Today I’m joining the blog tour for The Weekenders. My review is written with thanks to the team at Orenda Books for inviting me on the tour and for my copy of the book.

Blurb:

Glasgow, 1966: Stevie ‘Minto’ Milloy, former star footballer-turned-rookie reporter, finds himself trailing the story of a young Eastern European student whose body has been found on remote moorland outside the city. How did she get there from her hostel at the Sovereign Grace Mission, and why does Stevie find obstacles at every turn?

Italy, 1943: As the Allies fight Mussolini’s troops, a group of young soldiers are separated from their platoon, and Glaswegian Jamesie Campbell, his newfound friend Michael McTavish at his side, finds himself free to make his own rules…

Glasgow, 1969: Courtroom sketch artist Donald ‘Doodle’ Malpas is shocked to discover that his new case involves the murder of a teenage Lithuanian girl he knows from the Sovereign Grace Mission. Why hasn’t the girl’s death been reported? And why is a young police constable suddenly so keen to join the mission?

No one seems willing to join the dots between the two cases, and how they link to Raskine House, the stately home in the Scottish countryside with a dark history and even darker present – the venue for the debauched parties held there by the rich and powerful of the city who call themselves ‘The Weekenders’.

Painting a picture of a 1960s Glasgow in the throes of a permissive society, pulled apart by religion, corruption, and a murderous Bible John stalking the streets, The Weekenders is a snapshot of an era of turmoil – and a terrifying insight into the mind of a ruthless criminal…

Review:

I’ve read a few of David F Ross’ books now and they’re always a treat. The Weekenders is no different and the immersive writing and vivid descriptions alongside the Scottishness of the dialogue makes every scene feel so real. The novel is incredibly engaging and I really enjoyed every page.

The Weekenders is written in three sections, from the viewpoint of Minto in 1966, Jamesie during World War II, and.Doodle in 1969. I loved the references to music and events that really cemented the novel in the relevant time period, and again really helped me to immerse myself in the novel. However, it is the characters that are the real strength of this story and I love how David F Ross captures all their emotions and the dynamics in their relationships perfectly, which gives them wonderful depth and makes them people with whom we are able to relate and empathise.

The connection between each section of the novel is not immediately obvious, but I really wanted to find out more and I was continuously trying to find the links as I was reading. David F Ross explores a number of issues in The Weekenders and I was interested to see how the issues that affected the characters impacted their lives.

I’m delighted that The Weekenders is the beginning of a trilogy and I’m really looking forward to seeing what the author does next!

The Weekenders is available from Amazon.

You can follow the rest of the blog tour here: