The Storm Without (the first Doug Michie crime thriller) and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more


or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 
Share your own customer images
Publisher: learn how customers can search inside this book.
Start reading The Storm Without (the first Doug Michie crime thriller) on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Storm Without [Paperback]

Tony Black (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
Price: £5.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £2.00 (25%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
Only 11 left in stock (more on the way).
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
Want it Thursday, 20 June? Choose Express delivery at checkout. Details

Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition £0.49   -- --
Paperback £5.99   -- --
Books Trade-In
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Special Offer until June 30, 2013: Receive an additional £5 promotional Gift Certificate, when you trade-in at least £10 worth of books. Learn more.

Book Description

Publication Date: 5 July 2012
Still recovering from the harrowing case that ended his police career, Doug Michie returns to his boyhood home of Ayr on Scotland's wind-scarred west coast. He hopes to rebuild his shattered life, get over the recent failure of his marriage and shed his demons, but the years have changed the birthplace of the poet Robert Burns. When Doug meets his old school-day flame Lyn, however, he feels his past may offer the salvation of a future. But, Lyn's son has been accused of murder and she begs Doug to find the truth. Soon Doug is tangled in a complicated web of corrupt politicians, frightened journalists and a police force in cahoots with criminals. Only Burns' philosophical musings offer Doug some shelter as he wanders the streets of Auld Ayr battling The Storm Without.

"another masterclass in Tartan Noir." --Daily Record

"This is an elegiac noir for the memory of a place, delivered in a prose as bleakly beautiful as the setting."--The Guardian

"This is the Great Scottish Novel, got it all and just a wee shade more... Classic."--Ken Bruen, author of HEADSTONE

"highly entertaining, fast paced and tightly, almost sparingly, written."--Undiscovered Scotland

"a thrilling piece of crime writing."--Scottish Field

"cracking stuff."--You Would Say That, Wouldn't You?

PRAISE FOR TONY BLACK

"Black's dialogue and atmosphere crackle with authenticity." --The Times

"If you're a fan of Rankin, Mina or Welsh this is most certainly one for you." --The Scotsman

Frequently Bought Together

The Storm Without + Murder Mile (Di Rob Brennan 2) + Truth Lies Bleeding (Di Rob Brennan 1)
Price For All Three: £17.97

Buy the selected items together

Product details

  • Paperback: 170 pages
  • Publisher: McNidder & Grace (5 July 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0857160400
  • ISBN-13: 978-0857160409
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 1.5 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 99,563 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Tony Black Page
Tony Black
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Product Description

Review

"This is the Great Scottish Novel, got it all and just a wee shade more... Classic." --Ken Bruen, author of HEADSTONE

"Highly entertaining, fast paced and tightly, almost sparingly, written." --Undiscovered Scotland

"This is an elegiac noir for the memory of a place, delivered in a prose as bleakly beautiful as the setting." --The Guardian

"This is an elegiac noir for the memory of a place, delivered in a prose as bleakly beautiful as the setting." --The Guardian

About the Author

Tony Black is Irvine Welsh's favourite British crime writer. The author of six critically-acclaimed crime novels he was a national newspaper journalist before turning to writing novels. His fourth book, Long Time Dead will be filmed for the cinema in 2012.

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

› Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Ayr-raising 29 Jun 2012
By nigel p bird
Format:Paperback
Tony Black's book `The Storm Without' takes a slight deviation from the police procedurals he's been releasing of late.
It's tells the story of a man returning to his home town of Ayr, having made decisions in the past that leave him unsure of his direction in life.

As he arrives in the town, he sees a familiar face, that of an ex-girlfriend. She's waiting at the bus stop, so he pulls over to offer her a lift. The old chemistry hasn't completely gone and they end up going for coffee. Turns out her son is being charged for murder and that he needs some help to prove his innocence.

The good news is that our man Doug Michie is a seasoned hard-man who has spent time in Ulster working for the RUC in Belfast. It means that when the trail leads him to some powerful and dangerous people, he's not entirely out of his depth.

There are many things in this book that will seem familiar to fans of lone-wolf detectives and private-investigators. These will make you feel very much at home. You may get whiffs of Ken Bruen or fleeting moments of déjà vu from older stories.

How then, does Black make his character stand out from the rest?

Michie is partial to Robbie Burns. He knows his work and likes to quote him from time-to-time to illustrate his thinking. He's also a guy who pays attention to the world and will use the things he remembers to illustrate his points. And he's a pretty reflective sort, finding that returning to his home town raises questions about his life, his value to the world and his mortality.

It's also slightly different in that this was first released in serial form.... Read more ›
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Scottish writing at its gloomiest best! 15 July 2012
By McDroll
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
First of all, I've got a confession to make, I'm not from Ayr, I'm from Kilmarnock and if you know anything about Ayrshire, where Tony Black's angst riven new novel is set, then you will be aware of the bitter rivalry between the two towns. If we're talking football, then Kilmarnock easily comes out top; industry, then Kilmarnock used to win hands down but if it was an ice-cream cone you were after then Ayr was your place.

Days have changed though for both of these proud towns. Industry has all but vanished from Kilmarnock and the gloss of Ayr as a holiday destination is certainly now very ragged around the edges.

