July 28

Old Bones Lie – Marion Todd

DI Clare Mackay is about to face a test of her loyalty…

When a report comes in that a van containing two prison officers and a convicted jewel thief is missing, the police in St Andrews work quickly to locate the vehicle. Their efforts prove in vain when no trace is found and they realise the wives of both officers also appear to have left the area. Is this a case of corrupt guards springing a felon, or innocent people caught in the crossfire?

DI Clare Mackay leads the team but has to do without her right hand man; DS Chris West is a cousin to one of the missing prison officers and must not be involved in the case. With a new sergeant at her side plus a previously unencountered DCI, Clare’s people skills are pushed to the limit. Especially once she realises her boss is keeping her on the sidelines. Just what is it that Clare doesn’t know? And if she has to choose between keeping secrets from a friend, or letting slip something that could see a culprit go free, which path will she take?

 

My thanks to Canelo who kindly provided a review copy of Old Bones Lie

 

When I collated my Best Books of 2020 list back in December 2020 I singled out Marion Todd’s See Them Run as the best debut I had read that year. See Them Run was the first DI Clare Mackay book, spin forward to Summer 2022 and I am reviewing Old Bones Lie which is the sixth Clare Mackay book. It’s a series which I absolutely love to read, I look forward to each new release and it is very pleasing to see so many crime readers are also discovering these books and enjoying them as much as I have been.

With an intro like that it should come as no surprise to learn I thoroughly enjoyed Old Bones Lie. It starts with a chilling scene: two couples enjoying an evening in have just ordered takeaway food – a knock at the door turns their world upside down. Next morning Police Scotland are scrambling after reports of a convicted armed robber has been sprung from custody. Two prison guards are unaccounted for, their wives are also missing and not answering their telephones.

Clare Mackay is co-ordinating events but she will lose her right hand man as her DS (Chris) is related to one of the two missing prison guards. He wants to play an active part in the investigation but Clare knows he cannot be involved. It creates a friction within her team and one which needs addressed quickly – Chris will be tasked with investigating a series of thefts of agricultural vehicles and a new DS will be brought in to work with Clare. The fractious issues within Clare’s team will intensify when a new boss is dropped into supervise Clare and the hunt for the missing prisoner. Her new boss is happy to give Clare some leeway to investigate but frustratingly he is taking ownership of some tasks and not sharing his findings or explaning his reasoning and Clare feels hamstrung.

These personnel issues add a fascinating extra layer of frustration into the investigations. Four missing people, an escaped jewel thief and before too long a dead body – someone who was connected to the robbery which led to the imprisonment of the escaped convict. It is a high profile case and events are unfolding quickly. All these elements are great for keeping the intensity of the story running through the chapters and it makes the reader keep those pages turning.

Marion Todd writes in a very readable style and over the course of the six books has developed a great team of characters which returning readers will enjoy meeting again. Old Bones Lie had all the clever plotting and nice reveals which I have come to expect from this series and it’s always a genuine moment of sadness when I reach the end of the book and I know I have a wait until the next is released. But just as I finished reading the news came out that were were three more books to follow so I can content myself with the knowledge I will be returning to Clare’s corner of St Andrews in future.

I recommend lots of authors to different readers when I write blog posts but it is less frequent for me to be recommending a whole series as part of a review. I have no hesitation in recommending all crime fiction fans to seek out the Clare Mackay books. Each can be read as a stand alone mystery but as the titles follow the development of Clare’s team and the changes to her personal life you may wish to seek them out in publication order – as mentioned above, See Them Run is where it all begins.

A firm favourite!  Grab a pack of your favourite biscuits and immerse yourself in these wonderful stories – the latest adventure for DI Clare Mackay is another triumph.

 

Old Bones Lie is published by Canelo and is available in paperback, digital and audiobook format: https://www.waterstones.com/book/old-bones-lie/marion-todd/9781800327306

 

 

Category: 5* Reviews, From The Bookshelf | Comments Off on Old Bones Lie – Marion Todd
May 18

In Plain Sight – Marion Todd

A child’s life is at stake. Which of the residents of St Andrews is hiding something – and why?

When a baby girl is snatched from the crowd of spectators at a fun run, the local police have a major investigation on their hands. DI Clare Mackay and her team are in a race against the clock when they learn that the child has a potentially fatal medical condition.

As Clare investigates she realises this victim wasn’t selected at random. Someone knows who took the baby girl, and why. But will they reveal their secrets before it’s too late?

 

I was invited to join the blog tour of In Plain Sight by Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers.

 

When I completed my review of my favourite reads of 2019 I included Marion Todd’s See Them Run (the first Clare Mackay book) as the best debut I had read last year. I pre-ordered In Plain Sight as soon as I had finished See Them Run and when offered the chance to join the Blog Tour for In Plain Sight I leapt at the chance – this is a series which fans of police procedurals need to be reading.

Easy housekeeping first. In Plain Sight is the second Clare Mackay book, you can easily read it as a stand alone story. Clare left the police in Glasgow to move East and took up a role on the force at St Andrew’s. Anything else you need to know is deftly interwoven into the story by Marion Todd.

I consider myself fairly unflappable when I am reading. Having read numerous dark crime thrillers and grim horror tales for many, many years I find it quite easy to take on what I am reading without being upset by the content. However, In Plain Sight opens with the abduction of a baby from her pram and I found this more disturbing than many hack and slash horror tales.  The prospect of a baby torn away from her parents chilled me and Kudos to the author here as the depiction of the aftermath and the reaction of the parents was brilliant.

Mackay and some of her colleagues were on the scene at the time. The abduction took place during a charity fun run and Clare was due to participate. The frenetic hunt for the baby, the hastily assembled (all hands on deck) squadron and the national appeals for help gives In Plain Sight an urgency which befits the need for a prompt resolution for this crime.

Clare and her colleagues have little to work on initially but the baby’s family may merit closer inspection. Her aunt has a history of drug abuse, the parents don’t seem to be coping (understandably) but is their behaviour suspicious?

A burglary at a chemist shop in nearby Dundee sees a rare drug stolen – one which is specifically needed by the missing baby. The search broadens and soon Clare has a murder to investigate which may be linked to the abduction…or is it? Are the police making links where there are none to be found? With the clock ticking and a baby missing everyone is under real pressure to get answers quickly.

I really enjoyed how Marion Todd executed In Plain Sight. A police procedural where the reader gets to experience the investigation in full. I shared the highs and lows of the case with Mackay and her colleagues and there was great character development built around the story too as we get to know Clare and her colleagues.

Two books into the series and the third on its way later this year. You don’t want to miss the boat with these books – really enjoyable and I don’t hesitate to recommend them.

 

In Plain Sight is published by Canelo and is available in digital download here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07ZGL6B1B/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Category: 5* Reviews, Blog Tours | Comments Off on In Plain Sight – Marion Todd