Chris Stuart’s debut novel, For Reasons of Their Own, won the Ngaio March Best First Novel Award, and it was shortlisted for the NZ Booklovers Fiction Award. Her second novel, The Glasgow Smile is out now and it’s another thrilling, page-turning read.
In a grimy graffiti-covered Melbourne inner city laneway a woman is found murdered. Anne had been at dinner prior to her death in a crowded restaurant with her sister Sophie and they had a heated argument before Anne walked out into the laneway, distressed and not thinking clearly, wearing her sister’s coat.
Was this a random thrill kill, politically driven, or tragically personal? Was Anne even the intended victim, or had the killer really been wanting to murder Sophie, but had mistaken Anne for Sophie because of the coat?
DI Robbie Gray, along with her indigenous officer Mac, dig deep and discover the legacy of long-held secrets can have tragic consequences, especially when the investigation turns its attention to the dysfunctional family of the deceased. All the siblings have conflicting information, varying viewpoints, and different secrets which make solving this case even more difficult as DI Robbie Gray tries to sift the truth from the lies.
To add to DI Robbie Gray’s complicated life, her distressed daughter is in trouble, her ex-lover comes back into her life, and her dear friend and fellow officer, Mac, is facing his own profound challenges. There is also the case of a bag of cocaine that is suddenly, and unwelcomingly, in her possession.
The Glasgow Smile is such an engaging novel you won’t want to put down. It’s a twisty, thought-provoking read. I particularly love DI Robbie Gray’s character and the special relationship she has with Mac. I’d love to see more of these characters in future books.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Original Sin Press