


Books in series

#1
Never Somewhere Else
2002
When a series of young women are discovered strangled and mutilated in a Glasgow park, it is up to DCI Lorimer to find their killer. He enlists the services of Dr Solomon Brightman, a psychologist and criminal profiler.

#2
A Small Weeping
2004
The body of a prostitute is found at Glasgow's Queen Street Station, her hands, pointing towards her feet, placed as if in prayer, a small flower pressed between the palms. Psychologist Solomon Brightman is called to assist DCI Lorimer in the murder hunt, with the hope that his lateral thinking will shine a light on the case from a different angle. But before any conclusions can be drawn, the body of a nurse is discovered at The Grange, a private clinic. Aside from the careful arrangement of the corpses, there is no obvious connection between the victims; Lorimer and Solomon are still very much in the dark. Then a third body turns up, and it seems increasingly clear that they have a serial killer on their hands.

#3
Shadows of Sounds
2005
When George Millar, the City of Glasgow’s orchestra leader, is brutally murdered in his dressing room before a performance, his colleagues are shocked. As the show goes on, DCI Lorimer and psychologist Solomon Brightman uncover a series of irrevocably tangled relationships between the orchestra members. Millar had been involved in a series of homosexual relationships and was well known for playing his lovers off against one another – but were his controversial dalliances really enough to incite cold-blooded and calculated murder?

#4
The Riverman
2007
When the dead body of a man is fished out of Glasgow's River Clyde the morning after an office celebration, it looks like a case of accidental death. An anonymous telephone call and a forensic toxicology test, however, give DCI Lorimer reason to think otherwise. Probing deeper into the life and business of the deceased accountant, Duncan Forbes, a seemingly upright member of the community, Lorimer find only yet more unanswered questions. What is the secret his widow seems to be concealing? Is there any reason to think that the international accountancy firm was facing financial difficulties? What has become of the dead man's protege who has disappeared in New York? And when the firm's human resources manager is found dead in her riverside flat these questions become only more complex—not to mention more disturbing.
And Lorimer is having to cope not only with deceptions devised to hide the facts, but also with suspicions from those far closer to home . . .

#5
Pitch Black
2008
An elusive killer is viciously murdering members of a football team in this next DCI Lorimer mystery from internationally bestselling author Alex Gray
When Chief Inspector Lorimer returns from his holiday on the island of Mull, he feels a welcome sense of calm. But it doesn’t last long. Kelvin Football Club’s new star midfielder is found brutally stabbed to death in his own home, and while his wife is apprehended trying to leave the country, a seemingly straightforward new case begins.
But the grisly murder of a referee after a Kelvin match throws light on some dark secrets. And when the newest player who signed to the club becomes the latest victim in a string of killings, Lorimer knows there’s a serial killer on the loose—one that’s only beginning to show his true colors. As lies emerge and tensions build, Lorimer must discover the truth before one of the players or managers become the next Kelvin fatality.

#6
Glasgow Kiss
2009
Eric Chalmers is one of the most popular teachers at Muirpark Secondary School in Glasgow. Gentle and kind, he is the person the students come to when they want to confide in someone. So when precocious teenager Julie Donaldson accuses Chalmers of rape, the school goes into shock. How could a deeply religious family man like Chalmers do anything like that? With some students and teachers supporting Julie, and others standing by Chalmers, life at Muirpark is far from harmonious. And then things get much worse - Julie Donaldson goes missing, and the police are called in. For DCI William Lorimer, this is the second missing persons case in a week. He's been having sleepless nights about a toddler who has been missing for several days - with each day, the likelihood of her being found alive diminishes. Julie's disappearance adds a further burden to Lorimer's already overstretched workload. With hope fading, it becomes a breakneck race against time to find both missing girls.

