"Two detectives hunt a killer amidst the lawless streets and high society of 1930's Glasgow in this "brilliant" (Times UK) mystery that "serves up a delicious slice of thirties gangster noir" (Adrian McKinty) - inspired by the true story of the Scottish Untouchables.

Glasgow, 1932. When the son-in-law of one of the city's wealthiest shipbuilders is found floating in the River Clyde with his throat cut, it falls to Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn to lead the murder case-despite sharing a troubled history with the victim's widow.

From the flying fists and flashing blades of Glasgow's gangland underworld to the backstabbing upper echelons of government and big business, Dreghorn and his partner, "Bonnie" Archie McDaid, will have to dig deep into Glasgow society to find out who wanted the man dead and why.

All the while, a sadistic murderer stalks the post-war city, leaving a trail of dead bodies in their wake. As the case deepens, Dreghorn realizes that the answers may lie in his old ties with the victim's family - and the horrors he saw in the Great War.

Edge of the Grave is historical noir at its very best - a gripping mystery that truly transports the reader to the lawless streets and high society of 1930s Glasgow and brings a teeming, chaotic city irresistibly to life."

I will say they leaned a little too hard into the Peaky Blinders aesthetic for the cover...

This is a gripping historical mystery, set in Glasgow, in 1932. It follows two detectives, Dreghorn and McDaid in their investigation to find the killer of the son-in-law of a wealthy and prominent family, found floating in the River Clyde. Their search for the killer reveals the darkest side of Glasgow at that time, filled with murders, violent gangs, prostitution, bribery and more. The book is set both at the time of the investigation and flashes back to Dreghorn's early life and World War I experience. Through the characters he has created, Robbie Morrison has captured violence of the time and the treatment of women, children and the poorer classes, as well as the tragedies World War I. It is, at times, extremely graphic, and definitely gave me pause at some points. It is a mystery that is full of plot twists that held my interest from the start, and a historical fiction that brings vividly to life that time in history, with excellent author's notes at the end. I enjoyed the book and the history. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my complimentary copy from the publisher, through Netgalley. The opinions of my review are my own.

Terrific book. Highly recommend if you are a fan of mysteries with complex plots.

Set in Glasgow Scotland in the early 30’s, when the tough gangs ran things and police corruption was rampant. Two officers, DI James Dreghorn and his partner DS Archibald McDaid are the exceptions. Backed up by their newly appointed Chief Constable Sillitoe they begin to rid the streets of Glasgow of the bullying murderous gangs which leads to a widespread criminal enterprise implicating a moneyed family of Glasgow.

Exciting and well written, with characters that are believable and likable.

Thank to NetGalley for this advanced copy and introducing me to a new author.

Edge of the Grave was good, but not great. The story was interesting, but too long with way too much description of the surroundings, the situation, and the historys of those involved — so much so that I would lose track of where the story was going. I did, however, like the characters, especially Dreghorn and McDaid. It’s a dark and violent picture of Glasgow. I thought I was familiar with Scottish slang, but there were many words that left me scratching my head and distracted.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Edge of the Grave.

I enjoyed “Edge of the Grave,” a historical crime novel set in Glasgow, Scotland in the 1930s. It’s a gritty novel that examines Glasgow’s criminal underworld and class divisions and features well-drawn characters and a multifaceted plot punctuated with a good amount of action and suspense.

In the years before World War I, young Jimmy Dreghorn discovered a talent for boxing. That talent put him not only into the ring but also into the arms of Isla Lockhart, daughter of powerful Glasgow shipbuilder, Ian Lockhart. Lockhart’s son, Rory, will soon command Dreghorn on the battlefield.

Surviving the war along with Rory, Dreghorn returns to Glasgow and forsakes boxing to become a police detective. Now, he and his partner Archie McDaid are tasked with solving the murder of Isla’s husband, a task that will take the detectives from the drawing rooms of the very wealthy to the kitchens of a struggling middle class to Glasgow’s meanest streets, pubs, and brothels.

