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Product Description
Product Description
A brilliant new stand-alone crime thriller from Scotland's Crime Master
Xavier (Xavi) Aislado is a gentle giant, half Spanish, half Scot, brought up in Edinburgh by his grandmother, Paloma Puig, a ferocious old lady whose grim brand of care sees him into his teens, until his father moves back to Spain, leaving him to grow up fast. His emergence into manhood is colourful, and eventful. After a short career as a professional footballer, he turns to journalism, and has a bloody introduction to the trade, as his first assignment ends in violent death. Inevitably, remorselessly, as his autobiography unfolds, Xavi's life and his love become entwined with his work, and he is immersed in tragedy, loss and betrayal, going halfway round the world in search of a truth that may destroy him.
Quintin Jardine's evocation of Xavi's fated world, of the towering being that is Grandma Paloma, and of his love, the beautiful, wilful and hypnotic Grace Starshine, is an unforgettable story of a man riding a one-way train to oblivion. Will he escape, before it hits the buffers, full-speed?
Xavier (Xavi) Aislado is a gentle giant, half Spanish, half Scot, brought up in Edinburgh by his grandmother, Paloma Puig, a ferocious old lady whose grim brand of care sees him into his teens, until his father moves back to Spain, leaving him to grow up fast. His emergence into manhood is colourful, and eventful. After a short career as a professional footballer, he turns to journalism, and has a bloody introduction to the trade, as his first assignment ends in violent death. Inevitably, remorselessly, as his autobiography unfolds, Xavi's life and his love become entwined with his work, and he is immersed in tragedy, loss and betrayal, going halfway round the world in search of a truth that may destroy him.
Quintin Jardine's evocation of Xavi's fated world, of the towering being that is Grandma Paloma, and of his love, the beautiful, wilful and hypnotic Grace Starshine, is an unforgettable story of a man riding a one-way train to oblivion. Will he escape, before it hits the buffers, full-speed?
About the Author
Quintin Jardine gave up the life of a political spin doctor for the more morally acceptable world of murder and mayhem. Happily married, he hides from critics and creditors in secret locations in Scotland and Spain.
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I enjoyed the author's pacy thriller Inhuman Remains (Primavera Blackstone Mystery) and so was expecting much from The Loner. The main character Xavi is a blend of Scottish and Spanish ancestry and novel switches back and forth between Edinburgh and Spain. As with McCall Smith and Ian Rankin books, I enjoyed the reading about familiar streets and locations in Edinburgh. Though an interesting pseudo-biographical story there's too much mundane detail and diversions into side issues for nearly 300 pages; thereafter the narrative takes off into roller-coaster of a thriller/crime novel with an unbelievable series of murders and twists of fate compressed into the last third of the book in too hurried a fashion that feels as if the author wanted to tie up all the ends quickly and leave the reader astonished by the end.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a very different book to the Skinner series (although he does appear near the end, but is not really involved with the plot).
A thoroughly good read, I could not put it down as usual Quintin Jardine's writing flows and keeps you hooked right to the end - which is unexpected.
I cannot recommend it more.
A thoroughly good read, I could not put it down as usual Quintin Jardine's writing flows and keeps you hooked right to the end - which is unexpected.
I cannot recommend it more.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This story is basically a fake biography, "as told to Quintin Jardine" but it's definitely fictional. Which is a good thing as it's somewhat implausible but a riveting read none the less.
This is Jardine's first standalone novel and I feel a bit like he tried to put a full series worth of story into less than 450 pages. Xavi at school, at university with his football career, becoming a journalist, getting married, the things that happened after. It was a lot of story. And I know that biographies have usually have the entire life of a person written within the pages but few lives are as exciting and full as Xavi's. However, because Jardine didn't focus on much of Xavi's life for too long (with an exception, which I'll come to), the story zipped along at a fair pace. The only time where I felt there was too much information was with the football aspect. I have zero interest in football and so the chapters dedicated to this really slowed down the first quarter of the book. They were long sections, full of the intricacies of the sport in the eighties and the management of the teams and players, and I really could have done without them as they added little to the story overall. Get past this, though, and the story picks up a lot and it becomes a very quick read.
Another minor complaint is Xavi himself. He's a mature individual from the very start, wise beyond his young years, but he did just sound far too grown up for a teenager or man in his very early twenties so that when time, years, pass I felt that is came as a shock. He commented that he's nearing thirty and I would think "really?" It seemed like time didn't pass at all because the character changed little through the years.
