Books like Dead Men and Broken Hearts: Lennox 4

In the fourth book in this series Glasgow private investigator Lennox is visited by a woman who suspects her husband of living a double life. This seems like a straightforward enough case, easy money for a bit of snooping around. He’s also been asked to track down a union official who is suspected of running off with a significant sum of money belonging to the Amalgamated Union of Industrial Trades. Again, this doesn’t sound too complicated. Except, of course, things are never that routine as these two cases are quick to confirm.We’re back in mid-1950’s Glasgow at a time when elsewhere Hungarians are rising up against Soviet-imposed policies and any pretence that Britain still has a role as a world power is being completely eliminated by ongoing events concerning the Suez Canal. Lennox is at once a charmer but also a man prone to having the red mist descend. His wartime experiences seem to have left him unable to retain a full grip on his temper and he needs little provocation to demonstrate some of the darker skills he’s learned along the way. That said, he’s made strenuous attempts to stay away from Glasgow’s three underworld bosses of late – a threesome he’s completed work for a number of times in the past. It’s time to clean up his act and stay out of trouble. Or is it?These books are always strong on atmosphere and character development but they provide something of a history lesson too. The detail feels comprehensively researched and the Glasgow described here has a powerful and distinctive feel to it. And despite the ever present undertone of violence in there’s also a hefty dose of pitch-black humour. I was quickly fully immersed in this tale. The lack of mobile phones, DNA evidence and computerised crime databases means that Lennox has to rely on his street nous and intelligence to make progress in his cases. It helps that he’s managed to forge a relationship with a semi-friendly copper but in truth this source is only of limited use to him. Craig Russell is probably one of the hidden gems of crime fiction writing. He’s penned two excellent series - his Jan Fabel books are equally impressive and yet very different in setting, tone and timeframe – and yet it feels to me that he remains relatively undiscovered. If you’re a fan of this genre then I’d urge you to take a look at the work of this hugely impressive writer.