Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for ARC.

DS Max Craigie and the impressively-funded anti-corruption team at Police Scotland (not its official name) are back on the case after several mysterious deaths of high-profile people found not guilty of violent crime. It seems the killer has forensic skills and inside knowledge that only someone close to the investigations would be likely to have. Can they find the person responsible before there are more deaths?
Once again, the team covers the length and breadth of Scotland searching for answers, and everyone is in danger before the end. None more so than Max.

Neil Lancaster's confidence and flair as a writer seems to grow with each book and they are all immensely enjoyable. Despite a wee bit of frustration with the plausibility of the 'big reveal' I loved it. More please!

If you love police procedural crime fiction then this author is definitely for you!

I loved just how much technical knowledge and detailed insight went into this book. Neil, an ex police officer, is your guy if you want reality and procedures. I seriously geeked out over everything from crime scene analysis through to interception and surveillance.

Having not read the previous two books in this series I couldn’t help but feel a bit ‘out of the loop’ when it came to character building. I felt like I was still playing catch up half way through which, for me, was a little distracting to the overall pace of the story.

With that in mind, the team did make the police force look like idiots. Having figured out much of the mysteries days before and even whilst the police were still scratching their heads. It did confuse me as to why they were there at all. I get that they were there to monitor the process but they did their job and the job of the entire task force much more efficiently and quickly.

The downside of this book was that I found some of the twists and turns a bit obvious and the big reveal at the end was somewhat unbelievable. But overall I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely want to read another - or the previous two!

Thank to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

DS Max Craigie returns with his team to uncover more corruption that involves more than one death.

The team are hunting for evidence but at the same time maybe they are the ones in danger.

Well written, great pace and you care about what happens to all members of the team. Loved it right to the last page.

Max, Janie and the rest of the team have another case to investigate after journalist, Shuggie, comes to them with the belief that murders are being carried out by a serving police officer.

With undercover surveillance going on, the team have to make sure that it doesn’t come to light what they are doing.

This is a superb series that just gets better with each story. Quite a harrowing read with some humour to lighten it when needed. The story is fast paced and some really good red herrings to keep you guessing.
I love the characters, and Ross - Max and Janie’s boss, was making me laugh a lot with his grumpiness, especially when the other members of the team used their humour on him!

My thanks to HQ and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Fergus Grigor went out for a run. The lawyer was on his honeymoon but his body was found dashed to pieces below the cliffs at Dunnett Head. Was it suicide, or did he - for some reason - climb over the stone wall and fall to his death? Or was he pushed? On balance, it looked like an accident but then his 'accident' was linked to the deaths of others associated with him. Scott Paterson was released after a 'not-proven' verdict meant that Scotland's most notorious criminal wasn't facing life imprisonment. Paterson was Grigor's last client.

The Major Investigation Team, headed up by DCI Donnie Watson and supported by DI Marnie Gray, is on the case but DS Max Craigie, part of a team whose job is to track down corruption in the police force, believes that there's a link and that there's a problem within the police. Whoever is carrying out these killings is very forensically aware and knows exactly how the police work. Even Shuggie Gibson, a freelance investigative journalist turned blogger knows far more about the cases than he should.

Craigie, DC Janie Calder and his boss, DI Ross along with Norma, the civilian analyst know that they'll get no support from the wider police force but the Chief Constable, Chris Macdonald, knows that a vigilante within the police force who has turned into a serial killer is a problem which is going to need sorting out quickly. It's going to be all over the tabloids - and not just in Scotland. He'll provide what help he can, but the law can be limiting in cases like these. That's not something which DS Max Craigie is going to take too seriously.

