Book One in the Laidlaw Trilogy
"Laidlaw...'is not just an inspector of crime; he's an inspector of society.'"—Allan Massie, "The Father of 'Tartan Noir'," Wall Street Journal
Introducing Jack Laidlaw, the original damaged detective.
The Laidlaw novels, a groundbreaking trilogy that changed the face of Scottish fiction, are credited with being the founding books of the Tartan Noir movement that includes authors...

Tom Docherty was seventeen in the summer of 1955. With school behind him and a summer job at a brick works, Tom had his whole life before him. Years later, alone in a rented flat in Edinburgh and lost in memories, Tom recalls the intellectual and sexual awakening of his youth. In looking back, Tom discovers that only by understanding where he comes from can he make sense of his life as it is now.

His face made a fist at the world. The twined remnant of umbilicus projected vulnerably. Hands, feet and prick. He had come equipped for the job. Newborn Conn Docherty, raw as a fresh wound, lies between his parents in their tenement room, with no birthright but a life's labor in the pits of his small town. But the world is changing, and, lying next to him, Conn's father Tam has decided that his son's life will be different from his own. Gritty, dark...

These are the stories of the casualties of social and emotional struggle, who defy defeat with humour, resilience and inspiring faith in their dreams. The walking wounded. These are the stories of ordinary people.

In this crime prequel, two crime writers team up for the first ever case of D.I. Laidlaw, Glasgow's original gritty detective who is standing in the midst of gangs, organized crime bosses, crooked politicians, corrupt police and innocent battlers caught in the crossfire.