The Blurb:
War is coming to No Man's Land, and Connor Fraser will be ready.
A mutilated body is found dumped at Cowane's Hospital in the heart of historic Stirling. For DCI Malcolm Ford it's like nothing he's ever seen before, the savagery of the crime makes him want to catch the murderer before he strikes again. For reporter Donna Blake it's a shot at the big time, a chance to get her career back on track and prove all the doubters wrong. But for close protection specialist Connor Fraser it's merely a grisly distraction from the day job.
But then another bloodied and broken corpse is found, this time in the shadow of the Wallace Monument - and with it, a message. One Connor has received before, during his time as a police officer in Belfast.
With Ford facing mounting political and public pressure to make an arrest and quell fears the murders are somehow connected to heightened post-Brexit tensions, Connor is drawn into a race against time to stop another murder. But to do so, he must question old loyalties, confront his past and unravel a mystery that some would sacrifice anything - and anyone - to protect.
From Dundee International Book Prize and Bloody Scotland book of the year nominee Neil Broadfoot comes No Man's Land, the first in the white knuckle Connor Fraser series.
No Man's Land is published in paperback today by Constable and can be purchased from Waterstones and Amazon. It is also available as a hardback or eBook.
My Review:
I always like finding new characters and Connor Fraser is definitely one to love. A former police officer in Northern Ireland, he's now a close security expert with a private firm. He's fit, athletic, strong and very capable. A real action man. But there's a gentle emotional side to him too, evident in his dealings with his grandmother and his concerns for Jen from the gym (loved Paulie, by the way). I'm curious to see if anything develops between the two of them in future books. Anyway, a grisly murder in his home town of Stirling catches Connor 's attention. But as the case progresses, it becomes personal for him, and he gets more involved. Much more involved.
Although this is definitely Connor's story, there are a couple of other key players who deserve a mention. The extract I shared yesterday introduced DCI Malcolm Ford, who heads the murder enquiry. He's a world weary cop who thought he'd seen everything. Until now. And we also meet reporter Donna Blake. A single mum, with disapproving parents, she's desperate to get the inside track on the investigation to give her the big break she needs. I found both of these characters hugely believable, very human and brilliantly written. And I have to say Donna, when confronted with a truly awful sight, handles it way, way better than I would have done!
The scene setting in No Man's Land is just perfect. The use of well known sites in and around Stirling is brilliant, although I'm not sure what residents of the town will think! The setting for the first murder (or at least the discovery of the body) is particularly eerie and atmospheric.
Ah yes, the murders. This is not a book for the faint hearted! There is a real attention to detail and the descriptions are vivid, bloody and gut wrenching. But not gratuitous, as the details are all important.
This is so well paced. It opens with a snippet from the tense final scenes, and then goes back to the beginning, just three days earlier. We are thrown in at the deep end, when the first body is discovered. Things progress steadily, but as Connor gets more involved, the pace quickens. And so does the action. There are red herrings, dead ends, mixed messages and people who really aren't who we thought. And it all builds perfectly to the explosive final scenes. This book has got it all.
Connor Fraser is a new hero, reminiscent of Reacher or Bourne. No Man's Land is fast paced and filled with believable characters who remind us that we don't always know who to trust. It's tense action packed and exciting. And bloody. Very bloody. I loved it!
The Author:
Neil Broadfoot worked as a journalist for 15 years at both national and local newspapers, including The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and the Evening News, covering some of the biggest stories of the day. A poacher turned gamekeeper, he has since moved into communications: providing media relations advice for a variety of organisations, from emergency services to high-profile sporting clubs in Scotland.
Neil is married to Fiona and a father to two girls, meaning he's completely outnumbered in his own home. He lives in Dunfermline.
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