2Carol420
Natural Causesby James Oswald
Book Discussion:https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookdiscussionnatura
Series: Detective Inspector MacLean Book #1
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Book Description:A young girl's mutilated body is discovered in a room that has lain sealed for the last sixty years. Her remains are carefully arranged in what seems to have been a macabre ritual. For newly appointed Edinburgh Detective Inspector Tony McLean, this baffling cold case ought to be a low priority, but he is haunted by the young victim and her grisly death. Meanwhile, the city is horrified by a series of bloody killings—deaths for which there appears to be neither rhyme nor reason, and which leave Edinburgh's police at a loss.
McLean is convinced that these deaths are somehow connected to the terrible ceremonial killing of the girl, all those years ago. It is an irrational theory. And one that will lead McLean closer to the heart of a terrifying and ancient evil . . .
Dates Read: February 21 - February 25, 2017
Participants:(9) Andrew, Carol, Jen, Eadie, Lynda, Sergei, Brenda, Sushi, Bluebird
Ratings: Andrew-4, Carol-4, Jen-, Eadie-4, Lynda-4, Sergei -4, Brenda-4, Sushi -4, Bluebird-4
Overall Average Rating: 4.6 (1 missing)
Book Discussion:https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookdiscussionnatura
Series: Detective Inspector MacLean Book #1
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Book Description:A young girl's mutilated body is discovered in a room that has lain sealed for the last sixty years. Her remains are carefully arranged in what seems to have been a macabre ritual. For newly appointed Edinburgh Detective Inspector Tony McLean, this baffling cold case ought to be a low priority, but he is haunted by the young victim and her grisly death. Meanwhile, the city is horrified by a series of bloody killings—deaths for which there appears to be neither rhyme nor reason, and which leave Edinburgh's police at a loss.
McLean is convinced that these deaths are somehow connected to the terrible ceremonial killing of the girl, all those years ago. It is an irrational theory. And one that will lead McLean closer to the heart of a terrifying and ancient evil . . .
Dates Read: February 21 - February 25, 2017
Participants:(9) Andrew, Carol, Jen, Eadie, Lynda, Sergei, Brenda, Sushi, Bluebird
Ratings: Andrew-4, Carol-4, Jen-, Eadie-4, Lynda-4, Sergei -4, Brenda-4, Sushi -4, Bluebird-4
Overall Average Rating: 4.6 (1 missing)
3Carol420
The Book of Souls by James Oswald
Book Discussion:https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookdiscussionthebo2
Series: Inspector McLean Book #2
Publication Date: June 22, 2012 Reprint July 1 2016
Book Description: Each year for ten years, a young woman’s body was found in Edinburgh at Christmastime: naked, throat slit, body washed clean. The final victim, Kirsty Summers, was Detective Constable Tony McLean's fiancee. But the Christmas Killer made a mistake, and McLean put an end to the brutal killing spree. It’s now twelve years later. A fellow prisoner has just murdered the incarcerated Christmas Killer. But with the arrival of the festive season comes a body. A young woman: naked, washed, her throat cut. Is this a copycat killer? Was the wrong man behind bars all this time? Or is there a more frightening explanation? McLean must revisit the most disturbing case of his life and discover what he missed before the killer strikes again.
Dates Read: June 19, 2017 - June 25, 2017
Participants & Ratings: (7) Andrew -4.5; Sergei-5; Lynda-4; Eadie-4.5; Brenda -4; Bluebird-4; Sushi- 4; Carol (later) 5
Overall Average Rating: 4.33
Book Discussion:https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookdiscussionthebo2
Series: Inspector McLean Book #2
Publication Date: June 22, 2012 Reprint July 1 2016
Book Description: Each year for ten years, a young woman’s body was found in Edinburgh at Christmastime: naked, throat slit, body washed clean. The final victim, Kirsty Summers, was Detective Constable Tony McLean's fiancee. But the Christmas Killer made a mistake, and McLean put an end to the brutal killing spree. It’s now twelve years later. A fellow prisoner has just murdered the incarcerated Christmas Killer. But with the arrival of the festive season comes a body. A young woman: naked, washed, her throat cut. Is this a copycat killer? Was the wrong man behind bars all this time? Or is there a more frightening explanation? McLean must revisit the most disturbing case of his life and discover what he missed before the killer strikes again.
