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holly_young's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
gayatriii's review
4.0
I was going through a string of mediocre books in my crusade to find new authors. And while waiting for amazon to deliver my next experiment, decided to pick up my copy of Blind Eye that'd been sitting on the shelf for years.
So now here I am, asking myself a very existential question - Why go through all the frogs if you've already found your prince?
Blind Eye is everything I've grown to love about MacBride's crew fighting crime in the granite city of Aberdeen. Firstly, it's pretty funny. The dialogues and interactions between DI steel (the best female cop in pop culture), DS McRae and Chief Inspector Frog - Face Finnie are hilarious, sarcastic, obscenity-filled and entertaining as hell! The story moves at breakneck speed. MacBride, I think, is one of the best out there at pacing, and Blind Eye is an excellent demonstration of that mastery. There are many sequences that exist to add colour and detail, like drinking at the pub, or lunch with a co-worker, or sex with gf, but MacBride makes them entertaining and moves through them with a swiftness that ensures it doesn't feel burdensome.
We know by now that the main characters are all really well crafted, so I won't belabour the point. What I do want to talk about is a side character named Rory Simpson. Rory is a Paedophile (or lovingly called kiddie fiddler by DI Steel), known to be committing horrifying crimes against children. But MacBride manipulates us and our emotions, by showing him in his full personality and humanity. I'd even go as far as to say Rory's kinda endearing and I definitely felt for him, before shaking out of it and reminding myself that he deserves to rot in hell. So, all kinds of confused emotions there, and isn't that a delicious outcome of a great character arc?
The actual crime that they're intending to solve is probably a 3/5 rating if not less. It's nothing new or even that creatively told to be honest. But the journey to solve the crime by a group of inept, hardened, insensitive, often drunk, often emotionally unstable police force is the real treat.
So now here I am, asking myself a very existential question - Why go through all the frogs if you've already found your prince?
Blind Eye is everything I've grown to love about MacBride's crew fighting crime in the granite city of Aberdeen. Firstly, it's pretty funny. The dialogues and interactions between DI steel (the best female cop in pop culture), DS McRae and Chief Inspector Frog - Face Finnie are hilarious, sarcastic, obscenity-filled and entertaining as hell! The story moves at breakneck speed. MacBride, I think, is one of the best out there at pacing, and Blind Eye is an excellent demonstration of that mastery. There are many sequences that exist to add colour and detail, like drinking at the pub, or lunch with a co-worker, or sex with gf, but MacBride makes them entertaining and moves through them with a swiftness that ensures it doesn't feel burdensome.
We know by now that the main characters are all really well crafted, so I won't belabour the point. What I do want to talk about is a side character named Rory Simpson. Rory is a Paedophile (or lovingly called kiddie fiddler by DI Steel), known to be committing horrifying crimes against children. But MacBride manipulates us and our emotions, by showing him in his full personality and humanity. I'd even go as far as to say Rory's kinda endearing and I definitely felt for him, before shaking out of it and reminding myself that he deserves to rot in hell. So, all kinds of confused emotions there, and isn't that a delicious outcome of a great character arc?
The actual crime that they're intending to solve is probably a 3/5 rating if not less. It's nothing new or even that creatively told to be honest. But the journey to solve the crime by a group of inept, hardened, insensitive, often drunk, often emotionally unstable police force is the real treat.
readdrinkandbehappy's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.0
katbeales's review
challenging
dark
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? Yes
3.5
dwintaylor's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
slavicsongbird's review
4.0
I gave it 3,5 stars overall because it gets a bit over the top towards the ending.
Really good story as ever. The only thing that annoyed me a little bit is that DS McRae comes into contact with a lot of foreign people throughout this book, some of who have lived in Scotland for years or decades. And out of them only one can speak good English. I'm a foreigner. I don't even live in England and I know a lot of other foreigners to England. Quite a few have better English than half the natives, no offence to the natives. But you can forgive funny people many things and MacBride is nothing if not hilarious. As said, other than that, a very entertaining and well-plotted book with the usual fantastic blend of genres and brilliantly almost but not quite inappropriate switching between humour, groseness and darkness. Seriously though, the groseness is high in this one.
Really good story as ever. The only thing that annoyed me a little bit is that DS McRae comes into contact with a lot of foreign people throughout this book, some of who have lived in Scotland for years or decades. And out of them only one can speak good English. I'm a foreigner. I don't even live in England and I know a lot of other foreigners to England. Quite a few have better English than half the natives, no offence to the natives. But you can forgive funny people many things and MacBride is nothing if not hilarious. As said, other than that, a very entertaining and well-plotted book with the usual fantastic blend of genres and brilliantly almost but not quite inappropriate switching between humour, groseness and darkness. Seriously though, the groseness is high in this one.
ridgewaygirl's review
3.0
Stuart MacBride writes a series of gritty crime novels set in Aberdeen, Scotland, following the career of Logan McRae. In this installment, the police department are trying to solve a series of brutal blindings of Polish immigrants, while trying to control the rising crime rate. Then a Scottish crime lord is also blinded and violence erupts.
