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DS Max Craigie
DS Max Craigie
Series · 8 books · 2021-2027
By
Neil Lancaster
Books in series
#1
Dead Man's Grave
2021
This grave can never be opened. The head of Scotland’s most powerful crime family is brutally murdered, his body dumped inside an ancient grave in a remote cemetery. This murder can never be forgotten. Detectives Max Craigie and Janie Calder arrive at the scene, a small town where everyone has secrets to hide. They soon realise this murder is part of a blood feud between two Scottish families that stretches back to the 1800s. One thing’s for certain: it might be the latest killing, but it won’t be the last… This killer can never be caught. As the body count rises, the investigation uncovers large-scale corruption at the heart of the Scottish Police Service. Now Max and Janie must turn against their closest colleagues – to solve a case that could cost them far more than just their lives…
#2
The Blood Tide
2022
Max, Janie and Ross return in the second gripping novel in this explosive Scottish crime series. You get away with murder. In a remote sea loch on the west coast of Scotland, a fisherman disappears without trace. His remains are never found. You make people disappear. A young man jumps from a bridge in Glasgow and falls to his death in the water below. D. S. Max Craigie uncovers evidence that links both victims. But if he can’t find out what cost them their lives, it won’t be long before more bodies turn up at the morgue… You come back for revenge. Soon cracks start to appear in the investigation, and Max’s past hurtles back to haunt him. When his loved ones are threatened, he faces a terrifying choice: let the only man he ever feared walk free, or watch his closest friend die…
#3
The Night Watch
2022
He’ll watch you. A lawyer is found dead at sunrise on a lonely clifftop at Dunnet Head on the northernmost tip of Scotland. It was supposed to be his honeymoon, but now his wife will never see him again. He’ll hunt you. The case is linked to several mysterious deaths, including the murder of the lawyer’s last client – Scotland’s most notorious criminal… who had just walked free. DS Max Craigie knows this can only mean one thing: they have a vigilante serial killer on their hands. He’ll leave you to die. But this time the killer isn’t on the run; he’s on the investigation team. And the rules are different when the murderer is this close to home. He knows their weaknesses, knows how to stay hidden, and he thinks he’s above the law…
#4
Blood Runs Cold
2022
She was taken against her will. On her fifteenth birthday, trafficking victim Affi Smith goes for a run and never returns. With a new identity and secure home in the Scottish Highlands, she was supposed to be safe… She escaped once. With personal ties to Affi’s case, DS Max Craigie joins the investigation. When he discovers other trafficking victims have disappeared in exactly the same circumstances, he knows one thing for certain – there’s a leak somewhere within law-enforcement. She won’t outrun them again. The clock is ticking… Max must catch Affi’s kidnappers and expose the mole before anyone else goes missing. Even it if means turning suspicions onto his own team…
#5
The Devil You Know
2024
A CASE GONE COLD Six years ago, Beata Dabrowski arranged to meet her lover in Glasgow and was never seen again. There were no leads. . . until now. AN UNRELIABLE WITNESS Imprisoned gang boss Davie Hardie wants to talk in exchange for his freedom. He knows exactly where Beata is buried, and he’s prepared to take the police to her grave. A KILLER DESPERATE TO ESCAPE But when the mission to locate Beata’s body is hijacked, DS Max Craigie is drafted on to the case. Someone is selling secrets. Max will stop at nothing to expose police corruption and uncover Beata’s murderer. . . but can you ever really trust a killer to catch a killer?
#6
When Shadows Fall
2025
A TRAGIC DEATH When the body of Leanne Wilson is found at the bottom of a Scottish mountain, it is classified as a tragic accident. There is no evidence to suggest otherwise. A RISING BODY COUNT Then DS Max Craigie discovers that five other women in the last year have died by falling off mountains, and something feels very wrong. They were all experienced climbers and alone when they died. This can only mean one thing: there’s a killer on the loose. A KILLER IN THE SHADOWS The more Max investigates, the more he believes that they are dealing with something much bigger than a lone serial killer. With five victims and conflicting clues, how do you catch someone committing the perfect crime?
#7
The Dark Heart
2026
A DEADLY BOMBING When renowned author Dr. Daniel Solomon is killed in a devastating explosion in York, authorities quickly attribute the attack to Islamic extremists. But as the investigation unfolds, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. A DARK CONSPIRACY DS Max Craigie uncovers a chilling connection between a series of brutal murders, each victim linked by a secret that someone is determined to protect. A DANGEROUS GAME With the number of victims growing and an elusive figure known as The Cashier operating in the shadows, Max must navigate a web of corruption and hatred. Can he unravel the truth before more lives are lost?
#8
A Safe Place to Die
2027
New name. New life. New target. A DEADLY BROADCAST One live stream. Thousands of viewers. One very public execution. When small-time drug smuggler Sammy Bickle becomes the internet's most talked-about secret, DS Max Craigie inherits a case that was never supposed to exist. A CORRUPT NETWORK The trail leads south to Plymouth's port, where bent officials and a ruthless crime family have built a multi-million-pound smuggling empire – and will do whatever it takes to protect it. A DEADLY RECKONING With bodies falling on both sides of the border and leaks poisoning the investigation at every turn, Max must go deep undercover. In a world where organised crime owns the people meant to stop it, who can he trust?
Author
Neil Lancaster
Author · 14 books