#7
Five Ways To Kill A Man
2010
DCI Lorimer must track down a malicious cutthroat inching closer to his own family in this atmospheric mystery from international bestselling author Alex Gray
An unpredictable killer is loose on the streets of Glasgow, experimenting with death. Beginning with brute force, the murderer moves on to poison and drowning, greedy for new and better ways to kill. Faced with a string of unconnected victims, DCI Lorimer turns to psychologist and friend Solomon Brightman for his insights. When Lorimer is also assigned to review the case of a fatal house fire, his suspicions are raised by shocking omissions in the original investigation. Some uncomfortable questions have been buried, but Lorimer is the man to find the answers.
As the serial killer gets closer to Lorimer’s family, can the DCI unmask the volatile murderer before the next victim is found too close to home?

#8
Sleep Like The Dead
2011
Everyone is searching for Billy Brogan and his sister, Marianne. Marianne's ex-husband Kenneth Scott is gunned down in his home and two men are found dead in Billy's West End flat. But Billy is on the run to Spain, with the money that was meant to pay the hit man who killed Kenneth. Now the hit man remains in Glasgow, seeking not just his fee for his job but the elusive Marianne. The woman has been a mature student of Dr Solomon Brightman, psychology lecturer at Glasgow University and criminal profiler. Why, when she meets him unexpectedly in a Glasgow bookshop, does she tell him she owes him such a lot? And what is her relationship to Amit, the educated Pakistani refugee from Lahore? DCI Lorimer is given the news that psychological profiling is no longer allowed following a case of wrongful arrest down South, but can his friendship with Solly produce the necessary clues in this case? And will Solly be able to find his missing student before time runs out for her?

#9
A Pound of Flesh
2012
In the depths of a freezing winter, Glasgow finds itself at the mercy of not one, but two serial killers
This is Detective Inspector Lorimer’s worst nightmare and beyond anything he’s faced in his many years on the force. Can he find a link between the brutal slaying of prostitutes in the back streets of the city and the methodical killing of several unconnected businessmen?
When the latest victim turns out to be a prominent Scottish politician, the media’s spotlight is shone on Lorimer’s investigation. Psychologist and criminal profiler Solly Brightman is called in to help solve the cases, but his help may be futile as they realize that someone on the inside is leaking confidential police information. Meanwhile two killers haunt the snowy streets and Lorimer must act fast, before they strike again…

#10
The Swedish Girl
2013
Eighteen-year-old Kirsty Wilson can't believe her luck when she lands a room in a luxury Glasgow flat owned by the beautiful Eva Magnusson, a wealthy fellow student from Stockholm. But her initial delight turns to terror when Kirsty finds the Swedish girl lying dead in their home and their male flatmate accused of her murder. Kirsty refuses to accept that he is guilty and, inspired by family friend Detective Superintendent Lorimer, sets out to clear his name.
Meanwhile, Lorimer calls on his trusted colleague, psychologist Solly Brightman, to help unravel the truth behind the enigmatic Eva's life and death. But it is not long until another woman, bearing a marked resemblance to Eva, is brutally murdered in Glasgow. Horrified, Lorimer and his team realise that Kirsty could be right. Is it possible that Glasgow's finest detective has put the wrong man behind bars? And is there a cold-blooded killer out there orchestrating the death of their next innocent victim?
In this absolutely gripping read, Alex Gray sends her dynamic Scottish detective from the gritty heart of Glasgow to the snowy streets of Stockholm in his toughest case yet.

#11
The Bird that did not Sing
2014
2014: The Commonwealth Games is coming to Glasgow and security is extra tight, particularly after a mysterious bomb explodes in nearby rural Stirlingshire. As the opening ceremony for the Games draws ever closer, the police desperately seek the culprits. But Detective Superintendent Lorimer has other concerns on his mind. One is a beautiful red-haired woman from his past whose husband dies suddenly on his watch. Then there is the body of a young woman found dumped in countryside just south of the city who is proving impossible to identify.
Elsewhere in the city people prepare for the events in their own way, whether for financial gain or to welcome home visitors from overseas. And, hiding behind false identities, are those who pose a terrible threat not just to the Games but to the very fabric of society.
Alex Gray's stunning new Lorimer novel, set against the backdrop of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, brings the vibrant city to life in a race to stop the greatest threat the city has ever known.

