Have enjoyed all the previous books in this series and this one hit the mark. Plenty of suspense throughout and likeable characters. Look forward to the next one. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This is the 7th in a series and let me tell you I will be getting every single one of them. This was an amazing heart pounding gripping Scotticj crime thriller!! I loved every word of it!! And I love DI Claire as a character, she is like a close friend that I can listen too. Loved this so much!!
I just reviewed A Blind Eye by Marion Todd. #ABlindEye #NetGalley
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The seventh instalment of this hugely enjoyable and eminently readable police procedural series set in St Andrews.

DI Clare Mackay and her team are called to investigate a missing person case. As the missing person is a well-respected local solicitor, Harry Richards and he has not been missing for a very long time, their first inclination is that he has gone away of his own volition. Then Harry is discovered in his car dead in Tentsmuir Forest with his throat cut and Clare has a murder case on her hands.

This is a tricky case for Clare as her investigation brings her up against solicitor client confidentiality. Then a second death occurs which potentially seems to have some links to Harry’s death and the plot ramps up. We know the identity of the perpetrator fairly early on in the book, but this does not detract from the plot at all. In fact, this starts to put Clare and her team in danger too.

It is a lovely touch to see a little more of Clare’s vulnerability in this book…..in her dealings with her relationship with Alistair, her ex Tom and particularly when her beloved dog Benjy seems to be in danger.

There is also great banter between Clare and her DS Chris West which introduces a note of levity and stops the story from becoming too dry. There is some witty discussion on the merits of eating biscuits and confectionery.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me have an advanced copy of the book in exchange for expressing my open opinions and giving an honest review. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it, as part of the series or as a standalone.

This is Marion Todd's latest tense and exciting addition to her St Andrew's based DI Clare Mackay series. However, it takes a while to really get going, so I would urge readers to persist in a story with a number of threads that eventually begin to link together. It begins with Clare giving a talk to encourage local pupils at the Melville Academy to consider joining the police force, and it is here she has an odd conversation with Eilidh Campbell. A wife reports her solicitor husband, Harry Richards missing, only for him to be discovered in his car with his throat cut in Tentsmuir Forest. So begins one of Clare's most complex and dangerous investigations that will challenge her and her team, including DS Chris West who is planning his wedding and the ever reliable Sergeant Jim Douglas.

The bereaved wife had been being stalked recently, a matter the police delve into, the deeper they dig, the more it becomes clear that the dead victim is not necessarily the fine upstanding citizen that he at first appears to be. The inquiry is hampered by the need to tread carefully and not breach the confidentiality of clients in the conveyancing business, and with there being no available DCI, the pressure is all on Clare to find a killer or two. When Leona, the wife of paralegal Simon Miller, dies in a horrifying car accident, Clare is disinclined to believe in coincidences, it looks like the deceased solicitor's staff are being targeted. In this twisty narrative, the police try to bring to justice the most feared and powerful of murderers, crooks and villains, will they succeed?

I enjoy the blend of policing and focus on the personal lives of the characters, for example, Clare has to figure out whether she can trust her relationship with DCI Alastair Gibson, enough so that he can sell his home and move in permanently and whilst he is away for work, her ex-boyfriend Tom comes to stay. This is a great Scottish crime series where the intrigue, tension and suspense begins to build slowly but solidly, culminating in a thrilling finale. There is plenty of banter within the police team and I love Clare's dog, Benjy. I look forward to the next in the series! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Three and a half stars.

DI Clare Mackay and her team are called in when a ranger finds a car abandoned in the woods with what looks like a body inside. When they gain entry the detectives discover that the man has been murdered, his throat brutally slashed. The victim turns out to be a mild-mannered conveyancing solicitor called Harry Richards, whose wife had both reported him missing and complained about a stalker lurking outside recently.

Shortly afterwards, Harry's colleague's wife dies in a car accident - are the two deaths linked? Is there a vendetta against the law firm?

I do enjoy this series, the way the plot comes together, the mixture of personal lives and police investigations. However, in this case I did feel that solving the case relied very heavily on a Ta-Da moment rather than solid police legwork. but looking back at my review of the previous book in the series I can see that this is not a trend - and let's be honest sometimes it is just a stroke of luck that makes things happen - so I won't let it drag my review down.

Still an autobuy/request. What is it about Scottish crime books that is so addictive?

