It is the year 2020, and Edinburgh is now independent. When a gruesome series of murders is committed, Quint Dalrymple is called on to track down the murderer. In doing so he uncovers a tale of government corruption, sex-slave rings, and a killer who specializes in a unique form of organ removal
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A great read ! What if Scotland really would succeed in becoming independent ?? Set in the future where television, private cars and popular music are banned and the Festival runs all year round !OH NO !! Officially crime does not exist in this new future but then naturally bodies start piling up. I really like this series as it's fascinating to imagine what the future in my town could be like. Tongue in cheek humour, many Scottish references, bit of action and a subtle political hint :o)

It'a different kind of crime story-cum-science fiction so I am offering this a bookring. Paul Johnston is a great Scottish writer, a very nice chap and it would be great to see some more people interested in his books

Participants so far :
1. dodau (UK)
2. bakerwhencan (US)

RELEASE NOTES:

The Bookring is on its way !

Arrived safely this morning. Next to read so I'll probably get to it tomorrow if not sooner.

Although this was keeping my attention it seemed to take me a long to read quite a thin book. I think it may have been me rather than the book. I was reading with the tv in the background and kept letting myself be distracted by the programme that was on. But it was a good book and not too predictable in the way it ended and who the murderer was. The part when his father went missing to me was very predictable but maybe just put in there as a nice point to an other wise quite grim story.

RELEASE NOTES:

This arrived today -- thanks for sending! I will start this book next.

I finally finished the book, sorry for the delay! It was a great story. Setting was great-- I could feel the dampness. Thank you for sharing this. It is now on the way back home.

I finally finished the book, sorry for the delay! It was a great story. Setting was great-- I could feel the dampness. Thank you for sharing this. It is now on the way back home.

Arrived safely back in Scotland ! Thanks all for participating !!

RELEASE NOTES:

To be released at March Meet Up

picked up at the Edinburgh Bookcrossing Meetup on the 12th of April, apologies for the delay in making an entry. Have started this, couldnt resist, and am enjoying the Edinburgh setting references, what a hoot!

A contorted snake like plot which was all the more intriguing for me being set in a familiar location made menacing by the aggressive political landscape this author created. Set in Edinburgh where I live and I love that because it’s fascinating to visualise somewhere I know so well but read about it strangely altered and in this case disturbing so. On one hand the society created differed so dramatically to that current, some differences seeming so very exaggerated it was tempting to just complacently read this and dismiss any parallels. On the other hand some of the political attitudes were so acidly etched and the satirical edge sharpened so provokingly it captured ones imagination wickedly.

In one of those life imitating art moments while reading this novel I encountered in a newspaper article a suggestion for the legalisation of heroin and crack cocaine made by a police inspector, at a recent Scottish Police Federation annual conference. Though the suggestion was seemingly applauded by the 200 delegates present the article states a senior officer later condemned the proposal. But the thing that made me pause was that the suggestion was made in the first place, I would say it’s not so many years since such a proposal would never have been made to such an audience. And that seismic change in thinking brought me back to consider this book because when I started reading it I couldn’t imagine such a radical change of politics in such a swift time scale, it’s set in 2020 only 14 years away from this.

I think there is a very Scottish voice at work here and I’ll go along with Val McDermid who is quoted on the book jacket as saying, ‘a fascinating and thought-provoking debut that delivers much and promises more.’ the thing that made me pause was that the suggestion was made in the first place, I would say it’s not so many years since such a proposal would never have been made to such an audience.

I think there is a very Scottish voice at work here and I’ll go along with Val McDermid who is quoted on the book jacket as saying, ‘a fascinating and thought-provoking debut that delivers much and promises more.’

RELEASE NOTES:

Gifted to one of the best people ever who coincidently introduced me to bookcrossing! So I know this will be wild released somewhere interesting. Yipee!

Edited to add - my interest in reading about a "time altered Edinburgh" continues, I picked up another Paul Johnston just a few minutes ago!