This is the first novel I have read by Stuart MacBride and I will be seeking out more in the future even though it was definitely not the usual read for me.

The novel centres on a group of ‘misfit’ police officers in Scotland, with the main character being DC Callum MacGregor. A murder at the local dump has links to three other missing people and the misfits need to work together to catch the killer.

The main characters are complicated and there are several storylines all intermingled. Many plot twists and numerous hilarious scenes make it a worthwhile read.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, Harper Fiction and Stuart MacBride fro my free copy in return for my honest review.

Enjoyable. Recommended.

I'm starting with a hands up here as I make no secret of the fact that Stuart MacBride is one of my favourite authors ...EVER! It is the combination of gritty, no holds barred, gut punching, relentless, grit combined with full on laugh out loud humour and gruff poignancy that gets me every time.
A Dark So Deadly is the first in what I sincerely hope is a new series of books by MacBride. A Dark So Deadly features a group of misfit officers who are in the doghouse for one reason or another. The main protagonist, DC Callum MacGregor, has been relegated to the 'Misfit Mob' because he covered up for his pregnant girlfriend's mess up at a crime scene so she'd still get her maternity pay - wonder how that played out for him?

When the Misfit crew are called to an unusual murder at the local dump links are soon made to three missing people. All of this happens against the backdrop of a huge benefit gig (Tartantula) involving local musicians who are raising money for a children's writer, now suffering from Alzheimers. The multi stranded story is a deeply satisfying read, particularly because it blends humour, with witty observations of human nature and pathos.
A Dark So Deadly, similar to Steve Mosby's You Can Run, takes the theme of literature and creative writing and runs with it throughout the book. This provides many comic Haiku moments and is juxtaposed by lyrics from a character called Rapper Sick Dawg as well as a recurring fairytale by an aging author, suffering from Alzheimers.

MacBride's unusual style draws you in and, once it has you in its thrall, there is no getting away. The way he merges the story-lines is flawless. The hunt for a serial killer who mummifies his victims by smoking them is inspired. The plot twists are inventive and the denouement is fulfilling. Go get it now!

Excellent book with a brilliant storyline and great main characters. I would recommend this book.

I am a big fan of Stuart MacBride but very sadly I have not managed to get through this latest book. I have twice tried to read it and both times felt that the opening chapters would do a stirling job of stopping anyone from wanting to join our police force. If young recuits were realistically treated in this disrespectful and humiliating way then there is no hope for law enforcement in this country. Do characters such as "Mother" actually exist, is she based on real people? As Stuart's previous books have been so good I am going to give this another shot and hope that it soon steers away from these off putting opening scenes. Such a disappointment.

It seems that any detectives featuring in crime novels have dark back stories and convoluted lives. In this case, the entire squad have their problems. Perhaps it makes one wonder about the efficiency of Police Scotland on the day the Chief constable resigns after many months on special leave. Fascinating nonetheless.

This was my first book by Stuart MacBride and I had high expectations. Well, it was everything I hoped it would be. - great writing, witty dialogue and a suspenseful, original story line. I am off to buy more of his books now.

Thank you to Netgalley for an arc of this book. I requested it based on the description and the fact that it was written by Stuart MacBride, of whom I’d heard but never read any of his work. For the first few pages I struggled, thinking that I was going to have to abandon it. There was some unpleasant description and I just felt that it wasn’t my sort of thing. Then I got into the feel of the book and really began to enjoy the read. It’s a big book with a very complex plot and a lot of ironic humour, some of it course. There are also some pretty nasty scenes. Under the banter it’s extremely dark.

This stand alone police procedural centres around a detective squad know as The Misfit Mob, who are basically officer who are pretty useless or have done something for which they have been disciplined but are not so bad that they can be dismissed. They operate out of Oldcastle and are run by an uncharacteristic female Detective Inspector know as “Mother” . They also include Detective Sergeants McAdams and “Dotty“ Hodgkins, and Detective Constable Watt, with the main character being Detective Constable Callum MacGregor, all characters in their own right. Basically they are operating in the last chance saloon and get the work nobody else wants.

A different take on the police procedural and in the main very enjoyable. I now intend to rectify my neglect of this author’s work.

In A Dark So Deadly, in a short 600 plus pages, MacBride offers us a British police procedural/ serial killer story involving the likes of a Hannibal Lector type. But, it's no ordinary police story. The lead character does Inspector Clouseau one better and is demoted to the Misfits Squad where "Mother" watches over the officers who bulloxed up their careers and reputations and DC Callum MacGregor is always one step from being suspended or one step past suspension. He is clawed in the crotch, bitten on the leg, punching his superiors, failing at his crazy home life, or simply not following directives. It's as if MacBride has given us the ultimate anti-hero. Also, the method of storytelling is not a straight narrative, but rather an Elmore Leonard-esque world of small talk and patter that seems to go nowhere fast, leading the reader along until without realizing it the action and intensity have really built up. And, it's not a cozy little tea party mystery, but one involving decomposed bodies, mummified remains, torture, depravity, and the like, it all adds up to a pretty worthwhile read.

As usual, Stuart delivers a gripping storyline full of suspense.

I don't read a lot of crime, but books like this make me want to read more! It took me a while to get into, but when I did the plot definitely gripped me, and I thought the characters were really well-developed.

It has taken me quite a long time to read this book as it’s quite slow at the start. There’s lots going on (a bit too much) so it’s hard to root for any single character. There were bits which I found interesting and exciting but overall it wasn’t for me. Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for the ARC.

Excellent story line about Scottish policing. Great twist at the end.