It's a cracker of a story. I was sure that I had it worked out on several occasions and was actually beginning to feel quite smug about how things were going - and then my chosen candidate would turn up dead. This is a tale with more twists than a corkscrew. In the end - even when just about everybody else had been ruled out, I still didn't manage to work it out. Then there's the shame of finding that all the clues were there. It's definitely a book to read once for the switchback ride - and then to go through again to find out how the author did it. You get it all: great locations, super plot and characters who stay in your mind. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

This is the third book to feature detective sergeant Max Craigie, detective constable Janie Calder, their irascible boss detective inspector Ross Fraser and Norma who is an analyst. They form a small team who report to the Chief Constable of Scotland on corruption within the service.
There have been two murders - one a gang enforcer who his Barrister managed to get his conviction quashed. The other murder was the Barrister himself.
Someone seems to be taking the law into their hands. A local journalist who runs a podcast seems to know a great deal about the murders. Who is informing?
In charge of both murders is detective inspector Donnie Watson, a career policeman close to retirement. Max and Janie review what the murder team are finding. When Max identifies the possible use of a taser! They realise that someone within the force could be responsible. Max brings in a good friend from the Met - Nial Hastings - a scot now living and working in the London area. He will work undercover reporting to the team.
It seems straightforward but all is not what it seems. The team face danger and death is near.
I think this is the best book so far, very thrilling with edge of your seat suspense. Highly recommended.

Neil Lancaster does it again!

I think this series is fast becoming one of my favourites as they seem to be getting better and better with each instalment. The plot kept me turning the page faster than I care to admit (I finished the book in a day!) and I love getting to know the team more with each book.

I already can't wait for book 4!

This is a series with kegs. Every story develops the central characters and leaves you wanting more. I think Lancaster is one of the top crime thriller writers around. He has plausible characters, dialogue that just rolls off the page and the plotting is superb.

This is a fast paced thriller/ police procedural that kept me guessing from start to finish. There’s humour to lighten the darker moments and the plot twists take you on a roller coaster journey. It’s breathtaking and everything I want from a thriller. A real belter.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

I loved this book from start to finish. It was a proper police Procedural novel which kept me guessing about the perp until the very end. The haractets were strong and the writing exce with quite a few twists and shocks along the way. I can't wait to read more of Neil's books.

I absolutely loved this. My first book to read by Neil Lancaster and I wasn’t disappointed. It is the 3rd book in a series but makes a great stand alone read too. It’s a fast paced, gripping page turner, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the main character DS Max Craigie and liked the relationship he had with Jainie. All the characters are well written and you get to know their personalities.
This is a great police murder mystery thriller full of tension, shocks and drama with a plot that grips you from the start. Definitely recommend.
Thanks to #NetGallery #HQ #NeilLancaster for an arc of #TheNightWatch in exchange for an honest review

Another brilliant book in this gripping crime series.
Max, Janie and Barney are once again trying to find a Detective who is taking the law into their own hands. Overseen by Ross, who is as grumpy as ever, they have their hands full with this one.
Max gets his friend from London to help out as well and it’s soon clear there are many strands to this case.
I love the way we follow Max and the team and know about the surveillance in place to catch the corrupt Detectives.
This is a great crime thriller with a few nail biting moments to keep you on your toes.
Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the 3rd book in this series. This book wouldn’t be impossible to read as a stand alone but I do think they flow better as a trio.

Reading this, was like home from home! My favourite characters are back 👏🏽. I have terrible fibro fog and I need to make notes, to be able to do my reviews. For some reason I didn’t as much with these characters/storylines. That can only be a positive thing.

Thanks for allowing me to read an ARC of this book - enjoyed it so much. Give me a shout when No.4 is coming out 🤣!

#neillancaster #thenightwatch #bookreview #bookstagramshaz
#booksragram

I really do enjoy the Max Craigie series of books. Neil Lancaster has created a brilliant cast of characters, from Craigie himself to his partner in crime-fighting, DC Janie Calder, their gruff and boss, DI Ross Fraser to their wonderful, vibrant and talented support team of analyst, Norma, and ex spook and tech expert, Barney. Between them you get the special camaraderie, humour but, more importantly, a team who are 100% focused on justice and rooting out the worst and most corrupt members of the Police Scotland team. This is no ordinary team - the Policing Standards Reassurance Team aren't there to just investigate crime. They also investigate the investigators, even if they don't always realise it.

