Now We are Dead

Stuart MacBride, HarperCollins, R285

MacBride is one of the most acclaimed of the “Tartan Noir” writers, as no one does grim, grizzly and gruesome like him. But his most popular character is neither the noble Logan McRae nor the tough Ash Henderson, but sloppy, demanding, foul-mouthed Roberta Steel. From being the comic relief in some of the tales, Steel now has a book of her own – and long overdue. Demoted from chief inspector to sergeant for framing a rapist, she is partnered with long-suffering detective constable “Tufty” Quirrel. Loan sharks, rapists, paedophiles, graffiti artists and shit-throwing protesters, all are grist to their mill. Not as violent as MacBride’s other books, but what it lacks in thrills it makes up for in laughs.