Next in Line is another really good crime thriller in the D.I. Clare Mackay series. At the start we have a man murdered by a sniper at a Scottish retreat where he had been celebrating with three friends. Claire and her boyfriend DCI Alastair Gibson have just attended a wedding where by coincidence the victims sister a well known TV star was also there as a guest.
The investigation into this murder begins and with a solid plot line and a cast of well rounded characters this story flows well. The team Clare has around her are well balanced and each brings a different dimension to the team. There is respect but also playful banter and they work well together.
As the investigation begins the reader is given good insight into police procedural practices and also the support they rely on such as pathologists, forensic scientists and weapons experts. Here you obtain a real feel for the work that police perform and not the ‘woke’ political image that can sometimes be portrayed.
I usually have an idea who the culprit is ( which is why there are no spoilers) but here I kept changing my mind. The ending is impressive, when all strands are tied together it is done exceedingly well.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

This is the fifth novel with DI Clare Mackay. Clare and her DCI boyfriend Alistair are at a wedding of Clare's ex-boyfriend where there is a TV celebrity in attendance, Gaby Fox. At the same time Gaby gets a phone call at the reception, Clare gets a phone call about a shooting at Lamond Lodge and it is Gaby's brother Russell who has been gunned down. Clare takes on the case and battles her way to get to the truth. I love Marion Todd's novels and this doesn't disappoint.

DI Clare Mackay #5

A deadly shot fired at sunrise, a phone-call later in the day and two guests leave a wedding abruptly with DI Clare Mackay, attending with her partner DCI Alastair Gibson, wishing she could too!! By the following day Clare and her team are on the case searching for the early morning killer.

This is another good addition to this series which always seem to have an air of authenticity about them. Much of this comes from the excellent characterisation, Clare is very likeable and her actions during an investigation feel believable. This is an author who knows her characters thoroughly as all are well fleshed out. I like the developing relationship with Alastair and he gives her the stability she needs. The police team are a good one, especially likeable is DS Chris West and he and Clare make a good contrast to each other. I like the camaraderie of the team and their banter is always entertaining. You get a good blend in a Marion Todd of police case and private life, the latter is not overdone with just enough to add realism. The investigation is an intriguing one, once they get the victims name all kinds of dodgy actions eventually emerge, accompanied by characters with a tenuous link to the right side of the law and suspicion rightly falls in several directions. You think you have the whole thing figured out but no, you definitely don’t!! There are several good plot twists and turns that keep you reading on until the evidence stacks up to a good finale. I love the setting for the novels, in and around St Andrews which is well described and adds atmosphere.

Overall, these are very readable police procedural mysteries. The author writes novels with solid plots and with good pacing that keeps you reading on. There are believable moments of tension and suspense which makes it a compelling and immersive read.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

This is book 5 in the Clare MacKay series, I haven't read any of the previous books but as a police procedural novel it worked well as a stand-alone and any back story was given as required.

DI Clare Mackay is at her ex-boyfriend's wedding with her latest squeeze, DCI Alastair Gibson, when she is alerted to the murder of a Glaswegian restauranteur at a small country house outside St Andrews called Lamond Lodge which had been hired for the weekend to celebrate the victim's fortieth birthday.

The victim, Russell Fox was celebrating with his sister, the daytime TV presenter Gaby Fox and her husband Luke Gasparini, who owns a TV production company, and three of his childhood friends from primary school: Eamon Ferry; Doug Gerrard; and Steve Christie. Russell was shot, just about dawn on the Saturday morning, coincidentally while Gaby and Luke were at the same wedding as Clare and Al.

The murder weapon and the shot point to a professional, or at least premeditated, hit. But none of the guests appear to have heard or seen anything. The property had a night-time security guard and CCTV cameras, none of which picked up the murder, although the cameras did pick up some unexpected visitors.

As a reader I was pulled this way and that by the evidence which pointed first one way, then the other. However I wouldn't say they were red herrings, more just unravelling the truth as one person after another is discovered to have lied to the police.

