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  • The Damage Done

  • Inspector McLean 6
  • By: James Oswald
  • Narrated by: Ian Hanmore
  • Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,337 ratings)
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The Damage Done cover art

The Damage Done

By: James Oswald
Narrated by: Ian Hanmore
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Summary

Penguin presents the unabridged, downloadable audiobook edition of The Damage Done by James Oswald, read by Ian Hanmore. The sixth book in James Oswald's phenomenal Inspector McLean series set in Edinburgh.

Inspector McLean is back in the next gripping instalment in James Oswald's best-selling crime series. McLean must investigate the seedy goings-on of an exclusive and secretive society catering to the rich and powerful of the city. Somehow it is linked to a particularly gruesome cold case from 20 years ago - McLean's first case with the force.

The Damage Done follows Natural Causes, the R&J summer highlight; The Book of Souls; The Hangman's Song; Dead Men's Bones; and Prayer for the Dead.

©2016 James Oswald (P)2016 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Praise for James Oswald: "A star of Scotland's burgeoning crime fiction scene." ( Daily Record)
"Crime fiction's next big thing." ( The Sunday Telegraph)
"Literary sensation.... James' overnight success has drawn comparisons with the meteoric rise of E. L. James and her Fifty Shades of Grey series." ( Daily Mail)
"Fifty Shades of Hay." ( The Times)
"Oswald is among the leaders in the new batch of excellent Scottish crime writers." ( Daily Mail)
"The new Ian Rankin." ( Daily Record)
"The hallmarks of Val McDermid or Ian Rankin: it's dark, violent, noirish." ( The Herald)
"A good read." ( The Times)
An excellent start to what promises to be a fine series." ( Guardian)
"Classy, occasionally brutal, and with the odd suggestion of the supernatural, this will doubtless be another deserved hit. Oswald's writing is in a class above most in this genre." ( Daily Express)

What listeners say about The Damage Done

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

The supernatural openly confronts Inspector McLean


I have been waiting for the dark side to make a statement and to step into the inspector's path fully embodied and unapologetically, and on the six book it finally dares to awaken and be.
All the elements of this series are here and are reloaded in a case that takes McLean in to the past and a very menacing present where he meets a truth about society and its blind compliance with evil for the sake of fitting in, not rocking the boat, looking the other way at the expense of the vulnerable.
A very enjoyable read that delivered all I wanted and gave a few unexpected surprises.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Breaking the Surface Tension

James Oswald invites us back into his version of the Scottish detective story. He has created a niche inhabited not just by the usual scene of criminals and slightly neurotic cops but also bubbling just below the surface are constant instances of the supernatural. Occasionally the surface tension is burst and powers from the netherworld are seemingly unleashed.

In this the latest episode an incident from the beginning of his police career returns to haunt McLean. The story has everything we've come to expect from this series including the now familiar characters and plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Oswald still has plenty of momentum and his story is propelled along smoothly by the purring Ian Hanmore who manages to deliver the tension, macabre and even humour with equal aplomb.

Thoroughly recommended.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Still frustrating in so many ways

Any additional comments?

I have listened to all the Inspector McLean books and they both irritate me and enthral me. I like James Oswald's imaginative story line with just that little bit of otherworldly content. But I always feel that he either does not do much research on his subject or he really does not understand the way the modern police service works. The first major problem I had was that his grandmother had been kept in ITU on life support for years! Rubbish! And there has always been this theme running through the books that all senior officers in the Scottish Police are bullies, idiots and self promoting toadies - which is also rubbish. This book was not his best. By the last few chapters, I already knew how the storyline was going to come out, and I was not wrong. I would be happier to go back to the more "spooky" stories.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Well what was the point

Good story until the end but no idea what it was all about . Who was doing the covering up . Who were the couple and why were they acting as they were . Won't be buying another book in the series

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Getting a little repetitive now

I've been enjoying this series so far. I don't know if this book was any worse, or if I'm just getting a bit sick of it.

It's getting both repetitive and predictable. There are only so many times we need to hear how big McLean's stack of paperwork is, or how he doesn't have time to look for a new car, or how he knows he shouldnt do something but does it anyway, or shares a curry with the cat. Or even how he looks at his phone, doesn't want to answer, but "thumbs accept" anyway.

And the "twist" right at the end was obvious from halfway through the book.

I'm interested in what happens, but might have to take a long break before I can face the next one.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Great Scottish police crime drama

I've read many of Mr Oswalds other books and always found them enjoyable , a cut above an airport book. It is easy to compare his writing with Nesbit/Rebus and while this is a fair comparison Mr Oswalds works are good enough and different enough to stand alone as . . . .
I would have given this a rare five star rating, just because I enjoyed it so much, but I was annoyed by what l considered a very unsatisfactory conclusion.
I eagerly await his next offering

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Didn't want it to end!

Love this series. Love the detective although wish he'd eat more and find someone who would make him sit down and chill a bit. The writing and the performance are superb. As soon as I start to listen I can see it in my head as though it was on TV. The biggest issue I have with James Oswald is he doesn't write them quickly enough.

Oh and what a sneaky twist at the end.

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

good storey

loved this storey, it was much better than the lady on. cant wait for the next book. over all this is a fab series

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant as always from James Oswald!

Another well crafted story from this writer. The characters are three dimensional and believable demonstrating the writer's skill. The plot is multi-layered and held my interest throughout. The narration is skilful and differentiates the characters extremely well, as always by Ian Hanmore. More please!

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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worth the wait

Engrossed as always. It's good to have all the indicators for the next book, cannot wait!

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