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There is also the astonishingly descriptive prose that is unique to Mr MacBride. He can convey, thoughts, sounds, places, weather, pain, expressions like no-one else I have ever read. The man is a gifted, literary genius. I felt that same adrenaline buzz that I felt from Cold Granite when reading one of his perfect turns of phrase. Thank you so much for writing books! McVeigh is a very complex character. She has the potential to ride all the way to the top in her police career. She gets results and isn’t afraid to bend the rules to get them. She is joined by her partner, The Dunk, which brings some much-needed satirical relief. An anti-establishment character who isn’t afraid to tell you what he thinks about those in power. He was my favourite character with his “unfit” ramblings whilst trying to keep up w No Less the Devil is most definitely a tale of two parts. The first 80% is a taut, twisty detective novel with wit and sarcasm aplenty…the norm for a Stuart MacBride novel. The last 20% however, had me flummoxed. I uttered the words WTF a lot and found myself physically scratching my head. If this was the plot all along it felt incredibly rushed and didn’t make much sense. I can’t give much more away without big spoilers, trust me, you’ll just have to read it for yourself. There were times when it was a 3, and also times when it was a 5+++ so in the end I've plumped for a 4.
No Less the Devil by Stuart MacBride | Goodreads No Less the Devil by Stuart MacBride | Goodreads
Well, Lucy does her utmost to follow all the leads they have, starting with revisiting the homes of the victims where they indeed find some clues to work with. These clues take them to such unfamiliar places as the home of Benedict’s parents and to a very, very posh school for gifted children. Soon after Lucy and Dunk make some progress, there is another spanner in the works because now Lucy seems to be followed, not only by a suspect, but also by Charlie, a policeman from Professional Standards. Overall, this is far from being the authors best book and it’s not one for me. It’s a real shame as there is the makings of a very good plot here but it gets lost along a convoluted and meandering way. 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 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. 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.As a huge fan of the McRae series and having read some of this series I was delighted to be given an ARC of No Less The Devil.. 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! Gosh I LOVED this. So very much. Stuart Macbride has always been a "go to" author for me when I want twisted plotting, brilliantly vivid characters and unexpected outcomes, alongside his trademark dark humour. No Less The Devil is more than just a crime fiction novel though. It is a stunning commentary on post Covid society and MacBride has chosen to mainly provide this commentary through the eyes of The Dunc, which works beautifully in my opinion. Well, if you like a read that has you on board the train to crazy town, then jump aboard this one! I usually love Stuart MacBride’s books but I’m extremely confused dot com about this one. In the first three quarters there are some intriguing plot twists, there’s tension and suspense. There are genuine moments of chill as you’d expect from this author and it looks like it’s shaping up for a jaw dropping ending. You are but not in the way you might expect. Lucy is an very interesting central character and a bit different which I do like and there are some good puzzles created through her.
No Less The Devil | Stuart MacBride | 9781787634909 | NetGalley No Less The Devil | Stuart MacBride | 9781787634909 | NetGalley
I am now hoping for a Study Notes guide to accompany No Less The Devil so that I have a smidgeon of a chance of understanding what on earth actually happened in the endI received a suprise copy of No Less the Devil by Stuart McBride from Penguin Books Australia and immediately my husband stole it and read it. So here are his thoughts: And if anyone has the real Stuart McBride, please return him to his writing desk for his next book! Wow, I get so excited when a new Stuart MacBride book comes out and I try to savour it ... However, that doesn't always go to plan, because master of storytelling, gritty crime fiction and tartan humour, MacBride, generally has me wheeching through the book at a rate of knots. Lucy & Fraser begin revisiting the old crime scenes & turns out there is something new. Plus, thanks to a chilling prologue, readers know more than our intrepid duo which helps ramp up the tension as the investigation takes on new life. Now don’t ask me why, but I have to admit that I had not got round to reading any Stuart Macbride books, prior to this one. Not sure why, always intended to and have a few on my shelves.
Book review: No Less the Devil, by Stuart MacBride - The Scotsman
It's been seventeen months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast.
It's fair to say DS Lucy McVeigh doesn't have a huge amount of confidence in her partner DC Duncan Fraser, commonly called the Dunk! Unfortunately they've just been assigned to the team involved in Operation Maypole, investigating a serial killer known in the Scottish press as the Bloodsmith so they will be working closely on everything. There is very little to go on however, and most of those involved feel they are getting nowhere fast.
No Less The Devil by Stuart MacBride | Waterstones
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.
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With "No Less The Devil" he has outdone himself. Fully absorbing, both hilarious and very very disturbing this novel is a tale of two halves and goes nowhere you could expect or predict. If you are looking for Stuart MacBride's dark humour and gritty crime fiction then you have come to the right place. Well, this new novel from Stuart MacBride is bound to stir up some controversy amongst his readers! In the mix is old case where a young boy murdered a homeless person, he been released from prison and seeks out McVeigh for help. Added into this she is targeted by the mother of a murdered man and seemingly being stalked by the Bloodsmith, oh and then there's the small matter of Charlie from Professional Standards who is constantly sniffing around.
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