Set in Dundee and featuring Allan Linton a private detective with a difference. Some lovely touches of humour with his sidekick Niddrie. A taste of things to come in the next book and I would recommend this one most definitely. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC. Reviews on Goodreads and Facebook.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers Black & White for the ARC.
Excellent reading! Allan Linton is an ex-newspaper reporter, ex-husband of a high-flying lawyer whose wealthy father heads a prestigious law firm, and a protective father to his daughter Ailsa, now 15.. His Associate Niddrie is characterised as quietly assured, although we are drip-fed occasional snippets which suggest his Army experience was gained elsewhere to the Pay Corps. Following a visit to his office by an elderly Englishman, Allan and Niddrie begin an investigation into a missing girl Tina Lamont. They have nothing more to go on but a photograph of her in a school uniform, the suggestion that she was from Dundee and that she was a brunette and had been in London.
The search for Tina is the background thread which leads us through Allan's past and present relationships with previous clients, friends and family, not least of which is his oldest friend who is now the largest drugs distributor in the area.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. There's no excessive violence, nor swearing although there are several dead bodies and well-planned conclusion. The writing flowed to give the reader a detailed picture of Allan Linton's life as a private detective and it was a comfortable read. I found the dialogue witty and entertaining and can't wait to hopefully read more of Allan Linton & Associates' adventures.

I must congratulate Mr. Graham on this, his first novel. It is very well written and a pleasure to read.

Allan Linton's career as a crime reporter was truncated, cut short, strangled, or some other negative verb, by the takeover of his newspaper by modern types who could not understand why a reporter did not spend all his time at his desk. After not very much thought he took a buyout, and reinvented himself as a private investigator. We join him several years later. The firm is now called "Allan Linton and Associates" although there is only one Associate, an enigmatic but highly effective fellow called "Niddrie". First name? Last name? TBD. Niddrie is an unusual associate for a detective in fiction because he isn't a bruiser, although one thinks he could be in the right situations.

The story revolves around a missing woman. A mysterious client hires Allan Linton and Associates to find a girl known only by a fake name. Allan starts with only a photo to go by but his reporter's instincts and a career of shady contacts stands him in good stead.

I look forward to reading more of these.

I love a good mystery series and this is one to add to my list, this is the first book based in Dundee featuring PI Allan Linton. I enjoyed the story overall, I need a book to grip me and reel me in from the beginning and this certainly did that, will definitely be recommending to my friends looking for a new mystery series to add to their collection, one to watch out for, I will look forward to the sequel!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Black and White Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked this book. It is set in Dundee Scotland and I often looked up places on Google Maps to get a feel for the setting. Allen is a reporter turned private investigator. A well dressed nervous gentleman hires him to find a missing school girl and the mystery begins. The characters are likeable if a bit one dimensional. The main character, Allan, is the only one we get to know well. He is a good detective but not a great one but he has a lot of friends willing to help him out. He solves cases and earns the loyalty of those he helps. I liked this book but think the other characters need a little more polish. I never got a sense of what went wrong with Allen’s marriage or what the story was with his business partner. It just seemed a little lacking in detail. The story is mostly told in first person and it jumps back and forth in time. I know that it’s to explain relationships but it is a bit choppy and drags in some places. I was almost put off the whole book entirely when the first paragraph began describing a man farting at a dinner meeting but the rest of the book made up for that unnecessary detail. Overall, I liked it and would like to see more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was 3.5 stars, but I decided to round up. I thoroughly enjoyed the majority of this book. Overall the core plot was exciting with many compelling twists. There were some parts that dragged, but I do believe these parts were to set up a solid characterization for the main characters and how they were connected. While I see the value in those moments, I thought they could have been handled better. I definitely recommend this book - a quick and enjoyable read that's well worth your time.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'd had a run of poor books before picking this one up and was seriously considering pausing my book reviewing for a while when this one popped up on my TBR list.

