The Weekenders by David F. Ross #bookreview #TheWeekenders

The deaths of a series of young Eastern European women in Glasgow leads to a stately home in the Scottish countryside, and back to the Second World War, where a group of young soldiers made their own, shocking rules… Saltire Prize shortlisted author David F. Ross returns with an extraordinary, dark mystery – first in a new series.
Glasgow, 1966: Stevie ‘Minto’ Milloy, former star footballer-turned-rookie reporter, finds himself trailing the story of a young Eastern European student whose body has been found on remote moorland outside the city. How did she get there from her hostel at the Sovereign Grace Mission, and why does Stevie find obstacles at every turn?
Italy, 1943: As the Allies fight Mussolini’s troops, a group of young soldiers are separated from their platoon, and Glaswegian Jamesie Campbell, his newfound friend Michael McTavish at his side, finds himself free to make his own rules…
Glasgow, 1969: Courtroom sketch artist Donald ‘Doodle’ Malpas is shocked to discover that his new case involves the murder of a teenage Lithuanian girl he knows from the Sovereign Grace Mission. Why hasn’t the girl’s death been reported? And why is a young police constable suddenly so keen to join the mission?
No one seems willing to join the dots between the two cases, and how they link to Raskine House, the stately home in the Scottish countryside with a dark history and even darker present – the venue for the debauched parties held there by the rich and powerful of the city who call themselves ‘The Weekenders’.
Painting a picture of a 1960s Glasgow in the throes of a permissive society, pulled apart by religion, corruption, and a murderous Bible John stalking the streets, The Weekenders is a snapshot of an era of turmoil – and a terrifying insight into the mind of a ruthless criminal…

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Hi and welcome to my review of The Weekenders!

It felt like forever and a day since the last David F. Ross novel, so I couldn’t wait to dive into The Weekenders! The synopsis does sound rather dark but I had no idea I would be diving into such a cesspool! Yikes!

If I had to sum it up in a single sentence, I’d say The Weekenders is a story of debauchery and vile men who make up their own rules as they go along. While that sentence would be reductive of the rather epic scope of the story, it would capture the essence nicely, if I do say so myself 😄

The Weekenders is divided into three parts. The first and last parts show the reader a slice of a rather sordid Glasgow in the 1960s. The middle part is somewhat of an origin story set in the Second World War, and sorta ties the whole story together. It took me a minute to get into the story but before long, I was proper intrigued and I couldn’t stop reading.

Note that much of the dialogue is written in dialect, as this author is wont to do. That might require a bit of effort at first but no worries, you get used to it very quickly and I always feel it’s worth it because it feels just that bit more authentic.

The Weekenders is the first in the Raskine House Trilogy and I wonder where the second instalment will take its readers, since The Weekenders stands very well on its own. I did feel towards the end of the book that Raskine House began to feel like a character in its own right, so I definitely see possibilities.

I had a really good time with The Weekenders. While its themes are nothing new, the story did feel unique and I enjoyed the blend of drama, historical fiction, mystery and crime. 

The Weekenders is out in digital formats and paperback on 27 February. Preorder it directly from Orenda Books here.

Massive thanks to Orenda Books for the digital review copy. All opinions are my own.