DI Alec McKay

Detective Inspector Alec McKay is drawn into a chilling hunt for a serial killer. But first he must face the demons of his own past… Still grieving the tragic loss of his daughter, McKay becomes obsessed with a seemingly cold missing persons case-until bodies start turning up across the Black Isle. Each victim is surrounded by roses and candles, leaving McKay and his team to untangle the disturbing ritual behind the murders. As they struggle to crack the killer's cryptic pattern, McKay's own life begins to unravel. Meanwhile, the young woman who discovered the first victim embarks on a dangerous investigation of her own-one that catches McKay's eye, and the killer. Alec McKay's quest for justice will force him into a deadly game of cat and mouse, where the line between right and wrong becomes blurred, and the truth could cost him everything… This gritty crime thriller, set against the brooding backdrop of the Scottish Highlands is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin and makes "compulsive reading" -The Independent.

DI Alec McKay is back.Twenty years ago, Jackie Galloway was a senior cop with a bad reputation. Then, he ended up on the wrong side of the wrong people, and his career was ruined. Sacked and with no pension, he ends up eking out his last days on Scotland's Black Isle, his mind lost to dementia, supported only by his wife, Bridie... until Galloway is found dead. The police assume the death to be accidental until Bridie reveals that her husband has been receiving threatening letters containing only the phrase: 'NOT FORGOTTEN. NOT FORGIVEN.'DI Alec McKay is struggling to come to terms with life without his estranged wife Chrissie, and is living in isolation on the Black Isle. As a junior officer, McKay had been allocated to Galloway's team and has bad memories of the man and his methods. Now he finds himself investigating Galloway's death. But when suspicion falls on him and more police officers are murdered, the pressure is on for McKay to solve the case. Why would the killer seek revenge twenty years after Galloway left the force?The gripping follow-up to Candles and Roses can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Jimmy McGuire, a washed-up comic, is found dead on the streets of Inverness, his body garroted. Back in the 1990s, McGuire had been half of a promising double-act until his partner, Jack Dingwall, was convicted of rape. Soon, a second corpse is found in an abandoned industrial site on the edge of the Moray Firth. The body has been there for some days and has also been garroted. The victim turns out to be a former musician turned record producer, who had also been the subject of rape allegations. Meanwhile, DI Alec McKay and DCI Helena Grant are still wrestling with the fallout from one of their recent cases following an acquittal. As the body count rises, the police think they have the killer in their sights. But McKay is concerned that the evidence is too neat so when he realizes there will be a final victim, he fears that time is running out…Also available in the best-selling DI Alec McKay Series: Candles and Roses and Death Parts Us

The DI Alec McKay Series are atmospheric and gripping crime novels set in the Scottish Highlands. They will appeal to fans of authors like Ann Cleeves, Peter May and Helen Fields. A family day out turns sour for DI McKay when he stumbles across an unidentified corpse. The day becomes darker still when his brother-in-law goes missing and is eventually found dead, the result of a seemingly accidental fall. Meanwhile, DCI Helena Grant has a disastrous on-line date with a pompous senior manager of a local hotel chain. Her initial amusement turns to unease at his disturbing behaviour. And, as she arrives home, she receives a threatening text from someone who has been watching her. When a further body is found, McKay and Grant finally begin to piece together a story that involves violence, people trafficking and the darkest family secrets.

A series of brutal murders dredges up dark secrets from the past, and DI Alec McKay finds himself caught in the crossfire in this pulse-pounding Scottish Highlands thriller. As the winter chill grips the Highlands, a body is discovered burned alive in a solstice bonfire, kicking off a harrowing Christmas season. When a retired businessman is found hanging from a tree and another associate is savagely murdered in his isolated home, the team is stretched to the limit. With DCI Helena Grant away for a romantic holiday with crime writer Bill Emsworth, McKay must navigate a series of baffling killings under mounting pressure-amidst staff shortages and the relentless Scottish winter. As McKay races to connect the dots, he uncovers that the victims are all tied to a decades-old investigation, sensationalised in a true-crime book penned by Emsworth. With another businessman missing, McKay fears the killer's next target may be disturbingly close to home-Helena and Emsworth could be in the crosshairs. To save them, McKay must unravel a mystery rooted in Helena Grant's own past, before the killer closes in for the final strike… For fans of Ian Rankin, this gripping, atmospheric thriller combines complex characters, chilling crimes, and the unforgiving Scottish landscape into an unmissable tale of suspense.

A horrific massacre in the Scottish Highlands reveals far more sinister secrets than a simple family tragedy in this tense and riveting police procedural. When the Dawson family is found slaughtered in what appears to be a tragic murder-suicide, it seems like another heartbreaking case of a man pushed to the edge, taking his wife and children with him before ending his own life. But DI Alec McKay has doubts. Why was a mysterious BMW spotted at the Dawsons' holiday home that day, and why are its owners also now dead? What's behind the erratic behaviour of the new senior investigating officer? And, most disturbingly, who is sending out packages containing toys taken from the crime scene? As McKay digs deeper, he uncovers a twisted web of lies, leading back to a threat from his own past. To solve this case, McKay must confront his darkest fears and a crime that could leave him devastated in ways he never imagined… Filled with pulse-pounding suspense and emotional twists, this gripping thriller will captivate fans of Ian Rankin and Val McDermid, it's a must-read for lovers of dark, atmospheric police procedurals.

Step into the shadows of the Scottish Highlands, where no one is as innocent as they seem, and the path to the truth could be the most dangerous journey yet… When a string of fatal accidents on the notorious A9 road catches the attention of DI Alec McKay, he uncovers something far more sinister than just bad luck. As the body count rises, McKay stumbles onto a decades-old conspiracy involving corruption and a murder case that should've been buried a long time ago. But the deeper McKay digs, the more dangerous the game becomes. A shadowy killer is systematically eliminating anyone who knows the truth, and McKay may be next. Racing against time, with his closest allies compromised and a relentless killer lurking, McKay must navigate a web of deception and betrayal where every answer leads to more deadly questions… Dark, gritty, and full of unexpected twists, this Scottish crime thriller is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin's atmospheric mysteries.