In The Night Watch the team are faced with a particularly worrying and puzzling set of crimes in which the victim, or potentially victims, are far from your sympathetic types. In fact, given what they know about the deceased, at least in the first case presented to them, you could almost forgive them for not really being all that bothered about solving a crime. But, murder is murder, even if the victim is himself a known killer for hire. Or at least a suspected one - never convicted. And that, in essence is the issue. I loved the way the case is set up, the mystery surrounding the victim and how he is cornered. A kind of is it or isn't it what we think it is scenario that is soon answered a couple of chapters a long, but perhaps not in the way we were expecting. And it's not long before we meet victim number two, although officially linking the two cases will be harder than you'd think.

The book is fast paced, the story really engrossing and I finished it within a day. As much as I may have thought I had a handle on who was guilty of what, Neil Lancaster skilfully wove in surprises and shocks, but none that felt they came from left field. The more you thought about what was happening, the more sense it all made. There is a lot of tension that really builds towards the end as the team circle around their suspect and draw us towards a conclusion. And in true Max Craigie style, this is going to be no straightforward and simple take down, the risk the team are in increasing exponentially with each page turn. I could feel the adrenaline pumping, and found myself moving towards the edge of that metaphorical seat as the action ramped up, wondering how in the hell they were going to get out of this particular scrape. I love that the team are not painted as superheroes, that they are as fallible and in as much danger as anyone else. I also like that I trust Neil Lancaster to get them out of it. I'm not ready for this series to end right now.

What I've loved about this series is the way in which it presents a very different view of the police force whilst still maintaining a brilliant mystery and investigation at its heart. Not one person could say that they believed all police officers were perfect, that corruption hasn't been present in the service and that there are not the odd bad egg in amongst the many hard working officers who need to be brought to task. And often, as we have seen all too much of in real life of late, they hide in plain sight. The blatant vigilante justice that is being mete on the victims can never be justified, and that's not the point of this book. It doesn't ceIt does serve to highlight the damage done by the vigilante when it comes to their colleagues and the fact that their reputations and possibly their futures are forever associated with the crimes that happened under their nose, certainly one to think about when people rush to judgment on all officers, and to profess a deep mistrust of all when it is the actions of just one that should be condemned.

There is a real sense of authenticity in the writing, a clear knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes that informs the story without being overbearing. It helps propel the action scenes, draws you into the investigation and the banter and fun times between the characters really holds my attention. I can't wait to see just what might come next for the team and to find out if Ross manages to stick to his strict mung bean salad filled diet. Highly recommended for fans of Police thrillers.

The Night Watch by Neil Lancaster
BOOK 460 pages
Publish Date: 8 September 2022

This is my third venture into Neil Lancaster's books with protagonist, DS Max Craigie and his small, elite team named, Police Standards Reassurance. I enjoyed this plot and storyline. I so enjoyed the working relationship between Max and DC Janie Calder and his team. D I Ross Fraser, Max's boss is something else! Really warmed to the characters. Most enjoyable dialogue, fast, cheeky and witty! I enjoyed the writing style with short, sharp chapters enable you to race through the book.

I give 5 stars and would recommend the novel.

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

Thank you to #NetGalley and#HQDigital for the advance copy of #TheNightWatch by #NeilLancaster
This is the 3rd book in the DS Max Craigie series and they keep getting better.
A terrific story that moves quickly and keeps you on your toes all the way through.
Brilliant !!!

This is the third installment of the crime series set in Scotland featuring Max Craigie, Janie Calder and Ross Fraser and it's probably my favourite.

Yet another action packed, fast paced police procedural from Neil. This series just gets better and I can't get enough of it.

Scott Patterson has just been acquitted of murder following a 'not proven' verdict after an eight week trial at the high court. His freedom doesn't last long however, as he is found dead a few days later on a local golf course.