I'm not wowed with the title (although, it did enable me to search for it easily) and the first line is about an MP farting in an Italian restaurant.....so.....to say that I was expecting the worst would be an understatement. But, how wrong I was!

Vermin tells the entertaining story of Allan, a PI and his family, friends and associates in Dundee. Allan is recruited to find a missing girl and the story develops into a tale of murder, intrigue and deception.

This is a multilayered read with interesting characters that I really cared about and it's written with humour and pathos.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Black and White Publishing and the author for reaffirming my belief in book reviewing with this excellent read. More, please! Plus, this would make a fabulous TV series ....

Set in the badlands of urban Scotland, this taut, suspense-filled debut showcases a compelling new voice in Scottish crime fiction. When an expensively dressed, well-spoken Englishman walks into the shabby Dundee office of Allan Linton & Associates, Inquiry Agents, it’s the promise of a hefty fee that convinces Allan to take the case on. The Englishman wants Allan to trace a missing person. The only clue is a photo of a young woman in school uniform—and the name Tina Lamont. Trouble is, who knows if that’s her real name, or even if she’s from Dundee. As Allan and Niddrie, his only Associate—ex-army and with skills that don’t quite match his claim of being in the Pay Corps—get the investigation underway, they find no trace of the girl anywhere. But when a dead body turns up, the two men realize they’re not the only ones on Tina’s trail. The news that serious London criminals are also hunting the girl ratchets events up to a deeply disturbing level—and that’s before Dundee’s biggest drug dealer gets involved.

WOW this book is brilliant! The characters are totally likable and the plot is very believable. It just flowed as a book and was easy to read and enjoyable too.

I would highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading more Allan Linton books

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, William A. Graham, and Black & White Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

William A. Graham seeks to impress with his debut novel, set in the heart of Scotland, with an interesting investigative twist. Allan Linton is a private investigator with a great deal of sleuthing experience. Before grabbing his magnifying glass and tweed coat, he worked as an investigative reporter for one of the dailies in Dundee. Now, he’ll take on most any case that crosses his desk. When a gentleman darkens his door, Linton is not sure what to expect. Handed a school photo of a young woman, Linton is asked to locate her as soon as possible. The gentleman before him is acting as a go-between, so Linton cannot even tell who is client might actually be. While he and his ‘associate’ begin looking into the case, other locals reach out for assistance on a variety of matters, including Linton’s own daughter, Ailsa. As Linton scours through records and pulls on all his contacts to locate this woman, the reader discovers much about the story that brought Allan Linton into his current employ and how he almost lost it all to Ailsa’s mother. When Linton thinks that he may have a lead in the case, things take a turn for the worse and it’s a mad scramble to ensure that he, and Ailsa, remain safe from some of Dundee’s criminal element. Graham does well to keep the reader intrigued with this debut novel. Recommended for those who like a quick investigative thriller (does such a genre exist?) that can be read in a few hours!

I will admit, it was the dust jacket blurb that caught my attention with this one. I knew nothing of Graham and shelved this piece closer to its publication date. However, as soon as I started, I will pulled into the middle of the story and learning about Allan Linton. A fairly down to earth guy, Linton proves to be the perfect protagonist for this short piece. He offers much back story in a few long and meandering chapters, giving the reader some context throughout the novel. With his own development, both on cases and in his personal life, Linton easily becomes someone the reader can enjoy throughout this piece. Those around him prove also to do well at entertaining and offering some of their own flavouring. Should Graham allow this to launch a series, I can see some definite character development happening in upcoming novels. The story was simple and somewhat hokey, but in a good way. Simply put, it went from A to Z with a few offshoots, but keeps the reader’s attention throughout. Complex plots and numerous twists are kept from the pages of this book, but its entertainment value cannot be matched. I can only hope William A. Graham returns soon with more to offer the reader, for I will certainly queue up to see what else he plans on publishing.

Kudos, Mr. Graham, for a great debut. I can see much potential and I hope others will jump on the bandwagon as well.

