Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre

Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 6 hours I think it was

Pages - ?

Publisher - Hachette books audio

Source - Audible

Blurb from Goodreads

Yeah, yeah, the usual. A crime. A corpse. A killer. Heard it. Except this stiff happens to be a Ponsonby, scion of a venerable Edinburgh medical clan, and the manner of his death speaks of unspeakable things. Why is the body displayed like a slice of beef? How come his hands are digitally challenged? And if it's not the corpse, what is that awful smell? A post-Thatcherite nightmare of frightening plausibility, Quite Ugly One Morning is a wickedly entertaining and vivacious thriller, full of acerbic wit, cracking dialogue, and villains both reputed and shell-suited.



My Review

Book one of Jack Parlabane, the journalist with a knack for being in the wrong place and the wrong time, or the right place for a story? This is my first ever audiobook, my o/h got this for us driving home (signal often cuts out on the radio). We have both read this book, years ago so knew we liked it and when we saw David Tennant was the narrator, win win.

If you aren't familiar with Brookmyre, especially these earlier books - they are laced with Glasweigan style humour, swearing, shade, cheek, murder and Parlabane is right in the thick of it all. There is so much banter, we laughed out loud despite knowing some of what was coming.

If you are easily offended this book is so not for you. If you don't mind the darker side of Scots banter and potty mouth, with a murder and dodgy characters you will love this. I think I want to reacquaint with the Parlabane books, I have read most but not all of them, 4.5/5 for us this time. I am not a convert to audio books as I listened to samplers of a few others and hated the narrator voices. I would absolutely read/listen to more by Tennant for sure!

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Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers

Sonny and Me by Ross Sayers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 300

Publisher - Cranachan Publishing

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

FOURTH YEAR. TWO PALS. ONE MURDER. WELCOME TO BATTLEFIELD HIGH…

‘Whoever said yer school days are the best days ae yer life was at the absolute wind up. I hink maist adults dinnae mind whit it was really like. Wait til yeese hear whit Sonny and me got detention for…’

Daughter and Sonny are two best friends just trying to get through fourth year at high school. But when their favourite teacher leaves unexpectedly, and no one will say why, the boys decide to start their own investigation.

As they dig deeper into the staff at Battlefield High, they discover a dark secret which one person will kill to protect… Will they uncover the truth without being expelled? Can their friendship survive when personal secrets are revealed? And will they manage to skive off double English?


My Review

Daughter and Sonny are two Scottish teens trying to make it through fourth year and life in general. They have all the struggles teen face, family issues, fancying folk, school, local yobs and then one of their favourite teachers abruptly leaves. No one wants to answer their questions and the boys know something is right but digging will get them into trouble and some people will do anything to protect their secrets.

Aw guys I loved the amount of memories this wee book conjured up for me. The dialect is thick Scottish so if you aren't familiar with our slang, terms and local terminology you may struggle a wee bit. Sonny and Daughter have a tight friendship and that is pretty apparent from the get go, Sonny is a bit of a wee soul which brings out the protective side in Daughter. Daughters relationship with his family and sister mirror quite a few of our own but instead of being rivals they have a nice relationship.

There is a lot of humour laced into the book and I found myself laughing out loud a few times, this will always get you some looks when in public! The way Sayers writes absolutely transports you back to your own school days, the teacher you liked, the daft antics you found yourself getting caught up in.

There are some serious tones in the book but nothing to make it dark or unsettling, just makes it a good all rounder. Young adult isn't a genre I normally go to but I am so glad I read this, funny, sentimental, some good strong bonds of loyalty and family with a healthy dose of hilarious. This isn't my first book by this author and it won't be my last. Actively watching out for what Sayers will bring to the table next, 4.5/5 for me!

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Fixed Odds by William McIntyre Blog Tour

Today is my stop on the blog tour for Fixed Odds by William McIntyre




Book blurb:

George ‘Genghis’ McCann has stolen – and lost – a priceless masterpiece. Snooker champion Oscar ‘The Showman’ Bowman is charged with betting fraud. With a second baby on the way, and promises of great rewards if he wins Bowman’s case and recovers the painting, defence lawyer Robbie Munro has never been so tempted to fix the odds in his favour.

