Twelve in 12: Shatter the Bones in OD

Title: Shatter the Bones

Author: Stuart MacBride

Genre: Crime

There’s a certain routine when it comes to kidnappings. A definate amount for ransom, no involving the police, that sort of thing.

This time, however, the kidnappers haven’t specified an amount, just a date. The police have been insisted on, as has making it very public. This is because the victims are Alison and Jenny McGregor, the mother/daughter singers that have made a name for themselves on Britain’s Next Big Star.

And when the investigation involved a SOCA officer who seems intent on rubbing everyone up the wrong way, life isn’t easy for DS Logan McRae.

Shatter the Bones is the seventh MacBride book to feature McRae, and it may be the best so far. MacBride does his usual trick of having McRae juggle multiple investigations throughout the book, but unusuallly doesn’t tie them together with the resolution.

The whole book is shot through with the coal black humour that MacBride also traditionally uses. Unlike some who do this, however, MacBride is sensible enough to know exactly when to switch it off as it would be pointless or even tasteless. There are a few key moments in the book, which really shakes up the world of the series, which would have been ruined had there been any humour of any kind.

There is the usual disorientation for me as I recognise locations (the books are set in my home town) but I knew that would happen going in.

There is a naming convention in the book that I cottoned onto quickly. But, given what is used for that, you’d kind of expect me to really.

All in all, I heartily recommend this book, but with one caveat: if you haven’t read any of these books before, start with the first one. There are things that’ll make more sense if you do so.