Last Orders

Hamish warns DCI Jim Daley and his wife, Liz, not to go to London, but they go anyway. Then Brian Scott receives a phone call that Daley has murdered his wife. Brian knows that it is a set up but how can the truth be proved?

Last Orders by Scottish author, Denzil Meyrick, is the twelfth and last book in the DCI Daley series. It is the gripping story of  a crime of revenge against Jim Daley as payback for a death that occurred in Glasgow in 1977. Complicating matters is the realisation that corruption in a segment of the police force is hindering Brian's attempts to discover the truth. Who can be trusted?

Like the other books in this series, the strength of the novel is in the portrayal of the life of the main characters, plus their families and friends, as they endeavour to carry out their role of investigating crime. Although they are very much character driven novels, the reader is soon swept up in the solving of the crimes being investigated.

Denzil Meyrick died in February 2025, shortly before the publication of this book. Since discovering his DCI Daley series in 2018, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the books in this series as well as other books by Denzil Meyrick.

Denzil Meyrick 1965-1925

Scottish crime writer, Denzil Meyrick, was born in Glasgow on 28 November 1965. His early life was spent in Campbeltown on the shores of the Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre Peninsula. After studying politics at university he became a police officer, then a freelance journalist and later a director of several companies. He then dedicated his time to writing crime novels set in Scotland, particularly the twelve books in the DCI Daley series. Denzil Meyrick died on 14 February 2025.

DCI Daley series: 

Whisky From Small Glasses

The Last Witness 

Dark Suits and Sad Songs

The Rat Stone Serenade

Well of the Winds

The Relentless Tide

A Breath on Dying Embers

Jeremiah's Bell 

For Any Other Truth

The Death of Remembrance

No Sweet Sorrow

Last Orders 

DCI Daley Series Prequels: 

Single End: a DC Daley story - (a DCI Daley Prequel)

Dalintober Moon: a DCI Daley story

One Two Three: a DCI Daley prequel 

Other novels:

The Christmas Stocking Murders

Murder at Holly House 

Terms of Restitution

The Estate

Short Stories:

Kinloch Tales: the collected stories

Ghosts in the Gloaming: a tale from Kinloch (also published in the Kinloch Tales)

One Last Dram Before Midnight

A Toast to the Old Stones: a tale from Kinloch (also published in the Kinloch Tales)

A Large Measure of Snow: a tale from Kinloch  (also published in the Kinloch Tales)

Empty Nets and Promises: a Kinloch Novella 

Denzil Meyrick - Home Page

Denzil Meyrick - Wikipedia

No Sweet Sorrow

DCI Daley and his team are concerned about the use of drugs in Kinloch which intensifies with the apparent arrival of new drug dealing in the area. But when a group of Oxford University students arrive to prepare for an expedition to Mount Everest and one of them is assaulted when trying to obtain drugs it is obvious that drug related issues have definitely escalated.

When the fathers of two of the students arrive to remove their sons from Kinloch, Jim Daley and his team are removed from the investigation. It is obvious that the local drug dealing is not the main reason for events occurring in the town. It is also obvious that people with power are attempting to impede the investigation.

As well as providing a fast paced crime novel set on the west coast of Scotland the author allows the reader to immerse themselves in the lives - both professional and private - of the main characters. Jim Daley speaks regular English and although several of the characters, including Brian Scott, use Scots dialect when they speak it is easy to follow. However Brian does have a tendency to use words incorrectly in sentences, especially when he uses quotations to emphasise a point he is trying to make, much to the amusement of the other characters.

No Sweet Sorrow by Denzil Meyrick is number 11 in the DCI Daley series featuring Jim Daley, Brian Scott and the former fisherman, Hamish.The books are easy to read and difficult to put down as the reader becomes immersed in the lives of the characters in Kinloch and the crime needing to be solved. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.

The Death of Remembrance

The tenth volume in the DCI Daley series by Denzil Meyrick does not disappoint. In The Death of Remembrance events encountered in the past of Jim Daley and Brian Scott in Glasgow impact once again on their lives in the small community of Kinloch.

