No Less The Devil: The unmissable new thriller from the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Logan McRae series

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Then around the 80% mark the story takes a sharp turn. I was expecting some of it—the foreshadowing of Lucy’s PTSD—but not all of it. There are more twists and turns through the last 20%, some I liked and some I didn’t like. But at the end, I was left with an uneasy feeling, because many of the killers escaped justice. In real life, this is often true, but most of us read thrillers because we want things to end right, the culprits caught, and justice to prevail. When an author doesn’t give us that satisfaction, we are left with a feeling of unease. Yes, MacBride throws us tidbits: not all the culprits escape; some are captured/killed. But some flourish. Add the perfect amount of location description and MacBride easily sets and maintains the atmosphere of the bleak, grey Scottish scene.

In loving memory of Grendel MacBride, my constant companion, muse, and very own little fuzzy serial killer. 2004-2021. As well as the wonderfully vivid and descriptive language (perhaps too vivid in the case of some of the crime scenes!), MacBride also proves adept at plotting a tense and compelling crime novel. I genuinely raced through this (and it is quite a long book) because there was variety, humour and a very high body count – never a dull moment.As a huge fan of the McRae series and having read some of this series I was delighted to be given an ARC of No Less The Devil.. I have read many books by this author and enjoy the ‘Logan McRae’ series but I’m afraid I struggled a little with this one. It felt like a fairly long read and my opinion seemed to change regularly throughout the novel. There were times when I thought I was getting to grips with it and enjoying it to other times when I couldn’t wait to finish. Some good characters written in the authors usual writing style but failed to grip me in the way MacBride’s novels normally do. I received a suprise copy of No Less the Devil by Stuart McBride from Penguin Books Australia and immediately my husband stole it and read it. So here are his thoughts: Gosh I LOVED this. So very much. Stuart Macbride has always been a "go to" author for me when I want twisted plotting, brilliantly vivid characters and unexpected outcomes, alongside his trademark dark humour. Lucy & Fraser begin revisiting the old crime scenes & turns out there is something new. Plus, thanks to a chilling prologue, readers know more than our intrepid duo which helps ramp up the tension as the investigation takes on new life.

But if you are after a straight-up police procedural then you might find this one a bit too hard to swallow. With "No Less The Devil" he has outdone himself. Fully absorbing, both hilarious and very very disturbing this novel is a tale of two halves and goes nowhere you could expect or predict.However I felt about the latter stages of this novel, I’m definitely keen to read more by MacBride. The humour, characterisation, vibrancy of language and sharp eye for detail absolutely won me over and I’ve already bought another book to try. Lucy really isn’t in a great place herself right now, she’s clearly suffering from PTSD, and also has a stalker, and what with the extra pressure of Benedict Strachan, who pleads for her help, she’s definitely on a downward spiral. Thus, Lucy and Dunk progress through a multitude of different environments, searching for clues that will lead them to The Bloodsmith. At one point, the cat theme is again introduced, when they discover the body of a suicide. Next up was an elongated spell in Westhill -- a small suburb seven miles west of Aberdeen -- where I embarked upon a mediocre academic career, hindered by a complete inability to spell and an attention span the length of a gnat's doodad.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of No Less the Devil by Stuart MacBride for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.So why three stars instead of five? I think this is partly my fault for expecting the novel to fit the genre neatly – I had expectations for the resolution and it just didn’t go the way I thought, In fact – without giving spoilers – it takes some unnerving, unexpected and brave paths. I think some readers will absolutely love the denouement – it’s clever and interesting – but it was just a little too confusing for me, Bookworm, Mum and English teacher. Resident of Cheshire in the rainy north of England but an Essex girl at heart and by birth. It's been seventeen months since the Bloodsmith butchered his first victim and Operation Maypole is still no nearer to catching him. The media is whipping up a storm, the top brass are demanding results, but the investigation is sinking fast. No Less The Devil is an object lesson in how to use, and manipulate, a terrifyingly bloodthirsty basic plot, and capture and hold the reader’s attention over a sustained period. MacBride is a prolific author whose style stays fresh and even topical and who handles extreme gore dispassionately, as if he is a pathologist or a police family liaison officer.