Another case where I am reading an author's books backwards. While I read Every Night I Dream of Hell first, and for all intents and purposes, it could be a stand-alone, those who appreciate a continuation of characters might prefer to read this book and the two following in the trilogy first. In the former, Jamieson is running things from jail and we see most things from the POV of his enforcer, aka "security consultant."

In this book, Jamieson is fully in charge but worried that someone is trying to muscle in on his territory. To send a message, it's necessary to eliminate, Lewis Winter, in an effort to smoke out the rival. POVs vary but are primarily those of Calum, his young hitman. We're also introduced to Zora, who plays a prominent role in EIDOH (don't you just love title abbreviations?)

Mackay has a different style of writing, a combination of narrative and stream of consciousness. It took a bit of getting used to, but was appealing in the end. Now, moving on to How a Gunman Says Goodbye the second in the series which follows the same characters, focusing primarily on Frank, the aging hitman. ( )

Outstanding debut in the Glasgow Trilogy by Malcolm Mackay. Dark, brooding Glasgow is the perfect setting for these gangland characters beautifully brought to life by Mackay. His staccato, rapid-fire writing style is ideally suited to the story he tells. There isn't the range of characters you might find in another of this genre, but the depth is very impressive throughout. I devoured the second half of the book in record time and I can't wait to get into the rest of the series...highly recommended. Thank you, Mr Mackay/Mulholland Books. ( )

1st of a trilogy about Glasgow and a hired gun. The style of this book is everything. Gritty, brutal and very realistic hardboiled tale of a job and the fallout. It is fast-paced and relentless. ( )

Whoopee, this is the first in a trilogy, by a writer I'd never tried before and it is really excellent. The writing is sharp and taut, telling the story in short snappy sentences, introducing us to a cast of memorable characters who I look forward to finding out much more in books 2 and 3. Glasgow's crime scene has been the subject of a few recent novels, but I doubt that any are as good as this. Really looking forward to more from Malcolm Mackay. ( )

3.5 stars ( )