The April Dead by Alan Parks

 

NO ONE WILL FORGET . . .

In a grimy flat in Glasgow, a homemade bomb explodes, leaving few remains

to identify its maker.

Detective Harry McCoy knows in his gut that there’ll be more to follow. The

hunt for a missing sailor from the local US naval base leads him to the

secretive group behind the bomb, and their disturbing, dominating leader.

On top of that, McCoy thinks he’s doing an old friend a favour when he

passes on a warning, but instead he’s pulled into a vicious gang feud. And in

the meantime, there’s word another bigger explosion is coming Glasgow’s

way – so if the city is to survive, it’ll take everything McCoy’s got . . .

 It's Glasgow, 1974 and there are bombs going off in the city - it doesn't seem high profile enough to be the IRA so who is responsible? Added to this mayhem Harry McCoy is approached by an American to find his son who has gone AWOL from the local naval base. Could the two cases be connected? 

 If you've read the rest of this series (and if not I suggest you do) you'll know that Harry is not the 'cleanest' of coppers due to his friendship with local crime boss Stevie Cooper but he's more of a shady copper than a corrupt one - and there seems to be plenty of those on the Glasgow force. 

 McCoy and Cooper's friendship goes back to their youth when they were brought up (dragged up?) together through the care system and the bond they share is a strong one that often leaves McCoy with some tough choices to make and this is, for me, one of the things that make this series stand out. McCoy isn't a 'bent copper' just one that does what he needs to to get the job done. The 70's were a different time and Parks does a grand job of giving the reader a believable vision of the Glasgow of that time. 

 This is an exemplary series and The April Dead was worth the wait (as soon as I'd finished the previous novel, Bobby March Will Live Forever, I was eager to get back into Parks'/McCoy's world) 

 So far in the series we've had;

 Bloody January

 February's Son

Bobby March Will Live Forever 

 and now 

The April Dead

Can't wait to see what Alan Parks has lined up for May

 If you like your Noir tartan and gritty you really can't go wrong here 

4.7/5* 

 

Thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto this tour and to Blackthorn Books for providing the review copy. Please have a look at the posts by the other reviewers on this Blogtour - we all really appreciate it 😉