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I always wonder with a series of books, if the characters are what makes it, rather than the storyline. In this, the seventh book of the Clare Mackay detective series though, the storyline is as strong as ever. And if you came along for the characters, you won’t be disappointed either!
There’s twists and turns, connections and non connections, and a fair amount of action for our St Andrews based detective. I do like that the story is detailed by day so you really do feel like you’re there; involved in the progress of the case.
I’ve always felt that Clare is a compassionate character, and her interaction with one particular member of the team, Robbie, seemed to cement that.
Again, as a local, I loved that I knew where scenes had taken place- and I’m still keen for a Clare Mackay bus tour of the area!

Thanks to Marion and NetGalley for allowing me to read A Blind Eye before the publication date.
This is the seventh book in the D.I. Clare MacKay series but it can be read as a standalone story.
It is only recently that I read the first of Marion’s books and then binge read the rest of the series which is set in the upmarket town of St. Andrews, better known for golf and the VIPs who attend the university.

In this book, D.I. MacKay is placed in a difficult situation as she investigates the gruesome death of solicitor Harry Richards. He runs a small practice which focuses mainly on conveyancing and some civil cases, nothing that would involve him with criminals.
Clare interviews each of Richards’ staff and discovers that he had been having appointments which were not in the diary.

Then the wife of the paralegal is killed in a fatal road accident.
Are the rest of the staff at risk?

There are plenty of red herrings and surprises to be revealed.

I have read several of Marion Todd's books and enjoyed them all so I knew this would be a cracker too. It certainly was, gripped from the first page this story has some good likeable characters and a great storyline. Plenty of twists and turns to fathom out and a good ending. I highly recommend this book and author.

Set in and around St Andrews this is a complex and unusual mystery. Lots for our detective team to unravel. Good characters and interesting relationships.

Yes, this was an enjoyable read, but having read titles from Marion Todd previously, I never expected it not to be.
Drives along nicely, good characters and leaves you wanting the next title from the author sometime soon.

The seventh book in the Detective Clare MacKay series opens as one would expect with a gruesome murder but Clare and her team are soon on the case. It was lovely to be able to dive straight into this book with it's well established characters. The story did lose my attention a little in the middle as there were numerous separate strands going on none of which seem related. However, Clare and the team soon had the answers and the book reached a satisfying conclusion. A good read and I look forward to number eight in the series.
Thank you Netgalley, Canelo and Marion Todd for giving me the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

crime-fiction, thriller, suspense, law-enforcement, Scotland, procedural, murder, murder-investigation, unputdownable, Scottish-noir, criminal-acts, detective, friendship, friction, office-politics*****

Scotland or no, the characters in these books are very much true to life. The stresses and strains on their psyche and the devastation to their personal lives reflect the same reality that I've seen here in the US. The other thing about the books is how they draw me in and hold me there to the story from beginning to end (glad I'm retired and can read all night if I want). The case takes a lot of twists and very little bumbling. Little is said this time about Mackay's personal life, and that is good from the perspective of it being well suited as a stand alone. Excellent read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Canelo via NetGalley. Thank you!

A schoolgirl’s question about whether to keep possible criminal behavior a secret begins a complicated case for DI Clare Mackay. Harry Richardson’s lifeless body is discovered in his car, his throat slit, in remote Tentsmuir Forest. No sooner has her team finished interviewing his assistant when the man’s wife is killed in a suspicious car accident. Two victims tied to the same small office cannot be a coincidence. But when DI Mackay realizes just who her suspect is and how dangerous he can be, she finds it almost impossible to link him to the crimes. Will she be able to solve this case before someone else is killed?

A Blind Eye is a well-written, character driven police procedural, called Tartan Noir. I love the way Clare relates to her team. Helping fragile Robbie and encouraging Chris to develop his skills make them seem real as does her personal life. Her relationship with DCI Gibson is becoming more serious although I understand her reluctance. And I love her dog Benjy. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Canelo and Marion Todd for this ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for the ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book.
One of my favorite series. You could read this as a stand alone and not be lost but do yourself a favor, start with book one and keep going. You won't be disappointed. For me, the mystery is almost secondary to why I love Ms. Todd's writing. It almost feels like a family reunion when catching up with these characters yearly. She does a great job of mixing personal info with the police business and giving each character enough background to get to know and love them, even the minor side characters. The banter between Clare and Chris has never been better and you'll laugh out loud at the Kit Kat wars. That scene was so funny, I went back and re-read it a couple of times. Clare's relationship with Al moves along nicely and there are a couple of lovely scenes with her ex, Tom. I love how the author handles their relationship. And as always, there's a satisfying conclusion to the mystery. See you next year, Clare Mackay!

My first time reading a story from Marion Todd. Loved every minute of it. Great story with fantastic characters. Looking forward to more from this author

A Blind Eye is Marion Todd's seventh volume starring DI Clare Mackay and her team. However, this volume can be read entirely independently and separately from the other editions.