I really enjoyed this, I liked the way the police went over the evidence at the daily briefings and pursued leads, for want of a better word it felt genuine, lots of hard slog and running round in circles and testing alibis.

I will certainly read more of these books (in fact I have just bought the first one in the series), it was engaging, relatable and kept me guessing right to the end.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Love the Marion Todd novels. Great writing and premise. Amazing characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing..Definitely looking forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Marion Todd is up there amongst my favourite authors.
Next In Line is an excellent read and unlike many books doesn’t simply fizzle out with the last few pages being somewhat meaningless.
The storyline and characters are first class and I look forward to many more books from the author.
Highly recommended.

This is the latest in Marion Todd's great DI Clare Mackay Scottish crime series based in St Andrews, which has Clare attending a wedding with DCI Alastair Gibson, the groom is an ex-boyfriend which has her experiencing momentary pangs of what might have been. Other guests include the well known and popular TV presenter, Gabrielle 'Gaby' Fox and her TV producer husband, Luke Gasparini, they leave after Gaby receives what appears to be a troubling phone call. Soon after, DS Chris West informs her of a murder, a shooting at the exclusive Lamond Lodge. By the time Clare gets to scene, she feels as if she has lost valuable time in beginning the inquiry by arriving late. The victim turns out to be chef, Russell Fox, Gaby's brother. He had been shot early in the morning whilst on a walk.

The Lodge had been hired, along with a security guard to ensure privacy, to celebrate Russell's 40th birthday celebrations, with 3 friends from childhood, Doug Gerrard, Steve Christie, and Eamon Ferry, along with Gaby and Luke. The 3 friends prove to be remarkably unforthcoming about what occurred during the party, what secrets are they harbouring? As the police team, including PC Sara Stapleton engaged to West, delve into the life of the victim, they discover he has spent time at Barlinnie prison for drink driving, where he made an enemy of a fellow prisoner, Zac Buchanan. As the inquiry comes under intense media scrutiny, DCI Tony McAvettie is assigned to lead the team, an unwelcome presence with his history of philandering. In a case that proves to be difficult, complex and hard to make any progress in, Clare and her fellow police officers work hard to get to the truth, but even if they learn the truth, will justice be served?

One of the reasons I enjoy this series is the blend of professional police work with the personal lives of Clare and her team, for example, Clare now seems to be stable relationship with Alastair, and we are given insights into Chris and Sara's relationship. This is a terrific addition to this great crime series, it is dark, engaging and entertaining, with plenty of suspense and tension, and with a host of suspects for the police team to look into. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

A Worthy Addition…
The fifth in the Detective Clare Mackay series finds Clare amidst a tragedy when a wedding day goes spectacularly awry. Fast moving and with an intriguing premise that delivers, a wholly credible cast of characters and a likeable protagonist this is a worthy addition to an excellent series.

DI Clare Mackay doesn't get many weekends off especially with partner DCI Alastair Gibson but attending the wedding of her ex boyfriend at least means they can spend some time together. A phone call from one of her team halfway through the day about a shooting means they knows their down time is over.

As the investigation gets underway it becomes clear secrets are being kept which no one is prepared to reveal even if it makes finding the culprit more difficult. With familiar locals and visitors alike seemingly involved in a cover up, Clare and the St Andrews police force has almost too many suspects and reasons why someone wanted Russell Fox dead, to work through.

This is the latest in Marion Todd's wonderful DI Clare Mackay series and all the main characters we have grown to love or hate are present and correct. There are also the many twists and turns readers have come to expect from this excellent author and the denouement is eminently satisfactory.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. Next in Line is an excellent addition to an extremely good series of police procedural novels and comes highly recommended.

DI Clare Mackay's at a wedding. So is daytime TV star Gaby Fox. But Fox and her husband are called away....

And Clare also gets a call. A man has been found dead at an exclusive holiday home in more than suspicious circumstances.

When Clare and her team get there, the victim is Gaby Fox's brother. And the rest of the house party are his best friends.

Clare and her team certainly have their work cut out in unravelling the lies upon lies covering up this murder