Dates Read: June 19, 2017 - June 25, 2017
Participants & Ratings: (7) Andrew -4.5; Sergei-5; Lynda-4; Eadie-4.5; Brenda -4; Bluebird-4; Sushi- 4; Carol (later) 5
Overall Average Rating: 4.33
4Carol420
The Hangman's Songby James Oswald
Book Discussion: https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookdiscussionthehan
Series: Detective Inspector McLean Book #3
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Book Description: The body of a man is found hanging in an empty house. To the Edinburgh police force, this appears to be a simple suicide case. But something about the scene strikes Detective Inspector Tony McLean as off. Days later another body is found hanging from an identical rope, with a noose tied in the identical way. McLean is convinced that these people are either being murdered or somehow coerced into suicide. Then a third body is found. Under pressure from his superiors to wrap the case up quickly and neatly, McLean must also deal with the fallout of his last big investigation and complications in his personal life. But the deeper he digs, the more he comes to believe that something dark and sinister is stalking Edinburgh’s streets. Will he be able to stop it before someone else succumbs to the hangman’s song?
Dates Read: October 20, 2017 - October 25, 2017
Participants & Ratings: (8) Andrew 4.75 Carol 5, Sergei 5, Lynda 4, Eadie 5; Brenda 4, Bluebird, Sushi - 3.4
Overall Average Rating: 4.45 (missing Bluebirds rating)
Book Discussion: https://www.librarything.com/groups/bookdiscussionthehan
Series: Detective Inspector McLean Book #3
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Book Description: The body of a man is found hanging in an empty house. To the Edinburgh police force, this appears to be a simple suicide case. But something about the scene strikes Detective Inspector Tony McLean as off. Days later another body is found hanging from an identical rope, with a noose tied in the identical way. McLean is convinced that these people are either being murdered or somehow coerced into suicide. Then a third body is found. Under pressure from his superiors to wrap the case up quickly and neatly, McLean must also deal with the fallout of his last big investigation and complications in his personal life. But the deeper he digs, the more he comes to believe that something dark and sinister is stalking Edinburgh’s streets. Will he be able to stop it before someone else succumbs to the hangman’s song?
Dates Read: October 20, 2017 - October 25, 2017
Participants & Ratings: (8) Andrew 4.75 Carol 5, Sergei 5, Lynda 4, Eadie 5; Brenda 4, Bluebird, Sushi - 3.4
Overall Average Rating: 4.45 (missing Bluebirds rating)
5Carol420
Dead Men's Bones by James Oswald
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector McLean Book #4
Publication Date: 2014
Book Description: A family lies slaughtered in an isolated house in north east fife . . Morag Weatherly and her two young daughters have been shot by husband Andrew, an influential politician, before he turned the gun on himself. But what would cause a rich, successful man to snap so suddenly? for Inspector Tony McLean, this apparently simple but high-profile case leads him into a world of power and privilege. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes he's being manipulated by shadowy factions. Under pressure to wrap up the case, McLean instead seeks to uncover layers of truth - putting the lives of everyone he cares about at risk.
Dates Read: February 16,2018 - February 20, 2018
Participants & Ratings:(6) Andrew- 3; Sergei- 4.5; Carol - 4.5; Lynda-4.5; Eadie-4; Brenda- 4
Overall Average Rating: 4.08
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector McLean Book #4
Publication Date: 2014
Book Description: A family lies slaughtered in an isolated house in north east fife . . Morag Weatherly and her two young daughters have been shot by husband Andrew, an influential politician, before he turned the gun on himself. But what would cause a rich, successful man to snap so suddenly? for Inspector Tony McLean, this apparently simple but high-profile case leads him into a world of power and privilege. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes he's being manipulated by shadowy factions. Under pressure to wrap up the case, McLean instead seeks to uncover layers of truth - putting the lives of everyone he cares about at risk.
Dates Read: February 16,2018 - February 20, 2018
Participants & Ratings:(6) Andrew- 3; Sergei- 4.5; Carol - 4.5; Lynda-4.5; Eadie-4; Brenda- 4
Overall Average Rating: 4.08
6Carol420
Prayer For The Dead by James Oswald
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector McLean Book #5
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Book Description: Book Discussion:Detective Inspector Tony McLean is on the case when the search for a missing journalist uncovers the scene of a carefully staged murder. In a sealed chamber, deep in the heart of Gilmerton Cove, a mysterious network of caves and passages sprawling beneath Edinburgh, the body is discovered in a seemingly macabre ritual of purification. But McLean knew the dead man and can't shake off the suspicion that there is far more to this case than meets the eye.