Having read previous volumes by Marion Todd, I was very much looking forward to this most recent edition, in which Clare and her team must solve the murder of a local lawyer.

The story begins with a loose 'thread' - Clare is trying to interest students at a local high school in a job with the police. There, she meets an adolescent who clearly wants to confess something, but then decides to leave anyway.
Soon after, the team is startled by the murder of a respectable lawyer.
It also turns out that this lawyer's wife was being watched.
Enquiries soon reveal that Harry kept his diary empty, and that he wanted to take an extended holiday with his wife. Were things getting too hot for him?
Then, when the wife of a legal assistant in Harry's office is also killed in a bizarre car accident, it seems that someone is targeting the law firm's employees....

I am familiar with Mation Todd's detectives - and so I was looking forward to a new story.

The chapters are short, and smoothly written. I don't know if it's down to the subject matter of the crime - but somehow I had a hard time getting into the story. It deals a lot with conveyancing contracts (selling houses) or cars. Previous books I often read through in one go, but this time I found it hard to keep following the story. I'm not really sure what the reason is: the writing style is pleasant, smooth and with short chapters. Still, the story of loan sharks, conveying contracts and cars ‘going wild’ couldn't really captivate me personally.

I did miss the personal life of Clary, who seems to live on coffee and biscuits in the office. It is only when something happens to her dog Benji that something of emotion comes into the story. Her boyfriend is away for an extended period, and oddly enough, her ex comes to stay. Maybe I'm a bit old-fashioned about that, but I found this a bit odd. Also that her ex apparently still feels something for her. I didn’t find that bit adding anything.
I found the part in which a direct colleague gets emotionally stuck - and eventually has to go to therapy to deal with the intense situations and emotions that are inherent in police work very strong. I actually found Clare unnecessarily playing the strong heroine here - I like to see my characters a bit vulnerable - which makes them all the more human and interesting.

Since this was a review copy, I did end up reading the story. I did find the beginning a bit slow and not very interesting, and a lot of ' 'crystal ball” and ' 'what if' police work. It is only when a paralegal's wife crashes that the story gains some momentum. I just don't have much with money sharks and cars. Perhaps the theme for me was too much on the legal front. Lots of twists, but in the end I found it clear very quickly who was responsible, so no surprises there for me either.

I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for this review copy. I leave my review voluntarily. 3 stars for me.

Harry Richards was a well respected local solicitor but, as the weather starts to get a little warmer, DI Clare Mackay is handed his case after he is discovered dead.  With client confidentiality making everything far more awkward than usual the team discover there was far more to their victim than met the eye.

When a second death is found to have possible links to the case it seems there could be far more going on than anyone originally thought. As the danger moves ever closer to Clare and her team can they uncover the evidence they desperately need before it’s too late?

The seventh book in this entertaining series was a little slow to start but it definitely made up for that as the story progressed. There was a vulnerability to Clare which was very nicely done as was the always brilliant banter between her and long-suffering sergeant!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. I enjoyed this very much and happily recommend it.

I’ve not read anything from this author before but I’m glad I found her, a really really good read, definitely looking to read more in the future

Advisory note: This book contains Wagon Wheels!

This is a series that I always enjoy and reading this latest book was like catching up with old friends. Clare Mackay is a solid character and feels like the kind of boss I could happily work for. As with previous books, there is a good mix of her working life and home life with ‘The DCI’ and Benjy the dog. This starts with the grizzly murder of a solicitor but expands into a much broader enquiry. There are aspects of the plot which I’d like to think are a work of the author’s imagination but unfortunately I suspect that they reflect reality. To enjoy to the maximum you should read this as part of the series and I heartily recommend it. Be advised that there is an abundance of cake eating in this book and an attempted ‘crime’ involving a KitKat.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this eARC.

I really enjoyed this book and think it is a great addition to the authors Detective Clare Mackay series. I did think the book started off fairly slowly and was glad to see it gain pace as the story progressed - where in my opinion it became an absorbing and riveting read. This is a very well written book which takes place over a short period of time and I loved all the separate story threads and following Mackay and her team as they investigate a murder. I really like the main character, she is so likeable and very relatable, and I love the small glimpses into her personal and home life. There are a lot of story threads here that I really liked and they certainly held my attention and interest as the book progressed. The last quarter of the book was a thrilling read where the team search for evidence to convict the murderers. All the threads begin to come together and are tied up nicely at the end, and I really liked the epilogue, and thought it gave the story good closure.

If you like good, solid police procedurals I'd recommend this book and series although if you're new to this author read the books in order.

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