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Description
Detective Lou Perlman has become an outcast from police HQ, doomed by a sadistic Chief-Superintendent to a seemingly infinite ‘sick-list’. Deprived of doing battle with Glasgow’s criminal underworld – which he needs the way a junkie needs a fix – he’s barred from participating in the investigation of the bloodbath that has rocked the foundations of the city’s lower depths. A new man has powered and blasted his way to the top of Glasgow’s gangster fraternity, Reuben Chuck, a villain who promotes cruelty and murder even as he pursues an inscrutable religious awakening of his own.
Only a gruesome discovery made in Perlman’s own house invigorates him, and launches him into a simple inquiry that quickly becomes a ganglia of perplexities – the whereabouts of his missing love Miriam, body parts, a seemingly haunted house, dubious part-time surgeons, a mob of dangerous hooded teenagers, a ferret, and his own family’s history – all leading, inexorably, strangely, to the deathly terrain of Reuben Chuck.
What The Critics Said
'Armstrong’s style is witty and exuberant and this funny, sad, novel shows a fine crime writer in top form’Morning Star
'The novels featuring Lou Perlamn are among the best-kept sectrets in crime fiction…BUTCHER has a manic energy about it.'The Scotsman
‘ A Stomach-churning, roller-coaster of a ride of sheer terror, with great characters, a wonderfully wry sense of humour, and a terrific plot. I read it in two sittings’Gatewaymonthly.com
'Armstrong is a masterful writer, with a gift for storytelling and pacing, and an eye for detail -- BUTCHER is a must-read if you like tough, gritty crime fiction with a memorable hero…one hell of a good read.'Reviewingtheevidence.com
‘The Glasgow-born master of fast paced thrillers focuses his literary powers on the town of his birth. In the process he paints a brutal yet atmospheric picture of the struggle between the law and the ruthless criminals who lurk among the streets.’Scottish Field
‘A hard-nosed Glasgow crime thriller with enough bodies to overflow a morgue but enlivened by some dry patter and a wicked sense of humour. Dark but dazzling.'The Northern Echo
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johnverp –
‘A great and somewhat grisly story with some wonderful language and insights as Armstrong takes us into the belly of Glasgow. From start to finish the book had me hooked – hard to get bored with a story without slow moments.
If there is a disappointment, it would be that there could have been more closure on some issues. This reads sequel” to me and if the standard can be maintained we will be enjoying another good read in the not too distant future.'”
Shipwreck –
‘This review is from: Butcher (Lou Perlman) (Hardcover)
I just recently finished reading BUTCHER after obtaining a copy for myself in America. As a fan of WHITE RAGE, I was eager to pick up where it left off and see if hero police detective Lou Perlman survived to fight another day. He turned out to be more of a pistol than before, while suffering ‘sick leave’! I love the humor and skill Armstrong brings to the pages before us. Each turn kept me guessing what was next! Surprise, drama, and heartbreak were only a few emotions on the roller coaster. Bodies with missing organs, a shriveled dismembered hand, and buried corpses only highlighted the menace of an enlightened Scottish godfather. An AWESOME read! Oh, and did I mention the purple Ka and the headless clown??’