I love police procedurals and am always on the lookout for new novels to dive into. Dead Man's Grave is the first in what I hope is many novels featuring the team of DS Max Craigie and Janie Calder. I was already familiar with author Neil Lancaster's work, having enjoyed his Tom Novak series very much, so I anticipated this new series would be just as excellent. I was not disappointed.

Dead Man's Grave opens with Craigie and Calder come upon a grave in a remote cemetery in the Scottish countryside. The grave is unkempt and bears a warning to never open it, yet the pair can see it has been recently opened and even more, a new body has been deposited there. The discovery of the corpse's identity sets Craigie and Calder on an investigation involving everything from organized crime and police corruption to a blood feud that stretches back centuries.

Dead Man's Grave includes well-developed characters, as well as a plot that unfolds, chapter by chapter, leaving you guessing until the very end. There are several storylines but all are easy to follow. Many police procedurals set crime fighters against criminals in a "black and white" world where law enforcement officers are good and criminals are bad. You won't get that here. As mentioned above, this novel includes police corruption and a criminal (or two) who may actually earn your empathy.

I wonder how much inspiration author Neil Lancaster is drawing from his own experiences as a serious crimes investigator with the Metropolitan Police. I'm sure he has a treasure trove of unique and thrilling cases to draw from.

Either way, I can't wait until the next Craigie and Calder novel is released.

This book combines two of my favourite things, detective series and books set in Scotland. I have to say it did not let me down. This was a great introduction to a new series and I, for one, cannot wait to continue with this series..

In this one we have the resurrection of a deadly family rivalry from earlier centuries. The only problem is one of those families is one of Scotland’s big crime families. Enter Detective Max Craigie who tries to resolve this matter, but he doesn’t seem to be getting much support from his colleagues.

There is a great lead character in this series in Max Craigie, he is a great and determined character who I definitely want more of. In this one he is supported by Janie Calder, who is on an advanced career trajectory and is another great character, and I hope we see more of her in the series. They have great chemistry between them.

All round this was excellently written and is a great introduction to a new series, one of the best I have read in some time. Great plotting, great storylines and an excellent resolution to the book. This is one of the best recommendations I have for the year. If you enjoy good detective fiction then read this book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for providing a copy of this book for me, for an an open and honest review

Brilliant book couldnt put it down. You could easily put yourself into the characters shoes. The story was great this could easily be made into a tv series.

Would highly recommend.

Absolutely brilliant plot. Set in Scotland and had echoes of lots of other crime writers
It had me gripped and I stayed up late to finish it. Highly recommended.

Featuring DS Max Craigie, fresh from London’s Metropoitan Police, this is a true crime novel where the hero follows the trail of information and clues to it's thrilling conclusion. A high-profile Glaswegian gangster has been killed and Max strives to find the murderer before gang-warfare breaks out and more innocent people are killed. Not all his police colleagues seem to grasp the gravity of the situation and warn him off his quest.

I really liked the hero, a unique blend of of city cop and local boy. This gives him the edge when it comes to uncovering the truth of the intricately-drawn plot. The camaraderie and banter between Max and his partner, Janie add a depth of humanity to the story while Max’s relationship with his dog, cockatoo, Nutmeg gives us moments of warmth amid the fierce action.

This is the first of a new crime series, and a brilliant start with a compelling investigative team, I and I can not wait for the second story, which is already in development. Definitely recommended.

I didn’t really enjoy this book, I found it a slow starter which took me a long while to get into. This novel was a disappointment, with just an ok plot and not the gripping storyline I had expected.

Tam Hardie, head of a notorious gang in Scotland, finds his end in a lonely cemetery. From here we follow blood feuds and gang warfare, and ultimately police corruption. DS Max Craigie is intuitive, thorough and very honest. A former Met detective, he has also served in the Armed Forces and has his own demons to settle. Aided by DC Janie he begins to unravel a series of revenge murders, which his colleagues seem keen to sweep under the carpet as evidence disappears and information is not circulated.

