The Riverman

DCI Lorimer #4

by Alex Gray

When the dead body of a man is fished out of Glasgow's River Clyde the morning after an office celebration, it looks like a case of accidental death. An anonymous telephone call and a forensic toxicology test, however, give DCI Lorimer reason to think otherwise. Probing deeper into the life and business of the deceased accountant, Duncan Forbes, a seemingly upright member of the community, Lorimer find only yet more unanswered questions. What is the secret his widow seems to be concealing? Is there any reason to think that the international accountancy firm was facing financial difficulties? What has become of the dead man's protege who has disappeared in New York? And when the firm's human resources manager is found dead in her riverside flat these questions become only more complex -- not to mention more disturbing.

And Lorimer is having to cope not only with deceptions devised to hide the facts, but also with suspicions from those far closer to home . . .

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Fiction, Scotland, Suspense, Thriller, Female Authors

415 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2007

About the author

Alex Gray was born and educated in Glasgow. She worked as a folk singer, a visiting officer in the DSS and an English teacher. She has been awarded the Scottish Association of Writers Constable and Pitlochry trophies for her crime writing.

Reviews

[Magdalena aka A Bookaholic Swede · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love it when I start a book in the middle of a series and it's not a problem at all getting into the story and the characters are easy to like. The Riverman starts off interesting with the dead body that's fished out of the water, and after that, we get a prequel to what happened before the man was fished out of the water. The book moves between a lot of different POV's, both the police and people around the dead man. At first, it seems that it's either a suicide or a drunken mistake that made the man drown, but Detective Chief Inspector William Lorimer feels that there is more to the case and soon he starts to suspect that someone had a good reason for killing the man.

I found The Riverman to be a really good book. I was intrigued by the story and it was interesting to follow the police work as they tried to find the truth. Did I suspect the ending? Yes and now, I suspected that there were more to it and that someone probably was behind it and I was not really surprised when the truth came out. This book is in a way an excellent study in human behavior. And, how moral code can be overruled if it has to.

I found this book to be really good and I hope to read the rest of the books in the series. I instantly liked William Lorimer, and it was refreshing to read about a police that seems to have no vices and a stable home life. I do love damaged characters, but once in a while is it nice to read about a man that seems to have most of his life under control.

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glasgow’s River Clyde gives up a dead body, a probable accidental death, but for DCI William Lorimer, that probability is tossed out the window when forensics and an anonymous call point to something far more sinister.

The victim was an accountant, his company a powerful international firm. Was the company in financial trouble? Is that why this man was found floating in the cold river? What secrets will Lorimer uncover? How many deaths, lies and secrets will be uncovered that are related to this global firm?

Follow the trail of deceit, greed and personal agendas as the bodies begin to pile up while the answers remain allusive. Someone knows what is going on and they are not talking, could it be the last person anyone would expect?

Twisted, dark and filled with edgy and taut suspense, Alex Gray’s THE RIVERMAN is a suspense reader’s delight as it slowly heats to a boil and spirals to its amazing conclusion.

I received this copy from Alex Gray in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Witness Impulse (January 10, 2017)
Publication Date: January 10, 2017
Genre: Police Procedural | Mystery
Print Length: 368 pages
Available from: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Jenifer Mohammed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This story had so many twists and turns that I was struggling to keep up with all the possible suspects, their motives, and the reasons for killing each victim. A really good hard boiled mystery!

[Kara Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was first posted here: http://karatheredhead.blogspot.com/20...

The Riverman was amazing. Alex Gray is one of the most descriptive authors I have come across. I felt like I was walking the streets of Glasgow, Scotland. At first, I didn't know how I was going to keep up with so many characters, but all of the characters weaved together perfectly. No one was left out, and every turn the story took, was explained. It wasn't like at the end of some movies where you are left questioning what happened to so and so or why did they never go back to this theory? Everything was completed to the T.

I also love how I guessed who did it, but at times I almost went back on my theory. The mystery and thrills were intense, and I was also thoroughly surprised throughout the book! I recommend this for anyone, especially if you like any TV BBC series such as Inspector Lynley, Prime Suspect, Cracker, etc.

