MacBride, Stuart – COLD GRANITE

[LJ Roberts]

COLD GRANITE (Police Procedural-Scotland-Cont) - VG MacBride,
Stuart – 1^st in series
Harper Collins, 2005- Hardcopy

DS Logan McRae nearly died in the line of duty and is now back after a yearlong recovery. However, his first day back isn't the gentle return he'd expected as the body of a murdered four-year-old boy has been found. As more children go missing and their bodies found, the question is whether all the cases are related. It doesn't help that someone is leaking information to the press.

I am an admitted fan of police procedurals, and this was a good one. I particularly liked that McRae wasn't an angst-ridden, alcohol-driven character--although McRae did his fair share of imbibing—whose relationship to his fellow officers and superiors is realistic. The subject matter is difficult; anytime children are involved, it's hard to read. The story was well plotted, with interesting twists and turns and good suspense. I even enjoyed the bit of a nod to Ian Rankin. Altogether, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next MacBride.