About the author:




William McIntyre is a partner in Scotland’s oldest law firm Russel + Aitken, specialising in criminal defence. He has been instructed in many interesting and high-profile cases over the years and now turns fact into fiction with his Robbie Munro legal thrillers. He is married with four sons.
Twitter handles William McIntyre: @best_defence
Sandstone Press: @SandstonePress
Ceris Jones: @cerisanne

Available to buy now on AMAZON, ebook and treebook format.

Fixed Odds by William H.S. McIntyre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 1 day

Pages - 304

Publisher - Sandstone Press

Source - ARC

Blurb from Goodreads


George ‘Genghis’ McCann has stolen – and lost – a priceless masterpiece. Snooker champion Oscar ‘The Showman’ Bowman is charged with betting fraud.

With a second baby on the way, and promises of great rewards if he wins Bowman’s case and recovers the painting, defence lawyer Robbie Munro has never been so tempted to fix the odds in his favour.


My Review

Robbie Munro is a defence lawyer, defending Genghis McCann a small time crook who is at the rob again. These guys are Munro's normal clientele, up next is a high profile case, a famous snooker player who is accused of throwing games, if Munro doesn't win the client's work rep is over and the world is watching.

So this is part of a series but I have never read any of MacIntyre's previous books and don't think I lost out on anything by starting with this one. Robbie is a family man and with a second baby on the way he needs to knuckle down, get work in and provide for his family. Outwith the courtroom we have some drama's and Robbie is hilarious in some of his interactions, chat and just thought process in how to goes about stuff. He is around enough shady people that you can't help but have some kind of tarnish but he is an actual good guy and you are rooting for him throughout.

His clients are characters and have a lot of personality, I hated the famous client, what an arrogant rude individual but you can imagine this to be what some clients are like, coming from money or not. I liked the wee characters that don't have huge parts in the novel but the parts they are in have a lasting effect, well they did for me. Whilst this is my first by this author it won't be my last, I will be buying the back catalogue of the series, 4/5 for me this time.

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The Last Witness by Denzil Meyrick

The Last Witness by Denzil Meyrick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 3 days

Pages - 320

Publisher - Polygon

Source - Waterstones

Blurb from Goodreads

James Machie was a man with a genius for violence, his criminal empire spreading beyond Glasgow into the UK and mainland Europe. Fortunately, James Machie is dead, assassinated in the back of a prison ambulance following his trial and conviction.

But now, five years later, he is apparently back from the grave, set on avenging himself on those who brought him down. Top of his list is his previous associate, Frank MacDougall, who unbeknownst to D.C.I. Jim Daley, is living under protection on his lochside patch, the small Scottish town of Kinloch. Daley knows that, having been the key to Machie’s conviction, his old friend and colleague D.S. Scott is almost as big a target. And nothing, not even death, has ever stood in James Machie’s way.



My Review

James Machie was one of the most brutal criminals Daley and Scott had to deal with before he was killed. Now it seems the impossible has happened, Machie is back, he is on a killing mission and has no problems hiding it. The police are freaked out, the people that betrayed him know he is coming for them but how do you defend yourself against a ghost?

A brutal killing opens the book, a few years later someone in witness protection/relocation is horrifically killed. The killer happy to show his face has the cops confused, weirded out and knowing it can't be him, can it? The hunt is on for the killer, the police have to move quickly before the killer gets to his targets. He is taunting them and the chase is on, who will die next and how is the killer back from the dead?

I do enjoy Meyricks writing, the characters are great and love or hate them you want to know what is coming next. As well as the killer and threat to the officers lives we have the politics within the police ranks and Daley's personal life and woes. Sometimes when you have the personal aspect as well as the crimes it can be frustrating or dull, not so with Daley. I always want to know what is coming next for him, he is such a decent guy and you are always rooting for the team. The book as with the first one has some Scottish humour in the way the team/locals interact which I love, it is true to life in the way small communities are with their own and if you don't laugh it will minimally draw a smile from you. I have all the other books to read and cannot wait to see what is coming next 4.5/5 for me this time.