Scottish author Robbie Morrison has done a fine job giving readers the sounds, sights, and smells of 1930’s Glasgow, a shipbuilding city on the Clyde River economically challenged by the worldwide depression and roiled by the slow unwinding of its class system. His characters are equally fine. Readers should enjoy spending time with them. The heroes are realistic and engaging. Their enemies are truly villainous. Plus, there's a love story and some very good action and suspense, especially towards the end.

I did find a few drawbacks. At times, “Edge of the Grave” seemed somewhat over-long, over-complicated, and over-reliant on coincidence. That, plus an overuse of 1930s Glaswegian slang (including lots of words not appearing in my dictionary or even Wikipedia), sometimes left me feeling a little lost. Then again, other readers may enjoy the complexity and find that the slang enhances the novel’s realism.

As a final point, readers should be aware that “Edge of the Grave” includes portrayals of explicit sex, prostitution, gruesome violence, and child abuse.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Robbie Morrison, and publisher Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my independent opinion.

Okay, the plot feels familiar, even recycled; with at least two big convenient coincidences that will have most readers folding their arms. And yes, the book is too long by a quarter. And sure, the bad guy is apparent too early to anyone who reads these kinds of books. He talks for far too long in the climax, which is a bloated stop-and-start action sequence without even a whiff of crime fiction credibility, And then the denouement drags on and on.

But man, I enjoyed this book.

Great period detail, engaging characters, solid dialogue, and razor sharp prose (if, as noted before, too much of it). Scenes breeze along (until that climax).

A flawed debut that might be just as charming FOR its flaws. I'll likely be along for the sequel.

Four and one-half stars

Review of Uncorrected eBook File

Detective Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn leads the murder investigation when the body of Sir Iain Lockhart’s son-in-law, Charles Geddes, is found floating in the River Clyde. With his partner, Detective Sergeant Archie McDaid, he seeks answers while dealing with the Glasgow gangs and the corruption that seems rife throughout the city.

Trying to keep his past with the Lockhart family from influencing his investigation, Dreghorn doggedly searches for answers as he tackles gangs, corruption, and religious bigotry.

Who is responsible for cutting Gedde’s throat and dumping his body into the Clyde? And why was the man murdered?

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This tale of 1930s Glasgow is filled with violence and danger. Corruption is rife within the police department; respect for the officers is nonexistent. The Depression hasn’t helped; gangs run rampant throughout the city. It is against this backdrop that readers meet Jimmy Dreghorn and Archie McDaid.

Anchored by a strong sense of place, the telling of this tale highlights the violence, the danger, the corruption that the detectives face. Backstories slowly reveal Dreghorn’s relationship with the Lockhart family: Sir Iain’s sponsorship and training of young Jimmy as a boxer, his relationship with Isla, his service during World War I.

Characters are nuanced and believable; the plot twisty and intriguing. It’s a dark, brutal, violent tale, certain to be disturbing for some readers. And yet the telling of this tale is riveting, keeping the reader glued to the page. The history is impeccable, the story both illuminating and tragic.

Readers who enjoy historical crime fiction will find much to ponder in this ominous tale.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam and NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#EdgeoftheGrave #NetGalley

Edge of the Grave by Robbie Morrison showcases meticulously crafted and remarkably relatable characters, each fulfilling their roles with intelligence and depth. Whether likable or despised, their portrayal is aptly executed. The pace of the narrative strikes a perfect balance, gradually building suspense while simultaneously maintaining an engaging momentum. Morrison's exceptional ability to describe the weather, buildings, and landscape immerses readers in a sensory experience, allowing them to vividly feel the dampness and appreciate the allure of the surroundings.

3 stars

I became mired in the Scottish dialect. I looked for a translation guide, but, alas, found none. Not knowing what those words meant really slowed me down and spoiled my enjoyment of the book. I liked McDaid and Dreghorn. The book was awfully slow for me.

The descriptions of Glasgow in 1932 were crisp and somewhat horrifying. The violence and intercultural warfare startled me. Getting beat up because you support the wrong team? Eewww. However, I could clearly visualize the city and its people. Mr. Morrison does a wonderful job of describing the city and its people. I felt transported. I have always wanted to visit Scotland, and felt as though I had a peek at a different life.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing House - Ballantine, Bantam for forwarding to me a copy of this interesting book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.