A step backwards for MacBride, I think. I've always loved how his humour and humanity make even the most brutal subjects bearable. A lot of mystery writers dole out gruesome details with such a heavy hand. It's been eye-opening to see how MacBride has managed to deal with macabre topics like child murderers and savage beatings with something close to grace.But this was just so so so gross. And more than that, the plot felt padded and repetitive. I still love Logan MacRae and will plow on through the series. I hope very much that MacBride dials back on the gory sensationalism. He really doesn't need this much of it. Ok, wow! I've always known that scottish meat is something nasty, a pale grey mass that is boiled till all flavor is gone and then boiled some more but this book pretty much guarantees that next time I'm in Scotland, I'll be going vegetarian. This is the 4th in the Logan McCrae series and part of my ongoing series reread. It's tartan noir, set in Aberdeen Scotland where DI McCrae gets involved in the reappearance of a truly disturbing serial killer called the Flesher who not only butchers his victims but attempts to introduce some of the remains into the local food chain. And wow, is it a dark book, not just in terms of the main plot of the Flesher but also the events surrounding the ongoing cast from the splitting up of McCrae and ballbuster Watson to the family turmoil of DS Insch and even the light relief of the bastard Simon Rennie and his new girlfriend are only a brief respite from the grimness of the main plot.It's the best in the series to-date, so close to a 5 star book but alas I have to knock it one star for the very last few chapters which just rang a little too sensationalist - it's not even the identity of the Flesher itself but just that resolution in the epilogue that seemed too much and smacked heavily of the end of Hannibal.Barring that, it's a relentless build in tension and horror juggling multiple character perspectives well and capturing both the visceral nastiness of the Flesher and the hysteria of a city under siege well. Recommended for those strong of stomach though maybe not as first book in the series since it relies on being up to speed with preceding volumes to some extent.
Do You like book La Casa Delle Anime Morte (2008)?
3 1/2 stars. A tad disappointed with the ending (or lack thereof).
—Kriaty
Bloody crime mystery with a twist. Great book.
—SweetRevenge877
