Today is my stop on the blog tour for Crucial Black by Colin Garrow.
Here’s the blurb
A brace of corpses. A bone-crunching machine. A new recruit.
Now employed by an Inverness organised crime gang, former petty thief Relic Black is teamed up with hitman Ali McKay, the man he almost killed a few weeks earlier. As the team tidy up the loose ends after the shooting, gang member and bent cop DI McKenzie must investigate the disappearance of two people, knowing Relic and Ali have already disposed of the bodies.
Meanwhile, Rebecca’s unpopular colleague DI Swinney, suspects her of involvement in the shooting. Knowing one of the bodies currently taking up space in the mortuary remains anonymous, he discovers the man’s identity. Can Swinney uncover the truth, dig the dirt on McKenzie and regain his former status with the DCI, or will the gang step in to stop him?
Warning – strong language and adult situations throughout.
Crucial Black is book #2 in the Relic Black Thriller series set in Inverness, Scotland.
NB book #2 is not a standalone – the series must be read in order.
Review
After reading the pervious book in the series, Terminal Black, I was pretty much already hooked in.. Relic is such as wonderful character.
As the synopsis suggests please do read the first book before attempting this one! A lot has happened and there’s no rest for the wicked as Relic is put to work by the gang.
Relic is a loveable rogue..and it’s the dark humour that I really enjoyed as Relic battles to make himself useful.. he was almost killed once.. let’s not make a habit of it eh.
The job is pretty simple.. get rid of a few bodies.. and he’s got Ali McKay to show him the ropes.. what could possibly go wrong.. coppers that’s what.. and not just coppers.. bent coppers..
Add into the mix some rivals getting too big for their boots!
Crucial Black is fast paced and packed full of gritty energy… like the tension is palpable..
There’s some really good twists and turns keeping the reader on their toes and If I’m honest I just got sucked into this one…there’s nothing I didn’t love.. the flow was just spot on and the character development, especially for Relic and Ali were off the chart!
I loved Ali and his humour, but also really enjoyed the author gave him a real life outside of his profession, he’s a fun character to read but this just added so much more depth to him.
Not for the faint hearted.. the first few scenes.. yeh I’m not surprised Relic blows chunks ha ha.
Great series, well written and clearly a lot of thought has gone into the pace and direction.
Resounding 5*
My thanks go to Colin Garrow and Rachel’s Random Resources for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I only accept ARCs to aid timely reviews but I’ve already grabbed myself a kindle copy.. at only £3.99 it’s a steal!
Want to know more?
Why not follow the tour?
Author Bio –
Colin Garrow grew up in a former mining town in Northumberland. He has worked in a plethora of professions including taxi driver, antiques dealer, drama facilitator, theatre director and fish processor, and has occasionally masqueraded as a pirate.
His short stories have appeared in several literary mags, including SN Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, Word Bohemia, Every Day Fiction, The Grind, A3 Review, 1,000 Words, Inkapture and Scribble Magazine. He currently lives in a humble cottage in Northeast Scotland where he writes novels, stories, poems and the occasional song.
He also makes rather nice vegan cakes.
Social Media Links –
Twitter https://twitter.com/colingarrow
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/colinngarrow/
Website https://colingarrow.co.uk/
Bookbub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/colin-garrow
David's Book Blurg 
Thanks again, David – lovely review 😉
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