Stuart MacBride – författare

From Stuart MacBride, the Sunday Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Logan McRae series.Move Over Miss Marple . . .The great and the not-so-good are gathered at Skirivour Castle Hotel, in the heart of the Highlands, for the wedding of the year – but they weren’t expecting Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel to crash their party. And get horribly, horribly drunk.The whole valley’s been cut off by a massive thunderstorm and the phone lines are down, so when the father-of-the-bride’s body is discovered – decoratively impaled on a stag’s head in the hotel lobby – it’s up to DS Steel to find out whodunit. Which isn’t easy when you’ve got a monstrous hangover and only a world-weary sergeant and a halfwit police constable for backup.With no witnesses and every wedding guest a suspect, Roberta will need to use every one of her little grey cells if she’s going to catch the killer and get out of there alive.Praise for Stuart MacBride:‘MacBride is a damned fine writer’ – Peter James, author of Picture You Dead‘Dark and brilliantly written’ – Linwood Barclay, author of I Will Ruin You‘Crime fiction of the highest order’ – Mark Billingham, author of The Last Dance

'MacBride is a damned fine writer' – Peter James, UK Number One Bestselling Author Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, This House of Burning Bones is unforgettably gripping Scottish crime at its very best.The Granite City is ready to burn, and all it takes is a single spark . . .In the heat of a blistering summer, Aberdeen’s police are struggling: half the force is off sick, leave has been cancelled, someone’s firebombed a hotel full of migrants, and there’s a massive protest march happening this Saturday.With officers dropping like flies, Detective Inspector Logan McRae is forced to juggle cases and run a major murder investigation with a skeleton staff of misfits, idiots and malingerers until the top brass can arrange back-up from other divisions.It doesn’t help that the Aberdeen Examiner has just been bought by Natasha Agapova, a tabloid media tycoon hell-bent on blaming local police for everything. And she’s more than happy to fan the flames.But, as bad as everything seems, it’s all about to get much, much worse . . .* * *Praise for Stuart MacBride:'Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me . . . always fast, hard, authentic – and different' – Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series'Dark and brilliantly written' – Linwood Barclay, author of I Will Ruin You'MacBride is a masterful storyteller with a terrific eye for detail and razor-sharp wit. This House of Burning Bones is an absolute must-read.' – Karin Slaughter, author of This Is Why We Lied'Crime fiction of the highest order' – Mark Billingham, author of The Last DanceThis House of Burning Bones was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 19/05/25

'A cracking read' – Susan Calman'Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me . . . always fast, hard, authentic – and different' – Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher seriesPerfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, Blood, Rust and Steel is darkly funny and gripping Scottish crime at its very best.All good things must come to an end . . .Acting Detective Inspector Roberta Steel has never been shy, but she’s finally retiring. After thirty years of policing Aberdeen’s underbelly, she’s all set for her twilight years to feature gardening gloves, afternoon tea, crossword puzzles, and shouting at the telly.So, when a body turns up in a wheelie bin, it looks like an excellent way to round off her career and go out with a bang. But the Northeast of Scotland isn’t finished with her yet:There’s a violent protest to stop; far-right populist politicians, and sketchy government spooks; a by-election; drugs, dogs, and baby-doll nighties; and a desperate ex-colleague, begging her for help.With only her Queen Street Irregulars for backup, and the top brass desperate to get shot of her, these final few weeks might just be the death of her . . .* * *Praise for Stuart MacBride:'MacBride is a damned fine writer' – Peter James, UK Number One Bestselling Author'Dark and brilliantly written' – Linwood Barclay, author of I Will Ruin You'MacBride is a masterful storyteller with a terrific eye for detail and razor-sharp wit' – Karin Slaughter, author of This Is Why We Lied'Crime fiction of the highest order' – Mark Billingham, author of The Last Dance

The first thriller in the No.1 bestselling DS Logan McRae series. Nothing keeps a crime hidden like fear… ‘Stuart MacBride’s thrillers just keep getting better’ Express ‘You can’t be an eyewitness if I cut out your eyes…’ Someone’s preying on Aberdeen’s growing Polish population. The pattern is always the same: men abandoned on building sites, barely alive, their eyes gouged out and the sockets burned.With the victims too scared to talk, and the only witness a paedophile who’s on the run, Grampian Police is getting nowhere fast. The attacks are brutal, they keep on happening, and soon DS Logan McRae will have to decide how far he’s prepared to bend the rules to get a result.The Granite City is on the brink of gang warfare; the investigating team are dogged by allegations of corruption; and Logan’s about to come to the attention of Aberdeen’s most notorious crime lord…

