Book Reviews and More: Come Hell or High Water - J.D. Kirk

Come Hell or High Water

DCI Logan Book 13

J.D. Kirk

Zertex Crime

ISBN 9781912767595

ASIN B09N9Q8WKZ

An excellent read in a great series! This is the seventeenth volume from J.D. Kirk that I have read in the last few months. I have enjoyed all that I have now read to date, the first 13 in the DCI Logan series and also the first 3 in the Robert Hoon series, as well as stand alone VIP exclusive short story. I picked the first for a few reasons, but mainly because authors Alex Smith and JE Mayhew have both recommended the author and series. I am a big fan of Smith’s DCI Kett novels and Mayhew’s DCI Will Blake Series. I had no idea how addictive Kirk’s books would be or that like Mayhew and Smith, Kirk publishes under various names. Kirk publishes children books as Barry Hutchison, and other adult fiction as Barry J. Hutchison. He is coming up on 175 books across the three pen names. If I had known that or I might not have picked up this first one. Friends call me a ‘completionist’ in that when I find an author I like, I try to read everything they have published. Fortunately I only have 2 left to be caught up to those published under this pen name. For now I will try and read the remaining books published as Kirk.

The description of this novel is:

“Something's wild out west...

When a badly burned body is found near the remote Ardnamurchan Lighthouse on the west coast of Scotland, it feels like just another day on the job for DCI Jack Logan and his team.

But the victim’s list of enemies―including a diminutive loan shark and a powerful local politician―is far longer than Jack was prepared for.

And don’t even get him started on the magic psychic sex cult.

With political scandal brewing, conspiracy theories running wild, and a team member stuck inside a giant road safety squirrel costume, DCI Logan’s latest case might just be his most bizarre to date.

Come Hell or High Water is the thirteenth book in the multi-million selling DCI Logan Scottish Crime Fiction series. Packed with action, pathos, and dark humour, the series is perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Stuart MacBride.”

In these stories often the murders are often gruesome. The humour is dark. And the Scottish temperament comes out from several different characters. This time the body is found burned in a tent. At first the assumption is it is a local crackpot that has had run in’s with numerous people. But things are not always as they appear. Including how well Shona and Sinead are still struggling with their abductions on the last case. DCI Logan has surprising insight and care for the two. And we keep getting news reports about an abduction down south. To find out how it ties in you will need to read this tale.

It is another great read in an excellent series. The two series written under the pen name J.D. Kirk are definitely Scottish Mysteries, and I can see the comparisons with Smith’s and Mayhew’s works, as well as several other more mainstream names. Each time I finish a book by Kirk it takes willpower not to just pick up the next one and keep going. I will be reading all the books published buy this author under this name, and I am looking forward to that new series. Once I read the remaining 2 DCI Logan books to get caught up, I will be branching out into his other works. I love that the stories are set in Scotland! This book and series would be great reads for fans of Jack Reacher, Jack Ryan, or Temperance Brennan. I state it again it is a great read in an excellent series!

Books by J.D. Kirk:

The Bone House

…

DCI Logan Series:

The Last Bloody Straw

A Whisper of Sorrows

The Big Man Upstairs

A Death Most Monumental