In The Storm Without, Black examines the demise of a once proud town, home of the greatest poet the world has ever known, Robert Burns. Seen through the eyes of Doug Michie, a police officer just returned to his home town after many years in Northern Ireland, the town that he once knew has all but vanished, leaving only a ghost-like trace of the bustling market town of his memories.

It's not only the town that Michie finds has degenerated in his absence, but the good people of Ayr themselves, as fake now as the cheap cigarettes, corrupt and soulless where the murder of a young girl can easily be blamed on an innocent boy and his own mother seeks oblivion in the bottom of a bottle.... Read more ›
1 Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A very short read 7 Dec 2012
By Alison McVey
Format:Paperback
This book is so short! To me, it is a sketchy first draft that is missing all the padding that builds a story up. An easy read in an afternoon and evening.

On researching further, I did discover that this was first serialised in a Scottish newspaper, which accounts for its' shortcomings, and, on further research, I find a whole host of full length Tony Black novels which beckon seductively - because I do like the gritty realism of crime novels based in Scotland, and this west coast setting is as dreich and dark as it gets.

So, from my point of view, not a massively brilliant read in itself - but a good introduction to Tony Black.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars The Storm Without 26 July 2012
By Eva Dolan
Format:Kindle Edition
`Irvine Welsh's favourite British crime writer.' That is one hell of plaudit to live up to, but Tony Black has proven time and again that he is fully deserving of it. He's a writer with an unflinching eye for brutality, adept at spinning out stories of lowlife transgression which often reaches into the higher echelons. People trafficking, dog fighting, police corruption are a few of the things he touches on, and that's just the Gus Dury series. Hot on the heels of his second police procedural Murder Mile, Black has released The Storm Without, a standalone novella.

Doug Michie rocks up in his old hometown of Alloyway, the birthplace of Robert Burns on the Ayrshire cost, trailing a black cloud. He's been drummed out of the Royal Ulster Constabulary for reasons he'd rather not go into, his marriage is over and his drink problem is in a steady holding pattern. On top of all that his aging mother needs attention that neither of them particularly want him to give. On the edge of town he runs into old school friend Lyn and his homecoming gets complicated.

Lyn's son Glenn has been arrested for the murder of his girlfriend. They had a history of domestic altercations and his reputation was hardly spotless, so it's an open and shut case. Lyn believes he's innocent, naturally, and Doug is drawn into doing some digging around. He may be out of the police, but the police isn't out of him.

It doesn't take long for Doug to realise Glenn's being fitted up. The old town has changed a lot since Doug left - faded and degenerating, awash with counterfeit cigarettes and East European girls trafficked in to service the locals behind closed doors.... Read more ›
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved!
Riveting. Now one of my must-read authors. Sometimes you find a writer who you just dig. I dig this man!
Published 3 months ago by M Ellis
4.0 out of 5 stars Can,t put down
Excellent well written book and plot.
What a joy it was to read without any bad language. As a Christian I find bad language very offensive and a lot of authors don,t seem to... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Alexander Hepburn
3.0 out of 5 stars Good start.....
As a crime novel it paints a bleak picture of Scottish life. Read better and read worse, could develop into a good anti hero series in time.
Published 3 months ago by tupsley1349
3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Was looking forward to reading this after seeing several good reviews, both on Kindle and elsewhere, but found it a disappointing read. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Nell
5.0 out of 5 stars Er Er er er (There's Ayr over there)
My knowledge of Ayr is pretty much restricted to trips to the beach as a child and latterly trips to Somerset Park when St Mirren were visiting. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Al V
4.0 out of 5 stars Storm Without
It keptme turning the pages, but not as eagerly as some. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the read, and would recommend it.
Published 5 months ago by Wilf McDonald
4.0 out of 5 stars book
This is a good story which keeps you enthralled from beginning to end. I would recommend it to other crime buffs.
Published 5 months ago by feltpatch
2.0 out of 5 stars too short
this is a SHORT story that doesn't have enough flesh on its bones to make plotline worth reading
a good basic story that could be filled out
Published 5 months ago by Hairy Scotsman
2.0 out of 5 stars Too much Burns
I bought this because I like crime writing and I hail from Ayr. It was a bit of a mistake. I've since read that this was a serial in the Ayrshire Post and the style of writing is... Read more
Published 5 months ago by CarolynS
1.0 out of 5 stars Poor attempt with a hidden agenda
A very weak storyline which relies on intermittent quotes from Burns to capture the attention of the reader. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Jim Ellis
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

There's a problem loading this menu at the moment.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

    Your Shopping Basket is empty.

    Give it purpose -- fill it with books, DVDs, clothes, electronics and more.

    If you already have an account, sign in.

    There's a problem previewing your shopping basket at the moment.

    Check your Internet connection and go to your cart, or try again.

    View Shopping Basket (0 items)

      Customer Discussions

      This product's forum
      Discussion Replies Latest Post
      No discussions yet

      Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
      Start a new discussion
      Topic:
      First post:
      Prompts for sign-in
       


      Active discussions in related forums
      Search Customer Discussions
      Search all Amazon discussions
         
      Related forums

      Listmania!

      Create a Listmania! list

      Look for similar items by category

      Feedback


      Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges