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McIlvanney’s pioneering Laidlaw series of crime novels proved an immense inspiration to Ian Rankin and now the creator of Rebus completes his idol’s last, unfinished novel - and Laidlaw's origin story - in reverent yet typically compelling prose.
Shortlisted for The British Book Awards 2022 Crime & Thriller Book of the Year
If the truth's in the shadows, get out of the light . . .
Lawyer Bobby Carter did a lot of work for the wrong type of people. Now he's dead and it was no accident. Besides a distraught family and a heap of powerful friends, Carter's left behind his share of enemies. So, who dealt the fatal blow?
DC Jack Laidlaw's reputation precedes him. He's not a team player, but he's got a sixth sense for what's happening on the streets. His boss chalks the violence up to the usual rivalries, but is it that simple? As two Glasgow gangs go to war, Laidlaw needs to find out who got Carter before the whole city explodes.
William McIlvanney's Laidlaw books changed the face of crime fiction. When he died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw's first case. Now, Ian Rankin is back to finish what McIlvanney started. In The Dark Remains, these two iconic authors bring to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow, and Laidlaw's relentless quest for truth.
Publisher: Canongate Books Ltd
ISBN: 9781838854102
Number of pages: 288
Weight: 499 g
Dimensions: 240 x 162 x 28 mm
Edition: Main
MEDIA REVIEWS
Praise for William McIlvanney:
'He kicked the door open so the likes of Ian Rankin, Denise Mina and me could sneak through behind him.' - Val McDermid
'The pure distilled essence of Scottish crime writing.' - Peter May
'McIlvanney is the original Scottish criminal mastermind.' - Chris Brookmyre
'Most of us writing crime fiction today are standing on the shoulders of giants. McIlvanney is one such giant.' - Mark Billingham
Praise for Ian Rankin:
'Ian Rankin is a genius.' - Lee Child
'A master storyteller.' - The Guardian
'Rebus is one of British crime writing's greatest characters: alongside Holmes, Poirot and Morse.' - Daily Mail
'One of Britain's leading novelists in any genre.' - New Statesman
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“Interesting”
Never a fan of authors finishing others work or building on established classics this was one of the exceptions. I felt it was very easy to see where Rankin took over from McIlvanney the later chapters were more... More
“A seamless collaboration”
"Whatever else happens, the dark remains."
From the moment I heard about this book I've been stalking various websites, scheming how to get my hands on it. Turns out I didn't have to kill anyone,...
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“"A one-off in a world of mass production."”
It was almost an impossible task, completing a novel written by the man single handedly responsible for not only creating Tartan Noir but seemingly the blueprint for every British crime novel to be written in the... More
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