William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw trilogy changed the face of crime fiction in the 1970s and 1980s, inspiring an entire generation of crime writers including Mark Billiangham, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Chris Brookmyre – and Ian Rankin.
When McIlvanney died in 2015, he left half a handwritten manuscript of Laidlaw’s first case – his first new novel in 25 years. Now, Ian Rankin is back to finish what McIlvanney started.
In The Dark Remains, these two iconic authors bring to life the criminal world of 1970s Glasgow, and the relentless quest for truth.
Lawyer Bobby Carter did a lot of work for the wrong type of people. Now he’s dead and it was no accident. He’s left behind his share of enemies, but who dealt the fatal blow?
DC Jack Laidlaw’s reputation precedes him. He’s not a team player, but he’s got a sixth sense for what’s happening on the streets. As two Glasgow gangs go to war, Laidlaw needs to find out who got Carter before the whole city explodes.
It's an absolute pleasure to be hosting the blog tour for The Dark Remains today. Many thanks to Canongate and to Anne Cater from Random Things Tours for inviting me and for sending me a copy of the novel.
Anybody who reads a lot of crime fiction will – sooner or later – become aware of the name, William McIlvanney but despite the obviously high regard in which his Laidlaw trilogy is held, I haven't yet managed to read these books, so I'm unable to compare The Dark Remains to the original works. However, as the intention behind publication will obviously be to interest new readers in the series (as well as delight existing fans), I am able to say it's a job very well done – Laidlaw is a character I want to read more about, which, of course, means I'm looking forward to reading the trilogy.
This is billed as Laidlaw's first case but he's not a novice and joins the Glasgow Crime Squad with his reputation preceding him. He is paired with Bob Lilley who isn't best pleased to be given the job of keeping an eye on him but their first case turns up almost immediately and the murder of Bobby Carter, lawyer and gangland consiglieri threatens to turn Glasgow into a warzone. The third person narrative is fascinating as it follows a number of perspectives, including Laidlaw and Lilley, naturally, as well as some of the villains who between them have divided up the streets of the city.
Carter worked for Cam Colvin but his body is discovered outside a pub in John Rhodes' territory. The potential for violent reprisals is already high but this is more complex that two rivals squaring up to one another. Laidlaw has to figure out who stands to win and lose the most and it's a compelling foray into the mean streets of Glasgow in 1972. Businesses are in hock to whichever gangland boss runs that patch, graffiti tags from the next generation who find 'a sense of belonging, often where none had been nurtured at home' bleakly signal the perpetual territory battles. There are a number of likely suspects and Laidlaw's disdain at his boss, DI Milligan's failure to examine the whole picture is palpably obvious.
However, as intriguing as the case may be, this is a character-driven novel and inevitably, Jack Laidlaw is the main draw. We see him through his own eyes and those of others, most notably Lilley who doesn't quite understand him but grows to appreciate his singular methods. He comes across as a rather haunted individual; a loner who prefers to spend nights in a hotel than at home where his marriage is clearly crumbling. He doesn't follow orders, preferring to investigate in his own way; he considers behaviour from a philosophical angle, even travelling by bus for a more immersive view of the city. He's evidently not an easy man to work or live with and towards the end of the book, Lilley describes him far better than I ever could,
'He's a one-off in a world of mass production. He's not a copper who happens to be a man. He's a man who happens to be a copper and he carries that weight with him everywhere he goes.' . . . 'Mind you,' he felt it necessary to qualify, 'he can be a pain in the bahookie too, but it's a price worth paying.'
Glasgow itself is as much a character as any person in The Dark Remains and while the violence, prejudice, poverty and sexism is omnipresent, there is humour here too. The sense of time and place is pitch-perfect, the simmering, snarling underbelly of the city is menacingly atmospheric while the historical references scattered throughout aren't merely thrown in for a bit of flavour; I could believe the book was written in the '70s.
William McIlvanney was the Godfather of Tartan Noir and in The Dark Remains, Ian Rankin has paid the best tribute possible as he brings his vision to life in a novel that is honest, uncompromising and utterly authentic. An absolute treat, I highly recommend it.
The Dark Remains is published by Canongate and is out now in paperback. It can be purchased from bookshop.org, Hive, Waterstones, Amazon or your favourite independent bookshop.
Don't miss the rest of the blog tour, details are below.
About the Authors
William McIlvanney
William McIlvanney is the author of the award-winning Laidlaw trilogy, featuring Glasgow’s original maverick detective. Both Laidlaw and The Papers of Tony Veitch gained Silver Daggers from the Crime Writers’ Association, while the third in the series, Strange Loyalties, won the Glasgow Herald’s People’s Prize. He died in December 2015.
Ian Rankin
Thanks for the blog tour support x
ReplyDelete