For one thing, the baffling lack of forensics at the crime scene seems impossible. But that's just the first in a series of revelations about this case that seems beyond belief. Teamed with the most unlikely and unwelcome of allies, McLean must track down a killer--driven by the darkest compulsions and who will answer only to a higher power--until it's his own blood on the altar.
Dates Read: September 15, 2018- September 20, 2018
Participants & Ratings: (6) Andrew - 3.5, Sergei- 4.5, Carol - 4.5, Lynda-3.5 Eadie- 4, Brenda -3.75
Overall Average Rating: 3.96
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector McLean Book #5
Publication Date: February 7, 2017
Book Description: Book Discussion:Detective Inspector Tony McLean is on the case when the search for a missing journalist uncovers the scene of a carefully staged murder. In a sealed chamber, deep in the heart of Gilmerton Cove, a mysterious network of caves and passages sprawling beneath Edinburgh, the body is discovered in a seemingly macabre ritual of purification. But McLean knew the dead man and can't shake off the suspicion that there is far more to this case than meets the eye.
For one thing, the baffling lack of forensics at the crime scene seems impossible. But that's just the first in a series of revelations about this case that seems beyond belief. Teamed with the most unlikely and unwelcome of allies, McLean must track down a killer--driven by the darkest compulsions and who will answer only to a higher power--until it's his own blood on the altar.
Dates Read: September 15, 2018- September 20, 2018
Participants & Ratings: (6) Andrew - 3.5, Sergei- 4.5, Carol - 4.5, Lynda-3.5 Eadie- 4, Brenda -3.75
Overall Average Rating: 3.96
7Carol420
The Damage Done By James Oswald
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector McLean Book #6
Publication Date: February 2016
Book Description: When a police raid in Edinburgh goes horribly wrong, the only silver lining for Inspector Tony McLean is a discovery that could lead to a long-lost girl from his early days on the beat. Haunted by the mystery of what happened to her, McLean begins to dig into a case he thought long buried. But the shadows of the past are soon eclipsed by crimes in the present as a series of strange and gruesome deaths shock the city. As McLean's investigation draws him ever deeper into the upper echelons of Edinburgh society, it will not only be his career on the line - but his life as well.
Dates Read: February 25, 2019 - March 1, 2019
Participants & Ratings:(6) Andrew- 4, Sergei-4.5, Carol- 4.5, Lynda 4, Eadie 4, Brenda-4
Overall Average Rating: 4.17
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector McLean Book #6
Publication Date: February 2016
Book Description: When a police raid in Edinburgh goes horribly wrong, the only silver lining for Inspector Tony McLean is a discovery that could lead to a long-lost girl from his early days on the beat. Haunted by the mystery of what happened to her, McLean begins to dig into a case he thought long buried. But the shadows of the past are soon eclipsed by crimes in the present as a series of strange and gruesome deaths shock the city. As McLean's investigation draws him ever deeper into the upper echelons of Edinburgh society, it will not only be his career on the line - but his life as well.
Dates Read: February 25, 2019 - March 1, 2019
Participants & Ratings:(6) Andrew- 4, Sergei-4.5, Carol- 4.5, Lynda 4, Eadie 4, Brenda-4
Overall Average Rating: 4.17
8Carol420
Written In Bone - James Oswald
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector Tony McLean Book #7
Publication Date: June 29, 2017
Book Description: A body is found in a tree in the Meadows, Edinburgh's beautiful public park. The forensics suggest that the corpse has fallen from a height - but was it an accident or a shocking message? The dead man had led quite a life - a disgraced ex-cop turned criminal kingpin and, most recently, the head of a celebrated charity. As McLean investigates, his search takes him from the city's underworld - crossing paths with some of the most dangerous and the most vulnerable people in society - before taking him to the heart of a shadowy conspiracy stretching back years.
Dates Read: October 24, 2019 - October 29, 2019
Participants & Ratings: (7) Andrew -4, Sergei 4-, Carol 4-, Lynda 4-, Eadie 4-, Brenda 4-, Bluebird - 4
Overall Average Rating: 4.00
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector Tony McLean Book #7
Publication Date: June 29, 2017
Book Description: A body is found in a tree in the Meadows, Edinburgh's beautiful public park. The forensics suggest that the corpse has fallen from a height - but was it an accident or a shocking message? The dead man had led quite a life - a disgraced ex-cop turned criminal kingpin and, most recently, the head of a celebrated charity. As McLean investigates, his search takes him from the city's underworld - crossing paths with some of the most dangerous and the most vulnerable people in society - before taking him to the heart of a shadowy conspiracy stretching back years.
