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The seventh in Alex Gray's series of novels featuring DCI William Lorimer takes him into uncharted territory, being promoted to Acting Superintendent and seconded from his usual duties to review an unsolved case – a horrific house fire in a wealthy area of Glasgow that killed a prominent couple. In the meantime, however, an unpredictable killer is roaming the streets of Glasgow, striking with a different modus operandi each time. As Lorimer investigates, it appears that the killer is getting closer to home. FIVE WAYS TO KILL A MAN features significant events in many of the characters' lives. For example, the novel opens with the marriage of Lorimer's friend, psychologist Solomon Brightman, to pathologist Rosie Ferguson. As it progresses and reaches its powerful conclusion, more developments take place that will probably shape the course of future novels. It is also interesting in that it takes Lorimer away from his usual stomping ground and brings him into contact with new characters and new ways of working, all of which pose him problems and cause him to make adjustments in his work. Gray again shows excellent skill in developing the characters, reminding us that police officers do indeed have lives away from their work. She also uses vivid descriptions of Glasgow life, bringing the suburbs and areas to life. They may never be akin to the powerful and brooding Edinburgh landscapes so powerfully described by Ian Rankin in his novels, but in her writing Gray is showing that Glasgow can more than hold its own. FIVE WAYS TO KILL A MAN is not a cosy. While it does have elements that play down its innate darkness – e.g., cats being cuddled and almost idyllic family life – it is essentially a dark piece, with a heady mix of arson, poisoning and other forms of murder. As ever, Gray's fans will enjoy. § Luke Croll is an editor and translator who is based in Nairobi.
Reviewed by Luke Croll, January 2011
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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