Cast a Cold Eye by Robbie Morrison is a riveting novel filled with intense action and memorable characters. The story weaves a hypnotic spell that captivates you from beginning to end. It is a compelling blend of drama and suspense that will leave a lasting impression on anyone who reads it.

Cast A Cold Eye was a struggle for me. I found the dialogue off-putting and the plot a wandering yawn. The Glasgow setting was what attracted me to Robbie Morrison's novel. I put it down several times but felt obligated to finish it. After all, the publisher wasw kind enough to provide me an ARC.
Thanks to NetGalley as well.

This is character driven noir at its finest. Set in Glasgow in the 1930s this is the second book in the Jimmy Dreghorn Mystery series and it is every bit as good as the first. Even though this can easily be read as a stand alone, I strongly recommend reading the first book in the series, "Edge of the Grave" first and then this one because you'll get the full effect of the character development. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Books for an advanced reader copy.

This is book 2 in the Jimmy Dreghorn series. Glasgow, 1933. Set in the Depression era, where murder is not uncommon. Jimmy and his partner must try to solve the murder before it leads to more. With political tensions rising, can they prevent a wave of murders?

Good crime drama/mystery as the MC's unravel and investigate current crimes that tie back to the previous decade, and inner-police group rivalries and secrets. The book has a slow pace but it was well written and still had me interested pretty consistently. Even though it wasn't super unpredictable, the journey of the book held it's own well so you could still enjoy it while having your suspicions.

I enjoyed learning the history of the 1930's Glasgow and the 1921 Ireland as the book explored the current landscape of Jimmy and McDaid in Glasgow but revisited past turmoil and atrocities with the Black and Tans in Ireland. So violent and sad, that period of time in Ireland. I thought the book did well at showing the humanity of the characters in such a volatile landscape.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. All opinions are mine.

Cast a Cold Eye is a decent police procedural set in Scotland during the 1930 era. It begins straight off with action with little to no explanation so it leaves you with a feel you picked of the second or third book in the series instead of the first. The characters and action are well portrayed and it paints a picture of a morally grey time in history when police work and crime where sometimes hand in hand and bribery was something not always easy to resist in the depression era.

All in all this was a decent police procedural/political mystery. I have to say I struggled to finish it. After hanging in there it is a well written portrayal of the gangs, the history of Scotland/Ireland, and the political strife and poverty of the time. There are multiple plot threads that bounce back and forth as the story unfolds and I found myself having to think about it as it was a bit jarring to have the plot switch off topic to revisit or introduce something else and back again as the plots weaved around each other. Overall though it is a stark reminder of a violent time in history and the desperation to have a better life by any means possible criminal or otherwise. It’s an interesting read.

This story gives a very detailed look at the social and political turmoil affecting Ireland in the early 1930’s. Jimmy Dreghorn, who is a detective is the main character of the story. Throughout the story he has several conflicts and crises of conscience that could change the direction of the investigation. The plot goes off in many directions as the officers chase the many leads. The characters are interesting and the author adds to their authenticity by use of language. Readers will enjoy digging into this story and solving the mystery.

First time reading Robbie Morrison and Cast a Cold Eye was a decent police procedural/political mystery, set Scotland 1930's.
Almost DNF the book, which was a struggle and probably should have been shorter in length. Turned out to be a good story, the
police department, the gangs, the history of Scotland/Ireland, and the political/sectarian BS that ends up happening along the way. Good cast of characters, plenty of plot twists, and a bit of action to spice it up.
Thanks to NetGalley, author Robbie Morrison, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam for the ARC.

It’s a wonderful book, a wonderful series, and I eagerly await the next Inspector Dreghorn and Sergeant McDaid Scottish tale of murder and mayhem.

Depression era Glasgow is so well described you can a feel the cold rooms when there is no coal, hear the growling bellies when food is scarce. Theft and petty crime, gang warfare, illegal Irish Sweepstakes gambling, plain old every day murder combined with the rising threat of the IRA keeps local law enforcement on their toes. The Dreghorn/ McDaid partnership works like a well-oiled machine piecing together the various crimes into a surprising conclusion.

Reading Morrison is like eating an Outback blooming onion, more delicious with each slice until you’re sorry it’s all gone. The Scottish brogue and local color might be off putting to some but I enjoyed it. In my humble opinion, this is a bang up sequel.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this uncorrected proof.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as I did the first in this series. It is an intriguing historical mystery set in Glasgow in the 1930's. Based on actual people and events, (author's notes at the end are a must read) Robbie Morrison weaves a tale of corruption and murder that crosses two countries, and a decade of time. As detectives Dreghorn and McDaid search for those responsible for the attacks and murders, they find themselves and WPC Ellen in grave danger. I love the way the author has created all of his characters, building a history for his detectives - Dreghorn, the loner, haunted by his service in WWI, and McDaid, also haunted, but with a wife and "weans" at home to balance the horror of the crimes he deals with. The character of Ellen Duncan, an intelligent, dedicated WPC, represents the struggle for women to obtain a spot as a detective and is most inspiring! The narrative of the book delves into the history and motivation of the criminals, so you know what has driven them to commit their violent, heinous acts. The author makes Glasgow come alive in the book with his use of dialect, and his descriptions throughout. I have to Scotland there and that was a favorite aspect of the book. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of the book. The opinions of the review are my own.

This is the second book in the series. In some ways I liked it better than the first because I've become attached to the characters and am now familiar with 1930s Glasgow This book contains plenty of action and plot twists. My only complaint is that at times I found it to be a little difficult to follow,

Thanks to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The unquestioned positives:
The author paints the picture of Depression Era Scotland to a level that you feel a part of the story. The leads are great and well drawn.

