First Quintin Jardine book I have read & it was fantastic. Such a brilliant read from start to finish. ( )

Fun to read a mystery about the Edinburgh Festival while at the festival. Definite junk food mystery, lots of action, and the attempts to humanize the protagonist felt particularly flat... just get on with the terrorist plotting and festival scenery, I don't need to know about Skinner's home life, or inner emotional realities. Not the least of which is because those came over as a cliche. ( )

Fun to read a mystery about the Edinburgh Festival while at the festival. Definite junk food mystery, lots of action, and the attempts to humanize the protagonist felt particularly flat... just get on with the terrorist plotting and festival scenery, I don't need to know about Skinner's home life, or inner emotional realities. Not the least of which is because those came over as a cliche. ( )

This is a Detective Bob Skinner novel.
Set in Edinburgh during the festival
Bombs are going off and its up to Skinner to save the day. His daughter is taken hostage but in the end the bad guys are caught and his daughter is unharmed.
This book really makes Edinburgh come to life.
Far fetched story but once it gets going its an enjoyable read. ( )

Well written and entertaining, but it contains a double dose of the convention I least like in mysteries: detectives (or their allies) sleeping with the perpetrator. I would prefer less of the international intrigue and the celebration of the national security apparatus of Scotland and more of clever crime detection. There are times that I tend to agree with his fiction critics and think that Yes, Skinner is a fuck up. Way too many people die. I do not mind people dying in grusome ways, but I get tired of the plaint "it is not my fault". And the celebration of the security apparatus cancels out the affection I have for the monster who lives in Skinner. It will be a while before I search out the next installment. ( )