The answer was surprising, the final expose even more so.

Neil Lancaster has written a tense, twisty addition to an already excellent Scottish crime thriller series. I can't wait for the next installment.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#TheNightWatch #NetGalley

I: @neil_lancaster_crime @hqstories

T: @neillancaster66 @HQStories

#contemporaryfiction #crime #detectivefiction #policeprocedural #scottishnoir #thriller

THE AUTHOR: Neil was born in Liverpool in the 1960s. He recently left the Metropolitan Police where he served for over twenty-five years, predominantly as a detective, leading and conducting investigations into some of the most serious criminals across the UK and beyond.

Neil acted as a surveillance and covert policing specialist, using all types of techniques to arrest and prosecute drug dealers, human traffickers, fraudsters, and murderers. During his career, he successfully prosecuted several wealthy and corrupt members of the legal profession who were involved in organised immigration crime. These prosecutions led to jail sentences, multi-million pound asset confiscations and disbarments.

Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he mixes freelance investigations with writing.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to HQ, HQ Digital via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

I found this book a little slow at first but loved it once I got into it. Likeable characters and I enjoyed the line of duty vibes. I haven’t read the previous books in the series but will certainly go back to read them. Recommended

A notorious criminal is released after his trial returned a 'not proven' verdict but found dead in woods beside a golf course. A Dunnet Head a man on his honeymoon is found at the base of a cliff, he just happens to be the lawyer who was defending the criminal. It looks like the police might have a vigilante on their hands. Max Craigie, Ross & Janey need to discover who is the killer in their midst.

This is the third book in this series & it was as enjoyable as the previous two. The main characters have become old friends by now & I love the interactions between them. I also like the setting of the books as they frequently refer to places I know quite well which adds to my enjoyment of the books. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book. I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Another great book in the Max Cragie series.Criminals who are seemingly being let free by the justice system are being murdered and suspicion falls upon a police officer. Max and the team are tasked with proving his guilt but of course nothing is straightforward and the team are stretched to the limit. The plot moves along at good pace and I was never bored.

My thanks to HQ Digital for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Night Watch’ by Neil Lancaster.

This is Book 3 in Lancaster’s series of Scottish police procedurals, featuring DS Max Craigie.

I had been impressed with the first two books and was confident that this third book would also prove a winner. While background is provided for readers new to the series, I found it very useful to have read them in order to allow for my appreciation of the characters and setting to develop book by book.

The main case involves the grisly discovery on an Edinburgh golf course of Scott (The Axe) Paterson, a career criminal. The previous week he had walked away from a murder charge after his clever lawyer had managed to convince the jury to acquit. Now it appears someone has executed him. Still, Paterson did have many enemies.

However, when his lawyer is found dead at the foot of a cliff that same day, it seems an unlikely coincidence. When similarities are noted to other deaths, it appears that there is a vigilante serial killer in the area. Even more concerning all the indications point to them being a member of the police. Obviously it is a sensitive situation and DS Max Craigie and his team have to tread carefully during their investigation.

Neil Lancaster’s years as part of the Metropolitan Police means that he brings a wealth of real life experience to his writing. In ‘The Night Watch’ Lancaster presents a tightly plotted police procedural that was lightened by the banter between the team members. I also appreciated the appearances of Max’s Auntie Elspeth and of Nutmeg, his adorable little cockapoo.

I felt that the plot developed at a measured pace though there are plenty of shocks and twists along with nail biting tension, especially when there were end-of-chapter cliffhangers.

Overall, I found ‘The Night Watch’ an excellent police procedural and it has confirmed Neil Lancaster as a ‘must read’ author for me. I will be looking forward to future cases for Craigie and company.

The third book in the series and just as good as the other two. This author certainly knows how to write a gritty crime thriller that’s for sure, cannot get enough of them. Cannot wait till the next one, to read about Max and the gang. Highly recommended.

Another excellent instalment of Max Craigie and his undercover team investigating a series of murders that are too close to home

✨𝙒𝙝𝙤𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧.✨

𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯.
The Night Watch follows DS Max Craigie as he tries to solve the mystery of several interlinked deaths and find the identity of the vigilante serial killer. Soon, he realizes that the serial killer is not someone on the outside, but someone on the investigation team. Will Max be able to stop the killer before he strikes again?

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀.
To start with, I loved the blurb and the general setting of the plot. But, the Scottish-English accent made it difficult to read the book and the writing style was very obstructive.

Things were repetitive and fact-like. It felt like I was sitting inside a police station or a forensic lab, listening to their conversations. There were so many technical dialogues that took up space in the story🙄

Even though this book can be read as a standalone novel, it is a part of a series and I think not reading the first books made it really difficult for me to connect with the characters. And so, I'll give this aspect a benefit of the doubt.

The mystery part of the book was veryy disappointing. The angle of the serial killer being a cop on the investigation team was such an interesting concept but it was taken in a weird direction. Plus, the plot was predictable and that ending had me rolling my eyes out.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.
Overall, this was an okayish one-time read that fails to give an exciting murder mystery and to which, I'll give a benefit of doubt as the experience might have been different if I had read the previous books🤷🏻‍♀️

Thanks to HQ Digital, Neil Lancaster and NetGalley for the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

P.S. I still don't know why the name is The Night Watch 👀

This was my first read of a book written by Neil Lancaster but it will definitely not be my last. I really enjoyed it. Not just the police procedural but I loved the little chats the main characters had in the car about music and other things. I also liked the writing style of the author with the short, punchy chapters and the action always making to read on for just one more chapter.
As it was my first book in the series I had obviously missed out on some of the background story but I believe that it read well as a standalone.
There is something about Scottish crime fiction and police procedurals that I find really entertaining and a pleasure to read.
.The strapline on the book reads 'Think Jack Reacher fronting Line of Duty'. The quote is from Ian Rankin and I think that it really describes the book well and will be a popular read with all fans of the above shows. The author served as a a covert policing specialist in the Metropolitan Police and you can tell that in his writing as everything appears realistic and believable and gives us an insight into the world of undercover policing.
Many thanks to HQ Digital, NetGalley and Neil Lancaster for providing me with an advanced electronic copy of the book in return for an honest, unbiased review.
The book was published in e-book format on Wednesday, the hardcover is published on the 15th September and the paperback will be released in December

This book is a good read. Very well written. I have not read any of his other b9oks in this series before so it was completely new.

The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster is the 3rd in the Max Craigie series and what a cracking series it is!
The team is back (yay!) endeavouring to catch a serial killer and when Max, Janie & Ross are involved it means that there’s another bent copper to weed out! This time though it becomes personal for Max and he’s on a mission to trap the killer, which isn’t easy when there’s more than one suspect and ‘they’ know he’s on the case! It’s a full throttle exiting read which has the expected twists and turns which keep you hooked until the end…it’s one of my favourite series, I love the characters and I’m very much looking forward to the next ride!
Big thanks to Neil Lancaster, HQ and NetGalley for this eARC which I chose to read in return for my honest review.