Bloody January

When an 18-year-old boy shoots a young woman dead in the middle of a busy Glasgow street and then commits suicide, McCoy knows it can’t be a random act of violence. With a newbie partner in tow, McCoy uses his underworld network to build a picture of a secret society run by Glasgow’s wealthiest family, the Dunlops. Drugs, sex, incest; every nefarious predilection is catered to, at the expense of the lower echelon of society, an underclass that includes McCoy’s best friend from reformatory school – drug-Tsar Stevie Cooper – and his on-off girlfriend, a prostitute, Janey. But with McCoy’s boss calling off the hounds, and his boss’ boss unleashing their own, the Dunlops are apparently untouchable. McCoy has other ideas.

Bloody January (World Noir)

By Alan Parks

Europa Editions

ISBN #978-1609454487

Price $17.00 (paperback)

Price $8.69 (Kindle)

331 Pages

Rating 3-Stars

I was given a copy of the book from the publisher for an honest review. Detective Harry McCoy doesn’t always play by the rules, but he’s a tough cop, and won’t stop his investigation once on the scent. Receiving a tip about an upcoming murder, he dives in only to be met with obstacles from the rich and influential, as well as his own superiors in the “shop”.

This is Glasgow in 1973, and the author paints a picture of its citizens and seedy byways in a panorama of visual scenes and characters in the turmoil of drugs, sex, incest, and murder, where it’s difficult to distinguish the upper class from the sewer rats.

This was a good mystery, with good characters, but I can’t help thinking it could have been handled with more finesse. We have bright, intelligent, educated characters that have trouble speaking words longer than four letters, and the profanity was above board in my opinion.  The story could have used a little less profanity, and a bit more intelligent thought, perhaps.

Tom Johnson

Author of THE MAN IN THE BLACK FEDORA