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Run to Ground

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Run to Ground

By: Stuart Johnstone
Narrated by: David Monteath
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Summary

Don Colyear has begun his career in Edinburgh's CID, but the transition has not been easy. The workload and paperwork are one thing but being micro-managed by DCI Templeton as well is more than testing. And when Colyear's investigation of a mysterious death spirals into a complicated case centred around a massive consignment of Class A drugs, a double murder and a clash between low-level and professional criminals, his instincts are put to the test.

©2022 Stuart Johnstone (P)2022 Isis Publishing Ltd Crime Fiction Mystery Police Procedural Fiction Crime Suspense
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The production was dreadful and ruined the listing experience. It went loud and quiet at random

Bad production, but decent story

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Another excellent book in this series about Sargeant Don Colyear and colleagues. It has an excellent story and plot with interesting characters. The book was brought to life by the talented narrator David Monteath. I really hope there will be further books in this series.

Another Excellent Book

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Run to Ground is the final book - book three - in Stuart Johnstone’s Don Colyear series; and the series is his first venture into novel-writing (I believe). Therefore, if you’re reading reviews prior to shelling out your hard-earned on a Stuart Johnstone novel the right thing to do is read reviews of book three, then book one and then, if you still want to, buy book one. Why? Because anyone who’s read all three books will have learned more about Johnstone’s writing, and how successful the series is as a whole. I’ve only just thought of this - maybe this logic occurred to you years ago, in which case well done for being so wise.
In book one - Out in the Cold - police sergeant Don Colyear is aided in his investigations by his unique gifting: a kind of psychic gut rot. Johnstone somehow makes this reasonably credible in what is an action-packed enjoyable novel. It is odd though, and in the second novel - Into the Dark - we hear much less from his intuitive innards, which I think is for the better. Colyear does, however benefit from the sooth-saying rankings of a ‘Mr. Beeswax’. This elderly care home resident is sometimes absolutely healthy, sometimes totally catatonic, and on rare occasions able to spill the beans on up-coming crimes (without later being able to remember what he just said). Again, seems a bit much as I write about it now, but I really enjoyed reading it. This third and final book - Run to Ground - is the first one where our plucky hero makes do without any help from any clairvoyant medical conditions. Perhaps this is a mark of Stuart Johnstone’s growing confidence.
Throughout the series there is also a development in Don Colyear’s seniority, and the scope of the crimes he tackles. Pleasingly there are a few characters who stay withDon across more than one book; and the overall style doesn’t change. Obviously Colyear’s heart is with the practical police work. He forms friendships. He’s the victim of injustice or misunderstanding. He lacks confidence in himself. In all three books don Colyear is pushed out- in different ways - and has to do his brilliant crime solving from the outside in. I like that Colyear just does this without grumbling, grandstanding or ruining his bosses’ careers. Don’s superiors are not the kind of straw-man effigies of objectionable uselessness you get in some police procedural. They’re just the bosses.
On occasion there’s a wee bit too much procedural. Exactly which bit of kit is put where, when, why; who walked where and line-of-sight with what … sometimes you need to sit forward and pay attention; sometimes not; sometimes you just don’t. sometimes, of course, it’s these data that’s bring the whole novel to life.
Stuart Johnson has a beautiful way with his minor characters. There are lots of characters in each novel. Almost everyone gets at least a page or so of background, or colour, description, friends, activity and what-not. Johnstone’s great at this. Without wasting words he can magic the most cardboard of cut-outs into a human soul, for whom I care, at least a bit.
For Audible the narrator, David Monteath is great. His prose reading is almost flawless and he manages the accents well, including at one point a Liverpudlian imitating a Scottish accent. It’s slightly uncanny that he sounds like David Tennant
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Colyear Solves The Case With NO Medical Mystic Meggery

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Another winner from Stuart Johnstone. The main character is based in Edinburgh and being from Edinburgh is great to hear stories based around my neck of the woods. Particularly when the story moves to Portobello ,an old seaside town on the outskirts of Edinburgh and then with great interest, the George cinema is featured. I remember going there on Saturday morning with my brother to watch wester films. Great fun. Great entertainment back in the day and form the author now. Keep up the great work.

Good story - Fond memories.

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This yarn fairly rips along and the locale is very well described. Haven’t lived in Edinburgh since the turn of the Millennium but it was still all recognisable to me.
The principals are engaging and believable and I was sad when it all wound up. Eager for the next one!

Great story telling

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