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    A Song for the Dying
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    A Song for the Dying
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    A Song for the Dying
    Ebook574 pages8 hours

    A Song for the Dying

    By Stuart MacBride

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

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    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJan 16, 2014
    ISBN9780007344321
    Author

    Stuart MacBride

    Stuart MacBride is the Sunday Times No. 1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae and Ash Henderson novels. His work has won several prizes and in 2015 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by Dundee University. Stuart lives in the north-east of Scotland with his wife Fiona, cats Grendel, Onion and Beetroot, and other assorted animals.

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    Reviews for A Song for the Dying

    3.5/5

    53 ratings11 reviews

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    • 2/5
      Some great characters, but a very dark book in many ways. The violence is graphic, and it seems to be raining hard for the whole book... The atmospheric descriptions of dark, cold, and depressing surroundings get a bit much after a while, but you are certainly kept engaged with the story to find out just how it's all going to end.
    • 2/5
      As I said in my review of the first Ash Henderson book, I really do not like excessive violence in any book, and in this book, even more than in the first, the violence is continuous and very very excessive. Yes, Stuart McBride can write and I kept turning the pages to find out what happens, but I am afraid that, having given him two chances, he is now off my reading lists. Just as an aside I really like the character of the clinical psychologist, Alice Munro.
    • 2/5
      A Song for the Dying by Stuart McBride 2 stars Amazon descriptionA heart-stopping crime thriller and the fourth consecutive No. 1 Bestseller from the author of the Logan McRae series and Birthdays for the Dead.He’s back…Eight years ago, ‘The Inside Man’ murdered four women and left three more in critical condition – all of them with their stomachs slit open and a plastic doll stitched inside.And then the killer just … disappeared.Ash Henderson was a Detective Inspector on the initial investigation, but a lot can change in eight years. His family has been destroyed, his career is in tatters, and one of Oldcastle’s most vicious criminals is making sure he spends the rest of his life in prison.Now a nurse has turned up dead on a patch of waste ground, a plastic doll buried beneath her skin, and it looks as if Ash might finally get a shot at redemption. At earning his freedom.At revenge.My reviewAt first I was interested in the idea behind the book, and I had hoped that my interest in the author would have been invigorated by a different series, but unfortunately the author’s propensity for almost gratuitous descriptions of violence again put me off his writing. Sorry, but he is now off my list.
    • 4/5
      Ash Henderson, a former DI, is in jail after having been framed by his archenemy, Mrs. Kerrigan. He comes up for parole every six months, only to be turned down because she instigates a fight between him and two thugs. Then he is rescued by a Detective Superintendent heading a special squad investigating a perpetrator, now resurfaced after several years' hiatus, whose MO is that he cuts nurses' stomachs open and inserts a plastic doll simulating a pregnancy. The reason for his release: Ash came closest to capturing the man years before, but lost him in a crowded railroad station.

      So much for the plot, which teams Ash once again with forensic psychologist Dr. Alice McDonald. The rest is basic fine writing and character description as the police fumble in an effort to find The Inside Man, and Ash and Alice go their own way following one idea or another while trying to avoid any damage to themselves or the victims now held by the perpetrator.