Dates Read: October 24, 2019 - October 29, 2019
Participants & Ratings: (7) Andrew -4, Sergei 4-, Carol 4-, Lynda 4-, Eadie 4-, Brenda 4-, Bluebird - 4
Overall Average Rating: 4.00
9Carol420
The Gathering Dark - James Oswald
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector McLean Book #8
Publication Date: June 1, 2018
Book Description:A truck driver loses control in central Edinburgh, ploughing into a crowded bus stop and spilling his vehicle's toxic load. The consequences are devastating. DI Tony McLean witnesses the carnage. Taking control of the investigation, he soon realises there is much that is deeply amiss - and everyone involved seems to have something to hide. But as McLean struggles to uncover who caused the tragedy, a greater crisis develops: the new Chief Superintendent's son is missing, last seen in the area of the crash...
Dates Read: July 13, 2023 - July 17, 2023
Participants & Ratings:(8) Andrew - 4.0 (Carol- 0, Maura - 3.50; Eadie -4.0 - Lynda -3.0 - Bluebird - 4.0 Brenda - 4.0 John - 3.75; Sergei -4.0
Overall Average Rating: 3.79
Book Discussion:
Series: Inspector McLean Book #8
Publication Date: June 1, 2018
Book Description:A truck driver loses control in central Edinburgh, ploughing into a crowded bus stop and spilling his vehicle's toxic load. The consequences are devastating. DI Tony McLean witnesses the carnage. Taking control of the investigation, he soon realises there is much that is deeply amiss - and everyone involved seems to have something to hide. But as McLean struggles to uncover who caused the tragedy, a greater crisis develops: the new Chief Superintendent's son is missing, last seen in the area of the crash...
Dates Read: July 13, 2023 - July 17, 2023
Participants & Ratings:(8) Andrew - 4.0 (Carol- 0, Maura - 3.50; Eadie -4.0 - Lynda -3.0 - Bluebird - 4.0 Brenda - 4.0 John - 3.75; Sergei -4.0
Overall Average Rating: 3.79
10Carol420
Cold As The Grave - James Oswald
Book Discussion:
Series:Inspector McClean - Book #9
Publication Date; February 7, 2019 - (Hardcover)
Book Description: Her mummified body is hidden in the dark corner of a basement room, a room which seems to have been left untouched for decades. A room which feels as cold as the grave. As a rowdy demonstration makes its slow and vocal way along Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Detective Chief Inspector Tony McLean's team are on stand-by for any trouble. The newly promoted McLean is distracted, inexplicably drawn to a dead-end mews street... and a door, slightly ajar, which leads to this poor girl's final resting place. But how long has she been there, in her sleep of death? The answers are far from what McLean or anyone else could expect. The truth far more chilling than a simple cold case.
Dates Read: - May 9, 2024 - May 13, 2024
Participants & Ratings: Andrew:4.0 Carol:4.0 Eadie:4.0 John:4.0 Sergei:4.0 Maura:4.0
Overall Average Rating: 4.0
Book Discussion:
Series:Inspector McClean - Book #9
Publication Date; February 7, 2019 - (Hardcover)
Book Description: Her mummified body is hidden in the dark corner of a basement room, a room which seems to have been left untouched for decades. A room which feels as cold as the grave. As a rowdy demonstration makes its slow and vocal way along Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Detective Chief Inspector Tony McLean's team are on stand-by for any trouble. The newly promoted McLean is distracted, inexplicably drawn to a dead-end mews street... and a door, slightly ajar, which leads to this poor girl's final resting place. But how long has she been there, in her sleep of death? The answers are far from what McLean or anyone else could expect. The truth far more chilling than a simple cold case.
Dates Read: - May 9, 2024 - May 13, 2024
Participants & Ratings: Andrew:4.0 Carol:4.0 Eadie:4.0 John:4.0 Sergei:4.0 Maura:4.0
Overall Average Rating: 4.0
11JohnDBurke
Thanks Carol
12EadieB
>2 Carol420: Thanks Carol! Very helpful to remember the books!
13Sergeirocks
Thanks for the update, Carol. A jog of the memory is always helpful… ☺️
15Andrew-theQM
Thanks Carol.
16Carol420
>15 Andrew-theQM: You are very welcome.
17Maura49
Thank you Carol. I am always glad to get these updates as I have often not read earlier books in the series we read, but may make an exception for these as seems to be a really engaging series and thanks to Ian Rankin i love hearing about the seedy side of Edinburgh.
18Carol420
>17 Maura49: You are more than welcome. Hope you enjoy this one.