A bestseller from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. The seventh DS Logan McRae thriller is a gripping page-turner in which fame and fortune crash head-on with crime and punishment. No suspects. No clues. No rest for the wicked. 'You will raise money for the safe return of Alison and Jenny McGregor. If you raise enough money within fourteen days they will be released. If not, Jenny will be killed.' Aberdeen's own mother-daughter singing sensation are through to the semi-finals of TV smash-hit Britain's Next Big Star. But their reality-TV dream has turned into a real-life nightmare.The ransom demand appears in all the papers, on the TV, and the internet, telling the nation to dig deep if they want to keep Alison and Jenny alive.Time is running out, but DS Logan McRae and his colleagues have nothing to go on: the kidnappers haven't left a single piece of forensic evidence and there are no witnesses.It looks as if the price of fame just got a lot higher…

The sixth gripping thriller in the No.1 bestselling crime series from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. Scotland’s finest see first-hand how starting again can be murder… ‘MacBride is a damned fine writer’ Peter James Everyone deserves a second chance… Richard Knox has done his time and seen the error of his ways. He wants to leave his dark past behind, so why shouldn’t he be allowed to live wherever he wants?Detective Sergeant Logan McRae isn’t thrilled about having to help a violent rapist settle into Aberdeen. Even worse, he’s stuck with the man who put Knox behind bars, DSI Danby, supposedly to ‘keep an eye on things’.Only things are about to go very, very wrong.Edinburgh gangster Malk the Knife wants a slice of Aberdeen’s latest development boom. Local crime lord Wee Hamish Mowat has ominous plans for Logan’s future. And Knox’s past isn’t finished with him yet…

THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'One of this country's finest crime writers' Daily Mail'Concludes with a glorious twist' The Times'A high wire balancing act but MacBride never falters' Scotland on SundayTHE UNPUTDOWNABLE, UNMISSABLE NEW THRILLER FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR.It was supposed to be an easy job.All Detective Constable Edward Reekie had to do was pick up a dying prisoner from HMP Grampian and deliver him somewhere to live out his last few months in peace.From the outside, Glenfarach looks like a quaint, sleepy, snow-dusted village, nestled deep in the heart of Cairngorms National Park, but things aren't what they seem. The place is thick with security cameras and there's a strict nine o'clock curfew, because Glenfarach is the final sanctuary for people who've served their sentences but can't be safely released into the general population.Edward's new boss, DI Victoria Montgomery-Porter, insists they head back to Aberdeen before the approaching blizzards shut everything down, but when an ex-cop-turned-gangster is discovered tortured to death in his bungalow, someone needs to take charge.The weather's closing in, tensions are mounting, and time's running out - something nasty has come to Glenfarach, and Edward is standing right in its way...******Praise for Stuart MacBride:'A magnetic mix of creepy places, dark humour, horror and violence' Sun'Dark and brilliantly written' Linwood Barclay'MacBride is a damned fine writer' Peter James'MacBride's thrillers just keep getting better' Express'Crime fiction of the highest order' Mark BillinghamDead of Winter, Instant Sunday Times bestseller, February 2023Number 1 Sunday Times bestseller, November 2023

'A cracking read' – Susan Calman'Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me . . . always fast, hard, authentic – and different' – Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher seriesPerfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, Blood, Rust and Steel is darkly funny and gripping Scottish crime at its very best.All good things must come to an end . . .Acting Detective Inspector Roberta Steel has never been shy, but she’s finally retiring. After thirty years of policing Aberdeen’s underbelly, she’s all set for her twilight years to feature gardening gloves, afternoon tea, crossword puzzles, and shouting at the telly.So, when a body turns up in a wheelie bin, it looks like an excellent way to round off her career and go out with a bang. But the Northeast of Scotland isn’t finished with her yet:There’s a violent protest to stop; far-right populist politicians, and sketchy government spooks; a by-election; drugs, dogs, and baby-doll nighties; and a desperate ex-colleague, begging her for help.With only her Queen Street Irregulars for backup, and the top brass desperate to get shot of her, these final few weeks might just be the death of her . . .* * *Praise for Stuart MacBride:'MacBride is a damned fine writer' – Peter James, UK Number One Bestselling Author'Dark and brilliantly written' – Linwood Barclay, author of I Will Ruin You'MacBride is a masterful storyteller with a terrific eye for detail and razor-sharp wit' – Karin Slaughter, author of This Is Why We Lied'Crime fiction of the highest order' – Mark Billingham, author of The Last Dance

The 4th thriller in the Number One bestselling crime series from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. Panic grips The Granite City as DS Logan McRae heads up a manhunt for ‘The Flesher’ – one of the UK’s most notorious serial killers.Panic strikes the Granite City…When an offshore container turns up at Aberdeen Harbour full of human meat, it kicks off the largest manhunt in the Granite City’s history.Twenty years ago ‘The Flesher’ was butchering people all over the UK – turning victims into oven-ready joints – until Grampian’s finest put him away. But eleven years later he was out on appeal. Now he’s missing and people are dying again.When members of the original investigation start to disappear, Detective Sergeant Logan McRae realizes the case might not be as clear cut as everyone thinks…Twenty years of secrets and lies are being dragged into the light. And the only thing that’s certain is Aberdeen will never be the same again.

The second crime thriller in the No.1 bestselling Logan McRae series from Stuart MacBride. Even the darkest crimes will come to light… ‘Stuart MacBride is a damned fine writer’ Peter James Crime never sleeps. Down by the docks, in the dead of night, a woman is hunted down and killed. For DS Logan McRae, it’s just the beginning of another nightmare. Neither does this killer. As the day dawns and the body count rises, Logan realises that this isn’t just an isolated murder. It’s far more disturbing than that.A killer is on the loose and wreaking havoc – and Logan is running out of time to stop them. And the clock is ticking . . .

The third DS Logan McRae thriller in the No.1 bestselling crime series from Stuart MacBride. A crime of passion … or cold-hearted murder? ‘MacBride is a damned fine writer’ Peter James The Granite City’s seedy side is about to be exposed… A serial rapist is leaving a string of tortured women behind him, but while DS Logan McRae’s girlfriend, PC Jackie ‘Ball Breaker’ Watson, is out acting as bait, he’s trying to identify a blood-drenched body dumped outside Accident and Emergency.Logan’s investigations suggest someone in the local bondage community has developed a taste for violent death, and he soon finds himself dragged into the twilight world of pornographers, sex-shops and S&M.Meanwhile, the prime suspect in the rape case turns out to be Aberdeen Football Club’s star striker. Logan thinks they’ve got it horribly wrong, but Jackie is convinced the footballer’s guilty and she’s hell-bent on a conviction at any cost…

The tenth Logan McRae novel from the No.1 Sunday Times bestselling author. Scottish crime fiction at its very best. Some things just won’t stay buried… When Detective Inspector Bell turns up dead in a crashed car, it’s a shock to everyone. Because Bell died two years ago. Or at least they thought he did.Now Inspector Logan McRae has to work out where DI Bell’s been all this time – and what was so important that he felt the need to come back from the dead.But the deeper Logan digs, the more bones he uncovers. And there are people out there who’ll kill to keep those skeletons buried…

She can’t prove he did it. But she might die trying… From the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae series, comes a standalone spinoff featuring DS Roberta Steel. Revenge is a dangerous thing… Detective Chief Inspector Roberta Steel got caught fitting up Jack Wallace – that’s why they demoted her and quashed his sentence. Now he’s back on the streets and women are being attacked again.The top brass have made it very clear that if Detective Sergeant Steel goes anywhere near him, she’ll be thrown off the force for good.But she can’t just do nothing – if she does he’ll keep hurting women. The question is: how much is she willing to sacrifice to stop him?