The Hardie clan don't want any police involvement; with their contacts in the Force and their muscle, they have their own agenda to wreak vengence for Tam's death. Throughout the book we just don't know who Max should be trusting and who is corrupt. I was kept on the edge of my seat, praying he wasn't trusting the wrong person.

A thrilling, gritty book, kept my attention throughout from page one. Really enjoyed it and looking forward to reading more of Max.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ Digital for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Max Craigie returns to his native Scotland after a case at the Met goes awry. An Afghanistan veteran with PTSD he is struggling with nightmares & missing his wife who has not yet decided if she wants to live in Scotland he knows he needs to get his teeth into something. The first thing he is asked to investigate starts off as a missing person case, only this person is the head of the leading crime family in Scotland. Along with Janie- a fast tracked carved with the warning that it must never be opened- only it has & they have found their missing crime boss. His family are not going to take this well but the police seem to want to clear it up too quickly- Max soon wonders who he can trust.

I've never read any of Neil Lancaster books so I didn't know what to expect, however this looks like the start of a great series. I loved the changes of location & the characters. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book- I'm already looking forward to the next one!

If you enjoyed Line of Duty, this one’s for you. A classic murder mystery police procedural, with a twist – if the police are at the heart of the trouble, who is there to bring justice for the innocent? A thoroughly enjoyable, fast-paced read, perfect for long train journeys and two-minute coffee breaks alike, this novel draws on some of the best crime concepts of recent history – adding a layer of ‘whocovereditup’ to the traditional ‘whodunnit’ with excellent results.

Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for ARC.

This opens incredibly well, with acts of violence in a Highlands graveyard, and links to an established crime family in the central belt.
It introduces detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder, paired together for the first time, out of their patches and out of their depth trying to uncover corruption in their own ranks as well as find out the truth of the original crime and stop more killings.
I really enjoyed this - straightforwardly told and with a terrific sense of place, building real tension by clever plotting. Interesting characters I can't wait to hear more from.
I have given fewer stars because of the blood feud and the marked grave - although it made for a cracking start, I wasn't convinced of it as the driver for the plot and the motivations of some of the villains.
I have pre-ordered the next instalment already.

A gripping police procedural - Max and Janie get to grips with corrupt cops assisting local gangsters.
Both new to the force in Scotland and Max’s efforts to solve a crime being shut down on all fronts from above.
Max goes it alone (helped along with his trusty side’kick’) with disturbing results leading to arrests of the ‘bad’ guys.
Can’t wait to read more about Max and Janie and their adventures.

I don't ordinarily enjoy British police/ crime books, but thought that this sounded like an interesting premise, I was pleasantly surprised.

Neil Lancaster writes a story full of suspense with weighty characters, in the shape of the DC Max Cragie and DC Janie Calder.

Craigie and Calder are leading in a missing persons enquiry in a small town in Scotland which leads them to an ancient burial site, with the strange and eerie request , 'do not open'.

What follows is an investigation into a hundreds years long feud in the town which looks like it will not be stopping any time soon.

I enjoyed this book and would be keen to read the next in the series. Well written, characters with substantial background and consistent police description about processes and investigation procedures.

Dead Man’s Grave is the first book in a new series by Neil Lancaster. Having read his previous ‘Tom Novak’ novels, I was hopeful about this new series.
I was not disappointed. This book follows new Character ‘Max Craigie’ as he investigates the death of a Scottish crime lord.

The book had everything I want from a police procedural investigation, dark, gritty characters, a well developed plot, and a desire to carry on reading to see what happens next.
I liked the fact it was set in Scotland - so many crime books are based in London so it’s always refreshing to have a new stomping ground for our criminals to conduct their business.
It is well written and researched, and I feel fairly accurate of police procedure (as far as I’m aware).

There were some feelings reminiscent of ‘Rebus’, but I found this a comfort, and a sign of a well written character.

I give this 4 stars, purely because a book has to have a profound effect on me to get 5.

I will definitely be looking forward to following Max Craigie in his next case!

I’ve somehow managed to miss Neil Lancaster’s Inspector Tremayne series, so it was as a new (to me) author that I encountered Lancaster and his new lead character, Max Craigie, in this first book in a new series. In many ways it was no surprise to discover that this was not an author’s first foray into writing. There was a certain polish in his writing and his ability to steadily ratchet up the tension as the plot unfolded was certainly secure. This was a book that was hard to put down and certainly kept me reading far longer in the night than intended. The premise of the book was reasonable and the opening chapters were teasingly structured to draw the reader into the increasingly complex plot that involved murder, family feuds from the nineteenth century and police corruption. The plot leant perhaps a little too heavily on the remarkable range of skills possessed by DS Craigie, but this book is far from being alone in this regard. It would be good, though, to see this character and his adventures develop with perhaps a little more subtlety and nuance - there is great potential for this character.

A cracking Scottish police procedural, kept me up into the small hours finishing it. Max and Janie are complex, likeable characters, yet never slip into cop cliche. The setting is glorious, made me long for Scotland, and the action keeps you gripped and wanting more. February feels too long to wait until the next book in this series!

DS Max Craigie and DC Janie Calder are brought in to investigate the disappearance of local crime lord Tam Hardie. They are pointed towards an old grave where they see it has been disturbed. Inside the grave is the body of Hardie. There is a 200 year old feud between the Hardies and the Leith family which apparently is still active today. The body count soon starts to mount up as the families continue this fued.
An enjoyable book, a little slow in places and enjoyed the ending. You never know who you should trust!

What a great read. First book of Neil Lancaster that I have read and cannot wait for another one. DS Max Craigie is a London detective who transfers to Scotland. A family of drug dealers, criminals and generally bad people telephone the police as their father has disappeared whilst on a trip. Craigie and his side kick Janie Calder are the ones to find Tam Hardie snr. They find him murdered by a grave which has the words “this grave never to be opened”. The family are informed and things generally go from bad to worse. It is found that two families have a feud dating back to the 1800’s. Tam Hardie jnr takes over from his father and people begin to die. Tam Hardie begins his reign of terror by finding the people related to Willie Leitch who he thinks killed his father. As the body count goes up and up Craigie thinks that they have inside information from the police as they always seem one step ahead. Craigie becomes a thorn in their side and when he finds they are after him and that is aunt is on the “murder” list he starts to go under cover as he does not know who to trust. Eventually they find the retired policeman who is passing on information to Tam Hardie as well as other policemen who seem to be able to track mobile phones etc. Craigie goes on a mission and eventually they are all caught sent to prison. The way the book goes you never know what is going to happen next and a real page turner. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read such a good book

Neil Lancaster is a new author for me and I’m sure Dead Man’s Grave won’t be the only book of his I read. It has everything I look for in a detective thriller. The characterisation is so well done that I feel I know Max, Janie and the whole team at the Serious Organised Crime. The plot is strong, dealing with the attempt to bring down a notorious gangland family, the Hardies and also brings in a bit of history in the form of an age old family feud. What stands out is the excellent storytelling. I strongly recommend it.

My thanks to Netgalley and HQ publishers for the complimentary copy.

Thanks to Mr. Lancaster and HQ Publishing for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this series debut from Neil Lancaster, who brings impressive detecting chops to this Scottish crime story. The settings are glorious--you can imagine the drives up through the Scottish highlands.

The twist in this novel is the fact that we know very quickly “who” the murderer is and “why” it was done. The focus becomes what happens next. . . the revenge that certain players move to take builds a good head of suspense steam. The procedural aspects of the story are well done, even if one character brings a “deux ex machina” air of gifting less-than-legal information that guides Max Craigie, our lead investigator. Max and his young partner Janie are congenial company, if rather stock characters of the PTSD-deviled soldier and the young, perhaps gay female assistant on the fast track for promotion. There’s plenty of room for character growth as the series continues.

The novel has a satisfying conclusion after some impressive physical action. I give it 4 stars and look forward to the next novel in the series.

Clear your schedule for this one!

I loved this book, it had me gripped from the start and held my attention all the way through. Believable, and could easily be read in one sitting. I'm definitely waiting for future books in the series. Highly recommended.