If there is someone I trust to write an all through enjoyable 600-page crime novel is it Stuart MacBride. And, I have to admit that I'm not that fond of books that thick. Not everyone is capable of writing a book with so many pages and keeping the steam up all the way through. Stephen King is one that can do it. And, Stuart MacBride is truly a King when it comes to writing a story that is both hilarious, tragic, dark, sad and utterly engrossing.

This is a stand-alone book so no Logan McRae as far as the eye can see. At first, when I realized that it was a stand-alone book was I a bit worried. No Logan, no Roberta Steel? But, then again I love the Ash Henderson series (Ps I want more books about Ash Henderson). So, I shouldn't have been worried.

Instead of reading the book did I decide to listen to the audio version of it. And boy, I was hooked pretty much from the start. DC Callum MacGregor is a new favorite character of mine and I was thrilled when one of my favorite characters from the Ash Henderson series showed up.

A Dark So Deadly is a fantastic crime novel and I loved the whole Misfit Mob group which consists of cops that have done something wrong or are just troublemakers, etc. The case with the mummy seems not that complicated. Someone must have stolen a mummy from a museum. However, not everything is as it seems and the Misfit Mob soon realize that they may have a serial killer to catch. If they can work together.

Fabulous book. Loved the ending, truly shocking and surprising!

A great standalone book which is good for people wanting to try this author. As expected, this was up to the usual standard of MacBride

I enjoyed this one an easy five stars worth. Loved all the characters who were a bunch of total misfits and barely able to get along with each other. Their conversations, jibes and banter were deliciously dark and frequently very politically incorrect. MacBride does not hold back when he is writing speech.

Nor does he restrain himself when he is talking about the dark side of Scottish cities. The sights and smells, particularly the smells, are vividly described in great detail. Despite this the story moves at a good pace and more than 600 pages disappear in the twinkling of an eye. Different crimes appear and mingle and eventually combine into one. The main culprit is surprising to say the least. And Callum, our hero, spends more time than is reasonable being beaten up by various people.

Very nicely written, totally engaging and I loved every minute of it.

A book with great promise. Quite gripping but a bit of a muddled plot.

Police Scotland has created a “dumping ground” for those officers who don’t quite fit; the ill, those who have faced disciplinary action, those who refuse to play by the rules. DC Callum McGregor is an expectant father with a girlfriend who desperately needs to keep her maternity benefits, so it is in covering for Elaine’s on-the-job mistake that Callum finds himself joining Mother’s team at Oldcastle. Mother takes care of her castaways but they don’t always get along - or with anyone else for that matter.

It’s a matter of huge excitement when a mummified body turns up at the Oldcastle dump. Not an unusual occurrence – bodies turn up at dumps all the time – but it is the finding of this one dried up corpse that leads to the discovery of others who have been murdered in the process of being turned into modern day mummies. There’s a serial killer at large. Callum is one man with many pots up in the air between his disintegrating personal life and dire financial straits and as the investigation heats up, Callum’s tragic past and current investigations begin to converge.

The beauty of a standalone is the tantalizing possibility of it being a series starter. A DARK SO DEADLY introduces an irresistible new cast of characters (that this reviewer absolutely wants to see again) with the ‘Misfit Mob’. This ragtag collection of police officers is pure reading gold and it is a testament to the authors skill that he is able to create (again) a fresh set of police officers who are all complex, rich with backstory, and let’s not forget, hilarious. You can’t help but feel for Callum who has the whole world either badgering him for something or actively dropping bombs on him from a great height.

This ridiculously enjoyable book hurls along at a great pace, throwing up new dodgy villains and antagonistic colleagues for Callum to deal with at every turn. MacBride injects a terrific amount of energy and fizzy enjoyment into his novels and A DARK SO DEADLY is no exception. It’s rare you find a crime novel that is truly horrifying, whilst making you laugh out loud during the reading. Another great book delivered from a modern crime master.

I've read each and every Stuart book out there, and each of them try to be better than the previous one, and wow, do they deliver! I love the gritty grime of Scotland, and the descriptions of the scenery makes me feel I am there myself. Another brilliant book, please treat yourself!

3.5 stars
This is a stand alone by the author. Detective Constable Callum MacGregor of the Scotland Police is a character that reminds me of Job in the bible. Every bad thing that you can imagine happens to him. He is assigned to a "misfit squad" because management believes that he took a bribe by ruining crime evidence and causing a major criminal to go free. In fact, it was his pregnant girlfriend, who is a crime scene technician. His squad is assigned what looks like a joke-- investigating a mummy found in a garbage dump. This is a very long book, 604p. It held my interest with some false leads, as the team gradually realize that they are dealing with a serial killer.
There is a humorous side to the book as some weird dietary habits are mentioned--raspberry jam on anchovy pizza?!
I think the book was a little too long. The characters were believable and plot led up to a satisfactory ending. Another character that I liked was Rosalind Franklin, an attractive black woman, sent to the misfit squad after she punched a Superintendent who grabbed her bottom.
Some quotes by Callum:
"Why did no one ever come back when they were told to? Anyone would think that people didn't want to get arrested."
"Poor sod. Living with Franklin must be like trying to cross a minefield on a pogo stick every day. Blindfold. While sadists threw burning squirrels at you."
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, HarperCollins for sending me this book.

I found this book a little bit too long and could have been at least a hundred pages shorter. I think that there was lots of extra bits to the story that weren't really needed, but were ok and feasible.
The main character, Callum, was a good egg and I felt sorry for him and how he was treated by his peers and girlfriend.
I didn't guess the ending until nearly the end which makes a change, I kept guessing other characters but didn't suspect that one.
There was a lot of violence in the story.