Having very much enjoyed "The Quaker", I have been eagerly awaiting Liam McIlvanney's next offering. "The Heretic" takes us back to the gritty Glasgow of the mid-1970s. The plot is gripping but it's the cast of characters, so intricately explored, that really bring Liam McIlvanney's words to life - from trilby-wearing DI Duncan McCormack of the Serious Crime Squad, to obituary-obsessed DCI Alan Haddow, by way of retired skull-cracker Greg Hislop. The Glaswegian dialogue is steeped in nostalgia, bringing to mind older relatives of mine. I particularly appreciate the history of the city that McIlvanney weaves through the narrative. I love his writing and am looking forward to more in this series. First class crime fiction!