Inspector McLean
14 total works
ENTER THE DARKEST CORNERS OF EDINBURGH IN THIS GRITTY, MYSTERIOUS AND SPINE-TINGLING MURDER INVESTIGATION . . .
'Full to the brim with intrigue. You will not be disappointed' 5***** Reader Review
'Grips you from the beginning and doesn't let go' 5***** Reader Review
'Unsettling atmosphere, strong sense of place and a canny twist: Oswald easily outstrips the formulaic work of bigger names' GUARDIAN
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The roots of murder run deep . . .
When a body is found in a tree in The Meadows, Edinburgh's scenic parkland, forensics suggest the corpse has fallen from a great height.
Which makes Detective Inspector Tony McLean ask the question: was it an accident, or a murder designed to send a chilling message? . . .
As McLean traces the victim's journey, it takes him back to Edinburgh's past, and through its underworld - crossing paths with some of its most dangerous and most vulnerable people.
And waiting at the end of it all, is the truth behind a crime that cuts to the very heart of the city . . .
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PRAISE FOR THE INSPECTOR McLEAN SERIES
'Oswald's writing is in a class above most' Daily Express
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'Hugely enjoyable' Mirror
'Oswald is among the leaders of excellent Scottish crime writers' Daily Mail
The dead demand vengeance . . . Discover the gripping crime thriller in the bestselling Inspector McLean series
'Chilling, harrowing, extremely well written and absolutely addictive' 5***** Reader Review
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A truck driver loses control in central Edinburgh, ploughing into a crowded bus stop and spilling his vehicle's toxic load. The consequences are devastating.
DI Tony McLean witnesses the carnage.
Taking control of the investigation, he soon realises there is much that is deeply amiss - and everyone involved seems to have something to hide.
But as McLean struggles to uncover who caused the tragedy, a greater crisis develops:
The new Chief Superintendent's son is missing, last seen in the area of the crash . . .
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PRAISE FOR THE INSPECTOR McLEAN SERIES
'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph
'Oswald's writing is in a class above most' Daily Express
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'Hugely enjoyable' Mirror
'Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers' Daily Mail
Sunday Times bestseller Prayer for the Dead is the fifth novel in the bestselling Inspector McLean series by author James Oswald.
'The hallmarks of Val McDermid or Ian Rankin: it's dark, violent, noirish' The Herald
***
'Are you ready to be reborn?'
The search for a missing journalist is called off as a body is found at the scene of a carefully staged murder.
In a sealed chamber, deep in the heart of Gilmerton Cove, a mysterious network of caves and passages sprawling beneath Edinburgh, the victim has undergone a macabre ritual of purification.
Inspector Tony McLean knew the dead man, and can't shake off the suspicion that there is far more to this case than meets the eye. The baffling lack of forensics at the crime scene seems impossible. But it is not the only thing about this case that McLean will find beyond belief.
Teamed with the most unlikely and unwelcome of allies, he must track down a killer driven by the darkest compulsions, who will answer only to a higher power...
'Are you ready for the mysteries to be revealed?'
Praise for James Oswald:
'A star of Scotland's burgeoning crime fiction scene' Daily Record
'Crime fiction's next big thing' The Sunday Telegraph
'Literary sensation . . .James' overnight success has drawn comparisons with the meteoric rise of E L James and her Fifty Shades of Grey series' Daily Mail
'Fifty Shades of Hay' The Times
'Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers' Daily Mail
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'An excellent start to what promises to be a fine series' Guardian
'Classy, occasionally brutal, and with the odd suggestion of the supernatural, this will doubtless be another deserved hit. Oswald's writing is in a class above most in this genre' Daily Express
The Book of Souls is James Oswald's second electrifying thriller in the Detective Inspector McLean series.
Every year for ten years, a young woman's body was found in Edinburgh at Christmas time: naked, throat slit, body washed clean.
Ten years, ten women.
The final victim, Kirsty Summers, was Detective Constable Tony McLean's fiancee. But the Christmas Killer made a mistake. In a cellar under a shop, McLean found a torture chamber and put an end to the brutal killing spree.
Twelve years later, and a fellow prisoner has just murdered the incarcerated Christmas Killer. But with the arrival of the festive season comes a body. A young woman: naked, washed, her throat cut.
Is this a copycat killer?
