Violent Hour

James Oswald is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Inspector McLean series of detective mysteries, the DC Constance Fairchild series and, as J D OSWALD, the standalone novel BROKEN GHOSTS. James's first book, NATURAL CAUSES, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards Debut Author Award. His latest book, THE REST IS DEATH, is the fourteenth in the Inspector Mclean series. James farms pedigree Highland cows by day, writes disturbing fiction by night.

James Oswald at his finest, his darkest, his most inventive . . . the beautiful tension between the down-to-earth realities of McLean and his squad's investigative techniques and the possibly fantastical nature of the crimes they investigate has always been a highlight, but here it's deployed to powerful effect as McLean slowly realises that what looks like an especially violent assault may in fact be related to ancient Viking curses and legends. That Oswald can balance these two halves of his unique take on genre and keep the readers' belief suspended perfectly is a testament to his skill and his ability. He approaches crime like no one else in the genre, and has gone from a promising and unusual voice to a must-read veteran whose books I will recommend to readers everywhere. And while McLean himself is a superb series lead, his supporting cast continue to grow and pull on our emotions - Madame Rose and Mrs McCutcheon's Cat (may our favourite feline live forever) may be the most dependable and recognisable, but seeing Janie Harrison and other officers truly step forward in the last few books has shown that these books are about more than our hero; they're about a team of characters we care about in such a way that we - like McLean, even if he might grumble about admitting it - have to come to think of as fast friends.