In the Cold Dark Ground

Im winterlichen Schottland wird ein übel misshandelter Toter aufgefunden - offensichtlich ein Verbrechen im Drogenmilieu, das abschrecken soll. Oder ist der Geschäftspartner des Ermordeten dafür verantwortlich, der seit Tagen spurlos verschwunden ist? Ein Sonderermittlungsteam übernimmt den Fall, geleitet von Detective Chief Inspector Roberta Tiberius Steel, eine frühere Chefin von Sergeant Logan McRae. Auf ihren Wunsch und gegen seinen Willen wird er ihrem Team zugeteilt ...
Es ist der 10. Band um Sergeant Logan McRae, für mich war es jedoch der erste dieser Reihe. Im Großen und Ganzen bereitet es keine Schwierigkeiten mit diesem Teil einzusteigen; bei aufmerksamem Lesen werden bald die besonderen Beziehungen klar, die zwischen show more den Protagonisten bestehen. McRae ist der Vater der beiden Kinder seiner Chefin, wobei er vermutlich eher als Samenspender für die ostentativ bekennende Lesbe diente. Es herrscht ein derber, teilweise in die Fäkalsprache abrutschender Gesprächston zwischen den Beiden, wobei in erster Linie Steel dafür verantwortlich zeichnet; ein Charakter, bei dem ich beständig zwischen Zu- und Abneigung hin und her schwankte.
Auch wenn es auf den ersten Blick nicht so aussieht: Es ist ein Regionalkrimi bzw. -thriller. Doch während bei vielen Büchern dieser Art die Landschaft, in der sie spielen, meist nur als touristische Kulisse missbraucht wird, ist Schottland hier ein fester Bestandteil der Geschichte. Schottische Namen, Bräuche, Riten usw. werden hier wie selbstverständlich genutzt und führten zumindest bei mir gelegentlich zu kleinen Verwirrungen, da sie für deutsche Ohren doch ungewöhnlich klingen: Wee Hamish Mowat oder Cthulhu beispielsweise oder Ausdrücke wie 'Foos yer doos...' - keine Ahnung, was sie bedeuten. Aber egal, ich habe mich Schottland selten so nah gefühlt wie bei dieser Lektüre.
Die Sätze sind meist sehr knapp gehalten, es wirkt, als ob man McRae direkt beim Denken zusieht. Seine Neigung zu Selbstgesprächen mag auf den ersten Blick skurril wirken, doch wer ist davon gänzlich frei? Insbesondere dann, wenn es darum geht, schwierige Entscheidungen zu treffen bzw. sich zu Dingen aufzuraffen, die man eigentlich lieber vermeiden möchte. Und davon hat er mehr als genug. Obwohl sein Hang, sich den übelsten Situationen auszusetzen, fast schon etwas überzogen wirkte (er muss sein Freundin im Koma 'abschalten'; er wird Testamentsvollstrecker eines verstorbenen 'Mafia'bosses; er soll für die Innere Abteilung gegen eine Kollegin spionieren; wenn er nicht jemanden umbringt, wird er umgebracht bzw. korrupt), wurde mir Sergeant McRae immer sympathischer. Wohl auch deshalb, weil das Alles nicht ohne Witz passiert. Es hat schon fast etwas Slapstickhaftes an sich, wenn der Held halbtot unverschuldet schon wieder in die nächste lebensgefährliche Situation hineingerät und noch lädierter daraus hervorgeht. Auch sonst finden sich immer wieder Szenen, die mich zumindest zum Grinsen brachten: Wie der Polizeineuling Tufty seinem Chef die Zeit erklärt ('Die Zeit ist eine sekundäre Eigenschaft eines entropischen Feldes.') oder als Steel für die Mutter McRaes gehalten wird.
Der eigentliche Fall wirkte auf mich eher nebensächlich, in der Hauptsache ging es um McRae und seine Schwierigkeiten, die wirklich lebensbedrohlich sind. Die Klärung des Mordes war zwar überraschend, wirkte aber fast schon banal. Dass damit so ganz nebenbei noch mehr geklärt wurde, machte das Ganze auch nicht besser. Trotzdem: Es hat mir gefallen, weniger wegen der Lösung des Verbrechens, sondern wegen der Figuren und ihrer Verwicklungen, die erfrischend anders auf mich wirkten. show less

Writing a long term series has to create some issues for authors that probably some of we fans rarely consider. All we want is the next book. IN THE COLD DARK GROUND is the 10th in the Logan McRae series from Stuart MacBride, and I'm really sorry about this but I want the 11th pretty well now. As in straight away.

