Hand for a Hand cover art

Hand for a Hand

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

 When DCI Andy Gilchrist is called to a crime scene to find an amputated hand clutching a note addressed to him, a note that contains only one word, murder, he is pulled into an investigation that will test him to the limit. Soon other single word clues are found along with amputated body parts and the murderer's vengeful message becomes clear as the identity of the next intended victim is revealed. But when someone close to him disappears, Gilchrist knows he is too late. Together with Nance Wilson, the sexy DC with her own agenda, Gilchrist comes to see the answer to the present murders lies within the secrets of his past. Forced to confront his demons, Gilchrist must solve the cryptic clues and find the murderer before the next victim, a woman whose life means more to Gilchrist than his own, is served up to him piece by slaughtered piece.

Praise for T.F. Muir:

'Rebus did it for Edinburgh. Laidlaw did it for Glasgow. Gilchrist might just be the bloke to put St Andrews on the crime fiction map.' Daily Record

'A truly gripping read, with all the makings of a classic series.' Mick Herron

'Gripping and grisly, with plenty of twists and turns that race along with black humour.' Craig Robertson

'Gilchrist is intriguing, bleak and vulnerable... if I were living in St Andrews I'd sleep with the lights on.' Anna Smith©2009 Frank Muir Crime Crime Fiction Murder Mystery Traditional Detectives Exciting Scary
All stars
Most relevant
My first Muir book, loved narration, good book bit overlong but will definitely download another.

Enjoyable listen if a bit grisly

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The narration by David Monteath is excellent. How on earth he manages to keep up the quality of his performance, given the quality of the writing, is amazing.
By the third time we have to listen to the (greatly deserved) self flagellation over how bad a father he is, my eyes were rolling into the back of my head. And even by then it still does not occur to him to let his dying wife know that their daughter has most likely been murdered. I would understand if he decides against it, but in amongst all the angst, surely he could spend one thought on it.
No one is perfect but I have had enough of DCI Gillchrist's emotional turmoil.
The story line itself is OK but but overly convoluted and lost amongst all the poorly written sex (thank heavens for the skip button), drawn out fights and tough talking baddies.
I only finished this one because I always finish books.
Definitely time to take a break from tartan noire - the genre is clearly at a low point, if not exhausted.

Interminable self doubt

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

If you could sum up Hand for a Hand in three words, what would they be?

Gripping gruesome great

What did you like best about this story?

Really felt for protagonist as solving the mystery became personal

Which scene did you most enjoy?

In the Robison visiting suspect and psychological stand offs

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Had listened to eye for eye and enjoyed that so made sense to listens to this too and not disappointed

Great gripping yarn

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Another brilliant book written and fantastically narrated. It kept me on the edge of my seat right until the very last chapter. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Superb

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
David Monteath keeps you going through a plot that is barely credible, is excessively brutal and painfully sexualized. I listened to the first book in the series and thought it a good enough murder/police procedure to get the second. The hero had so much self doubt that it seems unlikely that he would get out of bed each day let alone chase down bad guys. The investigation steps as written seem so weak , I.e. why wasn't the evil bad guy identified in chapter 4 after threatening revenge at his trial years before, or key clues were discussed and gone over again and again for chapters before realised. As for the quasi erotic sex scenes, overuse of descriptions of female pubis, breasts and nipples and the imbalance from complete lack of male sexual attributes; I came close to switching off. Excessive brutality to women makes the narrative painful not shocking. I might try book 3 but only after a break and would only listen while I get some other tasks completed.

Mediocre story carried by enjoyable narration.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews