I won this book as a Goodreads giveaway, but did not affect my opinion.

This is the story of two young thugs in the Glasgow underworld: Alex Glass and Oliver Peterkinney, who are on diverging paths. Alex falls in love with a party girl (prostitute) and cannot find steady work, while Oliver's quiet but firm personality allows him to find jobs and start his own nefarious business as a lender/collector (although there is no explanation as to how he gets the necessary money.) Underlying their stories is a battle among the criminal bosses for control of various enterprises, primarily loan sharking. I found there were too many characters introduced, leaving too little time to develop the protagonist's characters. Oliver's grandfather was the best character in the novel.
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Written by the author of the "Glasgow Trilogy", this stand-alone thriller inhabits the same underworld of the trilogy. We follow two young adult friends, Alex and Oliver, as they enter and are slowly consumed by Glasgow's gangland society. Some familiar figures re-appear, but it is most definitely set after the events of the trilogy. It was easy to get into the rhythm of the book, although the present tense sometimes leaves me feeling a bit like I'm in a darkened room -- or like I'm dreaming. My mind's eye when reading this was mostly dark, with occasional flashes of images that were not really connected to any particular place (despite being set in Glasgow). But this is something I've become accustomed to with MacKay's books and might not be able to tolerate in another writer.

I'm still not sure what the title means, but the story is pretty good and the ending had me leaping out of my seat in surprise. Because it's a stand-alone, you might be able to read it if you're new to MacKay, especially since it includes a cast of characters at the beginning. ( )

The Night The Rich Men Burned – Brilliant

Scottish thriller writer Malcolm Mackay has written a brilliant new novel based in the deep dark underbelly of Glasgow, The Night The Rich Men Burned. This book was written with ambition to be something different than the usual police procedural thriller narrated so that we see the brutality of the underworld and it delivers on all levels.

Oliver Peterkinney and Alex Glass are two teenage friends and have been for years, they are unemployed and dreaming of just having money in their pockets. Oliver is the pragmatic thinker who likes to way his options up and then there is Alex with head full of magic beans and dreams.

Marty Jones is a pimp and debt collector who uses young lads to do his dirty work, pays them a little but they get to go to parties with ladies who give favours out. Marty hires Alex and Oliver to do a job on a collector who has been skimming him. Somehow they manage the job but not without a few cock-ups. Marty can see the potential in Oliver and well Alex is just a mouthy teen with cotton wool for brains.

While Oliver goes from strength to strength in the underbelly slowly making a reputation for himself, his friend Alex is in love but in a downward spiral. One gets the jobs the other well gets nothing but love and debts, where the interest rate is out of control and repayment is expected or there could be a whole load of trouble.

While Oliver is making his way and money in the underworld making the most of the weaknesses of Marty and other underworld figures such as Potty Cruickshank, he is young and striving getting a reputation for getting the job done. Like all things he builds up enemies in the underworld who would like to see Oliver cut down to size and would even pay to see him out of the business.

Alex is in a downward spiral in a real crash and burn the drink and drugs are a large part of his life, as is being ignored by those underworld bosses who will not employ him. He is in love with Ella who has to work just to make the money Alex spends, she is good for him and she does love him.

Oliver and Alex even though estranged will cross paths in the crosshairs of an underworld battle to sort out who the king or kings of Glasgow will be. Someone will be the winner in the new underworld and there is little the police can do other than investigate the crumbs that are left.

This is a fantastically well written thriller that pulls no punches and at the same time does not glamorise the underworld. It is hard hitting unglamorous account of Glasgow’s underbelly and how ambitious you may be you have to have the balls to live amongst them, just don’t be surprise when they come to castrate you.

This is a brilliant thriller which is dark and brutal, with an authenticity that grips you, the Glasgow accent screaming at you from every page. This is a truly innovative thriller where the tension slowly builds up and is completely compelling. MacKay controls the tension all the way through to deliver the punches with enough power at the right times. Tartan Noir does not get better than The Night The Rich Men Burned. ( )