Thursday Legends: A gritty crime thriller of murder and suspense (Bob Skinner) - Softcover

Quintin Jardine's thrillers about Scots Special Branch officers have for the most part concentrated on Deputy Chief Constable Bob Skinner; Thursday Legends is more of an ensemble piece in which all his colleagues play a part. Their former boss Alec Smith is found horribly tortured to death, and the question arises, as they go over Smith's old cases, of just how many enemies Smith had, just how many people might have wanted to kill him so badly. For one thing, Smith was none too fussy about the rules--it emerges that his cutting of corners included frame-ups, torture and the commissioning of assassination; for another, the more his former colleagues discover about the man they thought they knew, the less they like what they find. Another corpse turns up in the river, battered beyond recognition, and killed at about the same time as Smith; coincidence, or something more sinister? Is there any connection with the group of middle-aged amateurs, the Thursday Legends, with whom Smith used to play football, and Skinner still does? This is an ingeniously plotted police procedural that asks interesting questions about the rules which apply to investigations at the edge of what is civilised, plays intelligently with extremes. --Roz Kaveney

'If Ian Rankin is the Robert Carlyle of Scottish crime writers, then Jardine is surely its Sean Connery' Herald (Glasgow)

This gritty, fast-paced mystery will pin even the most squeamish reader to the page (Publishers Weekly)

'If you're looking for a detective whose personal life is as active, contradictory and complicated as his job then follow the Edinburgh exploits of Deputy Chief Constable Bob Skinner in Quintin Jardine's Skinner series. The rough-and-ready Christopher Eccleston who impressed us with his accent in Shallow Grave could easily star, and Julianna Margulies could convince anyone that she's a sexy American who cuts up dead bodies' Radio Times

'Heart-stopping thriller' Peterborough Evening Telegraph
'Gritty cop drama that makes Taggart look tame' Northern Echo Darlington

Praise for previous novels:
'More twists and turns than TV's Taggart at its best' Stirling Observer
Skinner's Rules:
'Remarkably assured novel...a tour de force' New York Times
'Excellent thriller' Manchester Evening News
'Deplorably readable' Guardian
'A first-class read' Jeffrey Archer
'Compelling stuff...one to watch' Oxford Times
'As hardboiled as any Taggart story' Peterborough Evening Telegraph
'Rich in local characterisation...an enjoyable adventure' Edinburgh Evening News
Skinner's Festival:
'Comes through strongly and believably...has the right city atmosphere' Edinburgh Evening News
'Robustly entertaining' Irish Times
Skinner's Trail:
'Skinner is a TV series waiting to happen' Peterborough Evening Telegraph
'Engrossing, believable characters...captures Edinburgh beautifully...It all adds up to a very good read' Edinburgh Evening News
Skinner's Round:
'The Skinner series grows in authority and should be a natural for television' Time Out
'A complex and suspenseful saga that never flags from start to finish' Bolton Evening News
Skinner's Ordeal:
'Quintin Jardine has created the toughest Scottish cop since Taggart' Peterborough Evening Telegraph
'Fast-paced, fast-cut stuff...some sharply written dialogue' Worcester & Hereford Evening News
Skinner's Mission:
'Once again Jardine serves up a thriller full of action, gritty realism and sharp patter' Darlington Northern Echo