Was the wrong man behind bars all this time?
Or is there a more sinister, frightening explanation?
McLean must revisit the most disturbing case of his life and discover what he missed before the killer strikes again . . .
The Book of Souls is the second in the Detective Inspector Mclean series. The first was Natural Causes and the upcoming third will be called The Hangman's Song. Fans of Ian Rankin, Peter James and Stuart McBride will love James Oswald's work.
Praise for James Oswald:
'A star of Scotland's burgeoning crime fiction scene' Daily Record
'Crime fiction's next big thing' The Sunday Telegraph
'Literary sensation...James' overnight success has drawn comparisons with the meteoric rise of EL James and her Fifty Shades of Grey series' Daily Mail
'Fifty Shades of Hay' The Times
'Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers' Daily Mail
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'The hallmarks of Val McDermid or Ian Rankin: it's dark, violent, noirish' The Herald
'A good read' The Times
'An excellent start to what promises to be a fine series' Guardian
THE TWISTY FOURTH NOVEL AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, FROM THE GRIPPING INSPECTOR MCLEAN SERIES SET IN EDINBURGH
A family lies slaughtered in an isolated house in North East Fife . . .
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Morag Weatherly and her two young daughters have been shot by husband Andrew, an influential politician, before he turned the gun on himself.
But what would cause a rich, successful man to snap so suddenly?
For Inspector Tony McLean, this apparently simple but high-profile case leads him into a world of power and privilege. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes he's being manipulated by shadowy factions.
Under pressure to wrap up the case, McLean instead seeks to uncover layers of truth - putting the lives of everyone he cares about at risk . . .
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PRAISE FOR JAMES OSWALD:
'A star of Scotland's burgeoning crime fiction scene' DAILY RECORD
'Crime fiction's next big thing' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH
'Literary sensation' DAILY MAIL
'Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers' DAILY MAIL
'The new Ian Rankin' DAILY RECORD
'The hallmarks of Val McDermid or Ian Rankin: it's dark, violent, noirish' THE HERALD
'Oswald's writing is in a class above most in this genre' DAILY EXPRESS
Discover the gripping thriller from the author of Richard & Judy pick Natural Causes
From the Sunday Times bestseller comes an electrifying crime thriller for fans of Ian Rankin, Peter James and Stuart MacBride
'Compulsive. So many twists and turns. Chilling' 5***** READER REVIEW
'Well written and expertly plotted. The tension came alive' 5***** READER REVIEW
'Gripped me right from the start' 5***** READER REVIEW
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A young man is found hanging by a rope in his Edinburgh home. A simple, sad suicide, yet Detective Inspector Tony McLean is puzzled by the curious suicide note.
So when a second hanged man and another strange note appear, McClean sees a sinister pattern.
Investigating a brutal prostitution and human trafficking ring, McLean struggles to find time to link the two suicides. But the discovery of a third convinces him of malicious intent.
Digging deeper, McLean finds answers something terrifying stalking the city streets.
And it's much closer to home than he expects . . .
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Praise for James Oswald:
'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph
'Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers' Daily Mail
'The hallmarks of Val McDermid or Ian Rankin: it's dark, violent, noirish' Herald
'An excellent start to what promises to be a fine series' Guardian
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
The ninth book in the Sunday Times-bestselling phenomenon that is the Inspector McLean series, from one of Scotland's most celebrated crime writers.
Her mummified body is hidden in the dark corner of a basement room, a room which seems to have been left untouched for decades. A room which feels as cold as the grave.
As a rowdy demonstration makes its slow and vocal way along Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Detective Chief Inspector Tony McLean's team are on stand-by for any trouble. The newly promoted McLean is distracted, inexplicably drawn to a dead-end mews street... and a door, slightly ajar, which leads to this poor girl's final resting place.
But how long has she been there, in her sleep of death? The answers are far from what McLean or anyone else could expect. The truth far more chilling than a simple cold case...
Praise for James Oswald:
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph
The latest book in the Sunday Times bestselling phenomenon that is the Inspector McLean series, from one of Scotland's most celebrated crime writers.
The charred remains of an elderly woman are discovered in a burned out gamekeepers cottage, hidden away in woodland to the west of Edinburgh.
What is at first assumed to be a tragic accident begins to take on a more sinister aspect as Detective Inspector Tony McLean digs deeper.