      This is the second in the Ash Henderson series and, like the initial entry, is craftily written. Henderson is quite a character, not averse to seeking justice by his own means or constructing a scenario which results in the same end. Such outcomes include revenge, so the subplot involving Mrs. Kerrigan provides some unusual goings-on. The whole mystery is tied together in a manner that leaves the reader's mind spinning as Ash brings each clue into focus.
    • 3/5
      This is the second outing for ex DI Ash Henderson and having read the excellent Birthdays for the Dead I was expecting to love reading this new adventure for our intrepid hero.When we last encountered Henderson he was too late to save his daughter from a brutal encounter with a killer known as the inside man (TIM) Further he had been framed by one of Oldcastle's most vicious criminals Mrs Kerrigan and when we meet him at the start of A Song for the Dying he is serving his sentence. Unfortunately incarceration does little to quell this lady's evil reach and Henderson suffers constant beatings from Kerrigan's hired thugs. He wants revenge, The Inside Man has begun his killing spree again, and the police have arranged for the early release and assistance of ex DI Henderson. Will the killer be caught? Will Mrs Kerrigan be punished? Will Ash Henderson ever find some form of peace again after the loss of family members and his 2 years in prison. All will be revealed in an exciting and enjoyable read.Stuart McBride as a writer is an acquired taste. He speaks in the colourful language of a bitter Celtic populace with a somewhat twisted and black sense of humour. This all fits in nicely with the cold and desolate inner Scottish cityscape, and the harsh guttural sounds that come together to create this picture of daily inner depravation and decay. I like reading McBride's books but only occasionally, they are exciting and depressing in equal measures. A Song for the Dying is not as good as its predecessor and perhaps I should have waited a little longer before reading....it's good but not the full cigar!
    • 2/5
      Interesting idea and good start , but it got to a level of violence I felt repulsed by and stopped reading
    • 5/5
      Stuart MacBride writes big bad-ass crime novels so rich in detail and characters that if wandered in a pub some rainy night filled with these dark souls, you would walk yourself right back out.A Song for the Dying is the second novel in the Ash Henderson series by Stuart MacBride."...Kevin doesn't look at him, keeps his eyes on the grass. It's thicker here, the broken-glass stems dotted with rusty spears of docken and dead thistles. Something out there smells musty, fusty, smoldering. 'What if it's real? Might still be alive.' 'Aye, you keep telling yourself that. Fiver says she doesn't even exist.' His fingertips scrabble through the beard again as he kicks a pile of crackling leaves. 'So Spider-man: action is his reward, right? Total Jessie.' Two more hours till the shift is over. Two more hours of inane drivel and bollocks... Is something sticking out from underneath that whin bush? The long dark seedpods clatter like a rattlesnake as Kevin pokes at the branches. Just a plastic bag, the blue and red logo glittering with frost. 'See me? See if I saved some hurt bird from a burning building? I'm expecting cash, or a blowjob at the very least. When did you last see someone going down on Spider-man? Never, that's when.' 'Nick, I swear to God...' 'Come on, if it was you or me running about in our jammies, squirting random strangers with our sticky emissions, we'd end up on the sex offenders' register, wouldn't we?' 'Can you not shut up for, like, five seconds..."Seriously, Spider-man getting a blow job. Who thinks of these things?"...Jacobson dug his hands into his armpits, rocked on his heels. 'Ever wonder what the bastard's been up to? Eight years and no one's heard a peep. Where's he been?' 'Abroad, prison, or dead.' I uncurled my fists, held them loose in my lap. The joints burned. 'Look, are we finished? Only I've got things to do.' 'Oh you have no idea.' Jacobson turned to Officer Babs. 'I'll take him. Get him tagged and his stuff packed up. We've got a car waiting outside.' 'What?' 'We've not made it official yet, but a paediatric nurse found dead yesterday had a My First Baby doll stitched into her innards. He's back..."Ash Henderson, the disgraced police Inspector framed for his brother's murder, languishes in prison. Ritually beaten by convicts hired by the sadistic Oldcastle mob boss who framed Ash and destroyed his family and his career. It was eight years ago that the serial killer known as the Inside Man murdered four women and left three others in critical condition. All of them cut open and plastic dolls placed into their abdomen. The Inspector on the case at the time, the one credited with almost capturing the Inside Man, was Ash Henderson. But now, eight years after those killings, Ash is in prison and the Inside Man is back.Detective Superintendent Jacobson is putting together a team to hunt down the Inside Man and to do so, he needs Ash. Released from prison with an ankle bracelet monitor, Ash is back on the case, only this time he isn't a policeman. Not in any real official capacity so with that come the freedom to hunt the way he really wants to. But Ash has other hunting in mind, as well. Mrs. Kerrigan. The sadistic mob boss who destroyed his life. Ash is going to kill her, but first he needs to finish the hunt for the Inside Man as well. Only Kerrigan knows Ash is out and is waiting for him. "...'Alec can give you what you ask for, but he needs you to understand that right now you've got the option to just walk away from the darkness surrounding you. Take a plus in the Karma column. Be a better man.' 