It goes without saying that I've always been a huge fan of this series, and aside from the wonderful, strong, often slightly eccentric characters, the reason for that is the constant changes in circumstance that McRae, DCI Steel and those around them find themselves dealing with. Lives change in these books, not always in a good way, and IN THE COLD DARK GROUND everyone seems to end up dealing with some really hefty crap. show more

Whilst you'd think that the personal would be more than enough for McRae to be going on with, along comes the pain-in-the-neck upper echelon type in the form of a new Superintendent of the Serious Organised Crime Task Force who muscles her way into his investigation of a missing person who turned up dead in very odd circumstances. Mind you, that's nothing compared to how close Professional Standards are getting to DCI Steel - close enough to find McRae doing a turn as a tightrope walker between a couple of particularly tricky snakepits. Mind you, nothing from the professional side of life compares to the bucket loads of grief that come to McRae when Wee Hamish Mowat dies leaving rival gangs eyeing his territory, and McRae in charge of his estate.

Needless to say, IN THE COLD DARK GROUND is exactly the sort of slightly manic action, pressure, personal complications, don't blink or you'll miss something roller-coaster that is a Logan McRae novel. There's always just enough to tweak the heart strings, more than enough to make a reader laugh, and the slightest feeling that everybody's gone a bit mad. As you'd probably do when the weather's always wet, cold and dank, the police house remains a dump, your colleagues are still a bunch of numpty's and what was already a really sucky personal life has just got a whole lot bloody worse.

As much as I'd love to say that if you're a new reader to this series than just get on with it, it's one that you really have to read in order. The personal / professional crossover is pretty complicated and there's so much history to McRae, Steel and the rest of the mad bunch that you're really going to have to know who is what, and how they all ended up in the middle of nowhere dodging Professional Standards, staring at some very odd home movies.

https://www.austcrimefiction.org/review/review-cold-dark-groundstuart-macbride show less

Yes, Logan McRae is still on the job out in the sticks. Yes, there's a grisly murder investigation under way. Yes, DI Steel, her crew and a plague of top-brass types with devious ulterior motives barge in and make our hero's life -- just now a way-more-Hellish-than-usual pit of personal misery and dread -- even more interesting.

It suffices to say that Stuart MacBride's 10th Logan McRae installment, "In the Cold Dark Ground," is a pivotal entry in the series. So much significant change avalanches down on just about everybody we know and love that a plot recap would be one big spoiler-fest. The characters are there and -- as usual -- their choice options range from bad to worse. Also as usual, Mr. MacBride delivers all the gallows humor, show more the absurd irony, the despair, the exaltation, the agonizing existential angst. . . Oh, heck, this one's the best yet and I can hardly wait to read what happens next. show less

Another fantastic volume in the DS Logan McRae series!

Stuart MacBride leaves nothing out in this gritty missing person mystery, and while the mystery itself is engaging, the personal story of Logan is what drives this one. He has to deal with the death of crime boss Wee Hamish Mowat, who has tagged Logan to take over his crime family. He has to deal with Reuben the Beast, who has been waiting to take over Mowat’s crime syndicate, potentially setting off a turf war in Aberdeen with Malk the Knife and the Campbells. He has to deal with the decision to take long-time girlfriend Samantha off of life-support and allow her to pass on. Logan also has to deal with a new superintendent, professional standards poking around, and, of course, he show more has to deal with DCI Roberta Steel, who has been a thorn in his side for all ten volumes of this series.

As I write this out, it sounds like a really bad soap opera plot, but trust me, you WANT to read this!

There were some real surprises in this book, some that I never would have guessed in a million years. Logan is a good man who just can’t seem to win, and yet, he’s always able to scrap his way out of trouble, solve the crime/mystery, and live to see another day. Except this time, the book ends on a multi-point cliffhanger… Did he or didn’t he? And what happens to Steel? (I did NOT see that one coming!)

Stuart MacBride is one of the few authors that’s willing to do anything to keep his characters fresh, from promotions (and demotions), writing events in their lives that are so very heart-wrenching, and allowing plot points that actually hurt the characters both physically and emotionally. DS Logan has gone through so much over the years, one has to wonder how much more he can take.

One question that needs answered RIGHT NOW: When is the next book in this series being released?! show less

The wait has been long but it was worth it. Another stunning book from Mr MacBride. It has everything you want from a Logan McRae story, twists, turns and misdirections galore along with the wit and banter that you come to expect of any story featuring our hapless hero and DCI Steel.

So Logan is still out in the sticks, still running B division, still not quite having managed to finish repairs to his house. Compared to Aberdeen CID, the pace in the boondocks is frantic (is there a bigger police crisis known to man than the vending machine running out of chocolate?). Logan and his team are busy protecting the streets of Banff and Macduff and trying to prevent the Great Bacon & Cheese robbery, while also coordinating the search for a show more missing local businessman, a search which turns up something very unexpected in the woods. Enter stage left Steel and her Major Investigation Team including the ever odd Rennie, and the stage is set for another entertaining tale.

Throw in a Superintendent from Serious Crimes, who seems to take an instant dislike to Logan, the reason for which you won't see coming, a tragic side tale many stories in the making, a healthy dose of double crossing, the rapidly ailing Wee Hamish Mowat and Logan's new 'bestest buddy' Reuben right at his throat (guts, face, back shoulder - anything is a fair target really...) and a cameo appearance by Malk the Knife, and the few short days the story is set over may well be some of the longest in Logan's life.

Honestly, I kind of want Logan to catch a break sometime, and the guy has more lives than a cat, deftly proven again in this story several times - they don't call him Lazarus for no reason. But then again, you kind of don't want him to have it easy, as it's almost more fun that way. With Steel's, how shall we say, unorthodox approach to policing under the spotlight from the Ginger Whinger Napier, it makes you wonder what the future holds for this unlikely pairing. The ending may surprise some, but I have to say it's left me wanting to read more and desperate to see what is next for the dear, battered and (apparently) big eared Logan McRae.

The writing is excellent, the descriptions of the characters and the setting are in MacBride's unique style (can't see the Banff & Buchan Tourist Board being thrilled with the way the weather is described - having been to Aberdeen and Banff in the dead of winter it's absolutely accurate but doesn't exactly say come up and see us sometime) and there were, for me at least, some real laugh out loud moments. Steel's obsession with food never diminishes and there is double crossing galore - you won't know who to trust.

If you love Logan and Steel as I do, you'll no' be disappointed by this tale. So grab yourself a dram of Sporran McGutRot (unless you've got £49k lying around and fancy a bottle of Glenfiddich 1937 Rare Collection), sit back and savour the moment. show less

In the Cold Dark Ground by Stuart MacBride is the tenth book in his Logan McRae police procedural series. These books are built around his strong, often eccentric characters and the stories are developed around circumstances that McRae finds himself in.

In this outing we find McRae dealing with a number of issues, first and foremost is that he has finally reached a decision about his comatose girlfriend. He is also investigating a brutal murder case and a new Superintendent of Serious Organized Crime has decided this case has some interest for her task force and she seems to have a personal vendetta against McRae. McRae has a strange history with organized crime and it isn’t helping that crime boss Wee Hamish Mowat has died leaving show more McRae in charge of his estate. If this wasn’t enough to deal with Professional Standards are lurking about, conducting an investigation into DCI Steel.

The story is skilfully developed, full of action and personal complications that has the reader gasping with horror one minute and then gasping with laughter the next. While In the Cold Dark Ground isn’t the best that this series has to offer, it does advance the time-line and gives the author a number of directions in which to take the next book. show less

Logan's gangland complications come to a head with two funerals a murderer, a series of beatings, threats and attempted murders and an unexpected family surprise. It seems likely he's going to end up dead or in prison but he hangs on grimply all the same.