#11.5
The Bank Job
A Detective Lorimer short story
2015
Meet Detective William Lorimer, the star of author Alex Gray's bestselling Glasgow-set crime series.
The Bank Job is a gripping 3,000 word short story that reveals the dramatic event that inspired the young William Lorimer to become a policeman. Alex Gray's acclaimed series brings Glasgow to vivid life in all its grit and glory and this story is the perfect introduction to her winsome detective, as well as a treat for all fans of the series.
Praise for Alex Gray's Lorimer
'Brings Glasgow to life in the same way Ian Rankin evokes Edinburgh' Daily Mail
'Gray is the new master of Scottish crime writing' Scottish Daily Express
'Cracking storylines and well-rounded relationships' Daily Record
'A gritty, fast-paced read' Sun

#12
Keep the Midnight Out
2015
\\\Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray's bestselling Scottish detective series\\\
\\\Don't miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.\\\
Whether you've read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, KEEP THE MIDNIGHT OUT is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER
'Warm-hearted, atmospheric' ANN CLEEVES
'Relentless and intriguing' PETER MAY
'Move over Rebus' DAILY MAIL
'Exciting, pacey, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS
'Superior writing' THE TIMES
'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
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Two murders, twenty years apart. Time for revenge . . .
When the body of a red-haired young man is washed up on the shore of the beautiful Isle of Mull, Detective Superintendent Lorimer's tranquil holiday away from the gritty streets of Glasgow is rudely interrupted. The body has been bound with twine in a ghoulishly unnatural position and strongly reminds Lorimer of another a twenty year old Glasgow case that he failed to solve as a newly fledged detective constable and which has haunted him ever since.
As local cop DI Stevie Crozier takes charge of the island murder investigation, Lorimer tries to avoid stepping on her toes. But as the similarities between the young man's death and his cold case grow more obvious, Lorimer realises that there could be a serial killer on the loose after all these years.
As the action switches dramatically between the Mull murder and the Glasgow cold case twenty years earlier, Lorimer tries desperately to catch a cold-hearted killer.
Has someone got away with murder for decades?

#13
The Darkest Goodbye
2016
When an elderly woman is found dead at her home, newly fledged DC Kirsty Wilson is called to the scene. It appears that the woman had a mysterious visitor in the early hours of that morning - someone dressed as a carer, but with much darker intentions. It soon becomes obvious that this was not death by natural causes, in fact, it was murder. Before she can catch her breath, DC Wilson is thrown in at the deep end as another body turns up - this time it's a gruesome crime scene, the victim a well-known drug dealer from Glasgow's mean streets, and there's no question that this was a brutal execution.
The two cases appear to have nothing in common, but when a second vulnerable person is murdered in their sleep, the police realise that it's only a matter of time before the next victim emerges and Detective Superintendent William Lorimer is called in to help DC Wilson investigate. This case is big and it's about to get more personal than either of them could have imagined...

#14
Still Dark
2017
\\\Discover your next reading obsession with Alex Gray's bestselling Scottish detective series\\\
\\\Don't miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.\\\
Whether you've read them all or whether this is your first Lorimer novel, STILL DARK is perfect if you love Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Ann Cleeves
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT THE LORIMER
'Warm-hearted, atmospheric' ANN CLEEVES
'Relentless and intriguing' PETER MAY
'Move over Rebus' DAILY MAIL
'Exciting, pacey, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS
'Superior writing' THE TIMES
'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
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Crime always hides in the shadows . . .
New Year's Eve should be a time for celebrating. A chance to spend time with loved ones and look forward to the year ahead. For DSI William Lorimer, however, this New Year's Eve will be one that he will never forget. Called to a house after gunshots are reported, the carnage he finds there will have a powerful impact on his life - leaving him questioning his future with Police Scotland.
Meanwhile, the man who eluded police capture during Lorimer's last investigation - the Quiet Release case involving the euthanasia of vulnerable patients - is back, and this time he's aligned with a powerful gangster from Glasgow's underworld.
As Lorimer struggles to return to duty and stop this mystery killer once and for all, he discovers that there are forces high up within Police Scotland that are protecting the gangster that holds the key to finding the man they are looking for.
Can Lorimer and his team get a killer off the streets for good before more innocent people die?

#15
Only the Dead Can Tell
2018
'You think he killed his wife?
'Don't you?'
When Dorothy Guildford is found stabbed to death in her home, all signs point to her husband, Peter. The forensic psychologist is convinced there's more to the case that meets the eye but Police Scotland are certain they have their man.
While DC Kirsty Wilson searches for evidence that will put Peter away for good, she is shocked to discover a link with a vast human-trafficking operation that Detective Superintendent William Lorimer has been investigating for months. But before they can interrogate him, Peter is brutally attacked.
With one person dead and another barely hanging on, the clock is ticking for DC Wilson and DSI Lorimer. And the stakes grow higher still when one of their own is kidnapped . . .

#16
The Stalker
2019
The latest William Lorimer investigation from bestselling author Alex Gray - Glasgow-set crime at its most thrilling. When Detective Superintendent William Lorimer's wife, Maggie, publishes her first book, he is thrilled for her. But joy soon turns to fear when a mysterious stranger starts following Maggie on her publicity tour.
Meanwhile Lorimer and the MIT are on the search for the murderer of two young women, but can Lorimer catch the killer and track down Maggie's stalker at the same time...?

#17
When Shadows Fall
2020
The latest William Lorimer investigation from bestselling author Alex Gray. Glasgow-set crime at its most thrilling.
When DCI Lorimer's old friend and colleague is shot dead, he is devastated by the loss. But things go from bad to worse when two more ex-cops are shot, professionally and without a trace.
It soon becomes clear that someone is picking off ex-policemen, but DCI Lorimer and the team are struggling to find a link between the victims. And while Lorimer is hunting the killer, someone is hunting him . . .

#17.5
Child's Play
2020
“The short story sees my usual protagonist, Lorimer and his sidekick, Solly Brightman, trying to figure out the mysterious death of a respectable doctor. The inspiration behind that is quite simple since I have spent quite a bit of time in hospitals in recent months – not, I’m glad to say, with Covid-19.” - Alex Gray
There is no way top medic killed himself - but his murder was so easy a child could have done it
Short story available at the Daily Record's website, first published as part of the newspaper's Crime Week.

#18
Before the Storm
2021
Your favourite Scottish detective is back with a brand new case, one that threatens to destroy everything.
Inspector Daniel Kohi of the Zimbabwean police force returns home one night to find his worst nightmare has been realised. His family dead, his house destroyed, and in fear for his life, he is forced to flee the country he loves.
Far away in Glasgow, DSI William Lorimer has his hands full. Christmas is approaching, the city is bustling, and whilst the homicide rate has been relatively low, something much darker is brewing. Counter-Terrorism have got wind of a plot, here in Lorimer's native city, to carry out an unspeakable atrocity on Christmas Eve. They need someone with local knowledge to help them root it out and who better than the head of the Scottish Major Incidents Team.
But the investigation is complicated by a spate of local murders, and by the rumours that someone is passing information to criminal organisations from inside the police force. Soon Lorimer finds himself in desperate need of assistance. Then he meets an extraordinary man - a refugee from Zimbabwe whose investigative skills are a match for Lorimer's own . . .

#19
Echo of the Dead
2022
\\\THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING SERIES\\\
\\\Don't miss the latest from Alex Gray. Book 20 in the Lorimer series, QUESTIONS FOR A DEAD MAN, is out now and Book 21, OUT OF DARKNESS, is available to pre-order.\\\
Whether you've read them all or whether you're discovering Alex Gray's bestselling series for the first time, ECHO OF THE DEAD will have you gripped until the final page.
' Echo of the Dead will keep you guessing LIN ANDERSON
' Echo of the Dead is Alex Gray at her finest DOULGAS SKELTON
'An exciting procedural' SUNDAY TIMES
'Effortlessly charming, wholly engaging and cleverly plotted' IRISH INDEPENDENT
'A consistent delight, wonderful' ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH
After a stressful winter, DSI William Lorimer is enjoying some time away from Glasgow. He and his new friend, Daniel Kohi, have retreated to the wilds of the Scottish Highlands to unwind. But what awaits them is far from a holiday.
Despite its troubled history, the mountain village of Glencoe is now a popular resort, famed for its close-knit community, its breath-taking scenery and the warm welcome it offers weary travellers. So it's particularly shocking when two bodies are discovered in quick succession on the nearby peaks . . .
With a potential serial killer on the loose, Lorimer's Major Incidents Team are drafted in from Glasgow. It's clear that a dark secret lurks beneath the wild beauty of this place. But will Lorimer manage to root it out before the killer strikes again?
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WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT ALEX GRAY
"I have read every book in the Lorimer series and each one has been a pleasure" \\\\\*
"Alex Gray is a master storyteller" \\\\\*
"She never disappoints" \\\\\*
"I cannot wait for the next book" \\\\\*
"Her writing always keeps me engrossed" \\\\\*

