First Among the Dead

A Constable Tyler Neish Novella

De: JD Kirk

Narrado por: John Scougall

All coppers have a first case. His might also be his last.

Inverness, December 2015.

The streets are frozen, the days are short, and Constable Tyler Neish is entirely out of his depth.

Fresh out of training, Tyler is desperate to make a good impression. He wants to seem capable, commanding, and professional. Unfortunately, he’s mostly known for falling over in the snow and being terrified of his own shadow.

But when sixteen-year-old Laura Wilder goes missing, the job suddenly gets personal. To the weary brass at Burnett Road Police Station, Laura is just a low-risk repeat runaway who’ll be home by dinner time. To Tyler, she’s his best mate’s little sister, and he knows that something is wrong.

Ordered to stay in his lane by the bureaucratic nightmare that is Chief Inspector “Snecky” Grant, and threatened with grisly dismemberment by the terrifying Detective Superintendent Hoon, Tyler must make a choice: follow orders and keep his job, or go rogue and save a life.

For Tyler, that isn't a choice at all.

Armed only with a notebook, damp trousers, and a near total lack of common sense, the rookie constable plunges headlong into the freezing city to uncover the truth.

But in the Highlands of Scotland, the truth is like ice—slippery, dangerous, and liable to break if you push it too hard.

First Among the Dead is a standalone prequel novella following the early adventures of fan favourite character DC Tyler Neish from the DCI Jack Logan series, and the perfect introduction to the world and characters of bestselling Scottish crime fiction author, JD Kirk.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a novella of around 36,000 words, around half the length of an average DCI Logan Novel.

©2025 Zertex Crime (P)2026 Zertex Audio

JD Kirk on point

I LOVE the books that JD Kirk puts out. Characters, story lines, colorful language and all. All great.
I was disappointed that Angus King didn't narrate this book. Not that John Scougall isn't great. Once you have a character's voice in your head is hard to make someone else voicing it mesh, if you know what I mean..?

Excellent Read

This was the perfect storyline to introduce Tyler. For anyone who reads the DCI Logan Crime Thriller series, this will explain just how Tyler got to be a detective. Great addition to the series.

Beginnings

Enjoyed reading this story about Tyler's beginnings. Good narration. Funny enough to laugh out loud.

Excellent story, as usual!

This was a fantastic novella for the DCI Logan series. Typical JD Kirk... great plot and perfect humor! The narrator was good, but I still prefer Angus King for character voices. Admittedly, John Scougall was better at the narration part, where King can get a bit (predictably) over-dramatic. No one matches King's Hoon or Tyler though.❤️😎

Sweet Relief

This story like all the others make me laugh when I need it most. I adore the characters and their interactions. Keep them coming.