Little Drops of Blood
Thane and Moss Book 4
Bill Knox
J.D. Kirk (Forward)
ISBN 9781912767830
ASIN B0CY2ZSKKP
I picked this up because J.D Kirk was plugging it and the series. I became even more interested in reading the book and series after reading the forward by Kirk, that only appears in book 1, but which I think should be in each volume. I highlighted a few passages in Kirk’s introductory note from book 1, they are:
“I had been expertly drawn into the world that Bill had created, and was right there alongside detectives Thane and Moss as they carried out their investigations. I had identified with the detectives right away–the imposing Chief Inspector Colin Thane, with his no-nonsense attitude and dogged determination, and his trusty Inspector, Phil Moss, whose loyalty to his friend was second only to his worries about his grumbling ulcer. They immediately felt like real people. More than that, they felt like real Scottish men, whose evident care for one another was masked beneath gruff exchanges and barbed banter.”
“Yes, some of the terminology was different, and there was a lot less swearing in Bill’s book, but down below the surface, down where it mattered, we were both writing about good but complicated men doing their best to bring killers to justice.”
“Aside from the slight change to the title, and a few ten-thousand-word chapters being broken into shorter segments, the book you are about to read is the same one first published in 1957.”
The fact that Kirk thought these books were good enough to spend some time and effort tracking down the rights and bringing them back into print indicates the quality of the writing and the power of the stories. This novel was originally published in 1962 and this Zertex edition is from 2024. The description of the new edition is:
“Every murder leaves a trail. Some more twisted than others.
Step back into the gritty world of 1960s Glasgow with Little Drops of Blood, the fourth riveting instalment in Bill Knox's iconic Thane & Moss series.
When a seemingly simple hit-and-run turns out to be cold-blooded murder, Detectives Thane and Moss find themselves entangled in a complex web of stolen cars, blackmail, and deadly family secrets.
As the body count rises, the hunt for the killer leads them from the gritty underbelly of the city to the rugged peaks of the Scottish Highlands, testing their skills and their resolve at every turn.
But in a world where every clue leads to more questions and every answer comes with a price, will Thane and Moss unravel the mystery before it's too late?
Or will they, too, become victims of a killer who will stop at nothing to keep his secrets safe?
Step into the shadows of Glasgow's criminal underworld and experience the heart-pounding thrill of the chase in this unputdownable mystery from one of the godfathers of Scottish crime fiction.”
Once again it was with great interest that I dove into this fourth story in this series after reading all of Kirk’s Scottish crime novels that were available to date; and having read Alex Smith’s DCI Kett novels and J.E. Mayhew’s DCI Will Blake Series. It was fascinating to read this story and series set nearly a hundred years earlier. It was intriguing reading stories before cell phones, and technology that so many modern crime books and shows rely on. But back to the work at hand.
It was fascinating to read this story and series set nearly a hundred years earlier. It was intriguing reading stories before cell phones, and technology that so many modern crime books and shows rely on.
The prologue to this story states:
“Occurrence report. Constable Matthew MacDonald, Car One-Five, Traffic Department.
Following radio message received from Control, timed 23.48 hours, Thursday, April 22, proceeded to South Salisbury Road where beat constable was already in attendance. Deceased civilian was lying on west side of the roadway at a point of fifteen yards north of engine factory entrance.
Patrol radioman John Murray assisted beat constable in search for witnesses. None located. Roadway poorly lit at locus.
On preliminary examination, deceased appeared to be victim of traffic accident. Multiple injuries, and clear traces of car treads on raincoat.
Second inspection of area, however, showed indications which decided me to request CID attendance. Detective Inspector Moss of Millside Division arrived at locus at 00.29 hours.”
But back to the work at hand. Much like the 1974 Gone in 60 Seconds part of the scam is using vehicle identifications that are swapped and traded. But how do all the pieces fit together? And I loved the bit about the stopwatch.
“To Puggy, a car park was something similar to a gigantic self-service motor showroom—except that there was no bill to pay when you drove away. The entire tools of his trade were stored in the inside pocket of his jacket… two small pieces of brazing wire, each with a hook bend on one end; a heavy rubber sucker with a small handle attached; a “jumper” made up from a short length of insulated wire with a bulldog clip fore and aft; a three-inch strip of narrow aluminium foil; and, a purely personal affair, his stopwatch.
Near the junction with Wellington Street, he made his choice. The Ford, in gleaming two-tone paintwork, was obviously in immaculate condition, its bodywork unscarred and its registration number showing it to be one of the newer disc-brake models.
It would fill the bill. Puggy glanced around, ignoring the occasional passer-by but satisfying himself that there were no police uniforms in sight. One hand went into his pocket to press the stopwatch button, and then he got down to work.
…
Puggy engaged first gear, fumbled for his stopwatch, and pressed the arrestor button. He drove off leisurely, quietly, and waited until he had turned off and reached Sauchiehall Street before he took out the watch.
Forty-eight seconds. He gave a chuckle of satisfaction. Eight seconds less than the last time, though he could hardly be blamed for the fact that the previous car of that make he had tackled had obviously been in need of some carburettor adjustment.”
I have greatly enjoyed the characters of Thane and Moss, through these first four stories in this series. This story starts with what looks like a simple hit and run. But very quickly Thane and Moss know there is a lot more at play. As they wade into the underground world of stolen cars, and motorsport racing they soon start to put clues together. But what if one of their base assumptions is wrong?
Thane and Moss are reminiscent of DCI Logan and DI Ben Forde. The language is not as extreme as in Kirk’s books. But the team, and working to solve the case, especially after the prison escape are very written story. The characters are fascinating. Reading it, it is like being transported back in time. The story moves at a brisk pace, though not as fast as the cars are disappearing. And the small details and clues that are worked on open up the case.
This fourth story leaves you wanting more. Kirk has already announced a date for book 5 and 6. Kirk is releasing them at a decent pace. And I sincerely home he sees this series and maybe other series by Knox through to publication. Reading this was in some was like watching Mike Hammer with my dad, or reading his old Ian Fleming or Robert B. Parker books. I have already recommended this series to my dad, my manager at work and a few friends. I can easily recommend this story for fans of crime fiction, historical fiction or to be honest anyone who loves a good story. But be warned it leaves you wanting more.
Books by Bill Knox:
Thane and Moss:
1 Deadline for a Dream (1957)
aka In at the Kill
2 Death Department (1959)
3 Leave It to the Hangman (1960)
4 Little Drops of Blood (1962)
5 Sanctuary Isle (1962)
aka The Gray Sentinels
6 The Man in the Bottle (1963)
7 The Taste of Proof (1965)
8 The Deep Fall (1966)
aka The Ghost Car
9 Justice On the Rocks (1967)
10 The Tallyman (1969)
11 Children of the Mist (1970)
aka Who Shot the Bull?
12 To Kill a Witch (1971)
13 Penalty Shootout (1973)
aka Draw Batons
14 Children of the Water (1974)
15 Rally to Kill (1975)
16 Pilot Error (1977)
17 Live Bait (1978)
18 A Killing in Antiques (1981)
19 The Hanging Tree (1983)
20 The Crossfire Killings (1986)
21 The Interface Man (1989)
22 The Counterfeit Killers (1996)
23 Blood Proof (1997)
24 Death Bytes (1998)
25 The Lazarus Widow (1999)
…
Webb Carrick Series:
1. The Scavengers (1964)
2. Devilweed (1966)
3. Blacklight (1967)
4. The Klondyker (1968)
aka A Figurehead
5. Blueback (1969)
6. Seafire (1970)
7. Stormtide (1972)
8. Whitewater (1974)
9. Hellspout (1976)
10. Witchrock (1977)
11. Bombship (1980)
12. Bloodtide (1982)
13. Wavecrest (1985)
14. Dead Man's Mooring (1987)
15. The Drowning Nets (1991)
…
Talos Cord Series (as by Robert MacLeod)
Cave of Bats (1964)
Lake of Fury (1966)
aka The Iron Sanctuary
Isle of Dragons (1967)
Place of Mists (1969)
Path of Ghosts (1971)
Nest of Vultures (1972)
…
Jonathan Gaunt Series: (as by Robert MacLeod)
1. A Property in Cyprus (1970)
aka A Flickering Death
2. A Killing in Malta (1972)
3. A Burial in Portugal (1973)
4. A Witchdance in Bavaria (1975)
5. A Pay-off in Switzerland (1977)
6. An Incident in Iceland (1979)
7. A Problem in Prague (1981)
8. Mayday from Malaga (1983)
9. A Legacy from Tenerife (1984)
10. The Money Mountain (1987)
aka A Flight from Paris
11. The Spanish Maze Game (1990)
…
Andrew Laird Series (as by Robert MacLeod)
All Other Perils (1974)
Dragonship (1976)
Salvage Job (1978)
Cargo Risk (1980)
Witchline (1980)
…
Novels
The Cockatoo Crime (1958)
Death calls the shots (1961)
Die for Big Betsy (1961)
Court of murder: Famous trials at Glasgow High Court (1968)
The View from Daniel Pike (1974) (with Edward Boyd)
Storyland Wall Frieze (1981)
Country Club Wives (1997)
A Cut in Diamonds (1997)
Drum of Power (1998)
…
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