Fast–paced with a unique sense of place, See Them Run by Marion Todd is the debut novel in what is set to be a gripping series introducing detective DI Clare Mackay.
The Scottish crime fiction market may seem saturated with much of the same run-of-the mill content, but Marion Todd’s welcome addition to the genre feels like a breath of fresh, tartan noir air.
Considering the gruesome history of the picturesque town of St Andrews, it seems odd that it has not been the setting of choice for previous Scottish crime writers. However, See Them Run fills this gap in the market perfectly, utilising the original setting with great aplomb to give the book a different feel from its first page.
On the night of a wedding celebration, one guest meets a grisly end when he’s killed in a hit-and-run.
A card bearing the number ‘5’ has been placed on the victim’s chest. DI Clare Mackay, who recently moved from Glasgow to join the St Andrews force, leads the investigation. The following night another victim is struck down and a number ‘4’ card is at the scene.
Clare and her team realise they’re working against the clock to find a killer stalking the streets of this famous Scottish town.
The novel’s absorbing opening ensures that the reader’s attention is held from the beginning and the multiple revelations and unpredictable twists and turns are evenly spaced out to sustain the narrative’s fast-pace and avoid the story petering out into an unsurprising ending. The plot line is well-crafted, the dialogue is snappy and the main female character is likeable with an intriguing back
story which helps keep the reader on their toes.
An atmospheric, up-tempo and well-written debut crime novel, perfect for fans of Alex Gray and D S Butler.
See Them Run by Marion Todd, published by Canelo, ebook, Amazon, £1.99.
[review rating=”4″ align = “left”]
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