Shortlisted for the 2012 CWA Ellis Peters Historical Dagger Ferris is a writer of real authority, immersing the reader into his nightmare world with a brand of scabrous writing reminiscent of William McIlvanney's Laidlaw... everything speaks of an original voice. - Independent Glasgow's melting. The temperature is rising and so is the murder rate. Douglas Brodie, ex-policeman, ex-soldier and now newest reporter on the Glasgow Gazette, has no shortage of material for his crime column. But even Brodie baulks at his latest subject: a rapist who has been tarred and feathered by a balaclava-clad group. Brodie soon discovers a link between this horrific act and a series of brutal beatings. As violence spreads and the body count rises, Brodie and advocate Samantha Campbell are entangled in a web of deception and savagery. Brodie is swamped with stories for the Gazette. But how long before he and Sam become the headline?
"Vividly evoked... If he is still most famous for selling 200,000 books electronically then that situation will undoubtedly change. Readers will discover that this second outing for Douglas Brodie is perhaps better than its acclaimed predecessor, The Hanging Shed."
Independent
"Ferris scores with some unexpected plot twists, a convincing portrayal of sad, edgy post-war Glasgow and a background of lost love."