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Ed's Dead by Russel D McLean

Ed's Dead by Russel D. McLean
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 2 days

Pages - 264

Publisher - Contraband

Source - Review copy

Blurb from Goodreads

"A high-octane read." - Maxim Jakubowski Meet Jen. She works in a bookshop and likes the odd glass of Prosecco... oh, and she’s about to be branded The Most Dangerous Woman in Scotland. 
Jen Carter is a failed writer with a rubbish boyfriend, Ed. That is, until she accidentally kills him one night. Now that Ed’s dead, she has to decide what to do with his body, his drugs and a big pile of cash. And, more pressingly, how to escape the hitman who’s been sent to recover Ed’s stash. Soon Jen’s on the run from criminals, corrupt police officers and the prying eyes of the media. Who can she trust? And how can she convince them that the trail of corpses left in her wake are just accidental deaths? 
A modern noir that proves, once and for all, the female of the species really is more deadly than the male.


My Review

Jen works in a bookshop, her boyfriend Ed is a bit of a muppet. As well as thinking he is God's gift to women he is mixed up in things that Jen wasn't aware of. This all comes home when Jen accidentally kills Ed. Finding herself with a body isn't enough to shake up her life, when Ed disappears people he works for comes a looking. Jen finds herself in danger, trying to keep out of the way of the bad guys and of the cops. Things just go from bad to worse for Jen, how do you keep ahead of cops and tough guys when you are just a wee book seller?

This is my first book by McLean, it won't be my last. Initially I wasn't loving Jen, he boyfriend annoyed me and I just wanted her to kick his butt! Soon she finds herself in a predicament and she has to sink or swim, she turns into a bit of a badass and I love that. We need more strong women in books and whilst she started with me saying ugh just dump him already, wake up Jen, she really progresses in toughness and durability.

There is a lot of action, we have an ordinary girl brought into a dark world and follow how she copes in the dangerous unknown. Cops, bad guys and regular humans and what happens when their worlds cross over. Action, humour of the darker variety, relationships, boundaries, violence and murder is just some of the themes that feature in the book. I could have easily read this in one sitting had time permitted. I personally love when a book is set somewhere you have been or lived, you can identify with the places and for me see it playing out much more vivid because you have once walked in the places the characters are going along. 4/5 for me this time, this may have been my first dance with McLean but it won't be my last. I do hope this is a book that turns into a series as I would love to read more about the characters I met in this one!

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The Man Who Loved Islands by David F Ross - Blog Tour

Welcome David to So Many Books, So Little Time & a wee quick thanks to Karen at Orenda Books and the beautiful Anne from Random Things Through My Letter Box for introducing me to a new Scottish author, for me, & including me in the tour. I am only stop 4 on the blog tour so please check out the others as we are going through the month, info below.





You can read a wee bit more about David here!




The Man Who Loved Islands by David F Ross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - on and off over 5 days

Pages - 302

Publisher - Orenda Books

Blurb from Goodreads

In the early 80s, Bobby Cassidy and Joey Miller were inseparable; childhood friends and fledgling business associates. Now, both are depressed and lonely, and they haven't spoken to each other in more than 10 years. A bizarre opportunity to honor the memory of someone close to both of them presents itself, if only they can forgive and forget. With the help of the deluded Max Mojo and the faithful Hamish May, can they pull off the impossible, and reunite the legendary Ayrshire band, The Miraculous Vespas, for a one-off Music Festival—The Big Bang—on a remote, uninhabited Scottish island? Absurdly funny, deeply moving and utterly human, thisis an unforgettable finale to the Disco Days trilogy—a modern classic pumped full of music and middle-aged madness, written from the heart and pen of one of Scotland’s finest new voices.


My Review

Bobby Cassidy & Joey Miller were thick as thieves, pals from childhood in the 1980's, we have a tiny glimpse of them like this then jump forward in time. Neither speaks to the other and their lives have gone in very different directions Joey has traveled all over the world whilst meeting his clients, Bobby made it huge as a DJ in Ibiza. Successful in their own rights but each having separate battles with age, addictions, fame and or depression a chance opportunity sees them both reunite and try to pull off the event of the century.

This is book three in a trilogy, whilst I don't think not having read the others hampered my enjoyment I think it would have had more impact knowing the extensive background with the two. Bobby and Joey are pals, the book mostly concentrates on their life in the now with some kick backs to their adult life without each other, more so Bobby's. Music has a huge feature in the book and I did spent some time googling quite a few songs as I didn't know a whole lot of them. Locations of the tale varies between China, Ibiza, USA, England and Scotland. The boys are Scottish and they or the folk around them swear a lot. The C word makes a few appearances as is par for the course to authenticate the Scottish settings, people, banter, I know some folk balk at that one so just an FYI.

