The Long Glasgow Kiss is set in the 1950s and brings about the feel of a gangster kind of story with the usual threats of physical harm if certain rules and requests are not adhered to. Lennox is a private investigator in Glasgow, not quite aboveboard but delivers results. Lennox’s current case is one of murder, murder of his not-quite-girlfriend’s father, a bookie named Jimmy ‘Small Change’ MacFarlane. The night of the murder Lennox was with Small Change’s daughter Lorna, ruling himself out of any foul play but now he must investigate to find out who the killer was and what the motivation was.
The Three Kings run the streets of Glasgow and it’s one of these kings who request Lennox look into the matter of Small Change. However, that’s not all Lennox is asked to investigate. As is with crime bosses, lords, kings, what have you, one occurrence or situation often meshes with another, perhaps a few more anothers. In the end Lennox is kept on his toes juggling a few different matters and at the same time trying to save his toes from being cut off by producing answers.
I loved the humour to start with and thought this is going to be a great book. It wasn’t great and it wasn’t bad. The Long Glasgow Kiss at times seemed a little too long to me. I can’t help but think if some sections were condensed it would have captured me more. I have read quite a few crime novels in my time so maybe that’s it, maybe it just didn’t measure up to others I have read. Don’t read this the wrong way either, it still was an okay book for me, the story was good and the splashings of humour were great, and no doubt this is someone’s perfect cup of tea – but then I prefer coffee :O)
Many thanks to Jess from Allen & Unwin for providing me with a copy of The Long Glasgow Kiss – thanks, Jess!
To read the blurb for The Long Glasgow Kiss click here