Brian Scott has started drinking again and finds himself in a brawl in the local pub. This results in his suspension from the police force while his conduct is investigated. Later, Brian remembers that he recognised a person from his past in the pub that night - Hugh Machie who had been involved in a Glasgow crime syndicate. Unfortunately, when he tells James Daley about seeing Machie the report of the sighting is ignored due to Brian's condition at the time.

Shreya Dhar is sent to Kinloch to assist DCI Daley while Brian is out of action. She is also interested in investigating Ian Macmillan. a Canadian who may have criminal links. Hamish is convinced that Macmillan was behind the death of his friend Annie and informs James Daley of his visions. 

Chapters in the book include flashbacks to the Glasgow crime scene from the late 1970s and its connections to the police force. References to some of these events have occurred in earlier books but more detail is provided in this novel. With Hugh Machie being the last of the syndicate alive what remembrance is going to remain of the reign of the Machie family.

Like the other books in this series of tartan noir, a feature of the novel is the description of the characters, their strengths, weaknesses and challenges as well as the community of Kinloch.

For Any Other Truth

One of the highlights of each year is the next installment in the DCI Daley series of books set in Kinloch, Scotland, by Denzil Meyrick. For Any Other Truth is a great addition to the series.

Jim Daley and Brian Scott are kept busy investigating multiple cases that arise at the same time. When a small aeroplane crash lands at Machrie Aiport the bodies of two dead men are discovered on board. It is soon obvious that the men were dead before take-off requiring many questions to be answered. Then Hamish disappears while out on his boat and a full scale search is implemented to find him. Meanwhile Chief Superintendant Carrie Symmington is being threatened by someone from her past. While Jim Daley and Brian Scott attempt to solve these cases, Iolo Harris from MI5 arrives on the scene to investigate possible links to environmental terrorists who are thought to be operating in the area.

There is much tension in this book as the investigations proceed interspersed with humour from time to time. Some of the action occurs across the waters in County Antrim. Although matters appear to be resolved, at the end of the novel the detectives do not have all of the answers they want. They are only too aware of cover-ups being implemented and there is nothing they can do about it.

Another excellent book from Denzil Meyrik, a great story teller.

Jeremiah's Bell

The first book waiting for me at the library after the softening of the stage four lockdown in Melbourne was Jerimah's Bell by Denzil Merick, the latest in the DCI Daley series.

After a serious illness plus the threat of dismissal from the police force, James Daley returns to his position of DCI at Kinlock only to be encouter a series of mysterious deaths, threats and events from the past that need to be revealed. 

Alice Wenger has returned to Kintye to complete unfinished business started before her departure more than thirty years earlier. The Doig family - Alice's parents and three brothers - live in a small dilapidated, isolated house near the coast and keep to themselves. Rumour has it that the family has a sinister past, including causing ship wrecks and smuggling. It is shortly after Alice's return to Kintyre that the first death occurs. The police soon becaome aware that a former American gangster may be in the area.

Not only does Denzil Meyrick, a former policeman, write page turning crime stories but he also introduces the reader to the close knit community of Kinloch, based on Campbelltown, and its people. The setting for the stories in his series of books plus the development of the characters, particularly Jim Daley, Brian Scott, Hamish, Annie etc are important components of the book. An added thread in this book is the future of the County Hotel as the owners have decided to sell the building.

Each year I look forward to becoming immersed in the next book in this Scottish noir series. Jerimiah's Bell did not disappoint.

For further information about the region where the series of books are set:

Exploring the natural wonder of Campbelltown - The Scotsman 4 October 2014

 

A breath on dying embers

Denzil Meyrick has written another gripping installment in the DCI Daley series set in Kinloch, Scotland. When the cruise liner Great Britain spends a few days in the loch so wealthy passengers can learn more about what the area has to offer, go sightseeing and play golf, what could go wrong?

The story is revealed through a variety of voices as gradually the puzzle regarding an impending crime is unravelled. A bird watcher is murdered when trying to locate a rare gull. When a drone crashes into the Great Britain a body is located at the bottom of a cliff. A member of the ship's crew disappears and a police hunt is also underway for another man. Meanwhile authorities have placed a ban on the reporting of any of these events, making it difficult for the Kinloch police to carry out their investigations.

