Max is an admirable character with along with his lovable dog. I look forward to the next in this new series and unlike other first books, this wrapped up well. No annoying loose strings or unfinished business. An ages-old feud between two Scottish families is unearthed when a top crime boss is found murdered in an unnamed grave. When ageing gangster Tam Hardie goes missing Max and Janey are asked to investigate. It doesn’t take them long to find his body hidden in an old grave in the Highlands under a stone carved with the message “this grave can never be opened” and not much longer to find the killer and uncover an old feud. The consequences of the murder are much worse with the bodies piling up and evidence of police corruption emerging.

This was a compelling read from start to finish enjoyed every minute the characters were well fleshed out & likeable loved the setting of Scotland that a A missing person enquiry leads DS Max Craigie and DC Janie Calder to an ancient and abandoned burial ground, by the remains of an old chapel, located in a very remote spot in the Scottish Highlands. They discover a headstone with the inscription “This Grave Can Never Be Opened”! The. Ore Max & Janie look into the murder that corruption is rife in this case, who Killed Hardie & why? The best police procedural I've read in years – fast-paced, compelling and deeply authentic. DS Max Craigie is a brilliant hero and I can't wait for the next in the series’ Jane Casey After a couple of minutes of furious scraping and chopping, his work was done. Tam Hardie stood, a mix of apprehension and excitement beginning to take hold as he saw the six words that his grandfather had assured him would be there.This book hits the ground running and doesn’t let up throughout. Well written characters and excellent story construction make this a hugely enjoyable read. Max is a great central character and well rounded enough to carry the story.

ways draws me to a 📚 it was very atmospheric & thought I was there I can’t wait to read the next instalment in this wonderful new series. Initially I thought this was maybe a fairly conventional cop story. "Cop" with a history coming to a new force, working with an interesting new female officer - I wondered whether this was really my sort of book. The story follows Max during his investigations. Increasingly I found parts entertainingly unconventional or dark and well worked. It seemed that my initial judgement was off the mark here. The author was previously a Metropolitan police detective investigating serious crimes in addition to serving in the military police so I would recommend this to those connoisseurs of police tactical methods. Really looking forward to the next in this series. The book itself is a standalone but has been set up beautifully for the next one. My first read by Neil Lancaster and certainly won’t be my last.

Dead Man’s Grave by Neil Lancaster is a taut well written crime procedural that I was invested in from the very beginning to the end the characters were well developed & likeable, the setting in Scotland always draws me to a book thought I was there. When bodies connected to the murder start appearing, Max is less inclined to stop investigating even after his superiors tell him to move on to the next case. Which brings up another question: Why is new evidence being ignored? More than a ‘Who Dunnit’, this is a sharply focused police procedural with an expert eye for the hierarchies within a department. Good cops, bad cops, and corruption at many levels. Since retiring from the Metropolitan Police, Neil has relocated to the Scottish Highlands with his wife and son, where he mixes freelance investigations with writing.

The missing person in question is notorious gangster Tam Hardie, head of Scotland’s most powerful and ‘influential’ crime family - nothing happens without Hardie’s say so. Looks like someone did open the Grave though, as Tam Hardie’s decomposing body is discovered beneath the heavy slab of granite covering the grave, in what turns out to be a centuries old feud. One thing’s for certain, the Hardie family will not take this well, they already have connections to numerous murders, and someone murdering the head of their family will not be tolerated - retribution will be had! Author, Neil Lancaster was with Metropolitan Police for over two decades. You just know that he has many good ideas for his upcoming books. Can't wait for the next! Oh, and don't miss the author's note! You okay Guvnor?’ Max said, smiling at Fraser’s worn and unpolished Oxford shoes. Sartorial elegance was not at the top of Ross Fraser’s priority list.

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Dead Man's Grave is the first in the DS Max Craigie series, and what an introduction to Max! He's a bit like a bull terrier - once he gets his teeth into something, he just doesn't let go. I found the opening of this book very atmospheric. An old crime boss visits the grave of a very old relative. It says "this grave can never be opened" on the grave stone. However, when the crime boss disappears and his family (also hard core villains) ask the police for help, the grave is opened. DS Max Craigie is the policeman who is involved. He has only recently returned to Scotland from England and has some issues from his time there. Will Scotland bring him any peace... When Max reports to the sons of the crime boss about his findings they don't seem surprised by any of the news. Could they have possibly found out before Max saw them and if so how? I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of Dead Man’s Grave, the first novel to feature DS Max Craigie and DC Janey Calder of Police Scotland.