Showing Dead Wood: Dundee Crime Series by Chris Longmuir

Dundee International Book Prize winner 2009, a Tartan Noir crime thriller.

Award winning Scottish suspense thriller set in a dismal and dark Dundee. A mystery and detective story which is a combination of police procedural, and woman in jeopardy. Book 2 of The Dundee Crime Series, with the popular Scottish detective, DS Bill Murphy.

Kara owes money to Dundee gangster Tony and takes to the streets to earn the cash. She narrowly escapes the clutches of a killer on the prowl, but stumbles across the bodies of his other victims. Hunted by the serial killer and the gangsters, Kara goes on the run. However, one of the murder victims is Tony’s daughter, and he vows revenge. He is determined to mete out his own kind of justice to the killer and make him pay the ultimate price.

DS Bill Murphy teams up with newcomer, DC Louise Walker in the murder investigation. But Murphy’s past comes back to haunt him, and he is heading for a breakdown, which means it is up to Louise to catch the killer.

Who will find the killer first? Tony or the police. And what will happen to Kara? And in the end what kind of justice will prevail?

Chris Longmuir is an award winning novelist. Her crime novels have won the Pitlochry Award, and the Dundee International Book Prize.

Review quotes

“The plot moves along at a cracking pace and the highs and lows, and twists and turns leave you breathless. If you like gritty tartan noir then you would do well to read this book. I would highly recommend it.” – Wendy H Jones

“As with her other contemporary Dundee thrillers, Dead Wood is well written, tightly plotted, dark and well, thrilling. Lately, like many crime readers/writers, I've been wary of too many books with female victims of twisted serial killers but having read her other three books on kindle I had to read this one and it's so good I devoured it despite the female body count! Highly recommended.” – Valerie Laws