I loved the lingo in this book, as a Scot myself some of the slang, terminology and banter fires up some memories from my own past. Some of the chat and banter was like talking with an old friend or firing on a pair of well loved slippers! On more than one occasion I burst out laughing and a book that can get you laughing out loud is ticking many boxes! I think some may struggle with some of the conversations with the guys and maybe a wee list explaining what some words mean would have helped some non Scottish readers.

The book touches on quite a few things, friendship, infidelity, love, loss, corruption, bereavement, sex, drugs, and a big feature of music. The chapters are relatively short which for me was great, I do normally like that anyway but I started this book during a run of shifts so it made for perfect reading to be able to dip in and out with the short time offered. It initially took me a wee bit to settling in to read but once I got into the meat of it I didn't want to put it down. Hillarious, sad in parts and a great spin on friendship with two guys struggling with their personal demons pulling together for something epic. This is my first time reading this author, I enjoyed the book so much I am going to buy the first two of the series. Thanks so much to Orenda books for highlighting a new author to me. If you like Irvine Welsh you need to read David F Ross, not as much grit but certainly of the same caliber. 4/5 for me this time, absolutely I will be reading this author again, all opinions are my own.

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If you are local, David is having the launch in Glasgow City Centre with a live band and Q&A, this is a ticketed event. See the details below.

Mary's The Name by Ross Sayers

Mary's the Name by Ross Sayers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 2 days

Pages - 314

Publisher - Cranachan

Blurb from Goodreads

An eight-year-old girl and her granpa are on the run…

“When me and Granpa watched James Bond films, he told me not to be scared because people didn’t have guns like that in Scotland. That must’ve been why the robbers used hammers.”

Orphaned Mary lives with her granpa, but after he is mixed up in a robbery at the bookies where he works, they flee to the Isle of Skye. Gradually, Mary realises that her granpa is involved. And the robbers are coming after him–and their money.

Mary’s quirky outlook on life, loss, and her love of all things Elvis, will capture your heart. Full of witty Scots banter, Mary’s the Name will have you reaching for the hankies, first with laughter, then with tears.



My Review


An eight-year-old girl and her granpa are on the run…

“When me and Granpa watched James Bond films, he told me not to be scared because people didn’t have guns like that in Scotland. That must’ve been why the robbers used hammers.”

Orphaned Mary lives with her granpa, but after he is mixed up in a robbery at the bookies where he works, they flee to the Isle of Skye. Gradually, Mary realises that her granpa is involved. And the robbers are coming after him–and their money.

Mary’s quirky outlook on life, loss, and her love of all things Elvis, will capture your heart. Full of witty Scots banter, Mary’s the Name will have you reaching for the hankies, first with laughter, then with tears.



My Review

Meet eight year old Mary Sutherland and her Granpa, a dynamic duo against the world, Mary loves Elvis and Granpa is her whole world. When the betting shop, where Granpa works, gets held up, everything changes for Mary and the two have to up sticks and head to Granpa's pals house for a wee visit to the Isle of Skye. It isn't too long before Mary catches on that everything isn't as it seems and the robbers are coming too!

This lovely wee book arrived with a wee bookies slip, a bag of sweets and best of all an Elvis face mask. As a debut novel you are never too sure what to expect however a book set in Scotland, heart warming and laced with Scottish banter, who could say no! An eight year old's out look on life is always unique, kids are amazing and their view is so pure Mary is no different and hilarious in some of her quips.

A wee book about family, friendships, love, honor and the age old actions and consequences, laced with adventure, humor and sadness this wee book will take you on an emotive roller coaster. You would never guess this is a debut, very well written and I just loved the card trick Iain showed Mary, I have always loved cards so this was just the cherry on top.

A lovely setting, beautiful location and whilst the pace isn't a fast packed action race, it is a beautiful tale that sweeps the reader along. 4/5 for me this time, thanks to Sayer and Cranachan for sending me a copy of this book. I will certainly be watching out for more from this author and may take another visit along to the bookies, I nipped in after reading this to my nearest Labrokes.

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