Thanks, @netgalley, for the ARC.

This book really encapsulates the murky criminal underworld in the east end of Glasgow, where 2 brothers must resort to a life of crime in order to survive.
The characters were great, as was the writing, great description that felt as though you were right in amongst the action.
I have not heard of this author before but look forward to reading any future books.

Matt and Craig Pagen are two Glasgow lads that have a lot of growing up to do. Living with their father and having no steady employment, the boys work odd jobs with their friends to make ends meet and move into an apartment on their own. Drinking and finding women to sleep with him are Craig’s main priorities, while Matt is the more reserved brother looking for more of a real relationship.

This story chronicles the boys’ adventures with their friends, from the jobs and swindles they take part in to their relationships with family and friends. Throughout the book we see both Matt and Craig grow up while maintaining the characteristics that make them interesting individuals. We also get a glimpse into the lives of their pals, with a couple of chapters coming from their perspectives instead of the main protagonists.

Overall I thought this was a fun coming of age story. I’m a sucker for anything set in Scotland, and the maturity of the boys’ relationships throughout helped redeem some of the stupid things they said/did in the beginning of the book. I think it’s a good reminder that no matter who you’ve been in the past, you’re deserving of love and happiness as you work on improving yourself.

i really enjoyed this book. i wasnt sure i was ready for the deep dive into a crime novel which in a way made it all the more of a great read for me.
i was really immersed in both our character, what they went through and how they explained or tried to explained away what they did. it was a real testimant to the author how he describes them, the other characters and the setting. i felt like i could be viewing them in 3d. the description of both activity and place were brilliant. it had great fleshing of all the characters be it main or minor. and great description of the locations. i felt like i could picture in my mind every scene. the flow was also beautiful. i felt like i was carried through it with great crime jauntiness!

I grew up in Glasgow and this was a nostalgic trip. I was transported back there and felt like I'd never left.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.