Now We Are Dead

Now We Are Dead is a spinoff novel from the bestselling Logan McRae series by Stuart MacBride. The novel features some of the usual characters from the series but McRae's character appears in only two scenes with the story revolving around Roberta Steel. The novel has been described as being "lighter" and "more fun than the violence and misery of MacBride's blacker thrillers".^[1]

Now We Are Dead

Author	Stuart MacBride
Language	English
Series	Logan 'Lazarus' McRae
Genre	Crime fiction
Set in	Aberdeen
Publisher	HarperCollins
Published in English	November 2017
Pages	380
ISBN	978-0-00-825708-8
Preceded by	In the Cold Dark Ground
Followed by	The Blood Road

Plot

Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel has been recently demoted from detective chief inspector on account of her planting evidence of child abuse on the computer of a suspected rapist (Jack Wallace), and as a result, he was freed from his sentence.^[2] The story involves Steel and Detective Constable 'Tufty' Quirrel tackling shoplifting crimes in Aberdeen whilst she is still stalking Wallace and accusing him of a series of rapes. Towards the end of the novel, it is revealed that Wallace was guilty of some of the rapes as he was working in a team of three.^[3][4]

Notes

• The novel is a "standalone spinoff" from MacBride's reselling Logan McRae series. At the end of the previous novel "In the Cold Dark Ground",^[5] it is revealed that McRae agrees to join Professional Standards and that Steel is arrested on suspicion of tampering with evidence.
• McRae appears in two scenes as a Detective Inspector.^[6]
• The novel was written after MacBride had appeared on and won, Celebrity Mastermind with a specialist subject of A. A. Milne. The story has titles that hark back to A. A. Milne's most famous work (Winnie the Pooh) and sees Steel and Tufty playing Poohsticks.^[7]

References

1. Berlin, Marcel (25 November 2017). "I spy classic Le Carré: The veteran author stars amid the year's thrillers and chillers, says Marcel Berlins Crime fiction". The Times. ProQuest 1968066073.
2. Fairbairn, Louise (30 November 2017). "Book review: Now We Are Dead, by Stuart MacBride". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
3. "Now We Are Dead by Stuart MacBride: Undiscovered Scotland Book Review". www.undiscoveredscotland.co.ukco.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
4. Sheridan, Doreen (26 January 2018). "Review: Now We Are Dead by Stuart MacBride". criminalelement.com. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
5. "Now We Are Dead". books.telegraph.co.uk. 11 February 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2018.
6. "Now We are Dead by Stuart MacBride". For winter nights - A bookish blog. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
7. Kerridge, Jake (11 November 2017). "Specialist subject: Pooh, the dark side: CRIME FICTIONA A Milne inspired a Celebrity Mastermind winner's latest thriller". The Telegraph. ProQuest 1962609567.

External links

• Official webpage