The Violent Hour

A fast-paced procedural with plenty of surprises - while this might have been my first Tony McLean outing, it certainly won’t be my last. * Tariq Ashkanani, author of THE MIDNIGHT KING *The Violent Hour is James Oswald at the height of his powers. A thrilling page turner with plenty of mystery but also with a healthy dose of gore. Another very welcome outing for Tony McLean. James just gets better and better - despite the new Alfa … ! I’ve always been a huge fan of his writing (and the writer himself). One of very few crime novelists who really understands the genre. He writes with intelligence and beauty. Every page is a delight and an experience. You always learn something new. I’ve learned about Beserkers!! * Imran Mahmood, author of YOU DON’T KNOW ME *Written with real skill and heart, The Violent Hour is a propulsive and gripping read from start to finish. * Doug Johnstone, author of THE SPACE BETWEEN US *A gripping and sharply observed police procedural combined with something much darker at play. There is a thrilling climax where the personal stakes for Inspector McLean couldn’t be higher. Oswald writes with his usual wit and the fast-paced plot means this is a real page-turner! * Charlotte Essex, co-producer of KILLING EVE and author of ALL SHE BURNS *James Oswald has carved out his own unique space in the crime fiction landscape, crafting powerful police procedurals often tinged with supernatural overtones. The Violent Hour is another standout. Gruesome and gripping with just the right amount of gallows humour, and characters whose humanity shines through in the face of the almost inhuman threats they face. * Robbie Morrison, author of EDGE OF THE GRAVE *

James Oswald at his finest, his darkest, his most inventive … the beautiful tension between the down-to-earth realities of McLean and his squad’s investigative techniques and the possibly fantastical nature of the crimes they investigate has always been a highlight, but here it’s deployed to powerful effect as McLean slowly realises that what looks like an especially violent assault may in fact be related to ancient Viking curses and legends. That Oswald can balance these two halves of his unique take on genre and keep the readers’ belief suspended perfectly is a testament to his skill and his ability. He approaches crime like no one else in the genre, and has gone from a promising and unusual voice to a must-read veteran whose books I will recommend to readers everywhere. And while McLean himself is a superb series lead, his supporting cast continue to grow and pull on our emotions - Madame Rose and Mrs McCutcheon’s Cat (may our favourite feline live forever) may be the most dependable and recognisable, but seeing Janie Harrison and other officers truly step forward in the last few books has shown that these books are about more than our hero; they’re about a team of characters we care about in such a way that we - like McLean, even if he might grumble about admitting it - have to come to think of as fast friends.

James Oswald is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Inspector McLean series of detective mysteries, the DC Constance Fairchild series and, as J. D. Oswald, the standalone novel Broken Ghosts. James’s first book, Natural Causes, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards Debut Author Award. His latest book, The Rest is Death, is the fourteenth in the Inspector McLean series.

James farms pedigree Highland cows by day, writes disturbing fiction by night.

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