Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride

The very first Logan McRae novel in the No.1 bestselling crime series from Stuart MacBride. DS Logan McRae and the police in Aberdeen hunt a child killer who stalks the frozen streets. Winter in Aberdeen: murder, mayhem and terrible weather... It's DS Logan McRae's first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn't get much worse. Three-year-old David Reid's body is discovered in a ditch: strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. And he's only the first. There's a serial killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood. Soon the dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. And if Logan isn't careful, he could end up joining them. Editorial Reviews Review Praise for Cold Granite: 'Ferocious and funny, this is Tartan Noir at its best' Val McDermid 'A riveting and gruesome debut' Telegraph 'A gripping debut' Mirror Praise for Stuart MacBride: 'Fierce, unflinching and shot through with the blackest of humour; this is crime fiction of the highest order' Mark Billingham 'MacBride is a damned fine writer - no one does dark and gritty like him' Peter James From the Inside Flap Over nine months ago DS Logan McRae was stabbed in the abdomen by a murder suspect. Now, after a long recuperation, he's finally back on the job in Aberdeen, Scotland. His first day on duty is a long one--the body of a three-year-old boy is found on a riverbank more than three months after he was reported missing. To the horror of even the most experienced cops on the job, all the details from the crime scene and the autopsy point to a ritualistic, sadistic murder--a serial killer. And in fact, their worst suspicions are confirmed when it's not even twenty-four hours before the next child goes missing. Adding pressure to the investigation, the department seems to have a leak--the case's latest news keeps appearing as the next day's headlines. Logan is keen to catch the mole as well as the killer, but it seems impossible. All in all, it's a heavy load for a detective still trying to get reacquainted to the back-breakingly long rainy days and the bleak rainy nights in Aberdeen CID. In the tradition of bestselling writers from the United Kingdom like Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson comes this razor-sharp, remarkable debut. From the Inside Flap Over nine months ago DS Logan McRae was stabbed in the abdomen by a murder suspect. Now, after a long recuperation, he's finally back on the job in Aberdeen, Scotland. His first day on duty is a long one--the body of a three-year-old boy is found on a riverbank more than three months after he was reported missing. To the horror of even the most experienced cops on the job, all the details from the crime scene and the autopsy point to a ritualistic, sadistic murder--a serial killer. And in fact, their worst suspicions are confirmed when it's not even twenty-four hours before the next child goes missing. Adding pressure to the investigation, the department seems to have a leak--the case's latest news keeps appearing as the next day's headlines. Logan is keen to catch the mole as well as the killer, but it seems impossible. All in all, it's a heavy load for a detective still trying to get reacquainted to the back-breakingly long rainy days and the bleak rainy nights in Aberdeen CID. In the tradition of bestselling writers from the United Kingdom like Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson comes this razor-sharp, remarkable debut. From the Back Cover IN A CITY BY THE SEA After a long recuperation from a stab wound, Detective Sergeant Logan McRae's first night back on duty in Aberdeen, Scotland, takes him to a crime scene where the body of a missing boy has been found on a riverbank. To the horror of even the most experienced cops on the job, all the details point to a ritualistic murder--a serial killer. Then twenty-four hours later, another child goes missing. A COP HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD The case's latest developments keep appearing as the next day's headlines, leading the department to believe one of their own is leaking information. Logan is keen to catch the mole as well as the killer, but even with Police Constable Jackie Watson, assigned to help ease him back into the job, it seems impossible. TO ENTER A NEW HELL From the violent world of organized crime to the dark fantasies of a murderer and the naughty games cops play to stay sane, Logan is moving through the Scottish winter in search of a few hard facts. And as the rain turns to snow, as new outrages are discovered, he begins to get his answers: one victim, one deception, and one killer at a time... Solid no sooner is one crime solved than another comes up to keep you turning the pages. --Rocky Mountain News MacBride is starting at the very top with his first book, which approaches the level of Michael Connelly's best work MacBride's writing is so good here that it's hard to believe it's not a sign of staying power. --Flint Journal About the Author Stuart MacBride is the Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae and Ash Henderson novels. His work has won several prizes and in 2015 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Dundee University. Stuart lives in the north-east of Scotland with his wife Fiona, cats Grendel, Onion and Beetroot, and other assorted animals.