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Laidlaw

A Laidlaw Investigation, Book 1

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About this listen

Meet Jack Laidlaw, the original damaged detective.

When a young woman is found brutally murdered on Glasgow Green, only Laidlaw stands a chance of finding her murderer from among the hard men, gangland villains and self-made moneymen who lurk in the city's shadows.

Winner of the CWA Silver Dagger.

©1977 William McIlvanney (P)2013 Canongate Books Ltd
Crime Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Fiction Crime

Critic reviews

"The best new character in crime fiction for years" ( Daily Express)
All stars
Most relevant
I loved this gritty novel - read by the author himself which added to the atmosphere even his endearing little mistakes do not detract from the story.
I'd love to know when the rest of the Laidlaw books will be available on Audible as I'm eagerly awaiting them.

Magic!

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Where does Laidlaw rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The author's take on the style of the story is rather soporific and great for going to sleep to. You have to really listen and often revisit earlier parts to get the full sadness and intertwining of the lives and the characters. There is no hero in this book just people with interrelated lives.It is like being in a noisy pub with a great raconteur and hating every distraction that is interrupting your enjoyment of the tales you are being told.I have different books for different times and different moods so this is one for solitary times when you want to meet an old friend and have a chat. I am sure on my next listen through i will find that i have missed a lot it is very richly layered.

What other book might you compare Laidlaw to, and why?

Probably something done in a stream of consciousness style as you drift through the unravelling of time and place and symbiosis.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

He could have set his characters as from different parts of scotland it was hard to tell who was speaking a lot of the time there was very little light and shade or change of pace in the voices

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There were several character revelations of our antihero Laidlaw where he let his mask slip and we saw glimpses of the man underneath. I won't spoil these for other listeners.

Any additional comments?

Despite the difficulty listening to the narrator the book gained from having the author give his own feelings and pace so i will definitely buy the next written and read by William McIlvanney.

Great storytelling

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I got this book on a 2 for 1 deal (cheapskate!)
I was a little concerned by a review that was critical of the author narrating. However, Mr Mcilavanney’s narration really enhanced my listening experience. It was like a really good storyteller telling a story of a city and people that he fully understood and empathised with.
I could go on, however, suffice is to say it is a cracking story brought to life by a proper Scot!

Excellent listen

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I enjoyed the story especially as I am an ex-patriot Scot, McIvanney's use of vernacular West Coast terms made this real and interesting. He made the investigative team real and deep. HE avoided the stereotype of writing off the police as stupid, crass on violent.

A well written and skillful story

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Listen to lots of crime novels this one stands out because of the wonderful writing. I'd say exceptional, William McIlvanney's descriptions are clever and picture building. Have to agree with others that the narration would be better left to the professionals. Thank you William, a wonderful thought provoking listen.

Exceptional

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