This was a very tense story all the way through. Public servants being adversly affected by the jobs they do, withoutthe support they need. Some very vivid characters and a compelling story line.

OMG! What a great read. I love the way this series is unfolding and I love Malkie as a character. He's tortured, kind, empathetic, smooth, rough and all the complex contradictions of someone who needs reminding of his true worth.
This took us into the dark world of deliberate fire setting and this darkness was compounded by personal revelations affecting Malkie and Steph.
Beautifully nuanced and quite addictive. I loved it!

Having previously read and enjoyed the other two books in this series I really enjoyed this book. I flew through it. Thanks for the opportunity to review

Book 3 in the DS Malkie McCulloch series. A bit of a slow burner it didn’t really get going until half way through but then it became gripping! It’s nice to see how the main characters are developing over the series.

The third book in the series about Detective Malkie McCulloch and just as well written as the previous books. I was gripped from the start, as the team set out to solve the mystery of who was burnt alive in a bonded whisky warehouse.. Malkie works closely with the Fire Service Investigator as they seek answers to the cause of the fire and which Service is responsible for the investigation. Alongside this, bith Malkie and his DC Steph are dealing with their own personal trauma.
A gripping story that can be read as part of the series or as a standalone.
Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I look forward to the next one.

This is the third book in the DS Malkie McCulloch series that is set in Scotland. The story opens with a body discovered in the aftermath of a fire in the Whiskey Distillery. Malkie struggles in the beginning of this investigation because he is still traumatized by the death of his mother in a house fire.
Detective Stephanie Sinclair is his partner, and she is struggling with some personal issues. The two have become close, and they encourage, support and worry about each other a lot.
As the two investigate the scene, they discover that one of the firemen died while trying to put the fire out. As details emerge, they become suspicious of the fireman's death. Their investigation leads them to try and discover the identity of the first body as well as the fireman. There are many entanglements with both- and the story takes a dark turn.
As with his previous ovels, the atmosphere is dark and adds dimension and tension to the unraveling of the mystery. Malkie and Stephanie are complicated characters, each dealing with traumatic issues. They are honest about their flaws, but this makes them a strong team. I am enjoying getting to know both of them on a deeper level.
The mystery is good, and definitely dark. I really enjoyed my time with Malkie! Looking forward to the next installment of this excellent series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I have read and enjoyed the previous 2 books in this series. This one does refer back to some of the cases in the other books, so although you can read it as a stand-alone, it is probabily better to read the books as the series. As the book starts, Malkie and Steph are investigating a fire in a whisky warehouse. A body is found and a firefighter loses his life during the incident. Malkie's mother also died in a fire so this is difficult for him emotionally. Steph also has problems in her personal life .
I enjoyed this book, enough action and you do get a good sense of life in the Scottish town. The characters of Malkie and Steph are developed further and their relationships with others and each other explored. I did think that Malkie's relationship with Deborah felt a bit tacked on rather than being an intrinsic part of the plot . It is a good read on the whole though.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

3.75 ⭐️ (round up to 4) - Doug Sinclair’s ''A Deadly Flame'' is the third installment in a series that immerses readers in a gripping mystery set against the evocative backdrop of a whiskey distillery in Scotland. While I hadn’t read the first two books, Sinclair manages to create a compelling story that stands on its own, though I occasionally felt I was missing some background details from previous installments.

The narrative begins slowly, requiring a bit of patience as it establishes the setting and characters. However, after the first third, the story takes off, pulling readers into its thrilling core. Anna Galbraith's world shatters when she learns that her husband’s distillery has burned to the ground, leaving behind not just the wreckage but also a body inside. Tragically, her husband isn’t the only victim; a young firefighter has also perished, leaving a grief-stricken fiancée just weeks away from their wedding day. This devastating opening sets the stage for a gripping investigation that quickly escalates.

As Detective Sergeant Malkie McCulloch delves into the Galbraith family’s affairs, he uncovers hidden financial struggles that raise questions about the seemingly perfect marriage Anna portrayed. The tension intensifies when another shocking attack on a firefighter occurs, followed by the discovery of another body, assaulted and set alight in their own home. It becomes clear that a frenzied killer is on the loose, and Malkie must confront not only the case but also his own painful memories of his mother’s death in a fire. This personal connection adds emotional depth to his character and heightens the stakes of the investigation.

Sinclair introduces a myriad of characters right from the start, which can be overwhelming. At times, my head was spinning with the number of names thrown at me, and I felt that some characters could have been introduced without their names, especially since not all play a significant role in the story. Additionally, the use of police jargon and abbreviations could benefit from some explanation, as it occasionally added to the confusion for readers unfamiliar with the terminology.

What truly shines in this book is the classic feel of a thrilling BBC detective series translated into literary form. The atmospheric setting of a whiskey distillery not only enhances the narrative but also serves as a character in its own right, adding depth and intrigue to the plot.

