Bloodshot
by Stuart MacBride
Published by St. Martins Minotaur
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Reviewed by Rachael Dimond
Bloodshot is the third mystery in Stuart MacBride’s series featuring Detective Sergeant Logan MacRae. The story takes place in Aberdeen, Scotland. MacRae is working on three cases that all demand his attention.
The first case involves a famous football player, Rob Macintyre, who is the main suspect in a serial rape case. After MacRae’s girlfriend, Constable Jackie Watson, is attacked by Macintyre while working undercover, he is immediately arrested as the serial rapist that they were after. Unfortunately because of a lack of evidence and a tough lawyer, he is let go and free to rape more women.
While trying to work the cases, MacRae is put into a tug of war between his superiors on which case is more important for him to work on.
Detective Inspector Steel is a tough-talking, chain-smoking lesbian who demands MacRae’s attention on a different case. Detective Inspector Insch is obese and easily angered by MacRae. He wants him working the Macintyre rape case. Insch is positive that Macintyre is the culprit no matter what other evidence might prove otherwise.
The second case involves a murder committed by an 8-year-old boy named Sean Morrison. After stabbing an old man with a knife, Sean has disappeared and the cops can’t find him anywhere. There is something more sinister going on for such a young boy to change so drastically into a murderer. What went wrong in his life for him to change so suddenly?
The third case involves a man whose dead body was dumped at the hospital. He was brutally sexually tortured until he bled to death. After some investigating they find out that this man was involved in the porn business and the S&M scene. Who killed this man? Was this a sexual escapade gone terribly wrong?
Bloodshot is a fantastic police procedural/detective mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page is turned. I enjoyed this well-plotted mystery and will look for the previous books in the series.
Armchair Interviews says: Bloodshot is a great book that mystery fans will inhale in one sitting.
Author’s Web site: http://www.stuartmacbride.com