I like this book very much. I was delighted to see that it is set in Dundee, Scotland because it gave a distinct flavor to the tale. The investigator had a great back story and his "Associate" was described enough to leave some mystery. I hope there is a sequel as I would be first in line.

Allan Linton may be a 'new' character in detective-land, I certainly hope to read more about him and his 'adventures'. What a wonderful read for readers who love mysterys set in Scotland. You can almost hear Allan talking, and certainly thinking.
Of course, finding a missing girl is never easy, and especially not when she really wants to disappear, but not for the obvious reasons. Allan and his associate Niddrie are a strange but very effective team so the reader needn't be surprised they take excellent care of this difficult task. The plot is layered pretty nice; it contained some real surprises.

Hello, hello friends! I hope your Christmases were merry and bright and filled with big, beautiful books.
Today’s post-holiday book review is brought to you by NetGalley and Black & White Publishing. The book is Vermin by William A. Graham, available on March 1st, 2019.

Okay, so for any of who you don’t know, I love Ireland and Scotland. They are on my bucket list to visit, though I approach this with some trepidation, as there’s a good chance I may never make the return trip if I actually go. Just kidding. Kind of.

When I came across the description of Vermin, I was immediately intrigued. A crime novel set in Scotland? Sign me up. And what a good thing I did! Because it didn’t disappoint.

Meet Allan Linton, a detective with a difference. A crime reporter turned private investigator, Allan has taken over the business previously built by his friend Eddie McLaren. Now advertised as Allan Linton and Associates in the town of Dundee, Allan and his partner Niddrie work cases as small as cats up trees and as big as missing persons.

When Allan is hired by a mysterious client to find a young woman named Tina Lamont, he and Niddrie begin to chase down leads right away—unlikely and unhelpful as they are. Given only a picture of a woman in an unfamiliar school uniform, a name that she may answer to but probably isn’t real, and the likely possibility that her hair is probably a different color, Allan is nonetheless determined to put his best foot forward in finding the object of his client’s interest.

Just as Allan is about to reluctantly admit that Tina Lamont is unfindable, a lead is uncovered in London in the shape of a dead associate of Tina’s. Gripped with the grim realization that Tina may be sought after by more than one party, Allan is determined to find her, whatever means necessary. Even if it means turning to one of his estranged and oldest friends, Dundee’s biggest drug dealer, Michael Grant.

Will Allan track down Tina before someone with less honorable intentions does? And if he is able to successfully uncover her location and her role in everything, what will he do with her and the information he suspects she’s keeping?

I love books, and I’ll admit that I can fall in love with pretty much any book with a great story, interesting characters, and engaging plot. But I’m pretty picky with who I hand out my 5 out of 5 ratings to. Vermin has made the cut.

I enjoyed this novel from beginning to end. There is mystery, great description, surprise, and a whole lot of wit. Any crime novel that can have me laughing into its pages is a win for me. Allan’s sense of humor, the antics of no-last-name Niddrie, and the back and forth dialogue between Allan and his clients...his family...his friends...his enemies...all gave me a very entertaining and interesting look into the life of a Dundee detective just trying to make a difference in his little corner of the world.

Graham does a fantastic job of giving his readers a visual of what Allan’s life is like. While the book’s plot is centered around finding Tina Lamont, Graham does so with a focus on Allan, his story, and the reader’s discovery of who this man is, how he works, and what he stands for. Graham leaves you wishing you could meet up and buy the man a pint in his favorite pub, the Wig and Gown.

Test out the integrity of Allan Linton and Associates for yourself, and pick up Vermin when you get a chance in March 2019. It‘s going on the highly recommended list for a fun, engaging read that’s sure to have you wishing for a series!

What a great read! This was a book I was immediately comfortable with. After just the first couple of pages I knew that I would enjoy this book. It was a good story with good character development. I will say it wasn't a read that kept me up late into the night. It was more a pleasant evening read that you didn't wish to end.

