Glaswegian..

It took me a little while to work out it was set in the early 70's-this was because there was a lack of mobile phones, and a David Essex reference confirmed it..
Great accents, good story...if you like tough, and maverick detectives with a touch of strong Glaswegian thrown in..take a chance on this.

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My 2nd time. Probably not my last.

It’s the depth of characters. Feel like I’m there among them and their cigarette smoke

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I really like this book, well written...

...full of characters who demand your respect in a city that exudes edginess.

However, narrating it yourself isn't the best move. It's read like a diatribe, just one loooonnnngggg sentence. I've had to go back a few times and rewind - a pause, a breath, maybe a slightly different voice, some punctuation would really help. I guess that's why there's so many professional narrators.

The story's great though, so worth persevering...

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6 people found this helpful

Great 70s Scottish crime

Set in 70s Glasgow this tough look at policing then must have seemed very brutal at the time. Now we have so many examples of crime horror, but what brings this story to life is the dour Glaswegian voice of the narrator. Once you get into the rhythm and the dialect it seems like you're there, taking buses to interview witnesses and charging around a terrifying city full of "hard men".

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1 person found this helpful

Hard to understand

I could see why the author would want to read this book himself, to get the rhythm and tone of the story to his taste. Unfortunately it didn't suit my taste. I've listened to quite a few books set in Scotland, and loved them. But this book is really dark and the voice is very growl-y. The Glasweigen accent is hard to follow. I doubt that I'll choose any further books by this author.

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1 person found this helpful

Great, Grimey, Glasgow.

William is a great observational storyteller. He takes you home and imerses you in the grit of Glasgow life. Fantastic characters and storyline. Absolutely tremendous.

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Couldnae still it

7 Charters in and I had to give up, the story was interesting but the narrators sounds like he's either got bad falsers or tones of spit. The spittle noise was extremely off putting and could no longer bear it

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Ok, probably, but the reader bored me rigid!

I suspect this might have been a reasonable book if read by someone with even the smallest bit of expression! There was also a huge amount of descriptive narrative and very little dialogue, which made it worse. I found I kept nodding off !

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Great bit of tartan noir!

I get whay previous reviewers mean about the author's narration , but his Scottish voice was perfect for this intelligent protagonist. Ireally enjoyed this

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McIlvaney- Scotland's Raymond Chandler

Would you listen to Laidlaw again? Why?

Most definitely! This Glaswegian detective is a combination of 'troubled man' , scholar, social worker, psychologist and is as consummately clever and tough as they come. A hugely compelling and appealing character.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Laidlaw?

The author uses what I think are immense literary and observational skills each time he analyses the leading characters in this novel. Impossible to point to just one example in a novel that is so rich with these examples. Even the toughies have their finer points.

What aspect of William McIlvanney’s performance might you have changed?

I enjoyed his reading because he wrote this excellent novel and knows exactly how to deliver it to its best BUT, it was often very off-putting to hear so distinctly whenever he needed to swallow or moisten his lips. This is where technically the pro's are best.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

LOVED the whole narrative and scene-setting around the interview Laidlaw has with the mother of the victim's friend!

Any additional comments?

I just so admired the author's ability to combine poetic and insightful descriptions of Glasgow and the various characters with the hard-hitting and more violent aspects of life and crime in this city. This is NOT a who-dun-it nor is it just a hard-hitting tartan-noir. It's almost a social commentary on modern day Glasgow and its damaging inequalities and ever-present dangers. Some really great one-liners that will make you smile though.

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15 people found this helpful