I give The Riverman 4 out of 5 stars! I can't wait to read the rest of this series (and the beginning ones as well).

Thank you to Alex Gray, Witness Impulse, and Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for providing this copy of The Riverman for my honest review for the blog tour!

[Tom Ferguson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book pretty laboured. Sheer stubbornness for not wanting to leave a book unfinished is the only reason I got to the end of it. Disappointing.

[LadyTechie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Riverman was a very detailed mystery/thriller. I received a copy in exchange for an honest review from the publisher (Frontlist/Harper Collins) via Edelweiss. As soon as I read the description I knew it would be a book that I enjoy spending time reading. I was worried that I did not know it was the fourth book in a series but, I jumped right in and still found the characters engaging. A reader cannot help but love a good mystery that starts with a body in the first pages. You are hooked because now you must find out who the person was and why did they end up in the river Clyde in Glasgow. It sounds rough going in the parts where more than one body was dropped. The Clyde was described and felt like another character in the book and was intricately woven into the story of the man whose job it was to rescue those that he could from the Clyde, or retrieve their bodies. A job that seemed to be passed down through his family.

The Riverman was the story of greed, murder, adultery and never too far from these was jealousy. A very prestigious accounting firm in Glasgow with branches all over the world, that Duncan Forbes' family helped start, has been dragged into a world of trouble. Duncan does what he should and reports it to the managing partner. Unfortunately, this sets off a series of events that will likely tear the firm apart and ruin many families. Another big part of the story is the backdrop of the families of the men who work in the firm that are affected by what transpires, specifically two of the wives that have their lives irrevocably changed. At times, you wonder how people can turn into such monsters. Money is great but, the things that some of the individuals in the book were willing to do to maintain the status quo is just unreal, mainly because it happens in the real world. Alex Gray has a great new book in this series which means I must take a step back and start at the beginning. Review can also be seen at LadyTechie's Book Musings http://ladytechiesbookmusings.blogspo....

[Sandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the writing of this a bit wooden and that the characters lacked teeth in the way other Glaswegian writers (Lin Anderson, Denise Mina for two) manage to create, but have to admit I'd assumed 'Alex' to be a bloke until I reached the end and discovered he was a she ...

That said, the plot was sufficiently convoluted for me not to guess what was going on but it was difficut to care too much about such two-dimensional characters.

[Sandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Duncan Forbe's body is pulled from the River Clyde in Glasgow, DCI William Latimer is called in to investigate. Forbes had been at a going away party for another member of his accounting firm and everyone's first thought was that he had overindulged and fallen in. But when drugs are found in his system, it becomes clear that this was no accident.

As Lorimer and his team interrogate the other members of the firm, they pick up an uneasiness and reluctance to talk. When the man the party was given for is reported found dead in America where his new job was to be, suspicions rise higher. When a flirtatious member of the HR Department is found dead in her apartment, it is crystal clear that the accounting firm has big secrets that are also dangerous.

Lorimer pulls in his psychologist friend, Solly, who is helpful in gauging personalities during interrogations and in looking at the case from a different perspective. Solly has helped Lorimer on other cases and his insights are once again an impetus to Lorimer's thought processes. Can the two men and the Glasgow Police discover what is going on before more lives are lost?

Alex Gray has written eleven novels in the DCI Lorimer series with another one coming in the spring of 2018. Lorimer is not a flashy detective or one who ignores police procedure. Instead, he uses the investigative tools available to him along with his own common sense to solve the murders that mar the Glasgow landscape. His use of the psychologist as a consultant lends more interest to the cases but it is always clear who is in charge. This book is recommended for mystery readers.

[Nicky Mottram · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was an ok read but not the best book in the series

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great novel to read during these dark winter evenings. The plot is complex yet engaging. I enjoyed how the facts of the case were uncovered bit by bit. It took dogged determination on Lorimer's part to get to the root of the mayhem. The police work is methodical but kept my interest throughout the novel. I felt the ruminations of the characters were well balanced with periodic action. The point of view jumped around a bit at the beginning but the threads were brought together as the novel progressed.

