Bloody January
Published on 28. December 2017
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-78689-133-4 (ISBN)
Description
SHORTLISTED FOR THE GRAND PRIX DE LITTERATURE POLICIERE
When a teenage boy shoots a young woman dead in the middle of a busy Glasgow street and then commits suicide, Detective Harry McCoy is sure of one thing. It wasn't a random act of violence.
With his new partner in tow, McCoy uses his underworld network to lead the investigation but soon runs up against a secret society led by Glasgow's wealthiest family, the Dunlops. McCoy's boss doesn't want him to investigate. The Dunlops seem untouchable. But McCoy has other ideas . . .
In a helter-skelter tale - winding from moneyed elite to hipster music groupies to the brutal gangs of the urban wasteland - Bloody January brings to life the dark underbelly of 1970s Glasgow and introduces a dark and electrifying new voice in Scottish noir.
When a teenage boy shoots a young woman dead in the middle of a busy Glasgow street and then commits suicide, Detective Harry McCoy is sure of one thing. It wasn't a random act of violence.
With his new partner in tow, McCoy uses his underworld network to lead the investigation but soon runs up against a secret society led by Glasgow's wealthiest family, the Dunlops. McCoy's boss doesn't want him to investigate. The Dunlops seem untouchable. But McCoy has other ideas . . .
In a helter-skelter tale - winding from moneyed elite to hipster music groupies to the brutal gangs of the urban wasteland - Bloody January brings to life the dark underbelly of 1970s Glasgow and introduces a dark and electrifying new voice in Scottish noir.
Reviews / Votes
An old-school cop novel written with wit and economy . . . Think McIlvanney or Get Carter -- IAN RANKIN A potent tale of death . . . Alan Parks's excellent first novel propels him into the top class of Scottish noir authors . . . Detective Harry McCoy . . . is so noir that he makes most other Scottish cops seem light grey * * The Times, Book of the Month * * 1970s Glasgow hewn from flesh and drawn in blood -- PETER MAY The latest star of Tartan noir - perhaps even a successor to the late, great William McIlvanney . . . Gripping, utterly authentic and nerve-jangling, this novel announces a fine new voice in crime writing * * Daily Mail * * Gripping and violent, dark and satisfying. I flew through it -- BRET EASTON ELLIS Bloody and brilliant. This smasher from Alan Parks is a reminder of how dark Glasgow used to be -- LOUISE WELSH [McCoy] is a great character and his patch and period are vividly and skilfully portrayed. Denise Mina and Ian Rankin had better watch out * * Evening Standard * * Gripping and well-crafted -- QUINTIN JARDINE Gripping . . . McCoy's Glasgow is a dark, brooding city, where the line between the police and the underworld is frequently blurred . . . An intriguing addition to the canon * * Herald * * A blistering plot, unforgettable characters and writing so sharp it's like it's been written with a knife . . . Detective McCoy is a true noir antihero and the perfect guide through the vice and violence of Glasgow's underbelly. Bloody January firmly sets Alan Parks in the same league as Ian Rankin and Louise Welsh -- SARAH PINBOROUGH, bestselling author of BEHIND HER EYESMore details
Series
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
Edinburgh
United Kingdom
Product notice
With dust jacket
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
Weight
585 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78689-133-4 (9781786891334)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Alan Parks was born in Scotland and attended the University of Glasgow where he was awarded a M.A. in Moral Philosophy. He still lives and works in the city. He has spent most of his working life in music. From cover artwork to videos to photo sessions, he created groundbreaking campaigns for a wide range of artists including All Saints, New Order, The Streets, Gnarls Barkley and CeeLo Green. He was also Managing Director of 679 Recordings.