Among the well-drawn characters, Malkie stands out as a personal favorite. His perspective, shared through internal thoughts, makes him relatable and easy to root for, providing a nice balance to the more intense moments of the investigation.

Overall, A Deadly Flame is an engaging read that will satisfy fans of crime fiction and psychological thrillers. While it may take some time to fully immerse yourself in the story, the payoff is well worth it, delivering a thrilling experience steeped in the complexities of human relationships and the haunting specter of the past.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for sending me a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

DS Malkie McCulloch's third outing, this time for a fire at a whisky bonded warehouse where a dead body was found in one of the offices and A firefighter lost his life. There are so many variables, was the fire arson? Was the firefighter's equipment faulty? Was the person dead before the fire was started? Did they start the fire? Why did one of the fire-fighters take the dead firefighters breathing apparatus away in contravention of standard procedure? Why was one firefighter shouting at another?

This was a gripping detective story, although the prologue made it obvious (to me) what had happened (although not necessarily why). However, ... I feel that in his attempts to create some personal lives for Malkie and Steph outside the cases Doug Sinclair draws with a very thick pen and is repetitious, very repetitious, to the point where, frankly, I no longer believed in the storyline. (view spoiler)

I also find Doug Sinclair's depiction of women a bit problematic, you might argue that no-one comes out of this looking good and that would be a fair point, but I just feel that one way or another they are all victims. I said with the first book that maybe these were too dark and tortured for me and this has reinforced that view.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

A suspicious fire, a found body and drama amongst the firefighters...

DS Malkie McCulloch is the detective up for this case, which not only killed someone inside the burnt whisky distillery but also one of the responding firefighters. Factor in his recent loss of his mother in a house fire, and he's incredibly invested to solve this crime. As he investigates, he finds suspicious behavior within the team of firefighters - odd handling of the gear and attacks on team members. What does this have to do with the circumstances?

I found the beginning difficult to keep the characters straight, and a little tough to follow. By the midpoint, things began to click and I was able to zip through the rest.

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Doug Sinclair for the eARC.

This book had me gripped from the first page and reading into the wee small hours, Doug Sinclair is a new author to me and this book is the third in the series, it can totally be read as a standalone but I will definitely be reading the first two, I need to know what makes these brilliant, complex characters tick.
A fire is the last thing that DS Malkie McCulloch needed after the death of his mother in a house fire, the reality of which Malkie still had to face, his team were worried but Malkie knew that he had to face this, thankfully this fire was in a whiskey distillery not in a house.
Malkie was a good detective, sometimes pushing the boundaries, happy to stay as a DS but he had his own demons to fight. Malkie knew that his coping mechanism would be pushed to the limit when a charred body was found at the heart of the fire.
Malkie's partner, DC Steph Lang is also a complex character, the product of a rough upbringing, Steph had fought her way to where she is now, having to prove worth in a man's world to gain their respect, Steph was fighting her own demons and not always winning.
The gut feeling radar of Malkie and Steph is on full alert, the elegant surgeon wife of the distillery owner was adamant that he was away on business but became distraught when she couldn't reach him, a young female firefighter was crying and yelling accusations when the body of a young male firefighter was dragged from the building and just as the investigation was getting underway, another body was found in a house fire.
This book is definitely unputdownable, there are wonderful, if complex, characters, there is nail biting suspense, there are red herrings by the bucketful as Malkie, Steph and the team battle for answers. I love the way that the author has obviously done research for this book, the complexities of running a whiskey distillery etc, a very well deserved five stars.
Thank you Storm Publishing and Net Gallery for this ARC, my review is my own.

Fire kills!

Scottish police procedural mystery with an interesting group of characters. Detective Sergeant Malkie McCulloch and Detective Constable Stephanie Lang have each other’s backs. Malkie is still recovering from the death of his cancer stricken mother in a fire. A candle left burning caused the fire. Malkie had bought her a candle for her birthday. He obsesses that the tragedy might have been his fault.
Now eight months later he’s confronted with another fire investigation and the death of someone sleeping inside the warehouse. A fireman on duty dies in the conflagration.
Meanwhile Steph is coping with news about her true father, a first rate scumbag and rapist.
I went from wondering who these people were to becoming completely immersed in their lives.
Now I have to catch-up on previous titles by Sinclair.

A Storm ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

Does dim rhaid aros yn hir cyn i’r holl gyffro ddechrau yn y nofel hon, y drydedd yn y gyfres ac mae Malkie a Steph yn ymchwilio i dân mewn warws chwisgi. Mae’r nofel yn rhoi darlun cyflawn i ni o’r ddau dditectif wrth iddynt ddefnyddio eu gwaith anodd i ddianc ac anghofio am drallod a phroblemau eu bywyd personol. Mae mentro i ymchwilio i dân ychydig fisoedd ar ôl colli ei fam mewn tân yn dod â hen hunllefau yn ôl i Malkie ond mae’n dal ati er mwyn ceisio datrys y dirgelwch diweddaraf. Mae Steph hefyd yn brwydro yn erbyn bwganod ei gorffennol ac yn ceisio rheoli ei theimladau wrth iddi geisio dygymod â’i bywyd personol. Roedd y cydweithio rhwng yr Heddlu a’r Gwasanaeth Tân yn ddiddorol ac fe wnes i fwynhau elfen ddynol y ditectifs gan ddangos fod gan bob un ohonom ein dirgelion ein hunain. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at y pedwerydd yn y gyfres.