Relationships are an essential aspect of this novel. They are more important in this novel than those concentrating on action. In two of the marriages, there was some concern about the husband having an affair. I liked how those concerns brought a sense of reality to the characters.

This is the first novel about DCI Lorimer I have read by Gray. I could tell there was some back story I had missed, such as between Lorimer and his wife, but this novel reads very well on its own. I really enjoyed the setting and the focus on the river in Glasgow.

I recommend this novel to those who enjoy the European style of mysteries, with methodical plots that uncover the mystery layer by layer.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours. My comments are an independent and honest review.

[Anne, Unfinished Woman · Rating 4 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT

DCI Lorimer is pulled into a dark conspiracy of successful and wealthy accountants of the Forbes Macgregor firm. One of the members of the firm, Michael Turner discovers that there is a red flag in a client's account, hinting at money laundering. The client is Jacobs Betting Shops. Unfortunately when he takes the evidence to one of the partners, Duncan Forbes, and Forbes subsequently goes to Alex Barr, the process of elimination begins. First Duncan is murdered, and Michael is promoted and sent to the U.S. branch, Kirby Russell. However, he never arrives at the offices, and a body that is identified as Turner is found. When Tony Jacobs is killed Lorimer begins to suspect a connection to the other murders. The regular team is pushed into believing that it is coincidence until Jennifer Hammond is also killed. Dr. Solomon Brightman is enlisted to study the case, and focuses on the River Clyde, in which Forbes was found by George Parsonage, the Riverman who is renowned for his life on the river recovering bodies and saving lives, and around which the events have occurred or the victims and firm members live.

Meanwhile, in American James Johnson is holding Turner with the intent to extort money from the partners who ordered the hit. Turner escapes and his return to the U.K. puts new information into the hands of the police to catch Graham West, Catherine Devoy, Malcolm Adams and Alex Barr the partners who were getting rich in the scheme.

Another complex and excellent addition to the series. There are allusions to infidelity both for Forbes widow and Maggie, who is listening to the gossip at her old school, as she has returned from Florida early, and finds some references to Jo Grant, Lorimer's DI. There is steady increase in the development of the character of Lorimer and the marriage of Bill and Maggie.

[Nancy]

When the dead body of a man is fished out of Glasgow's River Clyde the morning after an office celebration, it looks like a case of accidental death. An anonymous telephone call and a forensic toxicology test, however, give DCI Lorimer reason to think otherwise. Probing deeper into the life and business of the deceased accountant, Duncan Forbes, a seemingly upright member of the community, Lorimer find only yet more unanswered questions. What is the secret his widow seems to be concealing? Is there any reason to think that the international accountancy firm was facing financial difficulties? What has become of the dead man's protege who has disappeared in New York? And when the firm's human resources manager is found dead in her riverside flat these questions become only more complex -- not to mention more disturbing.

And Lorimer is having to cope not only with deceptions devised to hide the facts, but also with suspicions from those far closer to home . . .

Great.

[margaret chalmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

A humane kindly Charon.

Another brilliant story. This one is more low key, subdued and rather melancholy. We also get to meet a famous Glasgow stalwart, Mr Parsonage, who fishes in the Clyde, for people living or dead. He pulls a man out of the river. An accountant. Did he fall, jump, or was he pushed? His family firm is investigated revealing a web of deceit and greed. Interestingly another theme runs through the book. Jealousy or suspicion of infidelity. Even Lorimer's wife succumbs to this poison because she, like the other women in the story do not speak of their fears. Was she right to be suspicious? Read it and find out. I ain't telling. Highly recommended.

[Wendy Jakob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another in the DCI Lorimer Detective series by Alex Gray. This case starts with the death of a bookmaker and continues with a death and a disappearance from his firm of accountants.

Another death follows and DCI Lorimer must work out the connections between the events and who is behind them. Centred around the river Clyde, two of the bodies are pulled out of the Clyde by the Riverman, the man called when anyone needs rescuing or retrieving from the river. One death is initially believed to be accidental but as the case progresses Lorimer begins to understand how the deaths are linked and that there is nothing accidental taking place.

[Chrystyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Riverman by Alex Gray - Good

A body in the Clyde. Looks like the usual case of over indulgence and a walk too near the water's edge, but the victim is a partner in a multinational accountancy firm and somehow things don't add up. DI Lorimer and his psychologist colleague Dr Solomon Brightman are soon on the case.

Particularly enjoyed this one as I used to work a little further up the riverside and one of my colleagues actually found a body in the river one morning. However it did remind me of some other colleagues teasing me about Glasgow's reputation, when I first moved to Scotland, "Oh I often stand on Jamaica Bridge and count the bodies"...

Good pacy read.

[Lauren Thompson · Rating 2 out of 5]

To compare this author to Rebus is really pushing it. I didn’t like the style this book was written in, it made it confusing to keep up with who all the characters were and I’m still trying to figure out who the protagonist was supposed to be; Maclcolm, Michael, Lorimer - who knows?! The last ten pages are where the big reveal happens, but it was just so boring that I’d lost the will to keep my eyes open. I’ve had more thrilling nightmares. Sadly I won’t read anything else by Alex Gray.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

DCI William Lorimer works the streets of Glasgow in a hard hitting Series. With his now friend, and profiler, Solomon Brightman, they try to solve the grizzly murders found in the Scottish city .. Really strong characterisation and the storylines are all different and well paced. The personal lives of these two men are also really well developed, and their continuum comes across as 'thought out' and not just as an afterthought. Only a few more and I'll be up to date on the whole Series.

[Jo Woolnough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the plot for this book and like that it’s based in Scotland - the main detective comes across as firm but fair and keeps the readers firmly on his side.

The plot for this one really shows how human greed really can cause people to go to extremes - as for the murders you will be guessing for most of the book - very good.

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not to my taste at all. The beginning section takes place in a firm of accountants. I found this portion of the book very confusing. It wasn't until I was about 90 percent through the book that the mystery begins (finally!) to unravel. My preference is to have mysteries told from the perspective of the detectives which is far from the case here.

[Sharon Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a number of years since I read the previous book so it took me a while to get back into the swing of all of the characters. I liked the complexity of the story and the motivations of some of the characters were interesting.

I read the audiobook version and I wasn't a huge fan of the narrator's interpretation of female voices, but by about half way through it jarred less.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started the Lorimar series I started at book no.9 at have continued forward. I've also enjoyed going back and finding out about Lorimar's earlier career and his relationship with Maggie and his team members. I really enjoyed this book, trying to decide who was responsible for the deaths and why.

[Arthur Okun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A conventional company----an accounting corporation-----very staid partners-
and some are murderers and some are killed and some try to escape.
But,DCI William Lorimer interviewed the suspects,searched for clues, and those who stolen,and killed
met justice.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book by Alex Gray just didn't do it for me. Set in the world of accountants is probably what made it an unengaging prospect. I usually enjoy the books in this series and I'm a fan of DCI Lorimer.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the reading the river man. It was easy enough to follow without being over complicated. The characters were believable and easy to see in your mind. The story was well written and I looked forward to picking up my book whenever I got the chance.

[Jennifer Fehling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Near the end of the book before you know who did it!

I liked lorimer and his wife. I enjoyed reading about Glasgow and Strathclyde CID. The characters were interesting. Good story! Lots of possible culprits!

[Anne Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best one yet

Really enjoyed this book. The characters are becoming more real, people, not just cardboard, stiff and unending. There is a lot going on in the beginning, bit confusing, didn't figure out the guilty party until it was revealed.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is number 4 in the series, and I liked it. but not as much as the other 3 (and number 18 that u accidentally read, without realising it was a series). there are a lot of characters and it gets a bit confusing. but there's some good twists.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Always glad to know about another Scottish crime series. This one was pretty well done, so I'll most definitely be reading others in the series. I do have to say, though, that there were so many characters I occasionally had to think pretty hard about who was being referred to.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unusual titled book that has nothing to do with the case. Good storyline and this had me not knowing who did it until it was revealed. And did one of my suspects turn out to be guilty? No, not even close.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. At times there were lots of characters to keep up with & had to keep checking who was who but a good read nonetheless!