The Cut

I've long been a Brookmyre fan, and I also like horror films and metal so this looked so far up my street it was practically knocking on my front door. This is very much the classic Brookmyre mix of nasty crime and dark, dark, humour, as an odd couple career around Scotland and Italy trying to find the truth about a decades old murder that might not be as open and shut as it seemed. The two main characters are well sketched and engaging, and I'd like to have spent a bit more time with them, and gone deeper into what makes them tick, but I suppose that could have robbed the book of its extraordinary pace. Brookmyre hasn't put out a dud yet, and this one maintains the streak. It's also a standalone novel, so could be a good jumping on point for readers new to the author.