One Man's Opinion: THE GOOD SON by RUSSEL D McLEAN

McNee. That’s his name, don't wear it out. The name used by his wife, her family and his police colleagues. At least that’s what his wife called him before she died in an accident as she was driving him home, McNee riding shotgun, her father in the back. And it’s what the police still call him even though he left the force under a cloud of depression, a weight of guilt following said wife’s death and an incident where he smacked one of his superiors in the nose.

Since the accident, he’s not been able to talk to his father-in-law who blames him for it all and he’s had a bad leg which doctors think might be psychosomatic rather than physical. Great name for a Scot with a gammy leg then, McNee, like some joke from fifty years ago.

The man’s been carrying that weight of guilt around with him since the accident. It fuels him. Gives him a reason to get up in the morning. Helps him in his work as a Private Investigator.
As we get to know him, we’ll realise that his wife’s accident has little to do with the way he is, that he’s always been burdened, always been socially inept and difficult to get to know. A hard man in respectable clothing.

The more I got to know this guy, the more I liked him.

We met in the first pages. Everything was kicking off.

McKnee has a gun pointed at someone’s head. He’s already killed someone, he tells us that, so one more might not make any difference.

Those opening pages are full of madness and rage, confusion and adrenalin. It’s a great way to get to know a bloke and had me hooked from the off.

Backtrack to the beginning of the story.

Farmer James Robertson comes to McNee, asks him to find out why his brother Daniel (not been home for 30 years) has returned to Dundee and hung himself from a tree.

As McNee digs, he’ll find that Daniel Robertson was not a nice guy. Was the right hand man of a London gangster (Egg, and definitely one of the bad variety) and was sleeping with the gangster’s wife.

Gangster’s wife heads north and is soon brutally dispatched by person or person’s unknown.

Dundee, unsexy place for a PI, bursts into action and adventure as the local hard-men try to see off the London mob invasion.

McNee’s colleagues on the force get on to his back and resurrect ghosts from his time on the job and his wife’s sister and an ex-one-night-stand try and patch things together.

He’s like a leaky boat our protagonist. It’s why I liked him so much.
There’s never a dull moment as he bails like hell to get rid of all the water even as it’s rising above his neck.

It’s like McLean started to write the character and McKnee decided to go it his own way, ignoring his creator and doing what he pleased. What fun.

This is a first novel, which is hard to believe.

The plot, characters and dialogue are superb. The Dundee setting works surprisingly well and the author shows off an intimate knowledge of the type of city it is. The twists and turns are unpredictable and that’s the way I like it.

Each chapter ends with a sentence that uses the first person narrative to good effect and owes something to the classic PIs of our American brothers and sisters. You feel an uneasy resolution and a need to move on quickly.

McLean’s touch is interesting. Mostly I found it easy and flowing, one of those page-turners that brings a constant source of pleasure. He almost fooled me with that, for he also has a range of weapons at his disposal. He has blunt which he uses now and then to stun as he throws in a cold, hard phrase to unsettle. There are the sharp objects in there, descriptions and force that cut as the phrase turns. There are guns and fists lurking too. And there’s a little wry-smile that jumps out when you’re least expecting it as if Harry Lime’s lurking in the shadows and having a bloody good time.

I read this before my summer break, but I reckon this is the perfect book for a holiday- you don’t have to put in much effort to get an awful lot of satisfaction

If the character’s name amuses, get this. The author, McLean has written a story that’s anything but.

And something else that made me chuckle, it only cost me 99p for the Kindle.

Fantastic.

Available from:
US

UK

Dancing With Myself: RUSSEL D MCLEAN interviews RUSSEL D MCLEAN

Dancing With Myself Russel D McLean

Q: Welcome, Mister McLean. Please have a seat.

A: But there’s only one seat.

Q: You don’t get it yet? You’re interviewing yourself.

A: Isn’t that the first sign of madness?

Q: That and wanting to be a writer. I mean, seriously man, what were you thinking?

A: Not fame and fortune, anyway. Basically, I realised I have very few skills and wanted to do an indoor job with no heavy lifting.

Q: How’s that working for you?

A: Well the writing part’s cool. The day job does involved rather a lot of heavy lifting, though, so I’m not exactly living the dream. And, yes, most writers need a second job. Despite the rumours that prevail there are thousands of us not getting paid squillions per book and drinking Champagne from ladies' boots. Quite why you’d want to drink anything from someone’s boot, though, is beyond me. It would taste of sweat. Maybe if you were a foot fetishist, I suppose…

Q: Before you start rambling, let’s talk about your books. Two novels, now. Several short stories. The novels feature a private eye protagonist, as did many of the shorts. Didn’t anyone tell you the PI was dead?

A: Yeah, they did. A lot. But I really can’t be bothered writing a UK police procedural. So many people are doing that much better than I. Besides, with an eye, you have this whole rich mythic vein to tap which is great fun to do in an unusual setting.

Q: You mean Dundee?

A: The massively talented Steven Torres challenged people a few years back to name other Scots Private Investigators. I’m not sure he got many replies. And those that he did were often technically English (For example, Val McDermid’s Scottish but her PI Kate Brannigan’s actually English). So, yes, it’s an unusual setting. And I think that with an eye, you’re able to set your stories at a very “street” level so you can interact with a different cast of characters than in a procedural. Besides the relative uniqueness of the eye in the Scots landscape means the characters will relate very differently than they do to a copper.

Q: You sound like you’ve thought about this. Do you actually have a life?

A: No. Not really. And yes, I have thought about this kind of thing a lot. I’m hugely passionate about the crime genre. Some people might say overly so.

Q: You were nominated for a Shamus last year. Is it true that the winner of the debut category, Brad Parks, planted a bomb under your chair at the awards banquet?

A: Maybe. He claims to have done so but disarmed it when he knew he was going to win. I, on the other hand, did not poison his drink with a slow acting substance that should be kicking in… [checks watch] about now… No, I definitely did not.*

Q: And what about the rumours about you vomiting over bestselling Chicago writer Sean Chercover?

A: Those are true. One hundred per cent. In my defence it was an allergic reaction. Not to Sean, but to the meal I’d eaten before. Thing is though, this story worked its way through the publishing world somehow. I had a UK editor once come up to me and shake my hand, saying he was glad to meet me. I thought he knew me because of my books. Turns out he was just hugely amused about the story of me vomiting over Sean.

Q: Look, we’re running out of time here, so maybe we should mention the new book?

A: New in the US, yes, although its been out in the UK from the terrific Five Leaves Publications for a while, now. March 11, folks, you’ll be able to buy the second J McNee novel, THE LOST SISTER in spankingly wonderful hardback, and I believe even e-book format, from those stunningly beautiful people at Thomas Dunne/St Martin’s Minotaur. While you’re out there, in fact, may I also recommend you pick up a copy of the incredible anthology DAMN NEAR DEAD 2 which was released late last year and features short stories by some of the damned finest writers going. And, bizarrely, me. There we go, plugs done. Can I go now?

Q: You’re free to leave whenever you want, Mr McLean.

A: Oh, that’s nice… except… someone’s strapped me in this chair and… hello? Where are you going? Why are you locking the door? Don’t leave me alone in this room… don’t… [door slams, keys turn in lock.] [Fade to black] *All kidding aside, Brad’s a terrific writer and I’m glad he’s the one took the award. I’m just starting his second novel now, and it looks fantastically good fun.

Sea Minor would like to point out that he picked up a Kindle copy of THE GOOD SON at the ridiculously cheap price of 99p a couple of days ago. Now there's a bargain for you. Thanks Russel. Great job. Buy the man's books and help him avoid heavy lifting.