The Death of Ronnie Sweets (and other stories) - ebook exclusive

Amazon (US and UK)
Before he introduced the world to Scottish Private Investigator J McNee, award-nominated crime writer Russel D McLean wrote a series of gritty short stories featuring PI Sam Bryson, a young investigator with a strong sense of justice that is tested to the limit as he walks the mean streets of Scotland's fourth largest city.
The Death of Ronnie Sweets collects all the original Sam Bryson stories in one volume, with an introduction by award-winning US author Sean Chercover and an afterword by the author.
Many of these stories first appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine while others were published by Thrilling Detective Mystery Magazine, Spinetingler Magazine and Needle Publishing. They run the gamut from two-fisted tales of justice to studies of characters who find themselves in the darkest of situations. A heady mix of homage to the American hardboiled and the modern Scottish noir, these stories demonstrate why Russel D McLean is "not to be missed by fans of straight-up hardboiled noir." (RT Book Reviews)
Before he introduced the world to Scottish Private Investigator J McNee, award-nominated crime writer Russel D McLean wrote a series of gritty short stories featuring PI Sam Bryson, a young investigator with a strong sense of justice that is tested to the limit as he walks the mean streets of Scotland's fourth largest city.
The Death of Ronnie Sweets collects all the original Sam Bryson stories in one volume, with an introduction by award-winning US author Sean Chercover and an afterword by the author.
Many of these stories first appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine while others were published by Thrilling Detective Mystery Magazine, Spinetingler Magazine and Needle Publishing. They run the gamut from two-fisted tales of justice to studies of characters who find themselves in the darkest of situations. A heady mix of homage to the American hardboiled and the modern Scottish noir, these stories demonstrate why Russel D McLean is "not to be missed by fans of straight-up hardboiled noir." (RT Book Reviews)
Praise

With an exclusive introduction by Sean Chercover ("Big City, Bad Blood", "The Trinity Game"
"I was expecting a lot of blood and ruptures in this book, and I wasn’t disappointed, but there’s an emotional element here which is missing from a lot of gritty crime fiction. Mclean has a keen eye for human frailty and every story has a deep undertow."
Eva Dolan - Loitering with Intent
"Individually the nine stories are great reads. Collectively they bring to life a deeply satisfying character I wouldn’t mind seeing get a chance to shine in a full length work…"
Elizabeth A White - Musings of an All Purpose Monkey
"I was expecting a lot of blood and ruptures in this book, and I wasn’t disappointed, but there’s an emotional element here which is missing from a lot of gritty crime fiction. Mclean has a keen eye for human frailty and every story has a deep undertow."
Eva Dolan - Loitering with Intent
"Individually the nine stories are great reads. Collectively they bring to life a deeply satisfying character I wouldn’t mind seeing get a chance to shine in a full length work…"
Elizabeth A White - Musings of an All Purpose Monkey