The other characters, particularly Xavi's grandmother and the family matriarch, were interesting and not black and white, good or bad. They all had secrets and some were bigger than others. There were possibly too many characters, it got a bit confusing when some of them popped up after a time away and I was trying to remember who they were. A large cast of characters is a thing of Jardine's, particularly in the Skinner series, but they are usually introduced throughout several books so it was a bit overwhelming for this single title. And for fans of Skinner, keep your eyes peeled for a cameo appearance by the man.
The plot, and writing of it, was overall very good. Jardine is a great writer when it comes to keeping up the suspense and drip feeding the reader information and clues. It keeps the pages turning and the reader's interest. Some of the plot twists were easy to guess and others not so much. Although, on finishing the story I realised that hints were given along the way and I was just not quick enough to figure out what was going on.
I enjoyed this book a lot, it was nice to break away from his series a bit, and it certainly ranks up there with Jardine's best.
This is Jardine's first standalone novel and I feel a bit like he tried to put a full series worth of story into less than 450 pages. Xavi at school, at university with his football career, becoming a journalist, getting married, the things that happened after. It was a lot of story. And I know that biographies have usually have the entire life of a person written within the pages but few lives are as exciting and full as Xavi's. However, because Jardine didn't focus on much of Xavi's life for too long (with an exception, which I'll come to), the story zipped along at a fair pace. The only time where I felt there was too much information was with the football aspect. I have zero interest in football and so the chapters dedicated to this really slowed down the first quarter of the book. They were long sections, full of the intricacies of the sport in the eighties and the management of the teams and players, and I really could have done without them as they added little to the story overall. Get past this, though, and the story picks up a lot and it becomes a very quick read.
Another minor complaint is Xavi himself. He's a mature individual from the very start, wise beyond his young years, but he did just sound far too grown up for a teenager or man in his very early twenties so that when time, years, pass I felt that is came as a shock. He commented that he's nearing thirty and I would think "really?" It seemed like time didn't pass at all because the character changed little through the years.
The other characters, particularly Xavi's grandmother and the family matriarch, were interesting and not black and white, good or bad. They all had secrets and some were bigger than others. There were possibly too many characters, it got a bit confusing when some of them popped up after a time away and I was trying to remember who they were. A large cast of characters is a thing of Jardine's, particularly in the Skinner series, but they are usually introduced throughout several books so it was a bit overwhelming for this single title. And for fans of Skinner, keep your eyes peeled for a cameo appearance by the man.
The plot, and writing of it, was overall very good. Jardine is a great writer when it comes to keeping up the suspense and drip feeding the reader information and clues. It keeps the pages turning and the reader's interest. Some of the plot twists were easy to guess and others not so much. Although, on finishing the story I realised that hints were given along the way and I was just not quick enough to figure out what was going on.
I enjoyed this book a lot, it was nice to break away from his series a bit, and it certainly ranks up there with Jardine's best.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Loner
Jardine sets a compelling scene in the build up to a enthralling story. He has the power to engross the reader with the the unexpected. A brilliant read from start to finish.
Published 1 month ago by Brownie
'Interesting'
This novel is mainly set in middle class Edinburgh wih occasional forays into Catalonian Spain. It's the first Jardine novel that I've read that isn't completely set in the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Alison McVey
A different Jardine
Without doubt a different Jardine from the Skinner/Blackstone/Primavera novels stands up
well on its own,is a good read,difficult to put down as you know that something nasty... Read more
well on its own,is a good read,difficult to put down as you know that something nasty... Read more
Published 8 months ago by wobblywobbly
Best yet
I loved this book one of the best books I have read in ages. Thoroughly enjoyed all the Bob Skinner books (except the one involving golf) but this book was an absolute joy. Read more
Published 8 months ago by F Nicholls
Hopefully not a Loner for long
This book shows just what Quintin Jardine is capable of. Well plotted, plenty of twists along the way, lots of subtle clues that all make sense when the final twist is revealed... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Andyb
he is The Loner
Different from the usual Quentin Jardine stories - He is indeed The Loner. Started reading it at 11 pm and was still reading at 1.30 a.m. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Tuxedocat
kindler
I have read the vast majority of Mr Jardines`s books and this was the best to date. To date the Skinner serries has been my favourite, this was different but even more enjoyable.
Published 13 months ago by les howard
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