To Die in June pulls no punches—nor stabbings nor mutilations. Harry does what he can to fight his own demons and to bring assemblance of justice to Glasgow’s grisly streets. Mr. Parks’s hero is a spiritually damaged man, albeit one who perceives a wee spark of light glistening in the gloom.”—Wall Street Journal
“A fine sense of wordplay and the Scots dialect furnishes a mild, dark comic aspect to what is a surprisingly pleasant read, given the grim background and action. Parks is a master of the genre and always provides a good story. This will be the fifth in the series and this reader recommends them all highly. As always, trust Europa to furnish quality literature.”—Reading the West
“Parks’ gritty, panoramic novel particularly rewards series fans by deepening the stories of several returning characters...Sharp and bracing Scottish noir, with a streak of dark nostalgia.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A provocative, disturbing read that will lead readers to consider the nature of good and evil and whether there’s a difference between doing what’s right and doing what’s good.”—Booklist
Praise for May God Forgive
★ “Noir has long been the dominant color in the palette of such Scottish writers as Ian Rankin and Denise Mina, but Parks manages to find a deeper shade of black, only slightly attenuated by Harry's willingness to go far off the grid to extract a wee bit of justice.”—Booklist (Starred Review)
★ “A Glasgow native, Parks provides a crisp, authentic look and feel to the back alleys, rough neighborhoods, and ramshackle tenements of his hometown. This entry ranks with the best of Ian Rankin and Stuart MacBride.”—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Harry McCoy is the brightest dark star on the Tartan Noir scene for some time and in future critics of Scottish crime fiction will surely be referring to the triumvirate of Laidlaw, Rebus and McCoy... May God Forgive is crime fiction which pulls no punches, powerfully told and, at times, heartbreakingly poignant... One of the crime novels of 2022.”—Mike Ripley, Getting Away With Murder
“The fifth Harry McCoy thriller is as punchy, compulsive and, at times, as downright nasty as ever.”—The Herald Scotland
Praise for the Detective Harry McCoy Thriller Series
“The meticulously described setting is so suggestive readers may even catch whiffs of stale cigarette smoke and patchouli. Fans of Scottish noir will be satisfied.”—Publishers Weekly
“Parks’ sprawling plot offers not tidy whodunit puzzles but a wide-angle view of a gritty city in the grip of crime, home to an entertaining cross section of characters. Broad-shouldered McCoy is suitably unflappable as he walks Glasgow’s mean streets.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Parks captures the feel of a city long vanished in a breathless and tense retro crime caper.”—The Sun
“A series that no crime fan should miss: dangerous, thrilling, but with a kind voice to cut through the darkness.”—Scotsman
“Pitch-black tartan noir, set in 70s Glasgow…Compelling…with an emotional heart that’s hard to ignore.”—Daily Mail
2024-04-05
On the mean streets of Glasgow, crime never takes a holiday.
DI Harry McCoy’s sixth compelling mystery begins with an emergency call to a squalid crime scene where Jamie MacLeod, who’s unhoused, lies dead and missing a shoe. In short order, another similar corpse is discovered, nudging Harry to the grim assumption that Glasgow is harboring a serial killer targeting the down and out. Nor is this the only series of crimes that Harry and partner Douglas “Wattie” Watson must tackle in the six-week span from late May to early July 1975. He’s assigned to a new station house in an undercover assignment to probe corruption there. His concern for a man named Jumbo, who’s taken a job as the bodyguard to Paul Cooper, a crime boss’ son who’s also Harry’s longtime friend, signals that he may be softening. It’s complicated. Further complications arrive in the case of Judith West, who’s frantic over the disappearance of her 9-year-old son, Michael. Strangely, it appears that no son exists; Judith’s clergyman husband verifies their childlessness and confesses his worry over Judith’s behavior. Harry’s not so sure. After Judith dies by suicide, Harry uncharacteristically attends her funeral, where a gray feeling settles over him and remains. Parks’ gritty, panoramic novel particularly rewards series fans by deepening the stories of several returning characters. At the end, weary Harry contemplates his future. Could this be his final case?
Sharp and bracing Scottish noir, with a streak of dark nostalgia.