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 . . .
My Review
Returning to the crime investigations of Inspector MacLean always gives me mixed feelings. The plot is never straightforward but likeable Tony MacLean will explore every possible lead to bring the culprit to justice. But there is always a supernatural dimension to each case which can be quite unnerving.
The Gathering Dark starts with a horrifying lorry accident in the centre of Edinburgh. Tony MacLean is a witness to the death of 20 people when the lorry crashes into a bus queue spilling out its load of toxic chemicals. When the authorities realise the tanker should have been carrying harmless rotted green waste, terrorism is suspected, but the first task for the police is to identify all the victims.
Tony should be cutting down on his long hours to support his girlfriend, Emma, with her pregnancy but instead he finds himself looking for the missing son of the Chief Superintendent. As investigations continue the reader is aware of someone shadowing Tony and we share the detective’s nightmares. Madam Rose, the transvestite clairvoyant we had grown to trust in previous books in the series, urges him to take care of his family and as before the local cats gather defensively around his house. However, Mrs McCutcheon’s cat, who lives with them, remains inscrutable.
I found myself reading late into the night as this intriguing tale unfolded and was not really surprised by the mixed fortunes of the final chapters. The next book in the series is on my urgent TBR list.
The Gathering Dark at Amazon UK
My Review of Natural Causes the first book in this series.
Lizanne lost in a good book 