Bobby March Will Live Forever
by Alan Parks
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Pub Date Apr 07 2020 | Archive Date Apr 21 2020
Canongate | Canongate Books
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Description
The papers want blood.
The force wants results.
The law must be served, whatever the cost.
July 1973. The Glasgow drugs trade is booming and Bobby March, the city’s own rock-star hero, has just ODed in a central hotel.
Alice Kelly is twelve years old, lonely. And missing.
Meanwhile the niece of McCoy’s boss has fallen in with a bad crowd. When she goes AWOL, McCoy is asked—off the books—to find her.
McCoy has a hunch. But does he have enough time?
A Note From the Publisher
The third book in the #HarryMcCoy series sees Detective McCoy track down the disapperances of two young girls, whilst investigating the overdose of one of Glasgow's rock and roll legends.
Advance Praise
'Even better than its predecessors . . . Its plot twists and turns, provoking laughter and tears . . . Fascinating and dangerous . . . Parks has clearly studied the masters of tartan noir but has his own voice. He shows how, among the welter of violence, a spontaneous act of kindness can have just as great an impact' The Times, Book of the Month
PRAISE FOR BLOODY JANUARY:
'An old-school cop novel written with wit and economy . . . Think McIlvanney or Get Carter'
IAN RANKIN
'A potent tale of death . . . Alan Parks's excellent first novel propels him into the top class of Scottish noir authors . . . Detective Harry McCoy . . . is so noir that he makes most other Scottish cops seem light grey'
The Times, Book of the Month
'1970s Glasgow hewn from flesh and drawn in blood'
PETER MAY
'The latest star of Tartan noir — perhaps even a successor to the late, great William McIlvanney . . . Gripping, utterly authentic and nerve-jangling, this novel announces a fine new voice in crime writing'
Daily Mail
'Gripping and violent, dark and satisfying. I flew through it'
BRET EASTON ELLIS
'Bloody and brilliant. This smasher from Alan Parks is a reminder of how dark Glasgow used to be'
LOUISE WELSH
'[McCoy] is a great character and his patch and period are vividly and skilfully portrayed. Denise Mina and Ian Rankin had better watch out'
Evening Standard
'Gripping and well-crafted'
QUINTIN JARDINE
'A blistering plot, unforgettable characters and writing so sharp it's like it's been written with a knife . . . Detective McCoy is a true noir antihero and the perfect guide through the vice and violence of Glasgow's underbelly. Bloody January firmly sets Alan Parks in the same league as Ian Rankin and Louise Welsh'
SARAH PINBOROUGH, bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYES
'The plot rattles along with nice twists and turns from the first chapter . . . Fans of Tartan Noir will lap this one up'
Allan Massie, The Scotsman
'A thrilling debut from a very promising talent'
RAGNAR JÓNASSON
FEBRUARY'S SON:
'A riveting journey through the grim and gritty dark side of 1970s Glasgow . . . A powerful slab of tartan noir'
Scottish Herald
'Pitch-black tartan noir, set in Seventies Glasgow . . . Compelling . . . With an emotional heart that's hard to ignore'
Daily Mail
'Excellent . . . Full of surprises, streaked with compassion – that highlights the art of tartan noir. McCoy and Cooper . . . make one hell of a damaged duo. Their fascinating relationship provides the real intrigue'
Evening Standard
'[An] engaging tartan noir page turner'
Scotsman
'Parks' writing style is to the point . . . The plot zips along . . . McCoy is a man many will enjoy spending time with. Casting agents will already be weighing which actor should pull on his raincoat'
iNews
'The no-holds-barred action and dialogue smack you in the face like a Glasgow kiss. Cracking'
The Sun
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781786897145 |
| PRICE | $26.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 320 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Hannelore C, Reviewer
Thank you NetGalley and Canongate for the eARC.
