While waiting for stormy weather (which, thankfully, stood me up), I had time to finish reading Stuart MacBride‘s latest, Broken Skin. If you’ve followed MacBride’s work, you know he pulls no punches. The cover quote mentions “unflinching.” That’s attributed to the writing and the story you find inside. If you as a reader don’t flinch at least once, you are a more jaded person than I am.

Oh, yes.  I nearly forgot.  If you buy the US version, it’s called Bloodshot.  It’s being released next month, but you can get the UK version now.  Same book.  Different name in different markets.  Broken Skin makes more sense to me, but what do I know?

All the familiar characters are back, and the crimes are still horrific, but they take place every day in real life, so it makes perfect sense to me that our fictional crime solvers have to deal with them in their fictional lives. The only thing I found myself wondering throughout this book was, “Is the criminal world really this small and interconnected?” It wouldn’t surprise me to find out it is — most other professions and industries are, once you get inside them. Why would the criminal element be any different?

Whether intentional or not, the point driven home in the Kevin Massie scene was very important. I knew it would come to something like that scene; I just wasn’t sure how Stuart would bring it off. Well done — a tough scene handled with sensitivity.

Stuart’s never let me down. All three of his books to date have been superbly written, interesting, hard-hitting, and neatly wrapped up by the ending. It shouldn’t surprise you to learn he and Tamara Siler Jones are friends — their work, while different, is equally gripping and not for the faint-of-heart or squeamish. If you can handle a good, bracing read, don’t miss Broken Skin. While you’re at it, if you haven’t read Tam’s books, pick them up, too. What are you waiting for? Do I have to get out the cuffs and frogmarch you to your nearest bookstore? Go!