An evening with crime writers at Waterstones

I love book events, I haven't been to many of late but I managed to hobble along last night, my o/h and friend came too. My o/h reads very few authors/books and usually on when on holiday, he came last night more as a "carer" for me but actually really enjoyed the evening.


Last night was Steve Cavanagh and Mark Billingham chaired by Christopher Brookmyre, these guys are hilarious. I had no idea Cavanagh was irish and could listen to that accent all night!





James introduced the guys, went over the safety as per and opened a great evening. If you aren't familiar with Sauchiehall street Waterstones they are now sporting a wee bar. So you can enjoy the events with a wee wine, soft drink or a water if that suits you. They also have a Harry Potter section, it is like a wee Harry Potter common room, I dind't get any pictures, I was so sore by the time I got there I beelined for my chair. I have took pictures previously, I am sure they are on my Insta, next time I am in I will get more.





Neither of the guys read out of their books, they just chatted, shared some stories, had a laugh and spoke about the books. Mark's book "The Killing Habit" is ook 15 in the Thorne series. There has been a lot of chat in the clubs about this one as the perp is killing animals and hasn't yet moved onto humans. I really hate animal cruelty and struggle to read books that contain it, however listening to Mark last night I am hoping it isn't actually too huge in the book, or too graphic. I may get my o/h to read it first for me though, just in case lol, inspired by the "Motorway cat killer" and discussing how many of these poor animals have been killed by this maniac.





Steve spoke about his new book Th1rt3en it is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. This will be my first book by this author, if you haven't got it yet, Tesco is doing a promotion for the next week I think where if you buy The Sun paper you get it for £2.





The guys talked about Cavanagh and Luca Vestes podcast, I have neverlistened to a podcast before but I think I will check this one out. They also chatted about their "band" and they will be playing in Bloody Scotland, if you haven't already you may want to check it out. Pictured is Mark reading out some of his one star reviews from Amazon, I LOVE when an author takes something negative and makes a positive from it. We all laughed at the daftness of some of them, brilliant!


I didn't get a chance to say hello or hug half the people I wanted to, there were so many great bloggers and authors in the audience. We had to leave pretty much as soon as it was over, I was just too sore. However we had a great night, the beautiful and talented Sharon from Chapter in my Life brought me a bookmark to cheer me up. I thought she had got it from the author for me, no, this talented beaut actually made it, have fantastic and thoughtful! I am honestly so blessed to have so many beautiful humans in my life.





My other friend brought me a book and some candles, spoiled! xxx

DRC - Where The Bodies Are Buried by Chris Brookmyre

Where the Bodies Are Buried. Chris Brookmyre by Christopher Brookmyre

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Time taken to read - 2.5 days

Blurb From Goodreads

Detective Catherine McLeod was always taught that in Glasgow, they don't do whodunit. They do score-settling. They do vendettas. They do petty revenge. They do can't-miss-whodunit. It's a lesson that has served her well, but Glasgow is also a dangerous place to make assumptions. Either way she looks at it, she recognises that the discovery of a dead drug-dealer in a back alley is merely a portent of further deaths to come. Elsewhere in the city, aspiring actress Jasmine Sharp is reluctantly - and incompetently - earning a crust working for her uncle Jim's private investigation business. When Jim goes missing, Jasmine has to take on the investigator mantle for real, and her only lead points to Glen Fallan, a gangland enforcer and professional assassin whose reputation is rendered only slightly less terrifying by having been dead for twenty years. Cautiously tracing an accomplished killer's footsteps, Jasmine stumbles into a web of corruption and decades-hidden secrets that could tear apart an entire police force - if she can stay alive long enough to tell the tale.

My Review

To be honest I have struggled between a 2 or a 3 star rating, I decided on a 3 for two reasons. One it is ok for a crime novel and not the worst I have read by any stretch of the imagination and secondly I have loved all his previous books so that has got to count for something, right?

The story is split really in two, with the police investigating (mainly Detective Catherine McLeod and associates) and Jasmin. Jasmine is a want to be actress working for her uncle at his private detective agency since her mum died and in between her few and none call backs. When a local known criminal is found assassinated Detective Catherine is called in, meanwhile Jasmines uncle is investigating something from way back and goes missing. The story goes chapter to chapter switching from each one.

Most notably from the opening of the book it is now Chris Brookmyre not Christopher, a show of out with the old and in with the new. Gone is the hilarious, outrageous, bizarre and captivating characters and story lines. In it's place we have a crime story with very little of the signature Brookmyre we know, now I like crime stories anyway and as far as that goes it was ok. I did find myself slogging through it and bored at times although the last quarter did pick up and save it from a definite two star review. I can't say I liked any of the characters much, Jasmine was very weak and out of place - detective Catherine had a few moments of potential for liking but really none of them had a patch on Jack Parlabane who you couldn't help but love (or hate) - I didn't feel any draw towards these characters. However that said it is the first in the series and it did give a good introduction to the characters that will no doubt be in the next installment which I will be getting. I just hope we see Brookmyre in it and not this new echoing of Rankin as I always loved his unique style and not sure I would be as loyal to this new style. A respectable 3/5 for me and hopeful for the next one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove/Atlantic Inc for providing me with a copy of this to review.

View all my reviews