Easy Kill, the fifth book in Lin Anderson’s series about forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod was a fast paced thriller as Rhona and her cohorts come up against a very clever serial killer. Rhona is called to a cemetery where a body of a prostitute has been found left sprawled on top of old grave-site. After removing the body, Rhona discovers another dead woman buried shallowly, just under the first. A further investigation of the area turns up one more body. Three dead women, all young prostitutes alerts the team to the fact that a serial killer is working the streets of Glasgow.

The search is on and all members of the team are on alert, Professor Magnus Pirie is brought in to profile the murderer but both the man in charge of the case, DI Bill Wilson, and Rhona believe more in the facts and evidence than in the intangible offerings of the professor. This entry in the series was the best story yet, and I particularly thought the chase through Glasgow underground sewers was riveting. However I was less pleased with how the serial killer was able to reach out and involve himself in the private lives of some of the investigating team.

This volume moved the life of Rhona MacLeod along as well with what appears to be a final break between Rhona and her Irish lover, and perhaps a new man coming into her life. As the series moves along, I am finding each book is getting better and the cases more complex. I am enjoying reading about how the forensic science plays a part in the investigations and I am looking forward to the next book. ( )

This book is the fifth in a series featuring Forensic Scientist Dr. Rhona MacLeod.

A body had been found in the Necropolis, the graveyard associated with the Glasgow Cathedral. She appeared to be a young prostitute, with a rather disturbing “signature” method found with bodies of other prostitutes used by the killer. When it came to prostitutes it was particularly difficult to get members of the public to come forth if they had seen anything or knew anything, “since many had girlfriends, wives and families who didn’t know about their little hobby.” And other members of the public weren’t interested, “unless the death involved an ‘innocent’ young woman out jogging or walking her dog.”

Thus, to get some insight into who might be doing this, Detective Superintendent Sutherland insisted they add a psychologist to their team: Magnus Pirie, from Strathclyde University. Professor Pirie had been making a study of unsolved cases of murdered prostitutes, and the DS thought his input could be valuable. The rest of the team wasn’t so sure.

Needless to add, like any character added to this series, Pirie is attracted to Rhona, and she to him, even though, again following a pattern, there are aspects about Pirie that put him under suspicion.

The team finds this case particularly difficult - all the more so as additional girls go missing. They know they only have a short window in which it might be possible to save their lives. And then two people closely related to the team get abducted as well.

Evaluation: The plot of this installment is quite gritty, and the emphasis of the sex drives of almost all the men, especially with respect to Rhona, is getting a little off-putting. I do love the setting however, and there is no denying the books are page turners. ( )

I have been ‘binge-reading’ the Scottish Noir series, Rhona MacLeod by Lin Anderson. I am up to Rhona MacLeod #5, EASY KILL.
I like starting a series with its first title, the first chapter as it were. The characters, the locations, the plots, the narratives - every aspect of the series develops and improves.
With EASY KILL, our main characters are back - Forensic Scientist Rhona MacLeod, Assistant Chrissy McInsh, DI Bill Wilson, DS Michael McNab, Pathologist Dr. Sissons, Rhona’s on again-off again lover, Sean and many other familiar police officers and family members. Of course, there are new faces as well. The best (and worst) features of Glasgow are show-cased.
EASY KILL is not an easy book to read, with its gritty and brutal story line.
EASY KILL does reflect all the characteristics of a brilliant noir series - cynical, fatalistic and morally ambiguous. ( )