This is the 3d in the series and the 2nd I have read, great series! Set in Glasgow in August 1973 finds everybody sweltering in the summer heat and the whole city is upset about the disappearance of a 13-year old girl. Also, Glasgow's famous rock star, Bobby March, has been found in his hotel room, dead of an overdose. But DI Harry McCoy is not on those 2 cases, his nemisis, Raeburn, relegates Harry to a bunch of unsolved burglaries. Harry being Harry doesn't take much notice, he delves into the cases anyway, anything to stop himself from killing Raeburn.
This is a gritty, hard story about gangsters, brutal police on the take and the fine line between them. Harry himself isn't above going over the line at times if he thinks it's warranted to solve a case. His best friend is a gangster, they go way back and help each other out when needed. But Harry's heart is in the right place, underneath it all he's kind hearted and you can't help but root for him all the way, he's a great character...
Glasgow plays a big part too, which I love. I can't wait to see what happens to Harry next, he's a bit down towards the end (which is very tense!) and disillusioned. I loved it and highly recommended it!
David O, Reviewer
Wow! There is a lot happening in the dirty hot Glasgow summer in the third installment of the Detective Harry McCoy series by Alan Parks. Harry is caught in many plot lines in what should be a tight noir but reads like a thriller. A fine addition. Highly recommended.
Marianne V, Reviewer
Bobby March Will Live Forever is the third book in the Harry McCoy series by British author, Alan Parks. Mid-July 1973, and Glasgow swelters through an unusually hot summer, but any personnel at Stewart Street Police Station not departed on vacation have joined the search for missing thirteen-year-old, Alice Kelly.
Except for DS Harry McCoy. CI Hector Murray has been seconded to Central for six months and his replacement, Bernie Raeburn, holds a powerful grudge against McCoy: Harry is excluded from this high-profile case and instead assigned a stagnating set of robberies; Harry’s usual right-hand man, Wattie, is forced to attend to Raeburn’s every need.
As the only cop not searching, McCoy attends an apparent accidental drug overdose at the Royal Stuart Hotel. Rock star, Bobby March is found with a syringe in his arm. But the medical examiner suspects foul play. And it seems certain of Bobby’s property is missing.
Meanwhile, Hector Murray asks McCoy, off the record, to locate his missing fifteen-year-old niece, who has been seen associating with undesirables. Talented McCoy, with his contacts, soon tracks down Laura Murray, but has misgivings about returning her immediately to her family. And while on her trail, he comes across a brutally murdered petty criminal, and learns something about a certain old friend (and local gangland boss) that may upset the delicate balance of power in the local crime scene. McCoy is having to spread himself quite thin…
This instalment features a forced confession with tragic consequences, a kidnapping, and child abuse, and McCoy takes a revelatory (but ultimately painful) trip to Belfast. While McCoy may not be the straightest cop on the force, he does have standards and his heart is in the right place, and this leads him to brawl with another senior officer.
As with book #2, this one can stand alone, but the earlier books do give some useful background on the characters and their history. Again, the prolific use of expletives may offend some readers, but there’s a bit of black humour in the banter. Portraying Glasgow at its grittiest, this is excellent Scottish Noir.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Allen & Unwin. Also by NetGalley and Canongate Books.
Librarian 431790
An excellent noir, bleak and gripping.
The plot is full of twists and turns, the cast of characters is well thought, and the mystery is solid and kept me guessing.
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
Lisa-Lou H, Reviewer
Absolutely pitch-perfect! If you are looking for a dark, gritty crime novel that totally captures you within its pages then look no further.
This compelling read will transport you to 1970's Glasgow into the world of McCoy, a brilliant protagonist a bit rough around the edges and far from perfect but he has real heart making him the perfect anti-hero.
The plot is unforgettable, the dialogue is sharp and engaging. This was my first Harry McCoy novel but it certainly won't be my last. A gripping nerve-jangling thriller is a must-read for all crime readers out there!
Thank-you Anne Cater & Canongate Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an open & honest review.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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