The problems maybe self-inflicted, but I did try to take a clinical reference point

1. the book relies on knowledge from the first in the series. No a lot, but enough to be jarring.
2. the story is hidden in the violence and espionage, so it's more Ellroy than Chandler.

I reccomend, with the caveat of knowing what you're signing up for.

In Glasgow in 1933, murder is nothing new, especially to war veterans Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and his partner, “Bonnie” Archie McDaid. But the dead man found in a narrowboat on the Forth and Clyde Canal, executed with a single shot to the back of the head, is no ordinary killing.
Violence usually occurs in the heat of the moment—the razor-gangs that stalk the streets settle scores with knives and fists, however firearms suggest something more sinister, especially when the killer strikes again. Meanwhile, other forces are stirring within the city. A suspected IRA cell is at large, embedded within the criminal gangs and attracting the ruthless attention of Special Branch agents from London. Dreghorn and McDaid pursue an investigation into the dark heart of humanity—where one man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist, and noble ideals are swept away by bloody vengeance.

I requested this book after reading the author's first book, Edge of the Grave. I enjoyed this one as well as the author expands on the situation in Glasgow during the depression. My only complaint is that I wish a glossary could be included to the meaning of all the Scottish words/slang used in the book, even more than the author's first book. I can guess at most of them but not all. Otherwise, it is a good story, but not for the faint of heart as there is a good bit of violence. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the author's second book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The characters were likable and the story was engaging. I would recommend this book to others.

A mystery set in the 1930s Scotland.. It dragged a bit which is why I gave it 3 stars instead of 4.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advance copy. All my opinions are my own.

In Robbie Morrison's Cast a Cold Eye, Book 2 of the Jimmy Dreghorn series, Dreghorn and his partner, McDaid are tasked with solving a vicious crime. A man is shot execution style on a boat with no witnesses and fewer clues. Though this sounds not too unusual in the present day, in 1930's Glasgow, it was an anomaly. This could be a typical detective crime or police procedural, but what keeps readers turning pages is its focus on the culture of the times, the attitudes of policing from those days, and--no surprise--the gung-ho female police person--Ellen--who struggles to prove herself in a time across the globe when women in authority were still considered coffee-fetchers and also-rans.  Though this isn't her story, Ellen adds a spark to the policing as she inserts her own unusual and unexpected ideas into the case backed up with the internal fortitude to follow them through.

More than anything else, what sets Cast a Cold Eye apart from other stories in this genre is the author's detailed-oriented voice. See if you agree:

"Strachan’s heavy ginger mustache twitched like a slug sprinkled with salt..."

This line is typical of many others and always made me pause to ponder Morrison's unusual mental image. Maybe because of that--not sure--but I did find it a tad slow at times, though never boring.

"In 1930s Glasgow, partners Jimmy Dreghorn and Archie McDaid face a danger that threatens to set their city aflame - the second novel in the acclaimed mystery series that began with Edge of the Grave.

Glasgow, 1933. Murder is nothing new in the Depression-era city, especially to war veterans Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and his partner, "Bonnie" Archie McDaid. But the dead man found in a narrowboat on the Forth and Clyde Canal, executed with a single shot to the back of the head, is no ordinary killing.

Violence usually erupts in the heat of the moment - the razor-gangs that stalk the streets settle scores with knives and fists. But firearms suggest something more sinister, especially when the killer strikes again.

Meanwhile, other forces are stirring within the city. A suspected IRA cell is at large, embedded within the criminal gangs and attracting the ruthless attention of Special Branch agents from London.

With political and sectarian tensions rising and the body count mounting, Dreghorn and McDaid pursue an investigation into the dark heart of humanity - where one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist, and noble ideals are swept away by bloody vengeance."

One of my friends has been spending a lot of time in Glasgow so I'm now a little Glasgow obsessed. OK, a lot Glasgow obsessed.

Scottish-noir, maps, Glasgow, historical-fiction, historical-places-events, historical-research, history-and-culture, thriller, due-diligence, investigations, violence, violent-crimes, unputdownable, triggers, crime-fiction, suspense, law-enforcement, procedural, PTSD, espionage, misogyny, murders, international-crimes, international-espionage, international-tensions, gangs*****

The years between the wars was a brutal time in every country with problems that were almost universal in policing. Detective Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and Sergeant Archibald McDaid were working in Glasgow Scotland with a stark look into the world of criminal behaviors and political extremism worthy of calling on the Special Branch.

I requested and received an EARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Bantam via NetGalley.
#JimmyDreghornMysteriesBk2 **Pub Date 09 Apr 2024 #ScottishNoir #HistoricalPolicing

A great followup to Edge of the Grave. In fact, I liked it more -- and I liked the first book a lot.

The characters are looser and having fun; the chemistry between Dreghorn and McDaid zings along, and secondary characters develop shades and angles. The story is less contrived this time around; the mystery is still not particularly mind-bending, but takes us into a world of cops and robbers that allows for more fun and some thrilling set pieces. Period detail continues to transport me into a world I welcome with two arms.

My only nit, and nit it is, is that the mystery is explained twice at the end of the book, and in perhaps more detail than anyone really needs -- creating a little bit of a drag on the finish.

But in all, a jump up from a great start, and guarantee that I'll be around for the third book. Going to give it a five, though it's more like a 4.7.

Cast a Cold Eye
by Robbie Morrison
Pub Date: April 9, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
In 1930s Glasgow, partners Jimmy Dreghorn and Archie McDaid face a danger that threatens to set their city aflame—the second novel in the acclaimed mystery series that began with Edge of the Grave .
I liked this one a lot! Gritty, raw and riveting.
Cast a Cold Eye is another atmospheric, gripping, highly entertaining thriller by Morrison that is a fabulous addition to a series, with its unique historical setting, action-packed storyline, and gritty, complex characters, that’s quickly becoming one of my favorites.
5 star