#20
Questions for a Dead Man
2023
Your favourite Scottish detective returns in 2023 in an enthralling new mystery
'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH
'Move over Rebus' Daily Mail
'Exciting, pacy, authentic' ANGELA MARSONS
HOW DO YOU SOLVE A MURDER, WHEN ALL YOU HAVE ARE QUESTIONS?
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When a prominent MSP goes missing, DSI William Lorimer wastes no time in investigating. Robert Truesdale was fronting the controversial campaign to legalise drugs in Scotland, and his enemies were numerous. With every passing day, the chances of finding him alive grow slimmer.
Then the worst happens. A car bomb explodes in a nearby village, and the blackened body pulled from the wreckage appears to be Truesdale's. Yet there are details that don't add up and soon Lorimer is questioning whether the victim was all he claimed to be.
Lorimer calls on the assistance of his friend, PC Daniel Kohi, who has infiltrated a local gang as part of a police initiative to crack down on drug-related crime in Glasgow. As their investigation draws them into the dark heart of Glasgow's criminal underworld, Lorimer and Kohi discover that danger is everywhere and nobody is as they seem.
\\\\\\\\\\\_
WHAT READERS SAY ABOUT ALEX GRAY
"I have read every book in the Lorimer series and each one has been a pleasure" \\\\\*
"Alex Gray is a master storyteller" \\\\\*
"She never disappoints" \\\\\*
"I cannot wait for the next book" \\\\\*
"Her writing always keeps me engrossed" \\\\\*

#21
Out of Darkness
2024
\\\Your favourite Scottish detective returns in this brand new mystery in the Sunday Times bestselling series\\\
DSI William Lorimer and his wife Maggie are taking their first extended holiday for the first time in years, and they're looking for an adventure. What better place than Zimbabwe, with its bustling cities and beautiful scenery?
Back in Glasgow, PC Daniel Kohi, former inspector with the Zimbabwean police, finds himself uncomfortably close to a murder investigation. Why did the murdered man appear at Daniel's house just hours before he was killed? And how he is connected to the troubled family history of Netta Gordon, Daniel's dear friend and lodger?
But it's not just Netta's history that's about to resurface. For in Zimbabwe, rumours are circulating about Daniel Kohi, and the couple from Scotland who appear to know him. Rumours which could place the Lorimers in unimaginable peril.

#22
Acts of Malice
2025
Your favourite Glasgow detective is back with a brand new case
'Move over Rebus' DAILY MAIL
'One of the best' LITERARY REVIEW
'Immensely exciting and atmospheric' ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH
'Few have matched the sustained quality of her output' THE TIMES
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When William Lorimer gives a talk at his goddaughter's school, he is surprised to find himself accosted by a drama teacher on his way out. She claims her boyfriend has up and left, and that she wants William Lorimer to investigate.
Lorimer, thinking this is domestic dispute, decides this isn't for him. Until a body is pulled from the reservoir. But who could want to kill an actor on the cusp of fame?
Yet as Lorimer is drawn into the man's strange and glamourous world, he finds that all that glitters is not gold. In fact, there's something rotten at the heart of it, a darkness that Lorimer must root out at all costs.
Author

Alex Gray
Author · 25 books
Alex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. She worked as a folk singer, a visiting officer in the DSS and an English teacher. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.