Despite all the obstacles, McVeigh and the Dunk are successful in unearthing new clues to the identity of "the Bloodsmith", including apparent links to the elite St. Nicholas's College. Can they capture the killer before he (or she) strikes again? This novel takes the reader into some uncomfortable reading and spins the reader sideways with all the twists and turns. No spoilers but it will mess with you head! A really enjoyable read, very dark in many places. And Scottish - so I found myself reading it in a Scottish accent.

Oldcastle – STUART MACBRIDE Oldcastle – STUART MACBRIDE

But there was always the writing (well, that's not true, the writing only started two chapters above this one). I fell victim to that most dreadful of things: peer pressure. Two friends were writing novels and I thought, 'why not? I could do that'. It’s 17 months since The Bloodsmith killed his first victim, and the police are no nearer to catching him. Operation Maypole has run out of clues, the public have lost faith in them, the media are giving them a hammering, and The Top Brass are demanding answers. BUT....while subject matter, characters & their roles/relationships may feel familiar, don't get too comfy. And lose that smug little smile. I guarantee you have no idea where this is heading. To be honest, at one point I wondered if a "Dallas" style moment was pending...a scene where everyone wakes up & realizes it was all a dream.This heralds the arrival of the aforementioned last 20% & THAT ending. There is nothing I can say without blabbing a potential spoiler so at this point, I'm walking away. You're on our own. Stay alert, keep hydrated, maybe strap on a helmet. My only comment is W...T...F... I view Dunk as the alter ego of the author. MacBride is laughing at himself. Not just comedy relief then, but a statement of where he fits into this cultural environment — fiction based on reality. Dunk is constantly complaining about writers who don’t use punctuation properly in their reports and, at one point, likens himself Dr. Watson following Holmes (Lucy) — in other words, a writer, telling a story about Lucy’s investigative prowess. I would like to thank both Netgalley and the publisher, for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Then around the 80% mark the story takes a sharp turn. I was expecting some of it—the foreshadowing of Lucy’s PTSD—but not all of it. There are more twists and turns through the last 20%, some I liked and some I didn’t like. But at the end, I was left with an uneasy feeling, because many of the killers escaped justice. In real life, this is often true, but most of us read thrillers because we want things to end right, the culprits caught, and justice to prevail. When an author doesn’t give us that satisfaction, we are left with a feeling of unease. Yes, MacBride throws us tidbits: not all the culprits escape; some are captured/killed. But some flourish.

No Less the Devil trailer – STUART MACBRIDE No Less the Devil trailer – STUART MACBRIDE

This is a difficult review to write. Throughout most of the story, I felt it was a five-star read, then came the ending, which disappointed me—it didn’t feel right—and so I lowered my internal rating system to four stars. Then waited a while to ensure I got it right.Well, this new novel from Stuart MacBride is bound to stir up some controversy amongst his readers! Anyway, there were also parts of this book that made me wonder if I'd lost my mind so look out for that... So....I'm anxiously waiting for some of my book buddies to grab this & read it because we need to talk. Don't worry, we'll skip past the first 80%. I'm referring to the last bit, the final chapters I read with my mouth hanging open. But in the meantime, a few thoughts on the story & how it all began. Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me... always fast, hard, authentic - and different' LEE CHILD

No Less the Devil’ by Stuart MacBride Book Review: ‘No Less the Devil’ by Stuart MacBride

It's been seventeen months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer to catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast.First I am so sorry to hear of the death of your beloved cat, Grendel, we don't have them for long but miss them so much. I adore Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae character and series. Oh my heart sang when I read Cold Granite - it was a revelation to me, a gritty, dark, evil, murder-filled crime thriller that made me laugh! If you've never read it then I highly recommend it. No Less The Devil is a standalone crime thriller by bestselling Scottish author Stuart MacBride, known for his brilliant Logan McRae / Roberta Steel and Ash Henderson series. Set in the fictional Scottish city of Oldcastle, No Less The Devil fits within the Ash Henderson universe, but like A Dark So Deadly features its own set of unique characters. It is a lengthy story which lurches from one improbable scenario to another and is not one of the author’s most entertaining books. The storyline is as expertly plotted as I've come to expect from the MacBride books. As an author myself, I love deconstructing the plot lines and following the different strands through. As a reader, every twist and turn, every carefully placed piece of additional information, every morsel of information all come together to a satisfying, grab you by the throat, fast paced read.

No Less the Devil - Stuart MacBride - The Bookery No Less the Devil - Stuart MacBride - The Bookery

If you don't believe that the human mind is the most dangerous place on earth, you are probably not going to get the most out of this book. Stuart MacBride delves into the deepest recesses of the mind: PTSD, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations and psychopathy. Delicious stuff for me! No Less the Devil by Stuart MacBride is a stand alone police crime novel and it introduces Detective Sergeant Lucy McVeigh to the MacBride stable of police officers. This is totally different from the previous books of Ash Henderson and Logan McRae police series.I was really enjoying the book but couldn't really get my head around the character change towards the end! Not typical of the stuart macbride books I love. I will continue to read the logan macrae books and the fantastic standalones that don't have such unexpected endings. It seemed too much of a switch at the end and left me scratching my head thinking 'why?' It's been 17 months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer catching him.