Along with the scenery around the ficticious Kinloch, the life events concerning Jim Daley and his team continue to form an important part of the book. Jim Daley discovers health problems that may terminate his police career. Liz, his wife, returns home with their son and her own issues. Much to his amazement DS Brian Scott is temporarily promoted to cover for Jim during his illness.

Once started, this novel was difficult to put down and the conclusion leaves the reader waiting for the next book to discover the result of the final episode in this book.

The Relentless Tide

Having read all the books in the DCI Daley series plus collections of short stories by Denzil Meyrick last year, I was pleased when the local library notified me that The Relentless Tide, volume six in the series, was available for loan.

The story is set in Kinloch and in Glasgow. When archaeologists undertake an archaeological dig to discover the location of a settlement of Somerled, Lord of the Isles, a twelfth century warlord possibly of Viking origin, they discover the graves of three women. It is obvious that these are recent burials and the police quickly realise that these women were victims of the 'Midweek Murderer', active in 1994.

Early in his career DCI Jim Daley had investigated the murders of eight women after five bodies had been discovered in Glasgow. Daley's friend and retired former boss, Ian Burns, believed that another two other murders had also been committed by the same murderer some years earlier. Then Ian Burns was murdered.

The story is revealed with descriptions of events in 1994 interwoven with investigations being undertaken more than twenty years later. DCI Daley and Sergeant Brian Scott are determined to discover not only the identity of the 'Midweek Murderer' but also the murderer of Ian Burns. Meanwhile a district nurse has disappeared, a local man is murdered and a valuable treasure hoard has been discovered. In the background is the realisation of police cover-up and corruption over many years that is difficult to prove.

The descriptions of Kinloch and other locations is a feature in this series of books along with a collection of memorial characters. Although there are descriptions of violent crimes Denzil Meyrick includes humour in his stories. The Relentless Tide is definitely a page turner that I thoroughly enjoyed.  I definitely look forward to the next installment in this tartan noir series of books.

Well of the Winds

Number 5 in the DCI Daley series, the story recounted in Well of the Winds by Denzil Meyrick is set both at the end of the Second World War in 1945 and in the present (2016).

The postman on the island of Gairsay attempts to deliver a parcel however he discovers that the house is empty with no sign of the inhabitants. When the police are called in to investigate they discover not only an empty house but a mystery in the cellar dating back to activities during the war. Who really were the members of the Bremner family and why had they suddenly disappeared?   

Later DCI Daley comes across a journal written by Inspector Urquhart in 1945 in which he discovers a story with repercussions for  Kinloch and Gairsay years later. Suspicions grow when Special Branch officers arrive to take over the case suggesting that a cover-up is in progress. Undaunted, Jim Daley, Brian Scott and Carrie Symington decide to continue their investigations into the disappearance of the Bremner family and subsequent murders. What starts out as a possible local crime develops into a story with possible international consequences. Another Denzil Meyrick book that is hard to put down.                    

The Rat Stone Serenade

The Rat Stone Serenade (published 2016)  is number 4 in the DCI Daley crime series by Denzil Meyrick.

Members of the Shannon family have returned to the family home near Kinloch for a board meeting of Shannon International. They now own one of the richest private companies in the world and each year the annual meeting is held after Christmas. However all is not well. Apart from business problems that have emerged and conflict over who should manage the firm there is the issue of the curse placed on the family 100 years ago.

A number of brutal murders are discovered near the house. What is their association with the family? What is the significance of the Rat Stone? Are there really Druids still living in the area?

At the beginning of the book, Jim Daley has decided to retire and has only three more weeks before he leaves his job. However Superintendent Symington has been sent from Glasgow to persuade him to change his mind. DS Scott is still fighting alcohol problems. Jim Daley is back with his wife and baby son but relationship issues still need to be resolved. In this series the interaction between the characters - members of the police and inhabitants of the local community - plays an important role in the development of the story line. An additional feature in this book is the severe snow storm that has descended on the area, blocking roads and communications and hindering the police investigation.

