Reviews

Never Somewhere Else by Alex Gray

celtic67's review against another edition

4.0

This is the first book in the DCI Lorimer series by Alex Gray. It is a police procedural set in Glasgow.
Lorimer is on the trail of a killer who disfigures his victims in a unique way. The pace of the book is frantic and keeps you turning the pages and second guessing yourself. You think you have solved the crime only to realise you have swallowed another Red Herring. Lorimer will obviously be compared to Ian Rankin's Rebus. But Glasgow and Edinburgh are two completely different cities and they are two different detectives. This book was written in 2002 and though it has taken me awhile to get round to it, I will be reading the rest of the series ASAP. Well done Alex. You have whetted my appetite and I look forward to more.

hootie1233's review against another edition

2.0

Started out slow and got slower. Persevered till the end when I realised I shouldn't have bothered. Characters were weak and you just didn't care about them the further you got in.

rhiannonneill's review

2.0

When three young women are discovered strangled and mutilated in a Glasgow park, it is up to DCI Lorimer to find their killer. Frustrated by a lack of progress in the investigation, Lorimer is forced to enlist the services of Dr Solomon Brightman, psychologist and criminal profiler. Together they form an uneasy alliance. But when a homeless man is brought in for questioning, the investigation takes a bizarre turn. Soon Lorimer has to scratch the surface of the polished Glasgow art world and reveal the dark layers hidden beneath...
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This was my Scottish book of the month for March (yes I know I am well behind on my reviews

techielass's review against another edition

4.0

Really enjoyed this. Didn't guess the killer at all, lots of clues making you head in lots of directions.

weereadingrobs's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

kait_lost_in_books's review against another edition

5.0

A murderer is loose in Glasgow city centre. Mutilated bodies are being dumped in St Mungo’s park and the city is gripped with fear. Could this be Glasgow’s Ripper?

DCI William Lorimer has seen more than his fair share of the violent side of this city but with this offender he is at a loss. With progress at a standstill he is forced to enlist Dr Solomon ‘Solly’ Brightman a psychologist and criminal profiler from nearby Glasgow university, to help him catch the killer.

You truly can walk around Glasgow with Solly & Lorimer in this book. Gray’s love for the city is as clear as Gray’s affection for the people. I just love the DCI Lorimer series

meggy_lewis's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

It is an intriguing and captivating story, but for those who enjoy a slower read. The prologue really sets the mood - a perfect hook, really. I'll be honest by telling me a character thinks they're unattractive and makes me think the opposite, especially when they're a Scottish ex rugby player. This is very much romanticising police officers, which makes me sad, but I will forever be ACAB in real life, but sometimes gritty crime dramas are needed. The book is very lyrical, and it's not my ideal format of writing but works well for this book. The changing of character perspective adds dimension to the story, although when this happens, I usually struggle to follow the plot but not so much this time. The first mention of Davey's photography exhibition made me go EW, and a person's first instinct is always right. Getting to halfway was a slog, probably more like a chore. However, the second half saw many twists and turns that I wasn't expecting but it's still quite slow - like I definitely want to find out what happens and am reading the last 100 pages much quicker but it's not exactly a gripping story, especially the last 30 pages which became the speed round. The more you get into the book, the more you like Lorimer - his slightly banterous personality begins to shine. My favourite thing is the unbiased Scottish favouritism, which is undoubtedly true, plus the slang does good things for my heart.

avidreadergirl1's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This was my first book by this author and I was agreeably surprised by the twists and turn in the plot, even though I had suspicions about the culprit, I couldn’t put the book down as I wanted to know who was the guilty party.

I liked that the characters were in nuances and that none of them came out as an alcoholic, especially the police officers.

I thought that the journalist relationship with his colleague was useless but in the end it was not. 

Overall, a good read for anyone who doesn’t mind a few gory details. 

clarah23's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

vesper1931's review

mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Another body of a female has been found in  St. Mungo's Park, scalped. DCI Lorimer and his team with the aid of Dr Solomon Brightman investigate.
An entertaining modern mystery with its likeable and varied characters. A good start to this new series.