'MacBride is a damned fine writer' – Peter James, UK Number One Bestselling Author Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, This House of Burning Bones is unforgettably gripping Scottish crime at its very best.The Granite City is ready to burn, and all it takes is a single spark . . .In the heat of a blistering summer, Aberdeen’s police are struggling: half the force is off sick, leave has been cancelled, someone’s firebombed a hotel full of migrants, and there’s a massive protest march happening this Saturday.With officers dropping like flies, Detective Inspector Logan McRae is forced to juggle cases and run a major murder investigation with a skeleton staff of misfits, idiots and malingerers until the top brass can arrange back-up from other divisions.It doesn’t help that the Aberdeen Examiner has just been bought by Natasha Agapova, a tabloid media tycoon hell-bent on blaming local police for everything. And she’s more than happy to fan the flames.But, as bad as everything seems, it’s all about to get much, much worse . . .* * *Praise for Stuart MacBride:'Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me . . . always fast, hard, authentic – and different' – Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series'Dark and brilliantly written' – Linwood Barclay, author of I Will Ruin You'MacBride is a masterful storyteller with a terrific eye for detail and razor-sharp wit. This House of Burning Bones is an absolute must-read.' – Karin Slaughter, author of This Is Why We Lied'Crime fiction of the highest order' – Mark Billingham, author of The Last DanceThis House of Burning Bones was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 19/05/25

From Stuart MacBride, the Sunday Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Logan McRae series.Move Over Miss Marple . . .The great and the not-so-good are gathered at Skirivour Castle Hotel, in the heart of the Highlands, for the wedding of the year – but they weren’t expecting Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel to crash their party. And get horribly, horribly drunk.The whole valley’s been cut off by a massive thunderstorm and the phone lines are down, so when the father-of-the-bride’s body is discovered – decoratively impaled on a stag’s head in the hotel lobby – it’s up to DS Steel to find out whodunit. Which isn’t easy when you’ve got a monstrous hangover and only a world-weary sergeant and a halfwit police constable for backup.With no witnesses and every wedding guest a suspect, Roberta will need to use every one of her little grey cells if she’s going to catch the killer and get out of there alive.Praise for Stuart MacBride:‘MacBride is a damned fine writer’ – Peter James, author of Picture You Dead‘Dark and brilliantly written’ – Linwood Barclay, author of I Will Ruin You‘Crime fiction of the highest order’ – Mark Billingham, author of The Last Dance

The second crime thriller in the No.1 bestselling Logan McRae series from Stuart MacBride. Even the darkest crimes will come to light…‘Stuart MacBride is a damned fine writer’ Peter JamesCrime never sleeps.Down by the docks, in the dead of night, a woman is hunted down and killed. For DS Logan McRae, it’s just the beginning of another nightmare.Neither does this killer.As the day dawns and the body count rises, Logan realises that this isn’t just an isolated murder. It’s far more disturbing than that.A killer is on the loose and wreaking havoc – and Logan is running out of time to stop them.And the clock is ticking . . .

The very first Logan McRae novel in the No.1 bestselling crime series from Stuart MacBride. DS Logan McRae and the police in Aberdeen hunt a child killer who stalks the frozen streets.Winter in Aberdeen: murder, mayhem and terrible weather…It’s DS Logan McRae’s first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn’t get much worse. Three-year-old David Reid’s body is discovered in a ditch: strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. And he’s only the first. There’s a serial killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood.Soon the dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. And if Logan isn’t careful, he could end up joining them.

The third DS Logan McRae thriller in the No.1 bestselling crime series from Stuart MacBride. A crime of passion … or cold-hearted murder?‘MacBride is a damned fine writer’ Peter JamesThe Granite City’s seedy side is about to be exposed…A serial rapist is leaving a string of tortured women behind him, but while DS Logan McRae’s girlfriend, PC Jackie ‘Ball Breaker’ Watson, is out acting as bait, he’s trying to identify a blood-drenched body dumped outside Accident and Emergency.Logan’s investigations suggest someone in the local bondage community has developed a taste for violent death, and he soon finds himself dragged into the twilight world of pornographers, sex-shops and S&M.Meanwhile, the prime suspect in the rape case turns out to be Aberdeen Football Club’s star striker. Logan thinks they’ve got it horribly wrong, but Jackie is convinced the footballer’s guilty and she’s hell-bent on a conviction at any cost…

The 4th thriller in the Number One bestselling crime series from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. Panic grips The Granite City as DS Logan McRae heads up a manhunt for ‘The Flesher’ – one of the UK’s most notorious serial killers.Panic strikes the Granite City…When an offshore container turns up at Aberdeen Harbour full of human meat, it kicks off the largest manhunt in the Granite City’s history.Twenty years ago ‘The Flesher’ was butchering people all over the UK – turning victims into oven-ready joints – until Grampian’s finest put him away. But eleven years later he was out on appeal. Now he’s missing and people are dying again.When members of the original investigation start to disappear, Detective Sergeant Logan McRae realizes the case might not be as clear cut as everyone thinks…Twenty years of secrets and lies are being dragged into the light. And the only thing that’s certain is Aberdeen will never be the same again.

The Number One bestselling crime series from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. In this third DS Logan McRae thriller, The Granite City’s seedy side is about to be exposed…A crime of passion, or cold-hearted murder?A serial rapist is leaving a string of tortured women behind him, but while DS Logan McRae’s girlfriend, PC Jackie `Ball Breaker’ Watson, is out acting as bait, he’s trying to identify a blood-drenched body dumped outside Accident and Emergency.Logan’s investigations suggest someone in the local bondage community has developed a taste for violent death, and he soon finds himself dragged into the twilight world of pornographers, sex-shops and S&M.Meanwhile, the prime suspect in the rape case turns out to be Aberdeen Football Club’s star striker, and he has an alibi for every attack. Logan thinks they’ve got it horribly wrong, but can he get anyone to listen before the real rapist strikes again? Especially as Jackie is convinced the footballer’s guilty and she’s hell-bent on a conviction at any cost…

The Number One bestselling detective series from the award-winning Stuart MacBride continues in this second crime thriller. It’s summertime in Scotland: the sun is shining, the sky is blue and people are dying…She’s just the first. How many more will die?It starts with Rosie Williams, a prostitute, stripped naked and beaten to death down by the docks – the heart of Aberdeen’s red light district. For DS Logan McRae it’s a bad start to another bad day.Rosie won’t be the only one making an unscheduled trip to the morgue. Across the city six people are burning to death in a petrol-soaked squat, the doors and windows screwed shut from the outside. And despite Logan’s best efforts, it’s not long before another prostitute turns up on the slab…An unputdownable serial killer tale packed with mystery and suspense, as well as Stuart MacBride’s distinctive grittiness and dark humour.

The 4th thriller in the Number One bestselling crime series from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. Panic grips The Granite City as DS Logan McRae heads up a manhunt for `The Flesher’ – one of the UK’s most notorious serial killers.The case was closed. Until the killer walked free…When an offshore container turns up at Aberdeen Harbour full of human meat, it kicks off the largest manhunt in the Granite City’s history.Twenty years ago `The Flesher’ was butchering people all over the UK – turning victims into oven-ready joints – until Grampian’s finest put him away. But eleven years later he was out on appeal. Now he’s missing and people are dying again.When members of the original investigation start to disappear, Detective Sergeant Logan McRae realizes the case might not be as clear cut as everyone thinks…Twenty years of secrets and lies are being dragged into the light. And the only thing that’s certain is Aberdeen will never be the same again.

Stuart MacBride’s Number One bestselling crime series opens with this award-winning debut. DS Logan McRae and the police in Aberdeen hunt a child killer who stalks the frozen streets.Winter in Aberdeen: murder, mayhem and terrible weather…It’s DS Logan McRae’s first day back on the job after a year off on the sick, and it couldn’t get much worse. Three-year-old David Reid’s body is discovered in a ditch, strangled, mutilated and a long time dead. And he’s only the first. There’s a serial killer stalking the Granite City and the local media are baying for blood.Soon the dead are piling up in the morgue almost as fast as the snow on the streets, and Logan knows time is running out. More children are going missing. More are going to die. And if Logan isn’t careful, he could end up joining them…

The first thriller in the No.1 bestselling DS Logan McRae series. Nothing keeps a crime hidden like fear…‘Stuart MacBride’s thrillers just keep getting better’ Express‘You can’t be an eyewitness if I cut out your eyes…’Someone’s preying on Aberdeen’s growing Polish population. The pattern is always the same: men abandoned on building sites, barely alive, their eyes gouged out and the sockets burned.With the victims too scared to talk, and the only witness a paedophile who’s on the run, Grampian Police is getting nowhere fast. The attacks are brutal, they keep on happening, and soon DS Logan McRae will have to decide how far he’s prepared to bend the rules to get a result.The Granite City is on the brink of gang warfare; the investigating team are dogged by allegations of corruption; and Logan’s about to come to the attention of Aberdeen’s most notorious crime lord…

The Number One bestselling detective series. Nothing keeps a crime hidden like fear, and DS Logan McRae hits a dead-end in this 5th crime thriller from the award-winning Stuart MacBride.`You can’t be an eyewitness if I cut out your eyes…’Someone’s preying on Aberdeen’s growing Polish population. The pattern is always the same: men abandoned on building sites, barely alive, their eyes gouged out and the sockets burned.With the victims too scared to talk, and the only witness a paedophile who’s on the run, Grampian Police is getting nowhere fast. The attacks are brutal, they keep on happening, and soon DS Logan McRae will have to decide how far he’s prepared to bend the rules to get a result.The Granite City is on the brink of gang warfare; the investigating team are dogged by allegations of corruption; and Logan’s about to come to the attention of Aberdeen’s most notorious crime lord…

The Number One bestselling crime thriller from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. A bloody, brilliant and brutal story of murder, kidnap and revenge.Detective Constable Ash Henderson has a dark secret…Five years ago his daughter, Rebecca, went missing on the eve of her thirteenth birthday. A year later the first card arrived: homemade, with a Polaroid picture stuck to the front – Rebecca, strapped to a chair, gagged and terrified. Every year another card: each one worse than the last.The tabloids call him `The Birthday Boy’. He’s been snatching girls for twelve years, always in the run-up to their thirteenth birthday, sending the families his homemade cards showing their daughters being slowly tortured to death.But Ash hasn’t told anyone about Rebecca’s birthday cards – they all think she’s just run away from home – because if anyone finds out, he’ll be taken off the investigation. And he’s sacrificed too much to give up before his daughter’s killer gets what he deserves…

Twelve years. Twelve dead girls. Thirteen will be unlucky for some. The Number One bestselling crime thriller from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. A bloody, brilliant and brutal story of murder, kidnap and revenge. Detective Constable Ash Henderson has a dark secret… Five years ago his daughter, Rebecca, went missing on the eve of her thirteenth birthday. A year later the first card arrived: home-made, with a Polaroid picture stuck to the front – Rebecca, strapped to a chair, gagged and terrified. Every year another card: each one worse than the last.The tabloids call him ‘The Birthday Boy’. He’s been snatching girls for twelve years, always just before their thirteenth birthday, killing them slowly, then torturing their families with his homemade cards.But Ash hasn’t told anyone what really happened to Rebecca – they all think she ran away – because if anyone finds out, he’ll be taken off the investigation. And he’s sacrificed too much to give up before his daughter’s murderer gets what he deserves…

A bestseller from the award-winning Stuart MacBride. The seventh DS Logan McRae thriller is a gripping page-turner in which fame and fortune crash head-on with crime and punishment.No suspects. No clues. No rest for the wicked.'You will raise money for the safe return of Alison and Jenny McGregor. If you raise enough money within fourteen days they will be released. If not, Jenny will be killed.'Alison and Jenny McGregor – Aberdeen's own mother-daughter singing sensation – are through to the semi-finals of TV smash-hit Britain's Next Big Star. They're in all the gossip magazines, they've got millions of YouTube hits, everyone loves them.But their reality-TV dream has turned into a real-life nightmare. The ransom demand appears in all the papers, on the TV, and the internet, telling the nation to dig deep if they want to keep Alison and Jenny alive.The media want action; the public displays of grief and anger are reaching fever-pitch. Time is running out, but DS Logan McRae and his colleagues have nothing to go on: the kidnappers haven't left a single piece of forensic evidence. The investigation is going nowhere.It looks as if the price of fame just got a lot higher…

The eighth Logan McRae novel in the No.1 bestselling crime series from Stuart MacBride. Every murder tells a story. But not every victim tells the truth. ‘A terrific writer … McRae is a delight’ The Times Sticks and stones may break your bones… The first body is chained to a stake: strangled, and stabbed, with a burning tyre around its neck. But is this a gangland execution or something much darker?Someone’s leaving little knots of bones on DI Logan McRae’s doorstep, but he’s got bigger concerns. Rival drug gangs are fighting over product and territory; two teenage lovers are missing; someone’s crippling Asian immigrants; and Logan’s been lumbered with an ambitious new Detective Sergeant and gained the unwelcome attention of the local crime boss.When another body turns up, the similarities between these murders and the plot of a bestselling novel seem like more than just a coincidence. And perhaps those little knots of bones are more important than they look…