It needs to be stressed that the increasing number of murders are graphically described but this adds emphasis to the possible supernatural sub-theme of the plot. The Rat Stone Serenade is certainly an action packed crime story.

Dark suits and sad songs

Once again I could only borrow this title from the library as an e-book however I soon became enthralled in the story and read it quickly. This book is number three in the DCI Daley series by Denzil Meyrick.

We return to Kinloch in Scotland to witness the dramatic suicide of a civil servant. Shortly afterwards, in Glasgow, his assistant is killed by a passing vehicle when crossing the road. Then two minor players in the local drug trade are assassinated. What is happening in this quiet village on the Scottish coast?

We know from earlier books in the series that there is corruption at high levels in the police force but it soon becomes obvious that the corruption also extends to local politics. DCI Jim Daley and his deputy, DS Brian Scott know that they are out of their depth in this investigation but who can they trust? When a young girl is kidnapped every effort must be made to save her from the person known only as The Dragon.

The story is told from the perspective of DCI Daley but we also learn of the the thoughts and past actions of a range of other characters, adding depth to the story. Jim Daley's private life continues to be a mess that needs to be sorted. Brian Scott also has his problems as he recovers from the trauma of being shot and resorts to the whisky bottle. The book also provides a parade of other characters including Hamish and Annie who contribute to the story and assist in unexpected ways.

There are many layers to these books written by a former policeman. This book is a crime thriller involving the drug trade plus the corruption of power. The book is also about a community of people who should be enjoying living in isolation from the city (Glasgow) and the rest of the world in general. However a sinister presence has invaded their isolated village and surrounding area.

If you enjoy the books of Louise Penny and Donna Leon, who set their series of character driven crime books in a distinct community, you will probably enjoy this series though the description of the murders is a little more violent. The characters from the village speak in the local dialect which is not difficult to follow and adds to the atmosphere of the book as does the description of the local environment.

Whisky from small glasses

This book is first in the series of DCI Daley books written by Scottish author, Denzil Meyrick.

When a woman's body is washed up on to a beach in western Scotland, Inspector Jim Daley, with his colleague Detective Sergeant Brian Scott, is sent to Kinloch from Glasgow to investigate. In Kinloch they discover a close knit community containing a variety of characters who assist or hinder the investigation. This is a character driven crime thriller with the village of Kinloch and its surroundings also playing an important role in the telling of the story.

Being the first in a series of books, the back story of the characters that is gradually revealed, including Daley's marriage problems and the revelation that much of the crime occurring in the area is drug related, is continued in subsequent volumes. As the investigation continues Daley realises that corruption in high places is behind much of the crime in the area. Although the books in the series could be read as stand alone titles it is probably better to read the books sequentially.

I enjoyed this introduction to the world of DCI Daley and his colleagues, and once I became used to the vernacular spoken by many of the characters I became immersed in the life of community of Kinloch and the attempts of the police to solve the spate of violent crime occurring in their region.

The last witness

While we were in England recently one of the members of our group gave me a copy of the book, The last witness, by Denzil Meyrick. This is the second in a series of books about D C I Jim Daley. I had not come across this author before and when I checked catalogues for two Australian libraries  I discovered that one had two books in the series as e-books while the other had some of the titles as paperbacks or e-books.

The book falls into the category of Scottish crime novels known as Tartan Noir. Earlier this year Val McDermid wrote an article in Crimereads, On the Remarkable Rise of Tartan Noir. These books cover the gritty world of crime in Scotland and the speech of the characters is in the local dialect.

In this book a crime is committed in Ringwood, Victoria, Australia, resulting in the murder of a husband and wife who left Scotland to take on a new identity and lifestyle. The murderer left a calling card revealing that he is a crime lord who died five years previously. Other murders of people previously associated with the crime lord begin to occur near the town of Kinloch and it soon becomes obvious that people involved in his arrest and trial, including the police, are now targets.

The story is revealed through the viewpoint and thoughts of a number of the characters. This is a fast moving action crime novel and as the plot progresses we learn the back story of many of the characters.