Fergus Grigor who was an advocate for Scott is also discovered murdered. These are clearly connected, but why?

As the body count starts to mount up, the rush is on to catch a serial killer.

Written in chapters in current time, focusing on a few main characters and also an anonymous character.

So many page turning moments which made me read it in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down. Just when you think things are going according to plan, another shocking moment hits.

This series needs to be picked up by a TV company as it would most certainly make edge of your seat viewing.

It's very clear that Neil has an excellent understanding of police procedure as it is so well written.

Although this could easily be read as a stand-alone novel I would highly recommend you read Dead Man’s Grave and The Blood Tide first. You won’t regret it and you will then be more familiar with some of the characters in this book.

This is a massive five star read for me and I cant wait for more from Max, Janie and Ross.

One of my favourite go to authors and I'm sure this will be one of my favourite reads of the year.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and author for an ARC. Just brilliant.

If you love a good crime/thriller novel then Neil Lancaster is the writer for you, with Max Craigie you have the perfect investigator: a little flawed with an interesting back story but he doesn’t let up until the criminal is either locked up (or dead).

Fast paced from start to finish, we’ll worth a read.

The third installment of Max Craigie didn't disappoint.

The book was a page turner, I couldn't put it down.

Brilliantly written and it kept you guessing.

Highly recommended.

Thank you, thank you , thank you Neil Lancaster! Finally, an exciting, gripping, gritty, page-turner! I am SO happy to have found this author. I’ve been waiting to find a new author with lots to offer and Neil Lancaster may just be it. My current favourite author (Charlie Gallagher) is also an ex-copper and frankly, these guys just give an authenticity to books that is often lacking by authors who have, no doubt, done lots of research but haven’t walked the walk, so to speak!

An added bonus for me is that the book is set in Scotland, my homeland, and I noted that a previous reviewer had commented that it lacked humour. Well, I disagree, it’s not laugh out loud humour but the sarcastic, ribbing that we Scots are used to.

I’m not going to précis the book, that’s done perfectly well in the blurb you’ve no doubt already read. Suffice to say it’s a police procedural about a serial killer who seems to be a bit of a vigilante, seemingly within the police force, possibly within the MIT (Murder Investigation Team) which then requires the intervention of an undercover team - much like Line of Duty on British TV (possibly elsewhere too). Like the TV programme, this book kept me gripped from a ‘straight to it’ opening chapter murder……..to the very exciting penultimate chapter that kept me sitting reading when I had a list of other important tasks to do! And holding my breath to boot!

The main characters are interesting, authentic and although clearly not fully developed in this one book as it’s part of a series, you do get an inside into the backgrounds of Max, Janie, and Ross, DS Max Craigie is an ex soldier who served in Afghanistan and suffers from a degree of PTSD. It’s good and timely for those of us blessed with never seeing the horrors of war to read about the aftermath for those who have served.

I knew when I started this book that it was the third in the DS Max Craigie series but was assured it could be read as a ‘standalone’. Trust me you won’t want it to be a standalone, I’ve already purchased the first one of the series and started reading it.

My only criticism is that I’m not great with acronyms. They drove me mad when I worked in the medical profession and the police department is just as bad. I realise that this may be just my personal character but it would be incredibly helpful to have a glossary of terms, especially for us Kindle readers because trying to look back to find the page where the term is first used and explained in full is not an easy task.

My huge thanks go to Neil Lancaster, (‘m definitely following you, frankly, sir, your book deserves more than five stars!). to the publishers and to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced e-reader copy of this great book!

Loved Deaf Man's Grave last year, so was looking forward to picking this up and it didn't disappoint.
I'm a huge fan of Ian Rankin and Rebus and so this was so my similarly right up my street.
Nice surprise at the end capped off.a fab story. Didn't want it to finish.

Again looking forward to the next one.

Many thanks for the ARC.