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The Dead of Winter

A chilling Scottish detective crime thriller from the instant Sunday Times bestseller

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The Dead of Winter

By: Stuart MacBride
Narrated by: Cathleen McCarron, Greg McHugh
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THE UNPUTDOWNABLE, UNMISSABLE THRILLER FROM THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING AUTHOR.

Who do you trust when everyone's guilty?

Marky Bishop is dying. That's why they've given him a compassionate early release, only where can a career criminal like him go to spend his final months?

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 last safe haven for people who've served their sentences but can't be safely released into the general population.

For Detective Constable Edward Reekie, this was supposed to be a simple delivery job - drive his new boss up to HMP Grampian and collect Marky Bishop, take him to Glenfarach, then head back home again. Nothing dangerous or complicated.

So how could it all go so horribly wrong?

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 Billingham

© Stuart MacBride 2023 (P) Penguin Audio 2023

 Crime Thrillers Detective Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Suspense Thriller Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Crime Witty
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Critic reviews

'Often very funny and concludes with a glorious twist'
MacBride is one of this country's finest crime writers, but he is no exponent of 'cosy' crime, as he demonstrates here with this fierce, dark tale of a young detective delivering a prisoner to a village in the Scottish Highlands to spend his last days. . . Written in MacBride's familiar tongue-in-cheek style, it fizzes from every page
A tale with genuine jeopardy that is also sheer entertainment. It's a high wire balancing act, but MacBride never falters
Not your usual crime story, this is a darkly funny Fawlty Towers
A classic, twisty thriller
All stars
Most relevant
Unfortunately, I returned it with 4 hours left! I listen to audio books every day whilst sewing orders. I listen, on average, to a book a day! (not Audible I'm not rich!) Stuart Macbride was my favourite author (Logan days). I didn't even bother with the last book after reading the reviews. This one is a letdown in so many ways. The plot is tedious. The characters are weak. I don't usually leave negative reviews as I know in my business they hurt, but I wish we could read/listen to more 'Logan days' . I've listened to all of that series many times over, and they still 'satisfy'.

Gave up and returned it!

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Although this is much better than his last book (No Less the Devil), it again falls far short of his previous many books.

The premise is interesting - although ludicrous - it falls down through having paper thin characters trying to prop up the weight of what becomes an increasingly silly plot.

The relationship between the two main characters is leaden and lacks any spark of life to make me wish for more, which is a shame since the books seems to hint at more from this pairing in the future.

Perhaps I’d have found more to like if the narration of the lead female cop was better. Although Greg McHugh was very skilled with everyone else, his ‘voice’ for this DI sounded very amateurish and quashed any life the character might have had.

I’m not a fan of the other narrator, Cathleen McCarron. I find her breathy, slow, over performed narration very irritating in general, but to be honest in this book - although she did that - it wasn’t quite as pronounced as it usually is.

However, the inclusion of this second voice in the narration at all felt very odd, and unnecessary. I listen to lots of books with two or more narrators and enjoy them, but because this second person narrated so little of the book, it just felt distracting.

Overall, not a book I’d recommend, and I really hate saying that about MacBride. So if you haven’t read anything else by him, I’d suggest you start with his earlier books.

Again, not his usual standard

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I so miss the old characters, Logan and Roberta. I’ve been a huge fan and read all of the series but I just cannot warm to any of the new characters or the narrators. Sorry Mr MacBride, I’ve tried to keep the faith but it’s just not my cup of tea

Not what I was hoping for

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Have been a fan of the author but I really didn’t like the performance and the storyline dragged a little for me. Lost interest regrettably.

A bit disappointing I’m afraid

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Took me a while to listen as I just didn't get on with the narrators.

Better than the last offering from this author but still no match for Logan, Roberta and their gang.

A good story.

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