However, at around 80%, someone captured Stuart McBride - probably aliens using posh umbrellas because they went to a top class school. One of the eleven year olds from the school, who had of course been brainwashed, was asked to finish the story in Stuart's absence, and so began the fantasy that was the final 20% of the book. No Less the Devil by Stuart MacBride is a stand alone police crime novel and it introduces Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh to the MacBride stable of police officers. This is totally different from the previous books of Ash Henderson and Logan McRae police series. I am now hoping for a Study Notes guide to accompany No Less The Devil so that I have a smidgeon of a chance of understanding what on earth actually happened in the end I view Dunk as the alter ego of the author. MacBride is laughing at himself. Not just comedy relief then, but a statement of where he fits into this cultural environment — fiction based on reality. Dunk is constantly complaining about writers who don’t use punctuation properly in their reports and, at one point, likens himself Dr. Watson following Holmes (Lucy) — in other words, a writer, telling a story about Lucy’s investigative prowess. Launching into this novel, I'd expected a tightly-plotted police procedural, featuring complex characters, gritty themes and dark humour. And that's exactly what it was ... up until about the 80% point.

No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride REVIEW: No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride

I was looking forward to the latest book and sorry to say that I was sorely disappointed. Of course the book is well written but the central character turned out to be just as mad as the rest of the bad guys. Hopefully this is not your new heroine as she's truly awful. BUT....while subject matter, characters & their roles/relationships may feel familiar, don't get too comfy. And lose that smug little smile. I guarantee you have no idea where this is heading. To be honest, at one point I wondered if a "Dallas" style moment was pending...a scene where everyone wakes up & realizes it was all a dream. As a huge fan of the McRae series and having read some of this series I was delighted to be given an ARC of No Less The Devil..The story begins with a prologue, the murder of a homeless man by two children (preteens), then shifts into typical MacBride country — a police station in Oldcastle, a fictitious city in Scotland that serves as the setting for most of the author’s darker stories — madcap with a somber overcast. So the reader knows what to expect. I personally really enjoyed this one and I liked the unconventional turn it took. Stuart MacBride is one of my favourite authors and although not perfect, this story is up there with his best in my opinion. This is a difficult review to write. Throughout most of the story, I felt it was a five-star read, then came the ending, which disappointed me — it didn’t feel right — and so I lowered my internal rating system to four stars. Then waited a while to ensure I got it right.

No Less The Devil - Stuart Macbride - Google Books No Less The Devil - Stuart Macbride - Google Books

I have read many books by this author and enjoy the ‘Logan McRae’ series but I’m afraid I struggled a little with this one. It felt like a fairly long read and my opinion seemed to change regularly throughout the novel. There were times when I thought I was getting to grips with it and enjoying it to other times when I couldn’t wait to finish. Some good characters written in the authors usual writing style but failed to grip me in the way MacBride’s novels normally do.

One thing that does irritate me about MacBride's work however, is the incessant radio dialogue everytime a character is in a car. It's pointless and detracts from the pace of the plot. It's fair to say DS Lucy McVeigh doesn't have a huge amount of confidence in her partner DC Duncan Fraser, commonly called the Dunk! Unfortunately they've just been assigned to the team involved in Operation Maypole, investigating a serial killer known in the Scottish press as the Bloodsmith so they will be working closely on everything. There is very little to go on however, and most of those involved feel they are getting nowhere fast. It’s 17 months since The Bloodsmith killed his first victim, and the police are no nearer to catching him. Operation Maypole has run out of clues, the public have lost faith in them, the media are giving them a hammering, and The Top Brass are demanding answers. It starts with a murder and descends into multiple murders with victims over 17 months. Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh and her colleague The Dunc end up having to sort out the mess that The Bloodsmith Killer has caused. Multiple unsolved murders means the top brass are getting antsy. On top of this, Benedict Strachen was just 11 when he confessed to killing a homeless man, and he has just been released from prison. He begs for Lucy's help, claiming "they" are out to get him. is he paranoid? Or is it something bigger?

No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride - Penguin Books Australia No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride - Penguin Books Australia

It sounds like paranoia, but what if he's right? What if he really is caught up in something bigger and darker than Lucy's ever dealt with before? What if the Bloodsmith isn't the only monster out there? And what's going to happen when Lucy goes after them? With the case going nowhere the investigating team are restructured and DS Lucy McVeigh and her partner DC Duncan "The Dunk" Fraser are given the task of reviewing the victims and the murder scenes in the hope that someone will remember something that will help them close a case that has ground to a halt after seventeen months. First I am so sorry to hear of the death of your beloved cat, Grendel, we don't have them for long but miss them so much.The storyline is as expertly plotted as I've come to expect from the MacBride books. As an author myself, I love deconstructing the plot lines and following the different strands through. As a reader, every twist and turn, every carefully placed piece of additional information, every morsel of information all come together to a satisfying, grab you by the throat, fast paced read. Not Logan McCrae, nor Ash Henderson, but another cop heads up this book and this time it is a woman - DS Lucy MacVeigh. I searched around but could not discover whether this is the start of a new series or whether it is a standalone. Whichever, it is an excellent book.

No Less the Devil’ by Stuart MacBride Book Review: ‘No Less the Devil’ by Stuart MacBride

My questions weren't answered as we jumped from reality to fantasy to hallucination to the bizarre, to weird. I have no idea what happened or what ( or who) was real. Lucy & Fraser begin revisiting the old crime scenes & turns out there is something new. Plus, thanks to a chilling prologue, readers know more than our intrepid duo which helps ramp up the tension as the investigation takes on new life. I received a suprise copy of No Less the Devil by Stuart McBride from Penguin Books Australia and immediately my husband stole it and read it. So here are his thoughts: It's been 17 months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer catching him.It's been seventeen months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer to catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast. Added to this are the problems resulting from the release of 27 year old Benedict Strachan who was jailed sixteen years earlier for murder. Scarred by his experiences he is convinced 'they' are just waiting for an opportunity to 'get him'. As Lucy used his case as part of her dissertation, 'Children Who Kill' he is now convinced only she can help him remain alive. The story begins with a prologue, the murder of a homeless man by two children (preteens), then shifts into typical MacBride country—a police station in Oldcastle, a fictitious city in Scotland that serves as the setting for most of the author’s darker stories—madcap with a somber overcast. So the reader knows what to expect. I’d really become invested in this storyline, a typically gripping crime thriller from Stuart Macbride, until we got to about 80%, and then it just seemed to veer off into the realms of fantasy from whence it completely lost the plot, and so did I! Well, if you like a read that has you on board the train to crazy town, then jump aboard this one! I usually love Stuart MacBride’s books but I’m extremely confused dot com about this one. In the first three quarters there are some intriguing plot twists, there’s tension and suspense. There are genuine moments of chill as you’d expect from this author and it looks like it’s shaping up for a jaw dropping ending. You are but not in the way you might expect. Lucy is an very interesting central character and a bit different which I do like and there are some good puzzles created through her.