This is the second book in a series, and not having read the first book, I still think this one reads nicely as a standalone. This book starts with a bang, and that quite sets the tone of the rest of the book. I love the gritty crime background story and thoroughly enjoyed the book. Recommended.

A pretty good second novel in the series. I didn't quite like it as much as the first but it's definitely an entertaining read.

A great follow up to Cause of Death, this is book 2 in the Grace Macallan series and another very good read. Not for the faint hearted as there are some pretty violent scenes in this book. It starts slowly but the reader is soon drawn in to the murky world of drugs. Set in Belfast, Edinburgh and Glasgow, this book is well written with some interesting characters, especially Billy Nelson. The book is told in two parts and written by a former police officer. I would recommend this book and I enjoyed it thoroughly, despite the violence! many thanks to Net Galley for my copy. I reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon and Facebook.

Evidence of Death is well written with a good plot and well developed characters. I enjoyed the settings and the author’s writing.

Description
Book 2 in the Grace Macallan detective series
Scarred by the Troubles in Belfast, Billy Nelson returns to his Loyalist roots following his discharge from army service. But Belfast and the people he knew have changed, and after his gang are responsible for a series of violent attacks on innocent victims, he is forced out of the city and moves in on the drugs business in Edinburgh.
Taking on the family who have been the main players in the city for years, a battle for control amongst the criminal underworld of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Belfast ensues, and the balance of power is upset...
Grace Macallan, recently promoted to Superintendent in the Specialist Crime and Counter Terrorism Directorate, has her hands full as a series of incidents leave a trail of victims. As the old demons of the Troubles come back to haunt her again, can Grace keep the streets of Scotland safe, as well as balancing the conflicting interests of the police in Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Security Services, who all have an interest in Nelson and his paramilitary contacts in Belfast...

My Thoughts
This is my first Peter Ritchie book and Evidence of Death is the second in his Detective Grace Macallan series, though it worked as a stand-alone for me. Typically, I tend to read more psychological thrillers or murder mysteries where after a crime has been committed the plot focuses more on the whodunit. Be aware that the characters and their actions are often quite violent and if that bothers you, this might not be the book for you. For me, though while this didn't fit neatly in my usual genre box, the violence was an integral part of the story and wasn't there just for shock value.
While the story initially focused on Billy Nelson, his gang, and their criminal endeavors, it was Detective Macallan's appearance and the subsequent action that really drew me into this book. The plot was engaging, the characters are well written and the ending made me hope I will have the opportunity to read the third in this series(after going back and reading the first).
Thank you, Peter Ritchie, Black and White Publishing and NetGalley for the complimentary copy to read and review. I would recommend to any fans of police and crime stories.

A very well written, dark and incredibly complex plot with lots of characters and moving parts to keep track of.
Highly recommend reading the first book in this series

Thank you Netgalley and Black and White Publishing for the eARC.
This is the 2nd Superintendent Grace Magellan book. I had not read no. 1 in the series,but found this story easy to follow.
Grace was sent to Edinburgh after an unfortunate event in her Belfast police force career. She was not to blame, but her bosses found it an easy solution to just send her away.
Billy Nelson returned to Belfast, a city much changed, after several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Finding it difficult to adjust and after committing racist and sexist attacks, he and his team are sent to Edinburgh to set up a new drugs network. This involves brutalities the city has never experienced before.
Grace and her team are under intense pressure to apprehend these goons and send them packing, especially from Grace's superior, a despicable superior who'd like nothing more than get rid of her. She's much more capable than he is and he feels threatened (as well as drawn to her) by her professionalism and excellence.
Billy Nelson is an expertly drawn character. He is dark, full of hate and practically dead inside, only brought to life when he inflicts extreme pain and terror.
Grace was a little difficult for me to like, but I admired her and would like to see her less lonely and happier in no. 3 of the series.
This was an intricate police procedural that I enjoyed and I eagerly await no.3.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Black and White Publishing for an advance copy of Evidence of Death, the second police procedural to feature Supt Grace Macallan of the Edinburgh Specialist Crime and Counter Terrorism Directorate.

When Billy Nelson returns to Belfast after several tours in the army both he and the city have changed. His former Loyalist comrades have no interest in sectarianism and are intent only on making money but neither has Billy having shifted his hatred to Muslims. After some ill advised beatings he and his crew are forced out of Belfast and sent to Edinburgh to set up a drugs network. How they do it soon attracts the atten of Grace and her team.

I thoroughly enjoyed Evidence of Death which is full of twists and turns and held my attention throughout. It is a long read but worthwhile as it is full of detail on procedure and in the plotting. The relationships between the characters and their thinking are complicated but Mr Ritchie takes the time to explore and explain them completely so the reader never feels lost or in the dark. It takes time to gather evidence and build a case but Mr Ritchie guides us effortlessly through the process. I am very impressed with his plotting and grasp of the subject.

He puts this attention to detail to great use in his characterisation. I really feel as I know his principal characters well from the uncontrolled violence of the drug dealers to Billy's cold, measured violence and psychopathy. His descent into unthinking violence is well done and extremely believable. In comparison Grace is understated, but that seems to be a favourite description of her. She is smart and dedicated in her job but rather aimless and lonely outside of it. I was pleased to see that her personal life might be taking a turn for the better. I like the way she handles her incompetent superior and his transparent machinations and the fact that they bother her - it makes her very human.

Evidence of Death is a good if violent novel which I have no hesitation in recommending.

Thank you Net Galley. I enjoyed this second installment of Grace Macallan's as much as I did the first book. Mr. Ritchie has the knack of keeping the reader engrossed. I am looking forward to the next one.