Great opening to a book which never lets up the pace throughout...I thought it was well written and overall a good police procedural....the only dampener is that the main character is soooo stereotyped, ex military with issues, etc...but this doesn't t detract too much from what is a good read overall. Nice start to a series. Many thanks to Netgalley.co.uk, the author and publisher for access to the ARC.

I really enjoyed Dead Mans Grave, I haven’t read anything from Neil Lancaster before but I definitely will again, the story grabbed me from the first page, it has everything, murders, gangsters & family feuds and it’s down to Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder to solve the murder of Taim Hardie who was the head of of criminal family who are now out for revenge which is only making their job harder. Roll on the next instalment & maybe one day a tv series.

A confident narration and a keenly developed storyline. An excellent opening novel to a series. Took a few pages for me to get into the style of the writing but it was a smooth read thereon in.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat while I second guessed who were the baddies who were betraying their own and stopping justice happening. The book was well written and you got involved with the characters and were rooting for them to succeed and bring down the bad guys - both the obvious and the hidden ones.

A great detective story, who can you trust!! It took me a few pages to get into the story but then i couldn't put it down,. a good page turner. Will be looking out for more books by Neil Lancaster.
This story would make a good film, or TV drama.

I was sent a copy of Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster to read and review by NetGalley. You can tell that the author of this novel is well versed in Police procedure and the nature of crime itself. The whole story really rings true, with well fleshed out characters and a good deal of tension and excitement. This is the first in a new crime series from the author and I am looking forward to following Detective Max Craigie and his team in the next edition.

DS Max Craigie is investigating the disappearance of the head of one of Glasgow’s most notorious crime families. As he and DC Janie Calder follow his last movements they come upon an old graveyard with a tomb saying This Grave Never To Be Opened. The tomb had recently been disturbed and as they open it they discover the dead body of Tam Hardie Snr.
His eldest son, Tam Hardie Jnr, quickly takes over as head of the family and is determined to get revenge on whoever killed his father.
Although Max and Janie quickly arrest the killer this isn’t good enough for Tam Jnr. When another man dies in suspicious circumstances Max is convinced it’s connected to the Hardies but his superiors want to declare it an accident and close the case quickly. Max begins to wonder why they would want to cover this up and as he digs deeper it becomes harder for him to know who he can trust.
This was a great story, not only the actually killings but the corruption element was different and captivating.
I’m really looking forward to the next book. Max and Janie make a great team.

LOVED this book from the very beginning, and who wouldn't with a story based on a tombstone quote that makes the mind spark with all sorts of imaginings! It's hard to believe its the first in the series, as it reads so well, you feel like you already know the characters! Perhaps it's because Lancaster was a cop, that he writes authentically and it shows...This is a tight mystery with lots of red herrings that keep you guessing up to the very end, if Max will be able to save the day, or be caught in the crossfire of an age old feud. You'll be actively waiting for the next book when you finish this one, be warned!

First book in what is hopefully more by Neil Lancaster. Had me gripped from the start. Fast paced and great police procedural book full of action.
Great characters and well written. I enjoyed that it was set in Scotland and the Scottish dialogue was great.

'The blurb'
This grave can never be opened.
The head of Scotland’s most powerful crime family is brutally murdered, his body dumped inside an ancient grave in a remote cemetery.

This murder can never be forgotten.
Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at the scene, a small town where everyone has secrets to hide. They soon realise this murder is part of a blood feud between two Scottish families that stretches back to the 1800s. One thing’s for certain: it might be the latest killing, but it won’t be the last…

This killer can never be caught.
As the body count rises, the investigation uncovers large-scale corruption at the heart of the Scottish Police Service. Now Max and Janie must turn against their closest colleagues – to solve a case that could cost them far more than just their lives…

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ Digital for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The best police procedural I have read in a while. Excellent characters and a clever plot I could follow. Max Craigie is a great new flawed police hero. Ex Flying Squad posted to the highlands. Part Line of Duty, part James Bond, I loved his gusty sidekick Janie, no fastrack Fannie she! Unafraid to go rogue, they laugh in the face of gangland mobsters and corrupt cops. Loved it, more please.

I really enjoyed this book, the first in which I hope will be a series. Excellent plot line and characters and narrative. I have not read any of this authors previous works, and will now check them out.

A most enjoyable read. A great cast of goodies to spend time and suitable fearsome villains. The story starts with a murder at a remote abandoned cemetery that triggers a Scottish gangland family feud. The resulting murders on being investigated by Police Scotland in turn faces obstacles that gives hints of the criminals getting inside information from corrupt police officers. How the corrupt police are identifies and brought down together the criminal mafia family involved makes an exciting story well worth reading.

