Bloody January cover art

Bloody January

Harry McCoy Thriller, Book 1

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Bloody January

By: Alan Parks
Narrated by: Andrew McIntosh
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About this listen

When a teenage boy shoots a young woman dead in the middle of a busy Glasgow street and then commits suicide, Detective Harry McCoy is sure of one thing. It wasn't a random act of violence.

McCoy uses his underworld network to lead the investigation but soon runs up against a secret society led by Glasgow's wealthiest family, the Dunlops. McCoy's boss doesn't want him to investigate. The Dunlops seem untouchable. But McCoy has other ideas....

©2017 Alan Parks (P)2017 W. F. Howes Ltd Mystery Fiction Suspense Thriller

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Critic reviews

"A blistering plot, unforgettable characters and writing so sharp it's like it's been written with a knife." (Sarah Pinborough, author of Behind Her Eyes)
"Bloody and brilliant." (Louise Welsh)
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As a Glasweigan I loved hearing about all the bars I grew up drinking in. Was surprised by other reviews that state there's lots of swearing, I genuinely didn't notice it and it fits the characters well. good story and I'm excited for the next one!

Loved it

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This is a very 'Glasgow' book - if you come from there like I do, you'll know exactly what I mean. Modern take on the old-school police thriller with a massively flawed central character. Lots of violence and sex, but not gratuitous or sexist. Really well performed - he's very good at the different accents. I'm really excited about this because it's the first of a series of 12 books by the look of things (one for each month).

Brutal & brilliant

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Set at the beginning of 1973, this is the first Harry McCoy novel and what an excellent start to a series it is! Harry is a detective in the Glasgow police force, quite an achievement for a boy who grew up in various children's homes and with foster parents until enrolling at age sixteen. Part of his survival was due to his continuing friendship with Stevie Cooper who ended on the wrong side of the law running girls in shebeens and saunas, dealing drugs and dishing out any amount of violence and threats necessary to survive. Together with his new partner Wattie, McCoy finds himself investigating the shooting of a girl and the immediate suicide of the shooter. So just how did his informant hear of this and try to warn him? The case involves a vivid selection of Glasgow's characters, from the very wealthy who consider themselves above the law to those poor and hopeless at the very underbelly of life. McCoy himself is flawed, due to both his past and his current lifestyle, but it is this and his connections that make him such a useful officer despite his many failings. The book doesn't pull any punches in its violence or language and is certainly grim in places, making it a great portrayal of those times.
The narrator is absolutely perfect for this story, making you believe you really in the heart of Glasgow. with spot on timing and accents.

Brilliant opener to the series!

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A great first in a series of 6, looking forward to reading the second, hooked.

Bloody January,Bloody Good

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The Glasgow setting was brought to life. However it was very brutal however true to life it may have been.

Setting

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This book is dark and gritty. It contains violence and swearing; it's accurate for the time and setting. I loved the story and the characters. The dude narrating the book is perfect for it (except for pronouncing Police as ‘Pawless’ instead of ‘Poe-lis’, but that's just me being picky.
I'm off to finish the series now.

Superb!

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Enjoyed this dive into 1970s Glasgow crime scene, feels gritty, real and not nearly as gruesome as some reviews suggested, Harry’s life is worth further exploration - already downloaded the next two books.

Harry McCoy is interesting

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I enjoyed this eventually but found it a slow burn. I'm drawn like a moth to a flame by books set in the Glasgow of my youth. This is way better than a lot of them in terms of evoking time and place. Narrator is excellent with the neds ,gangsters and police but less so with anything other than broad Glasgow. Foreign and 'posher' Glasgow accents are grim and unbelievable.

Good start to the series.

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Very real sounding story. Nothing sugar coated, no white knight to the rescue. Extremely well written and gripping throughout

Great start to a great series

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I thought this was an OK listen, nothing really outstanding and I wouldn't go looking for more in the series. I struggled a bit with the narration but that may just be me.

OK.

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