Cast a Cold Eye: A Gritty Historical Crime Thriller Set in 1930s Glasgow (Jimmy Dreghorn series, 2)
£9.19£9.99 (-8%)
‘This is Peaky Blinders territory. Packed with dramatic action and unforgettable characters, it casts a hypnotic spell and stirs the blood’ – Daily Mail
‘A darkly compelling thriller . . . Morrison succeeds in summoning Depression-era Glasgow in a powerful work of crime fiction’ – Sunday Times
Glasgow, 1933
Murder is nothing new in the Depression-era city, especially to war veterans Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and his partner ‘Bonnie’ Archie McDaid. But the dead man found in a narrowboat on the Forth and Clyde Canal, executed with a single shot to the back of the head, is no ordinary killing.
Violence usually erupts in the heat of the moment – the razor-gangs that stalk the streets settle scores with knives and fists. Firearms suggest something more sinister, especially when the killer strikes again. Meanwhile, other forces are stirring within the city. A suspected IRA cell is at large, embedded within the criminal gangs and attracting the ruthless attention of Special Branch agents from London.
With political and sectarian tensions rising, and the body count mounting, Dreghorn and McDaid pursue an investigation into the dark heart of humanity – where one person’s freedom fighter is another’s terrorist, and noble ideals are swept away by bloody vengeance.
Cast a Cold Eye by Robbie Morrison is a dark historical crime novel and the sequel to Edge of the Grave, winner of Bloody Scotland’s Scottish Crime Debut of the Year.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Pan, Main Market edition (28 Mar. 2024) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 480 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1529054087 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1529054088 |
| Reading age | 18 years and up |
by Jonathan Newman
A brilliant sequel – probably even surpassing the first Dreghorn novel!
by Stuart Bell
I’ve read other books by Robbie Robertson, and they’ve been great.
I inadvertently ordered the hardback version of this, and it is bigger than most of my cookbooks. What is the point of such a massive, unwieldy book?
Also, maybe his agent suggested he get paid by the word or by kilo, because this is long, ponderous, dreary. I keep having to have breaks from it because it gets so tiresome.
The annoying thing is, this could’ve been a great book. If it was 100 pages shorter.
by Reader-718
.. if you like gritty, hard street crime, with espionage et al. thrown in; you’ll love this.
Add to this the streets of Glasgow in the depression years of the early 1930’s ‘an, issa bellterr, pal!’
Jimmy and Archie are back in action. The former with his complexities and the latter, the supporting act in every conceivable aspect.
The usual enemies are aggravating the boys; both gang members and those supposedly on their own side (from the Force).
All in all, a brilliant story. Highly recommended.
The author is still relatively new, and it’s very rare to find one whose first two books are this high standard.
Git oot there an buy thim the noo!
by Martin
Outstanding.
by Malcolm R
Paints a very good picture of Glasgow in the 1930’s not that I knew it! Dreghorn and McDaid almost stumble across a murder, seemingly an execution of an old bargee on his decrepit vessel. Similar murders follow and then one of their own is attacked but not before they become involved with IRA suspects, Special Branch, gambling – the Irish Hospital Sweepstakes, a previous serious assault and the continuing strife they have with colleagues and every gang member in the city. The story becomes a heady brew but, of course, our intrepid pair come out on top. You may need a dictionary for the Scottish idiom and McDaid’s Gaelic and the writing is a bit clunky in places but that does not detract from a very good read. One black mark was using “ongoing” which has only been in general use for a few years now and would not have been used in this setting – to my mind – perhaps I’m wrong.
by Cotters
An historical crime novel set in 1930s Glasgow.
Jimmy Dreghorn is our hero with Bonnie Archie Mcdaid in tow.
The book is absorbing , taking away your sleep time and leaving you bleary eyed but satisfied.
Best read as a follow up to Edge of the Grave but can certainly be read as a stand-alone though , obviously, the few back references will not make much sense.
Please give it a look , you won’t regret it.
The best of Scottish crime writing since Rankin.
by Robah
The feel of Peakey Blinders but in a well imagined Glasgow of the time, believable sympathetic characters and great plot. The first in the series was excellent- this tops it!!
by James McCoo
Bought Jimmy’s first book. Just had to buy his second book.