Set in Scotland it delivered some history of the people and the area as well as a good mystery. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Graham's offerings.

I liked Niddrie and Allen. I can see how this buddy combination could be developed. For a police procedural (although Allen is a P.I.) it was a little tame; but on the other hand it was more than a cozy too. The flashbacks got a bit old and clunky: as in "6 months earlier this happened" then "3 months earlier that happened". However, I did enjoy the read, and I would recommend it to people who like mysteries that aren't too bloody or full of swear words. The author's references to musical trivia puts me in mind of Jo Nesbo's character and references to musical groups. At least in this case, I've heard of most of these music groups. Good luck to William A. Graham, and I hope we see more of this character's adventures.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early e-book.

For such a violent ending this is a most genial novel - the decent PI, formerly a crime reporter, is the reason ... down and out people get a good crackfrom him, and his back story is told to fill out the ways all the people behave - young people caught up in brutal gangs, and elderly people are supported = because they are vulnerable. An overly wise daughter to an ex who has been hoodwinked by her overly protective dad, are a good offstage family story. The wonderful Niddrie is Allan's partner- and he has a burgeoning love life in this one too. Yes, perhaps it is a bit leisurely, but the richness of the atmosphere and full characterisations make it all very rewarding. I hope it's a series because I'd look forward to the next one.

I found this book to be a decent mystery, but not much more than that. There was too much unneeded wordiness that took away from the storyline. Additionally, I found the ending to be rather implausible.

This novel tells the story of Allan Linton, ex-writer turned private investigator and is set in Dundee. I declare an interest – I come from a town not far from Dundee and have a soft spot for the city.
Regardless of that Bill Graham has come upon an excellent character as his hero and a supporting cast that urge further flushing out of their characters in at least one sequel if not more.
I hugely enjoyed the Linton’s detective work and his decent guy persona that faced a good number of challenges. Niddrie as his sidekick was a more than capable foil and it was good to see that divorce can still leave room for an amicable relationship with an ex-wife and daughter.
I wasn’t sure about the title of the book and hope that it won’t put people off. One word of warning – behave yourself on Dundee buses! 😊
Look forward to the next installment.
This book was provided as an advance copy by the publisher in return for an honest review.
Note :
This book was reviewed on Amazon on 4 December 2018.

Scottish private detective Allan Linton is tasked with finding a missing girl, with only an old photograph to go by. He takes the hopeless-seeming job because he needs the money and then sets out to find the girl, assisted by his enigmatic, single-name only, tough guy sidekick, Niddrie. I guess every Spenser needs a Hawk. Along the way, we have flashbacks to how Allan first met various grateful ex-clients whose help comes in handy throughout the adventure. This is a private eye novel, not a cozy mystery, but it's not super-dark either. It's a light, enjoyable read with an everyman-type detective and relatable supporting characters. It's easy to slip right into this world and root for the regular-guy protagonist. Maybe this type of book should be called a comfy?

I couldn't put it down. I literally couldn't stop reading. Vermin by William Graham is that good. Allan Linton is a welcomed addition to the world of 'private dick' fiction. The supporting cast of characters from Dundee are colorful and engaging. Graham pushes the narrative forward in a perfectly paced manner which is reminiscent of the best in the genre. I enjoyed the wit and whimsy a great deal. I hope we'll see more from what could be a fantastic series. Thank you to Black & White Publishing for the opportunity to read an advanced reading copy. #Vermin #NetGalley

Allan Linton and Associates, Inquiry Agents is the name of the private detective firm. Allan is hired to find a young lady with nothing to go on but a fake name and a picture. The characters in this book are well developed. The good guys are likeable and the bad people end up getting their just rewards. This is a light read that can be finished quickly. It is a great vacation book. Hopefully, this book is the first in a series of books based on Allan's cases. I would recommend this book!

This book was received as an ARC copy from NetGalley and Black & White Publishing for an honest review. @Inkroadbooks @bwpublishing