I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of Perfect Remains, a police procedural set in Edinburgh featuring DI Luc Callenach.

Luc Callanach, recently transferred from Interpol in Lyon to Edinburgh, is called out to a burned body in Braemar. This is well off his "patch" but the body is believed to be Elaine Buxton, a successful lawyer who was last seen in Edinburgh so he and his team go to investigate. With the body identified as Elaine the hunt is on. The reader, however, knows right from the start that it isn't her as she is imprisoned in a secret room in Reginald King's home.

I should state from the start that I'm not fond of novels which run parallel narratives from the police and perpetrator's points of view as I prefer a straightforward hunt. Sometimes it works but in this case I don't think Reginald Hill is interesting enough to carry the narrative. He is a violent, narcissist who wants attention from strong, capable women and is devious enough to get it by force but his motives are not explored deeply.

Luc Callanach, on the other hand, is an interesting character and I would be interested to see where the author takes him. Half French, half Scottish he left Interpol under a cloud and is trying to make a fresh start. What that cloud is is revealed in the course of the novel but the backlash from it (no spoilers) is, frankly, unbelievable. Initially boorish and rude, he develops into a likeable character through his friendship with DI Ava Turner. They are both smart and intuitive.

The plot has a clever premise - throwaway (to the mind of Reginald King) bodies substituted for his worthy companions in such a way as to fool the police - but I'm not sure how realistic it is. There are also a few unlikely coincidences. I could forgive all this, it is fiction after all, but somehow the first half of the book dragged and seemed to take ages to get through. It picked up in the second half with a few tense passages.

I think Perfect Remains is an interesting start to a potential series. It has a few teething problems like most debut novels, but I will read any sequel to see how both the author and the characters develop. I think 3.5* is a fair assessment.

4.5 stars. Totally loved this book. Quite gruesome in places but a really fascinating story especially knowing the villain from the beginning. Loved Luc and Availability and looking forward to learning more about them in Perfect Prey.

Deep in the mountains of the highlands Elaine Buxton’s body is on fire. She will only be able to be identified by her teeth and the clothing that she wore. Otherwise the successful lawyer has literally disappeared. DI Luc Callanach has recently left a successful career in INTERPOL to start a new job in Scotland. He’s eager to prove himself but finds little information about Elaine or her killer. Then another successful woman is taken and Luc is fighting against the clock to save her life. There is a bizarre twist in this book that will absolutely shock readers. Highly recommendedEdit