Customer Reviews

The Unburied Dead: The First Detective Thomas Hutton Thriller

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Really enjoyed this book. It is well paced, has a good plot and interesting characters. There are some explicit sexual references and fairly frequent use of profanity, but as the actress said to the bishop, 'they are necessary for development of the plot and the characters.'

The story is set in the west of Scotland and revolves around conspiracy and intrigue in the local police force(using the authors' vernacular - polis force). The action happens over the course of a week or so and intertwines the professional and personal life of the main characters into single suspense filled thread.

Hopefully there will be more books to come based on the main character.

The Unburied Dead intoduces us to DS Thomas Hutton - he's drunken, divorced, ex-army, sleeping with the boss & has just landed slap bang in the middle of a brutal murder case. He's also a very engaging narrator - has an eye for the grotesque & a wicked sense of humour that just about keeps him sane. Put all this together & mix it with a big pinch of polis corruption & you end up with a thoroughly enjoyable & entertaining read.

I haven't read any previous Douglas Lindsay books but on this form that won't be the case for long. He has a great writing style and breathes new life into a well trodden genre. Brilliant

" The Unburied Dead," by the acclaimed Douglas Lindsay (of the Barney Thomson crime series), is irresistible right from its opening sentence. Set is Glasgow, the novel is hard-boiled and unsentimental, yet quirkily funny--the more pisssed-off protagonist detective Thomas Hutton is, the funnier the story gets.

Author Lindsay is a shrewd observer of human nature; he understands how a roomful of people telling each other off can somehow speak well of humanity. Hutton drinks too much and his marriage is in trouble, but he just keeps perking along as best he can, with no illusions that life necessarily gets any better. As he comments at one point, the sooner everything gets messed up, the sooner he can get on with living. And the serial killer is a three-dimensional character depicted realistically, without moralizing. He is a fellow human, walking the streets beside us everyday. We see him strike, and we also see him miss. When he attacks his targets beyond what is needed to kill them, we understand why.

This is one of those books that makes you feel sorry when it comes to an end, though you'll hope that whatever else is wrong with the world and with humanity, Lindsay will write more books.

Jon P. Bloch
(The Kindle Book Review)

This was a cracking read, well paced, great central character development and edgy humour. Has lots of room for development and figure the author may have a gift for creating characters who could lead a series so will be checking out more. Some of the periphery characters maybe lacked a little but I didnt care about them anyway as the lead character acts as cracking narration with humour and a smattering of darker themes. Would like to read more about DS Hutton!

The hero of this tale is not at first glance your traditional hero. On the wrong side of forty and scarred by horrific experiences in Bosnia and dealing with a complicated love life and frequent overindulgence in alcohol, DS Hutton has to cope not only a dangerously deluded serial killer but corruption within the force. The characters were in the main very well drawn, particularly both Hutton himself, who was very believable, and the serial killer, although I felt less convinced by his female superior Miller. (Very) black humour coupled with a strong storyline make for a good read.

I particularly enjoy Douglas Lindsay's hilarious Barney Thomson books - 'The Unburied Dead' sees a slight change of direction and introduces a brand new central character in Detective Sergeant Thomas Hutton. He is a divorced vodka & tonic drinking, Bob Dylan devotee.

Making up more of the motley CID bunch attempting to investigate serious crime in Glasgow are DCI Jonah Bloonsbury, one time high flyer but now alcoholic has-been; DS Herrod, who's drunk with the desire to arrest anyone; DCI Dan Taylor who's consumed with doubt and depression; and Superintendent Charlotte Miller, the boss ready to work her way further up the ranks by bed hopping.

Starting just three days before Christmas when Ann Keller is murdered, mutilated by multiple stab wounds, the investigation continues over the period through to the New Year. The killer roams the streets; he's fixated on his ex girlfriend and wants to inflict pain on anyone vaguely resembling her as in his mind, she is any dark haired female he stumbles upon.

The author has a most entertaining writing style and supplies plenty of twist and turns in the storyline to keep readers engrossed and flicking the pages. Lindsay has devised a central character that I hope will be the foundation to a series.

This is superlative Scottish crime writing and a stonkingly brilliant read! Very highly recommended.

I have only read the first installment of the Barney Thomson books but enjoyed the humour and storytelling a lot.
When I found this one for 99p I thought it must be worth a shot. The reviews hinted at a darker and less ridiculous humour so I was hoping it may be something akin to a Rebus novel. As it turned it I found it to be an excellent book and finished it in one sitting, I simply didn't want to stop reading.
I won't give anything away, story-wise, suffice to say I'll be getting more of Lindsay's books...loved it.

It takes a while to get into and the main character undergoes a metamorphosis in that he is described at the outset as deeply unpleasant but although he does not change we see him at the end as rather vulnerable and troubled. A well written story with a decent ending and some good surprises along the way. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Haveing read all his other books I tried this and didnt enjoy it I am afraid. Just didnt click thats all.

Lindsay is my favourite author so I am hopelessly biased. The demise of Barney Thompson left ne wondering whether he would be able to produce writing of the same quality. Whilst Hutton will never be an adequate replacement for Thompson I still found this to be a great read that I could hardly put down. The humour and complexity of the characters is almost up there with those in the Thompson stories which is praise indeed.