Penitent by Mark Leggatt

I'm absolutely delighted to be opening the blog tour for Penitent, The new book from Mark Leggatt. It's great to have a new book from him, it's been a while - he last featured on the blog in 2018! And the best thing is that Penitent is a cracker, and has been longlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Crime Fiction, so that's really exciting. Huge thanks to Kelly Lacey at Love Books Tours for the invitation and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

Justice can be outwith the law.

Meet Hector Lawless. As a brilliant Edinburgh lawyer, Hector has a reputation for untangling the cases that no other lawyer can handle. But the obsessive-compulsive behaviour that’s made him a master of the law has also left Hector a pariah amongst his peers – a social outcast with crippling anxiety. The man with the perfectly ordered desk, the pristine notebooks, the strictly regimented working day and rituals that make sense only to him.

When Hector is approached by his boss, Lord Campbell, with a highly sensitive case that reaches from one of Edinburgh’s most exclusive private schools to 10 Downing Street, he relishes the chance to bring true evil to justice. But when he is betrayed and framed for murder, Hector must call on every one of the skills he has cultivated over a lifetime of being an outsider to survive.

Retreating into the shadows, Hector begins a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the police and MI5. They think they’ve got him cornered. But no-one really knows how far he will go for revenge. Justice will be served. The Penitent must accept their penance. As Hector’s enemies are about to discover, it really is the quiet ones you have to worry about.

PENITENT is a compelling, immersive thriller from Mark Leggatt, author of the acclaimed Connor Montrose series.

It's out on Thursday and you can pre-order/buy it here.

 

My Review

As I mentioned above, since I read it, Penitent has been longlisted for the prestigious McIlvanney Prize, the winner of which will be announced at the opening of the Bloody Scotland festival on 15th September. I am delighted, and think Penitent definitely deserves its place on that list. 

This is a hard book to talk about without giving spoilers! Hector Lawless - fabulous name for a lawyer - is completely rule and ritual driven and has been for a very long time. He's meticulous, organised and very good at his job. He has no friends. But was in love once. He is tasked with a highly important and very secretive assignment by his boss. An investigation that could rock parliament. And Hector is the man for the job because he is so thorough. He is also a planner, and this serves him well when things turn against him. The level of his planning will take your breath away. Well it did mine, anyway, maybe because I'm always so disorganised and chaotic it's a wonder I make it through the day! Hector is not like that. 

I like Hector. I'm always drawn to the quirky characters, and he's definitely one of those. He's a loner. Goes to work, comes home. Rinse and repeat. He doesn't socialise with colleagues - they don't like him, he's not bothered about them. He's fine as he is but he carries some sadness too. There is a moment with a pillow that I found quite heartbreaking - I know that sounds weird but you'll know exactly what I mean when you read it. He is so rigid in his thoughts and actions but fully fleshed out and beautiful described. I think he's fab. But I wouldn't want to wrong him. We see what happens when people do...

Also worth mentioning is DI Davey Gilfeather. Hardworking, determined but fair and with a decent sense of humour too. Someone else with a sense of humour is Eilidh, who might well be my favourite character, just the right level of sass. Lord Campbell invoked such a sense of anger in me, that had he been real, DI Gilfeather might well have been arresting me! And DC Fairbairn sounds vaguely familiar...

Considering this begins as a story of an obsessive compulsive man who does nothing other than go to work and home again, it's very tense and exciting as Hector is tested and we learn his hidden depths. There are plenty of humorous moments, although not often from Hector himself, and loads of twists and turns. And it is all beautifully written. Early on there is a devastating description of an abandoned church which probably says something about the author's opinion of organised religion. But what really stood out for me were the descriptions of Edinburgh, especially those of the city on a dark, wet night. Very atmospheric. 

Penitent is a totally immersive tale that just sweeps you along. I think I read it in two days. You will be confused by Hector, irritated maybe, but then you'll be rooting for him every step of the way. It's beautifully written and very original. I'd love to see it as a movie! It's great to have Mark back with a new book and even better that it's a brilliant one! 

The Author

Mark Leggatt is an author who’s twice topped Blackwell’s bestseller list. He’s the author of five books and is represented by literary agent Jon Wood at RCW. When Mark is not being an author, he is a freelance literary consultant and editor for several of the UK’s leading literary consultancies, providing editorial reports and manuscripts assessments. He has appeared at literary festivals in the UK, US and the EU. His earliest memory of writing was in Primary school, where the teacher handed out a random photo to each of the class and told them to write a story. Mark had a photo of a red phone box. Thirty minutes later, he’d worked out an entire saga and hadn’t even started the story. He was very angry when he was told to stop. He still is.