Death and Destruction in Aberdeen
August 26th, 2006 | Published in Miscellaneous
If you’re like me, you don’t read Scottish crime novels very often. The ones I read are typically American, starring a lone wolf detective (private or otherwise) with a knack for wisecracks and a fast triggerfinger. None of that would be a fitting description of Stuart MacBride’s book Dying Light. But don’t think that this is a quaint and cozy crime novel. There are arsons where families are burned alive, streethookers who are bludgeoned to death, horrifying torture, drugdeals and intrigue, and though DS Logan MacRae is not armed with anything but a cup of tea and perseverance, he still manages to wade through all of the above. He travels around Aberdeen in whatever car they give him, suffering under superiors with agendas of their own and a relationship that seems to be made up of miscommunication, all of which makes him drink too much and sleep too little.
MacBride’s style is raw and at times his descriptions are downright stomach-churning. His plots are believable but never transparent, and his main characters are deep enough to avoid becoming cliches. DS MacRae himself is an easy guy to sympathize with. Always wanting to do the right thing by everyone, while trying not to mess things up too much, he manages to come off as just a decent guy with dedication to the things he believe in, but also someone who fails from time to time. At the beginning of the book, he is burdened by his hospitalized colleague, who took a bullet during a raid supervised by MacRae. As a result of that incident, MacRae only barely avoids getting fired, but is instead put on the fuck-up squad, led by a selfish and crude hag of a woman, and that is still only the start of his trouble.
What really makes this book stand out from your average run-of-the-mill crime novel, however, is the humor. While it’s at times dark and the air is full of suspense, the dialogue in other parts makes it sparkle with a lightness that had me laughing out loud several times. I read, and sometimes re-read, lines to myself, trying my best to fake a Scottish accent and had a ton of fun doing it. Part of that is of course, that I am not Scottish, and so there is an element of it being exotic and new, but below that - and more importantly, it is because the book is very well written.
Dying Light is Stuart MacBride’s second novel and I won’t hesitate to call it extremely promising stuff. If you like crime stories, I would definitely recommend giving this guy a shot. If you’re like me, you’ll take an immediate liking to DS MacRae, and he will leave you wanting more.