There is far more to the victim than her humble surroundings suggest . . .
Praise for James Oswald:
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph
No good deed goes unpunished...
When a police raid in Edinburgh goes horribly wrong, the only silver lining for Inspector Tony McLean is a discovery that could lead to a long-lost girl from his early days on the beat.
Haunted by the mystery of what happened to her, McLean begins to dig into a case he thought long buried.
But the shadows of the past are soon eclipsed by crimes in the present as a series of strange and gruesome deaths shock the city.
As McLean's investigation draws him ever deeper into the upper echelons of Edinburgh society, it will not only be his career on the line - but his life as well...
Praise for James Oswald
'The new Ian Rankin'
Daily Record
'Oswald's writing is in a class above'
Express
'Creepy gritty and gruesome'
Sunday Mirror
The tenth book in the Sunday Times-bestselling Inspector McLean series, from one of Scotland's most celebrated crime writers
When a member of the Police Scotland team fails to clock-in for work, concern for her whereabouts is immediate... and the discovery of her burnt-out car in remote woodland to the south of Edinburgh sets off a desperate search for the missing woman.
Meanwhile, DCI Tony McLean and the team are preparing for a major anti-corruption operation - one which may raise the ire of more than a few powerful people in the city. Is Anya Renfrew's disappearance a co-incidence or related to the case?
McLean's investigations suggest that perhaps that Anya isn't the first woman to have mysteriously vanished in these ancient hills. Once again, McLean can't shake the feeling that there is a far greater evil at work here...
Praise for James Oswald:
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph
Two victims. Nothing connects them, except that someone buried them in the exact same way.
Seven hundred years apart.
'Oh my goodness, what a rollercoaster of a ride.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW
'Every page draws you in.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW
'Do yourself a favour and read James Oswald's series. I can almost guarantee you won't stop at one.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ READER REVIEW
An archaeological dig at the old South Leith parish kirkyard has turned up a mysterious body dating from around seven hundred years ago. Some suspect that this gruesome discovery is a sacrifice, placed there for a specific purpose.
Then a second body is unearthed. This victim went missing only thirty years ago - but the similarities between her death and the ancient woman's suggest something even more disturbing.
Drawn into the investigation, Inspector McLean finds himself torn between a worrying trend of violent drug-related deaths and uncovering what truly connects these bodies. When a third body is discovered, and too close for comfort, he begins to suspect dark purpose at play - and that whoever put them there is far from finished.
Praise for James Oswald:
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph
The wages of sin is death.
The partial collapse of a disused Edinburgh church reveals a dead body in the rubble, his head badly smashed by falling masonry. Soon identified as an old ex-con - Kenny Morgan - his death is put down to a heart attack and deemed non-suspicious.
Tony McLean is approached by a notorious crime lord who suggests the police should be looking into Morgan's death more closely. Despite struggling with his recent retirement, he is reluctant to involve himself.
But when a second man is found dead in another disused church, his forehead branded with a cross, this time it is clearly murder.
There's a killer stalking the streets of Edinburgh. Is it time for McLean to get back to doing what he does best?
Praise for James Oswald:
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph
The gripping new thriller in the Sunday Times-bestselling phenomenon that is the Inspector McLean series, from one of Scotland's most celebrated crime writers
A macabre ancient artefact. An innovative bio tech company connected to the highest levels of government. And the trail of bloodshed in its wake.
Inspector Tony McLean is called to a routine break-in at Drake BioTech, a trendsetting Edinburgh start-up at the cutting edge of DNA re-engineering. It's well below McLean's pay-grade, but given the extensive political connections of its eccentric owner Nathaniel Drake, he doesn't have a choice. Even if nothing appears to have been stolen.
A missing person soon turns up dead with no signs of trauma or suggested cause of death, and still the police can find no connection between the strange events at play in the city. But when another victim is discovered cradling a small wooden box, McLean and DI Janie Harrison realise that this might be just the beginning of something even more sinister.
What will those responsible do to finally get their hands on it? Or, more terrifying still, how much death and ruin might this unassuming object have in store?
Praise for James Oswald:
'The new Ian Rankin' Daily Record
'Creepy, gritty and gruesome' Sunday Mirror
'Crime fiction's next big thing' Sunday Telegraph