The Riverman

When Duncan Forbe’s body is pulled from the River Clyde in Glasgow, DCI William Latimer is called in to investigate. Forbes had been at a going away party for another member of his accounting firm and everyone’s first thought was that he had overindulged and fallen in. But when drugs are found in his system, it becomes clear that this was no accident.

As Lorimer and his team interrogate the other members of the firm, they pick up an uneasiness and reluctance to talk. When the man the party was given for is reported found dead in America where his new job was to be, suspicions rise higher. When a flirtatious member of the HR Department is found dead in her apartment, it is crystal clear that the accounting firm has big secrets that are also dangerous.

Lorimer pulls in his psychologist friend, Solly, who is helpful in gauging personalities during interrogations and in looking at the case from a different perspective. Solly has helped Lorimer on other cases and his insights are once again an impetus to Lorimer’s thought processes. Can the two men and the Glasgow Police discover what is going on before more lives are lost?

Alex Gray has written eleven novels in the DCI Lorimer series with another one coming in the spring of 2018. Lorimer is not a flashy detective or one who ignores police procedure. Instead, he uses the investigative tools available to him along with his own common sense to solve the murders that mar the Glasgow landscape. His use of the psychologist as a consultant lends more interest to the cases but it is always clear who is in charge. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

We lived in Scotland, near Glasgow, on an island off the west coast some years ago, for more than ten years. This novel brings the best of it all back in vivid detail, along with the added enjoyment of the author’s fascinating description of a modern Glasgow, re-created.
The Riverman’s is a superb human tale, as well as a deftly woven police procedural and “how-did-whoever” do it. It’s plot and sub-plots are well matched and flow smoothly.
The cast of characters is wide-ranging and adeptly configured. Each individual is carefully drawn ~ some are portrayed in quick, charcoal strokes emphasizing their resilient strength and best (or worst traits); others seem more muted and have sober, powerful depths ~ some depicted in dark, disturbing oils with mere slivers of light, while others lend themselves to richer hues — reds, greens, grays and gold that convey the subtle complexity of their emotions and the depth of their personalities. Still other characters come to life within an array of fluid whites, grays and blues blending with the earthen palette that naturally colors the rugged hills and waterways of The Riverman’s domain. Scotland is a beautiful, beautiful place …
Alex Gray’ s novel is a veritable feast for most any fiction reader’s ear, imagination and reading pleasure. It’s a welcome addition to one’s list of good books with excellent plots.
Well done, well done!

I like the way Alex Gray writes. I really enjoy the realistic police procedurals as well as how the human elements of Lorimar’s wife and friends are woven into the entire story. This is first class entertainment.

This is an excellent crime novel with many twists and turns. Set mostly in Scotland, it involves multiple murders and white-collar crime. It has scenes in London and New York, and provides a good look at the clubby world of good ole boy chartered accountants (CPAs). Good insights into police work.
It definitely held my interest Cover-to-cover.

I believe this was the first book I’ve read with a Glasgow setting, and the author has done her proud. Both the seedy and the newer, up-and-coming areas were equally well-drawn. The river provided the backdrop, the mystery, the misty chill and the watery graves. And over it all was the calm presence of the riverman, a beautifully written character based on the real Clyde riverman. The conclusion wasn’t a shock, yet there were surprises throughout. Enjoyed the Lorimans as a couple and as individuals. Look forward to the next in this series.

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