Next in Line by Marion ToddMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is book 5 in the Clare MacKay series, I haven't read any of the previous books but as a police procedural novel it worked well as a stand-alone and any back story was given as required.
DI Clare Mackay is at her ex-boyfriend's wedding with her latest squeeze, DCI Alastair Gibson, when she is alerted to the murder of a Glaswegian restauranteur at a small country house outside St Andrews called Lamond Lodge which had been hired for the weekend to celebrate the victim's fortieth birthday.
The victim, Russell Fox was celebrating with his sister, the daytime TV presenter Gaby Fox and her husband Luke Gasparini, who owns a TV production company, and three of his childhood friends from primary school: Eamon Ferry; Doug Gerrard; and Steve Christie. Russell was shot, just about dawn on the Saturday morning, coincidentally while Gaby and Luke were at the same wedding as Clare and Al.
The murder weapon and the shot point to a professional, or at least premeditated, hit. But none of the guests appear to have heard or seen anything. The property had a night-time security guard and CCTV cameras, none of which picked up the murder, although the cameras did pick up some unexpected visitors.
As a reader I was pulled this way and that by the evidence which pointed first one way, then the other. However I wouldn't say they were red herrings, more just unravelling the truth as one person after another is discovered to have lied to the police.
I really enjoyed this, I liked the way the police went over the evidence at the daily briefings and pursued leads, for want of a better word it felt genuine, lots of hard slog and running round in circles and testing alibis.
I will certainly read more of these books (in fact I have just bought the first one in the series), it was engaging, relatable and kept me guessing right to the end.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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