The Quaker

By: Liam McIlvanney

Narrated by: Angus King

Length: 11 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

It is 1969 and Glasgow is in the grip of the worst winter in decades, yet it is something else that has Glaswegians on edge: a serial killer whose name alone is enough to make them tremble with fear. The Quaker has killed another victim, snatching a young woman from a nightclub and dumping her body like trash in the back of a cold-water tenement. He leaves no clues, and the investigation has led police down one blind alley after another.

DI McCormack has few friends in his adopted city and a lot to prove. A talented young detective from the Highlands, an outsider with troubling secrets of his own, Duncan McCormick is brought into the investigation to identify where, exactly, it's gone wrong. His arrival is met with anger and distrust by cops who are desperate to nail a suspect. When they identify a petty thief as the man seen leaving the building where the Quaker's last victim was found, they decide they've found their serial killer. But McCormack isn't convinced.

From ruined backstreets, to deserted public parks, and down into the dark heart of Glasgow, McCormack follows a trail of secrets that will change the city - and his life - forever.

©2018 Liam McIlvanney (P)2019 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Extraordinary

I recommend this book. Story ia well crafted- we get a very good understanding of character motivations and personalities. I find the performance to be of the highest caliber. Have already queued up more books performed by Angus, and will surely buy all books in this series.

Highly recommended!

DI Duncan McCormack is assigned to review the unsuccessful fifteen-month investigation into a serial killer known as The Quaker terrorizing Glasgow in the late 1960's. He's an outsider in more ways than one, a Highlander in the city, a cop from the another squad, resented by the other detectives. His dilemma is to play politics or seek justice for the murdered women and stop the carnage.

From the first page, the reader knows s/he is in the hands of a master storyteller. The story moves along at a steady pace, is filled with distinctive characters, and details so specific, you feel as if you are inside the story.

The audible is a particularly good performance. Highly recommended.

Odd, but good

There were some odd twists in this one, but i still enjoyed the story. Recommended

Interesting story premise

This mystery has an interesting story premise. Unfortunately, the telling is uneven. It gets bogged down with too many irrelevant details partway through and struggles to recover. The ending has a good twist but wasn’t worth the llong wade to get there.
The narration worked all the way through.

Good not great

I listened to this after listening to a Denise Mina’s “Conviction” which was great! While Quaker doesn’t make my top ten Scottish crime novels I’d read author again if positively reviewed in a convincing way. Story can’t be easily described without a “spoil”
Reader does a good job.

Excellent Police Procedural

Between the Scottish accent and many characters you really have to pay attention. I found myself rereading some chapters to make sure I understood. This book is totally worth the credit and time spent listening. Highly recommend.

Great story!

I enjoyed this book so much. The narrator was wonderful. I couldn’t wait to start listening to it when I could. Really good!

Finally found a good one

I have been frustrated lately by not being able to find a really good Scottish, Irish or English crime novel that I haven’t already read. This one is terrific. Great story, great narrator, well written.

4

This is good murder in Scotland, a favorite genre of mine right now. Police Procedural from the 60s -- Good. PO- liss,
Scottish for police, lots of infighting .... not of interest to me
but others may enjoy department politics. I had minor difficulty
understanding some English with Scottish accent. I had major probs keeping so many names
straight- so many "mac....."s that I
lost track of who said what. I'm still not sure who went to prison
:-) Audible needs to add some more of author's books.

New Inspector

Nice twisting creative plot , took a little time to get with the narrator's brogue . Going to the next book in the series