RHONA MACLEOD

 

EASY KILL REVIEWS

EASY KILL, the fifth novel in the Rhona MacLeod series, is published in hardback by Hodder on 18th September, 2008. Forensic scientist Rhona Macleod is back on the case and this time she's pitching her big white tent in the Necropolis - Glasgow's City of The Dead. The bodies of two prostitutes lie horrifically brutalised in a makeshift grave and when the team discover that another young streetwalker is missing, it becomes more than just a murder case, it's a race against time. Lin Anderson is world-class, she is here to stay and the dark side of her imagination is more chilling than Sauchiehall Street in a snowstorm.   Anderson's fifth novel featuring the forensic scientist Dr Rhone MacLeod, by contrast, is a flat-out sprint. MacLeod, a complex and engaging protagonist, is called in when the body of a murdered prostitute is found in Glasgow's sprawling Necropolis cemetery. It soon becomes clear there is a serial killer at large, and when the mother of another prostitute reports that her daughter has gone missing, the race is on to catch the predator. Despite the involvement of Professor Magnus Pirie from Strathclyde University's department of psychology, MacLeod is not convinced that profiling is the answer. While all of the above are well-worn themes, Easy Kill is definitely a cut above the average: vivid and atmospheric, with an enthralling chase through the city's sewers to a thrilling denouement. Laura Wilson     Considerably stronger meat is provided by Lin Anderson in Easy Kill, the latest in a series relating the cases of Glasgow forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod. The story, about a serial killer targeting prostitutes, isn't particularly original and I suspect that MacLeod is a rather more active detective than any real-life police scientist. Two factors make the novel stand out, however - its determinedly unromantic view of the lives of prostitutes in contemporary Glasgow and Anderson's excellent use of two unusual settings, one above ground and the other beneath.   This is my first Lin Anderson novel, but it's left me wanting to read the others. Plenty of police procedure and technical details make this thoroughly believable and exceptionally enjoyable. Magnus, the criminal psychologist, is a terrific character, as is forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod. Absolutely brilliant.   EASY KILL Press:- Guardian of 13th September 2008 Daily Record of 13th September 2008 Morning Star of 9th September 2008 Scotsman of 3rd January 2009 In the 'Bodies of Evidence' interview, Lin Anderson discusses true crime and crime fiction with Susan Mansfield. Edinburgh Evening News of 3rd January 2009   Glasgow Evening Times of 7th January 2009 Crime writer Lin’s dark thoughts are grave affair for more victims. Orkney Today of 16th January 2009 Buy EASY KILL ... ISBN-10: 0340922419 - ISBN-13: 978-0340922422