Buy this from UK Audiobooks

NEVER SOMEWHERE ELSE is the first of a new series, which currently numbers three, set in Glasgow. The lead characters are Chief Inspector Lorimer and psychologist, Dr Solomon Brightman.

Three young women have been strangled and scalped with their bodies left in St Mungo's Park and Lorimer is tasked with finding the 'St Mungo's Murderer' as the papers call the killer. It appears as if he has a serial killer on his hands as there is nothing to link the three women apart from their killer. Reluctantly, Lorimer agrees to work with the young psychologist from Glasgow University, Solly Brightman and it's not long before Solly makes a breakthrough. He believes only one of these murders was planned, the other two were committed to make it appear that all the girls were chosen at random. But which of the three was the target and why?

Staking out the park, the police arrest a vagrant, Valentine Carruthers. He provides a nugget of information which starts the police on the right trail to the killer, however when they come to re-question him after letting him go, it's too late. He's disappeared.

There are two more deaths before the police finally catch the murderer in an exciting early dawn chase across the city.

I very much enjoyed listening to NEVER SOMEWHERE ELSE. It's fast paced and the detection follows a logical series of clues and information. Lorimer and the younger Solly make a successful team with Solly's predictions about the killer being spot on. Played out against the backdrop of the Glasgow art world and the influence of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the story gives a real impression of why Glasgow was named European City of Culture in 1990. I look forward to the other two titles in the series, A SMALL WEEPING (already available as an audiobook) and SHADOWS OF SOUNDS and hope to learn more about the main characters in addition to more nail biting mysteries.

Andrew Napier provides a lovely clear narration and is particularly good with the two leads as he makes Lorimer sound older and worldly-wise whilst his Solly is young and enthusiastic.

Karen Meek. England
October 2005

Details of the author's other books with links to reviews can be found on the Books page.
More European crime fiction reviews can be found on the Reviews page.