DOUGLAS SKELTON - OPEN WOUNDS (2016)

Synopsis/blurb….

Davie McCall is tired. Tired of violence, tired of the Life. He's always managed to stay detached from the brutal nature of his line of work, but recently he has caught himself enjoying it. In the final instalment in the Davie McCall series old friends clash and long buried secrets are unearthed as McCall investigates a brutal five-year-old crime. Davie wants out, but the underbelly of Glasgow is all he has ever known. Will what he learns about his old ally Big Rab McClymont be enough to get him out of the Life? And could the mysterious woman who just moved in upstairs be just what he needs?

Douglas Skelton’s 4^th Davie McCall book, but only my first. After this enjoyable outing, plans are afoot to address that situation.

McCall is a loner – no family and only one friend. He’s an enforcer for Rab McClymont, but he’s jaded, burnt out and wants out. Problem is he doesn’t have the kind of job you can walk away from.

Rab senses somethings up with his man. He needs watching. Davie’s under scrutiny anyway from Donna, the interesting blonde who’s just moved in to the flat above his own. Maybe he shouldn’t have got involved when her drunken ex turned up and threatened her. And why’s McClymont fretting over the release from prison of Jerry O’Neill?

Great setting – Glasgow’s mean streets

An interesting cast of characters – McCall himself;

McClymont and his band of merry men, including the young scrote, Jimsie - sent to partner Davie on the errands he’s no longer any appetite for, but which Rab keeps sending him on.

A bent cop Jimmy Knight (“How bent is he?” “The man can tie his shoelaces without stooping.”)

A washed-up private detective – Donovan, an unlikely ally for Davie.  

Bottle blonde Donna – who is she and what’s she after?

Dark and satisfying, plenty of great dialogue and humour, that old cliché – a page-turner – well it is. What’s even better is the economy of style in which Skelton wraps this all up – a shade under 250 pages.

BIFF, BANG, BOSH! Job done – highly recommended! I’m just a bit miffed I joined the party at the end and not at the beginning. Oh well I can always read this one again after the first three!

5 from 5

Douglas Skelton has his website here.

The first three in the series are Blood City, Crow Bait and Devil’s Knock. He has another novel out soon The Dead Don’t Boogie – something else I’ll have to check out.

Catch him on Twitter - @DouglasSkelton1

Thanks to Juliette at Luath Press for the copy of this one.

Read in April, 2016 - April's pick of the month!