Bill Kirton has come up with another winner. I loved Jack Carston and although he could be abrasive at times, he's a great detective and knows what it takes to get the job done.

The list of suspects in the death of Ally Baxter grows, and shrinks and grows again. Sometimes the same people go back on it. Sometimes, new ones are added.

He kept me guessing right until the end as to who really did commit the murder.

1 Jack2,700 26

This is the first I've read by this author, and I'll definitely be looking for more. A well constructed police story set in North East Scotland and offshore. Bonnie82 1 follower

Wonderful writing!

The attention to detail in a fairly complex story is outstanding. I learned a great deal about offshore platforms and it was fascinating. JanAuthor 72 books28

This was my first book about Jack Carston, an Aberdeen detective whose attitude to crime, criminals and colleagues is refreshingly un that of any other DCI you'll meet in fiction. Luckily, there are four more books now waiting for me to devour.

Unsafe Acts has got the lot for thriller fans - but the violence is from the elements - much of it is about the cruel and amazing world of the offshore oil industry, and the horror environment of the North Sea rigs. A safety officer is beaten to death, presumably because his colleagues think he is gay. In fact, he is in a long term relationship with a prostitute whom he wants to help bring up her little son, and who is his spiritual and physical comfort. Soon after his murder, she too is murdered. It is a shocking moment.

But Kirton is not merely interested in 'the usual suspects'. Investigating the tragic acts, helped and sometimes hampered by his colleagues, he picks up on deeper corruptions and crimes in the industry. Oil is all about vast sums of money, and when a rig begins to show signs of failing, the money men (in America) have interest only in the bottom line. Corners must be cut. Dangerous and illicit acts must become the norm.

It's not just a thriller, it's a serious, thoughtful piece of writing. It is compulsive, though. I'm going back to book one now. Jack Carston, on the basis of one book, seems even more interesting that Rebus! Reb MacRathAuthor 14 books137

The perfection of this book's title becomes more evident as you read on. Two immediate levels come clear at the start: violence/health hazards associated with gay and professional sex. A pair of murders that seem to be connected make for a provocative, extremely gritty mystery with a 'queer bashing' angle that many writers wouldn't have touched. A third level adds still more depth: the male victim, an oil safety officer, may not have been murdered because he was gay or bisexual. He may have been killed for threatening to expose unsafe oil practices--or he may have been part of a dangerous scam.

But this ambitious author has a rare passion and talent for subtext. And so a fourth level is added. Jack Carston, a dour but admirable Aberdeenshire cop, is about to lose his job because of unsafe professional acts--his natural inability to make nice with department rats. And, though he has a loving mate, he can't keep his roving eyes off young ladies' sexy bottoms.

The Scottish setting is well done. And the author uses just enough dialect to put us there without losing us. The concluding interrogation scene is thrilling. And you'll find yourself thinking about this sophisticated, gritty novel long after you've finished it. Kayelle AllenAuthor 36 books274

I enjoyed this book. It was set in Scotland, and I had to look up a few slang terms, but while it didn't change the enjoyment of the story, I would have appreciated a glossary of terms for American readers.

The detective hero of the story is able, and you quickly care about him. I thought it was tragic that his job was hampered by management -- just the same as it is everywhere. You could sense his frustration that he just wanted to do his job and was being kept from it because he didn't meet their expectations or "play nice." The killer wasn't revealed until the end, and I couldn't figure out who did it as I read. Kudos to the author for keeping the mystery going. I was impressed with the way the author handled the gay and lesbian issues in this book. It was sensitive, open, and dealt with the reality of the situation. Makes you want to DO something to make things change.

I will definitely read more by this author, and wouldn't hesitate to recommend the book or author to others.mystery Neil1,519 13

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