Here is my review....
A Plague of Crows by Douglas Lindsay. 2013. Kindle Edition. Blasted Heath. EPub. 488kb, 280 Pages
Another resounding success by Douglas Lindsay, this darkly disturbing novel will have you looking at crows in a completely different light. Number 2 in Lindsay’s series to feature DI Hutton; a man who is tortured by his behaviour in Bosnia in times gone by and seems hell bent on punishing himself forever because of it, this book is very different to his series on the hilarious demon barber, Barney Thomson, but is equally excellent.
The start of the story sees DI Hutton returning to work after having been suspended for inappropriate behaviour - attacking a colleague after he was attacked by him for sleeping with his wife. Hutton is initially relaxed and reasonably together, as he has just spent four months living in a tent in the Highlands, but it isn’t long before the pressure of his new case starts to push him towards his old ways. A PLAGUE OF CROWS focuses mostly on Hutton, his private torture and his endless pursuit of women to sleep with, and very little is said about the murderer at all, apart from his modus operandi and the aftermath of when he strikes. The method of murder is particularly brutal and is very likely to disturb you if you think about it too much. I wont spoil it for you here, but crows do play an important part in the operation.
Lindsay has again shown the world what an excellent craftsman he is. This book starts off well and gets better and better with every turn of the page. It is blacker than black and keeps you guessing right until the very end. The book also has that clever way of invading your thoughts during the day when you are not reading it; making you unable to let go and desperate to be able to continue. By half way I was so sucked in that I upset several friends with graphic descriptions of what was happening.
If you like very dark and disturbing fiction, that is superbly written and beautifully addictive, then this one is definitely for you. You don’t have to have read the first DI Hutton book in order to enjoy this one – except you should read it because it is so damn brilliant!
Extremely Highly recommended.