'Yeah. Well I'm more of an Old Testament kind of guy. Eye for an eye. Bullet for a bullet.' 'Ah revenge...' Alec stopped, head bowed. Then nodded. 'Wait here.' He headed back inside, and when he emerged again he held out a plush Bob the Builder doll - about the same size as a rugby ball, a grin stitched across its face, oversized yellow spanner in one hand. 'Here.' 'Are you seriously looking for a kick up the...' There was something hard inside Bob. Something L-shaped. More somethings in his legs, as if they'd been stuffed with finger bones. 'Mr. Smith, are you certain Alec can't convince you to turn from this?' At least a dozen bullets in there, possibly more. Wouldn't know until I slit him open. Now all I had to do was keep my head down until I could introduce Bob to Mrs. Kerrigan tonight. Twice. In the face. 'Mr. Smith?' I looked up, just as the clouds gave up their first drops. They struck the Buddha, darkening the concrete around his eyes, more and more joining them as the wind picked up. Rolling down his fat cheeks. 'How sad.' Alec shook his head. Sighed. Let his shoulders fall. 'You've made your mind up, and the world weeps for you.' Nothing like being pitied by an arms dealer who talked about himself in the third person to really put a shine on the day..."MacBride infuses his story with the banter and self reflection that is at once original and familiar. An old friend you had once know but rarely see anymore.Dialogue.Clever, witty, sad and soul wrenching dialogue. Whether between Henderson and other characters or when he is thinking to himself. All with that delicious brogue to add a flavor of authenticity. Consider if Quentin Tarantino had written Braveheart and you have an inkling of the terrific dialogue that fills this novel.But A Song for the Dying is far more than one liners and Zen like moments, it is a mystery that builds in the background with red herrings galore. The tale of the Inside Man will have you spinning back and forth until the finale where the Inside Man is revealed and you are left with the twist and turn that hasn't been delivered since the Usual Suspects.I mentioned that A Song for the Dying is book two in the Ash Henderson series and I already feel at a loss for having not read book one. I will pick it up. I will read it. And I will feckin' enjoy it.A Song for the Dying is a very good read.
    • 4/5
      There are a couple of things I have to do before I start a new book by Stuart MacBride....wait 'til I have a day off & turn on the answering machine. Once I begin reading I can't put the damn thing down. The streak continues.
      In this outing, we catch up with ex-DI Ash Henderson. He's been a guest of Her Majesty's prison system for two years now due to a combination of bad decisions & being framed for his brother's murder. At least that part was cleared up. He was killed by the infamous Mrs. Kerrigan, psycho crime boss & his arch nemesis.
      She continues to ruin his life inside by arranging to have the crap beat out of him every time he's up for parole. Seems they frown on releasing inmates with "anger management issues". Some prisoners dream of walking on a beach or reuniting with family when they get out. Ash dreams of killing Mrs. K.
      After being turned down (and assaulted) again, he gets a surprise visit. DS "Bear" Jacobson has a proposition for him. He'll get Ash out (fitted with a snappy GPS ankle bracelet) if he'll help with a case.
      Six years ago, Ash was on a team tracking a serial killer known as The Inside Man (TIM). His MO was abducting a nurse, cutting them open & leaving a plastic baby inside before stitching them up. Some survived, most didn't. Ash almost caught him but he got away. Then strangely, he stopped. Now, it seems he's come out of hibernation.
      Bear heads up the Lateral Investigative & Review Unit, a temporary department he wants to make permanent. It's one of three separate police groups working the case, supposedly all smiles & cooperation, but in reality it's a giant pissing contest as each wants the credit for catching this guy.
      Ash takes the deal. If he can help solve the case, great. But while Bear's priority is nabbing TIM, his is planning the demise of Mrs. K. Just one tiny obstacle....he's been assigned a sponsor who also wears an ankle bracelet & he can't be more than 100 yards from them at any time or he'll face the wrath of a SWAT team. His sponsor? Dr. Alice McDonald, a forensic psychologist (profiler). She worked with Ash before he went away & volunteered for the job. Alice is young, brilliant & talks like she's mainlining Red Bull.
      Before he knows it, he's out, staying in a rented hovel with Alice in Kingsmeath & joining the other members of the team at an old pub that's been set up as an incident room. His days are full of going over the old case files, briefings, visiting crime scenes & planning Mrs. K's death with Shifty, an old friend/cop.
      Then another nurse goes missing. But the killer should have done his homework. She's the daughter of Fraser "Wee Free" McFee, a hard man who's part criminal, part religious zealot & part crazy. Between being assaulted by him & Mrs. K's goons, Ash starts to wonder if he should just off himself....it would hurt less.
      There are several side plots & a whack of peripheral characters to flesh out the story & keep you turning the pages. It's like the literary equivalent of a movie by the Coen brothers (think Scottish version of "Fargo"). Yes, there are scenes of brutal assaults & graphic murders but McBride has such a gift for sharp, hilarious dialogue that you may find yourself laughing out loud while you cringe.
