Crow Bait by Douglas Skelton

A gory and razor-sharp crime novel from the start, Douglas Skelton’s Crow Bait moves at breakneck speed like a getaway car on the dark streets of Glasgow, the city where this story takes place. Davie McCall is released after ten long years as a guest of her majesty to find the underground gang scene now tied up with drugs. He must second guess who remains trustworthy during run-ins with an ex flame and fellow gangsters. If that wasn’t enough to contend with, Davie has family issues, being pursued by his manic father, trying to take him down at every turn.

Crow Bait progresses at a quick clip like good crime novels should. Some of this story – as is often the case in genre pieces – is a little predictable, but the novel remains a classic gangster/detective 'who done it' set in a colourfully realised Glasgow. Skelton's visual language allows the reader to truly picture that shadowy figure closing in with the chib. There are a few good jokes and one-liners to add another layer, subtly showing character rather than simply telling the reader. For example, when describing a dodgy flat: 'An enthusiastic salesman might call it a fixer upper, but really the only thing that would fix this place up was a can of petrol and a match.' We’ve all been there. [Tabatha Glancy]