Well I have to say I really, really enjoyed this book. From the start right through to the end. I just couldn’t put it down. Dark, gritty even foreboding, this book is all of those things. I have to, no I need to read the next one. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dead Man’s Grave is the first instalment in the DS Max Craigie Scottish Crime Thrillers series. A gripping book, full of thrills, twists and turns. A first for me from this author, but it won't be the last.

A gravestone with no names, no dates only a statement, ‘This Grave Never to be Opened’…and then the story started with a murdered ‘Don’ found in a grave which should never be opened! Brilliant 🤩. Great start to a series starring Max & Co, I’m just hoping Neil keeps him alive and kicking to flush out all those bent coppers! Apart from really enjoying the story, I’ve also learnt a lot of up to date security.
I will be looking to read more from Neil, it’s an easy 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from me.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #HQDigital for allowing me to read #DeadMan’sGrave by #NeilLancaster
Wow. What a brilliant book, fast paced, full of action, this will keep you turning pages long into the night.
Detective Max Craigie has moved back up to Scotland following his time in the army and the Metropolitan police force.
He partners up with Janie Calder when the boss of one of Scotland’s worst crime families is found dead in an old grave that just bears the words “The grave that can never be opened”
When the culprit is found easily the local force is swift to close the case, but Max thinks there is more to it.
A truly great read, by an author who is now on my reading list. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"This grave can never be opened". That line alone grabbed me from the start.
This is the first in a series of Scottish crime thrillers and deals with a major organised crime gang and corruption throughout the ranks of Police Scotland.
Set in wonderful, atmospheric locations, Neil Lancaster creates descriptions that transport you straight there.
If you're a Line of Duty fan, this book will tick all the boxes. Less acronyms than AC12 and plenty of action and thought-provoking drama.
If you're not a Line of Duty fan, it's still a fantastic thriller and definitely worth a read!
I can't wait to read on in the series.

"For days now, I’ve been fighting this battle alone, had my motorbike bugged, probably my phone tracked and possibly intercepted and had to stop the murder of an innocent woman. I’ve been vilified, had my mental health questioned and I’m now wondering just how far the corruption goes in this bloody force. I’ve been roundly ignored. Just who is in control of Police Scotland, because it doesn’t feel like we are?"

Thank you netgalley, Neil Lancaster, and HQ Digital for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a detective story set in Scotland. We follow a grizzled detective Max Craigle as he's caught up in investigating a crime tied to a century's old blood feud and one of Scotland's most brutal gangs.

I'll be honest I found this story difficult to follow at times. I also didn't find the story that interesting for most of the book. However the writing made me fall in love with Scotland. I often would imagine scenes playing out like a TV show, kind of like a Scottish version of broadchurch.

It's a solid story but definitely not one of my favorites.

This is a new Scottish Crime series by Neil Lancaster and I LOVED THIS BOOK!

The characters and dialogue is wonderful and witty. I connected immediately with Detective Sgt Max Craigie and Detective Constable Janie Calder. The characters of the Hardie family are, as their name suggests, hard & gritty. and are 'the bad guys' willing to do anything it takes to obtain BENT COPPERS for their own use. Looking forward to the next book in the series! Read this book and make up your own mind.

I give this a 5 star rating. I would recommend this book.

I WANT TO THANK NETGALLEY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ADVANCED COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.

Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder are teamed up to investigate a missing person report. It's a delicate situation as the missing man is Tam Hardie, the now elderly but dangerous head of an organized crime network in Scotland.

Tam Hardie is off in a remote area of Scotland looking for a particular grave in what seems to be a genealogical pursuit. The grave has a headstone reading This Grave Can Never Be Opened so I was curious about that right away. There is something hidden in there or perhaps it a plague grave from centuries back.

Once Hardie disappears and the detectives are called in you get a glimpse of the seedy and violent underbelly of the Hardie empire.

This police procedural has everything going for it with likeable main characters and lots of intrigue. The desciptions of Scotland immerse you into the scene and the detective work keeps you turning the pages.

This story had me instantly hooked and I look forward to many more books in this series about DS Max Cragie and DC Janie Calder by Neil Lancaster.

Publication date July 16, 2021 by St. Martin's Press. Genre: Mystery, Thrillers and General Fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader's copy of this book. I was not compensated for the review, all opinions are mine.

Sharing with Joy for British Isles Friday.