      The characters are well rounded & entertaining, running the gamut from pompous police brass to sociopathic criminals with a soft side. No one is a caricature, all good or all evil. There are several that appear in previous books but one of my favourites here is Babs Crawford, a prison guard who befriended Ash inside & acts as his backup when he confronts McFee. She's a muscular, tattooed woman armed with wit & a sawed off she calls Mrs. Thatcher. She also enjoys any opportunity to give someone a good thumping.
      But it's Ash himself who keeps you coming back to this series. He's a decent guy who was a great cop before tragic events twisted his focus. He's more than paid for his mistakes but can't seem to catch a break. He can be ruthless & violent to those who deserve it but gentle & sensitive to those in need (when his daughter's guinea pig died, he told her it had decided to go live on a farm). He's smart, loyal, tough & flawed...and a guy you'd want in your corner.
      As usual, the plot is finely constructed & the main story line, intricate. There are several credible candidates for TIM but those pesky red herrings keep getting in the way & you may change your mind more than once before the killer is revealed.
      This is a book for readers who enjoy intelligent police procedurals that are gritty & edgy, served with a big side of black humour. If you're a fan of Ian Rankin's "Rebus" series, chances are you'll enjoy this as well.
      Now the bad part....waiting for the next book to come out. And I guess I have to go to work tomorrow.
    • 3/5
      In “A Song for the Dying,” Ash Henderson once again takes center stage as he and forensic psychologist Alice McDonald join Operation Tigerbalm, a special team brought together to hunt down the serial killer known as “The Inside Man.” Ash proves his investigative touch hasn’t been dulled, even by eight years in prison, but he’s come to the team with a hidden agenda. Maeve Kerrigan is the opprobrious woman responsible for the frame that convicted him and Ash, while following up leads and working the Inside Man case, is busy plotting the revenge he is determined to visit upon her. Ash Henderson is a complex and deeply flawed protagonist, not at all a sympathetic character. Disagreeable and offensive, obsessed with his revenge, he’s often as reprehensible as the thugs he’s hunting. Alice doesn’t fare much better; the intractable doctor acts more like a cranky toddler in desperate need of a nap than a trained psychologist. Her detrimental actions quickly become obviously predictable . . . and annoying. “A Song for the Dying” is replete with the signature twists, turns, and unforeseen plot resolutions readers have come to expect from a MacBride novel. And although the writing is definitely up to MacBride’s usual first-rate standard, it’s a dark, grim tale he’s telling, one filled with endless, escalating, mind-numbing violence. Readers might well choose to sit back and wait for his next Logan McRae outing.
    • 5/5
      Former cop and current jailbird Ash Henderson's first outing, "Birthdays for the Dead," made a positive enough impression on me to cause me to rejoice when Mr. MacBride decided the character deserved to be more than a 'stand alone.' I eagerly anticipated Henderson's second adventure, "A Song for the Dying," and was not disappointed.Like Mr. MacBride's fabulous Logan McRae series, Henderson's world is not just noir, it's even more twisted. But Mr. MacBride's brilliant characterization and wicked dark gallows humor keep Henderson both sympathetic and likeable. Keep 'em coming, please.
    • 4/5
      A Song for the Dying by Stuart MacBride is a 2014 HarperCollins publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.The Inside Man is back. A mutilated body is found with a doll stitched inside, which was the signature of the killer that hadn't been heard from for eight years. Ash Henderson is in prison for a crime he was set up for. When the Inside Man shows up again, he is released in order to help with the case, under strict rules of course. If he can bring down the notorious serial killer there is a chance he can gain his freedom. So, now he is working with Alice, the psychologist he worked with previously. All the previous victims that were survivors of T.I.M. as he is now dubbed ,must be interviewed again as well as the rather oddball father of a the latest victim. This dredges up all the old fears, and memories of the crimes committed eight years ago. This case is as dark as they come. Ash needs a chance at revenge as well as a chance for redemption. The dynamic between Ash and Alice is unusual and I can't always tell what their relationship could be defined as, but they are close and do care about each other a great deal. Ash is still reeling from the demise of his family, from being framed for murder, and now being assigned to the most intense manhunt there ever was. If you have never read Stuart MacBride's novels you should be aware that he pulls no punches. Nothing is sugarcoated, nothing is watered down for public consumption. You will have to be able to read dark crime thrillers, digest graphic crime scene details and violence, uncomfortable subject matter, and yes, the author did manage to sneak a tiny amount of the black humor he is sort of famous for, but it's nothing like the Logan McRae series. Which brings me to the next point .. this is not Logan McRae. If you have read that series and then pick this one up, do not make comparisons. Both series are very dark, but polar opposites in every other respect. This is a very well written, absorbing crime thriller as well as a psychological thriller. I can't speak highly enough of Stuart MacBride's style. I will confess to being a big fan of Logan McRae , but Ash Henderson is still a top notch read. I don't know if the author will continue to update us on Ash, but I certainly hope so. Overall this one is an A.