Anderson & Costello Series by Caro Ramsay

Twenty years after he was assigned the seemingly simple job of guarding a dying woman in the aftermath of a vicious acid attack, Alan McAlpine has become a celebrated Detective Chief Inspector. Yet he has never forgotten that first assignment. Still unsolved, the crime remains his obsession and his torment... moreTwenty years after he was assigned the seemingly simple job of guarding a dying woman in the aftermath of a vicious acid attack, Alan McAlpine has become a celebrated Detective Chief Inspector. Yet he has never forgotten that first assignment. Still unsolved, the crime remains his obsession and his torment. Now, drafted to lead the search for Glasgow’s “Crucifixion Killer”—a murderer who has already killed two women, leaving their mutilated bodies with arms outstretched—McAlpine finds his past and present crashing together—but he’ll need to banish the old ghosts before he can stop the monster in the present. Vivid and compelling, filled with fascinating and complex characters, Absolution is a gripping journey through the rainy streets of Glasgow and deep into one man’s soul. Praised by Val McDermid as “dark, vivid and daring,” and described by The Washington Post as “among the year’s best literary thrillers,” Ramsay’s debut novel is an intelligent mystery with shocking twists. less

It's Christmas, and half the Partickhill police squad is down with flu. Not good timing, with a series of cyanide poisonings in the area, plus two small boys reported missing in the space of a few days. And then there's the monumental task of providing concert security for rock legend Rogan O'Neill . . . But for Detective Inspector Colin Anderson, the nightmare is about to get terrifyingly close to home. For a third boy has now gone missing - Colin's own son, Peter... moreIt's Christmas, and half the Partickhill police squad is down with flu. Not good timing, with a series of cyanide poisonings in the area, plus two small boys reported missing in the space of a few days. And then there's the monumental task of providing concert security for rock legend Rogan O'Neill . . . But for Detective Inspector Colin Anderson, the nightmare is about to get terrifyingly close to home. For a third boy has now gone missing - Colin's own son, Peter. The team race to find the boys before it is too late. But how long will it be before they realize the key is hidden in the lyrics of a rock song ? 'Tambourine Girl' by Rogan O'Neill? less

A bitterly cold February in Glasgow. In the attic of a deserted tenement, the body of a man is found hanging, his face disfigured beyond recognition.Around his neck is a sign that reads: I Am Stephen Whyte.Investigating officers DI Anderson and DS Costello believe the dead man was the prime suspect in a decade-old unsolved case.Ten years ago, a young woman was brutally attacked and left for dead. Now the man found hanging has the exact same horrific injuries... moreA bitterly cold February in Glasgow. In the attic of a deserted tenement, the body of a man is found hanging, his face disfigured beyond recognition.Around his neck is a sign that reads: I Am Stephen Whyte.Investigating officers DI Anderson and DS Costello believe the dead man was the prime suspect in a decade-old unsolved case.Ten years ago, a young woman was brutally attacked and left for dead. Now the man found hanging has the exact same horrific injuries.There are other similar cases on file.But the dead man didn’t act alone, he had an accomplice — who is still on the loose . . . less

When DNA evidence links a present-day murder to the disappearance of a young boy four years earlier, detectives Anderson & Costello are plunged into a baffling mystery. It's been four years since four-year-old Johnny Clearwater disappeared without trace one hot summer afternoon. Now, a new TV documentary series is revisiting the case, dredging up memories perhaps best left forgotten... moreWhen DNA evidence links a present-day murder to the disappearance of a young boy four years earlier, detectives Anderson & Costello are plunged into a baffling mystery. It's been four years since four-year-old Johnny Clearwater disappeared without trace one hot summer afternoon. Now, a new TV documentary series is revisiting the case, dredging up memories perhaps best left forgotten. On the night the TV show is broadcast, detectives Anderson and Costello are called out to investigate the murder of a female police officer. On arriving at the scene, they discover that nothing about this death is as straightforward as it would appear. What was the victim doing in the garden of the exclusive gated residence where she was found? How did she die? Why is the key witness so reluctant to speak to them? Even the off-duty police officer who was first on the scene isn't telling them everything. The pressure intensifies when a link is discovered between the dead woman and the disappearance of Johnny Clearwater four years earlier. What secrets are lurking behind the closed doors of this small, exclusive community . . . and what really happened to little Johnny Clearwater? less