We don’t have to wait long for action in this novel, the third in the series and Malkie and Steph are investigating a fire in a whisky warehouse. The novel gives us the full picture of both detectives as they use their challenging work to escape and forget the tragedies and problems of their personal lives. Investigating a fire a few months after losing his mother in a fire brings back old nightmares for Malkie, but he keeps going in order to solve the latest mystery. Steph is also battling the horrors of her past and tries to control her feelings as she tries to cope with her personal life. The collaboration between the Police and the Fire Service was interesting and I enjoyed seeing the human side of the detectives proving we all have our own mysteries. I’m excited to read the next in the series!

🔥A bit complex, tortured main characters😰

Normally I prefer murder mysteries focused more on solving the crime than on the lives of the detectives working the case. But Malkie and Steph, the two principal officers assigned to a messy case involving a warehouse fire with two casualties, have complex emotional issues that feature at some length in A Deadly Flame and added nice touches of drama to the story.

I found some of the jargon and procedural safety issues for the fire crew that responds to the blaze and loses a crew member a bit TMI, but the way the fire officials and police had to tiptoe around sharing case information was interesting. And there were some excellent surprises in the end. I would definitely read more in this series, for the cases and for the development of the thread about Malkie's mother's death and how Steph deals with her wretched family.

Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Third book from Doug Sinclair I have read. Another Malkie McCulloch adventure of this complex DS. And another enjoyable quick read. Looking forward to book four. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advanced copy of A Deadly Flame.

Malkie and his partner are called to the scene of a building fire. They find a body in the building deceased and a firefighter also dies in the fire. During the investigation they find out that the fire may be covering up something more sinister.

I was not a fan of this book. This is the third book in a series and I did not read the previous two books. I did not enjoy the writing style and it was hard to connect to the characters. I just found the plot kind of boring and it did not grab my attention or interest.

Another excellent book in the Malkie McCulloch series.
Malkie attends a fire in a whisky warehouse where there is a dead body, but the fire is too fierce for the firefighters to retrieve the body immediately. This is a really good police procedural, including the fire brigade investigation, and complicated relationships between the firefighters causing more issues. We also find out what is happening to Malkie's colleagues, friends and family, particularly Steph who is going through a hard time. It's very nice to meet these characters again, and I look forward to the next book.

This was my first book of Doug's and it won't be my last, this was a ride from the start to the end, I got to the end and had to sit for a solid minute just string at it.

A Deadly Flame is an exciting police procedural that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat right until the very end. All that you know is a whiskey distillery burned to the ground. A body, as yet unidentified, was found inside, and a young firefighter also died, possibly because of faulty equipment. DS Malkie McCulloch is heading up the investigation and must work alongside the fire investigators to discover how the fire started, was it intentional, was the unidentified person a murder victim or a casualty of the fire?

Fingers are pointed, information is withheld, suspects look guilty except for “gut feelings” which don’t count for much in court. Theories are formulated, discarded, brought forth again. It’s non-stop action and thrills.

In addition to the investigation, there is a lot going on in the lives of Malkie, his co-worker and good friend Steph, and others. Disturbing events that may impact their careers. A Deadly Flame is the third book in the DS Malkie McCulloch series. There is enough in this story to make it work as a standalone but you may want to go back and learn the main characters’ backstories.

Thanks to Storm Publishing for providing an advance copy of A Deadly Flame via NetGalley. It kept me glued to the page wondering what would happen next, guessing over and over who was guilty and who was not, and provided a very satisfying conclusion. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

A Deadly Flame
by Doug Sinclair
Pub Date: Oct 31 2024

A Deadly Flame is the third and latest installment of the DS Malkie McCulloch series written by author, Doug Sinclair. If you haven't read the first two books in the series it can be read as a stand-alone. I felt the plot was very good, it kept me hooked the entire time, it was full of twists and turns with lots of mystery and action. The characters were very complex, a very convincing story!

Synopsis: She opens the door to find two police officers waiting on her doorstep. Fear flashes through her. 'Can we come in?' they ask. 'It’s about your husband…'. Anna Galbraith's world shatters when she hears the devastating her husband’s whisky distillery has burned to the ground and a body has been found inside. But her husband wasn’t the only victim – a young firefighter perished too, leaving behind a grief-stricken fiancée only weeks away from their wedding day.

Many thanks to #ADeadlyFlame #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me with an E-ARC of this 5 star book.