The series is always dark, certainly falling under the description of "tartan noir," and McRae is, as always, a mess. He's drinking, which is par for the course, but it is beginning to affect his ability to do his job and he makes some pretty stupid mistakes along the way. Really, he isn't a very good cop, despite his distain for the abilities of everyone he works with. The story was interesting, but many of the characters are drawn in such broad strokes that they become cartoons. I also think that MacBride's portrayal of McRae's female boss has moved from the funny to the offensive.
I'll continue with the series in the hope that MacBride regains his footing with the next book.
The series is always dark, certainly falling under the description of "tartan noir," and McRae is, as always, a mess. He's drinking, which is par for the course, but it is beginning to affect his ability to do his job and he makes some pretty stupid mistakes along the way. Really, he isn't a very good cop, despite his distain for the abilities of everyone he works with. The story was interesting, but many of the characters are drawn in such broad strokes that they become cartoons. I also think that MacBride's portrayal of McRae's female boss has moved from the funny to the offensive.
I'll continue with the series in the hope that MacBride regains his footing with the next book.
kcfromaustcrime's review
5.0
DI Steele deserves her own fan club. It would have to be a club where swearing, drinking, smoking and fiddling with your bra strap were perfectly acceptable behaviours of course. You've also got a ready made slogan as fans of the wonderful Logan McRae series from Scottish author Stuart MacBride will be aware.
BLIND EYE is the 5th book in this funny, gruesome, funny, ferocious, unflinching, funny series featuring DS Logan McRae and a passing parade of DIs and DCIs. DI Steele makes a very high profile return in BLIND EYE, in fact she's in danger of completely stealing the show, although McRae also has to deal with the considerably more prickly DCI Finnie as well.
In true MacBride style, not only are the characterisations vivid, unflinching and frequently decidedly unflattering, the subject matter of this book is confrontational. Somebody is preying on Aberdeen's Polish community - not killing, but dreadfully maiming a series of men. Gouging out their eyes and burning the sockets, the crime seems inexplicably cruel and utterly and totally ruthless. The victim's are understandably too scared to talk, and the only witness - a paedophile on the run - doesn't exactly inspire anybody's hope in being able to sort this.
As the investigation grinds on, and the maiming take a particularly startling turn, McRae finds himself having to deal with Finnie's increasing sarcasm and what seems like antagonism, as well as Steele's glorious excess - which now includes a rather personal component, making McRae increasingly squeamish.
Undoubtedly the subject matter that MacBride touches on in all his books is going to be unpleasant reading for some people. He balances that beautifully with humour - sometimes gallows style, frequently black and downright hilarious in other places. He writes gruesome but highly realistic plots which don't shilly shally around with your sensibilities. You'll often come out of one of these books feeling a little like you've been slapped around the head and shoulders with something quite quite icky. MacBride also writes fantastic police characters - McRae's increasing dithering around nicely balanced by the iron wit and will of DI Steele, both of them up against the sarcasm and terseness of Finnie. Settling in with these characters is rapidly becoming more and more like a visit with favourite friends. Sure you've heard the stories before. Sure you've seen them when they have a few too many before. Who cares - good mates are extremely hard to find.
BLIND EYE is the 5th book in this funny, gruesome, funny, ferocious, unflinching, funny series featuring DS Logan McRae and a passing parade of DIs and DCIs. DI Steele makes a very high profile return in BLIND EYE, in fact she's in danger of completely stealing the show, although McRae also has to deal with the considerably more prickly DCI Finnie as well.
In true MacBride style, not only are the characterisations vivid, unflinching and frequently decidedly unflattering, the subject matter of this book is confrontational. Somebody is preying on Aberdeen's Polish community - not killing, but dreadfully maiming a series of men. Gouging out their eyes and burning the sockets, the crime seems inexplicably cruel and utterly and totally ruthless. The victim's are understandably too scared to talk, and the only witness - a paedophile on the run - doesn't exactly inspire anybody's hope in being able to sort this.
As the investigation grinds on, and the maiming take a particularly startling turn, McRae finds himself having to deal with Finnie's increasing sarcasm and what seems like antagonism, as well as Steele's glorious excess - which now includes a rather personal component, making McRae increasingly squeamish.
Undoubtedly the subject matter that MacBride touches on in all his books is going to be unpleasant reading for some people. He balances that beautifully with humour - sometimes gallows style, frequently black and downright hilarious in other places. He writes gruesome but highly realistic plots which don't shilly shally around with your sensibilities. You'll often come out of one of these books feeling a little like you've been slapped around the head and shoulders with something quite quite icky. MacBride also writes fantastic police characters - McRae's increasing dithering around nicely balanced by the iron wit and will of DI Steele, both of them up against the sarcasm and terseness of Finnie. Settling in with these characters is rapidly becoming more and more like a visit with favourite friends. Sure you've heard the stories before. Sure you've seen them when they have a few too many before. Who cares - good mates are extremely hard to find.
charlie_allin's review against another edition
4.0
Book five and as in each book so far the police still bend the rules and the murders and attacks are as brutal as ever. While maybe this isn’t my favourite book in the series (hence only four stars) it is definitely up there