Two-Way Split

Simply fantastic. Guthrie skillfully weaves together the story of a seriously dysfunctional band of robbers, a just-released ex-con with a mother fixation, and a couple of private detectives into an ultraviolent, unforgettable crescendo of a story that, nevertheless, still finds time for a bit of humanity amongst all the pain. On his blog, Guthrie says there are two types of writers: those who can write well and those who can tell a story well. In this book, Guthrie does both. Don't miss it.

In this short novel, Guthrie briskly and entertainingly takes us inside the head of a small-time villain going through a breakdown before, during and after a Post Office robbery. He's his own worst enemy - literally, which is in turns amusing, disturbing, tasteless and horrifying. I'm not qualified to comment on the authenticity of the condition or its representation here, but realistic or not, it certainly comes to life over the course of a story I'll remember for a long time, though not one I'll ever read again!

Continuing my foray into non-Rebus Tartan noir. This started down a path that seemed predictable enough but then it went completely batshit bonkers. Violent, unhinged and kinda compelling. Certainly surprising but I'm not sure I'd read another of these.

Set in Edinburgh, Scotland, this well-done debut novel was shortlisted for the CWA debut dagger. The story takes an interesting approach to the "caper gone wrong" shtick. A woman is fatally injured during a post office raid. Her son, arriving on the scene moments later, sets out to track down the robbers and extract revenge. Solidly in the noir genre - there are no good guys here. The writer has a fine sense of pace and uses the Edinburgh background to advantage. A quick read. Recommended.

Dissappointing after such good recommendations. Character development too complex although underlying plot interesting.