Title: To the Dogs

Author: Louise Welsh

Genre: Crime/Thriller

Publisher: Canongate

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Summary:

Jim Brennan is flying high. Against all odds, he is a big man at the university, tipped for the head job and an office at the top of the ivory tower. He has a beautiful, accomplished wife and two healthy children. Jim drives an Audi, and his dog is a pedigree bichon frisé. Not bad for the son of a hardman who grew up in a room and kitchen. 

But for every person who’s watched his progress and wanted to hitch a lift, there’s someone else desperate to drag him back down. When his son Elliot is arrested on drugs charges, Jim is approached by men he thought he had left safely in his past. Their demands threaten his family, students and reputation.

As the pressure mounts, Jim discovers he is more like his father than he thought. The question is, how far will Professor Jim Brennan go to save the life he built?

Review:

I loved the premise of To the Dogs and that, combined with the Scottish setting, had my expectations pretty high for this crime novel. Luckily I can confirm it is every bit as gripping, tense and compelling as I’d hoped! The story follows Professor Jim Brennan, a rising star in the university he works at and son of a notorious Glaswegian hardman. Jim has done his best to escape his roots and the shadow of his, now deceased, father. However, when Jim’s son is arrested on drug charges, he finds himself forced to descend back into the world he did his utmost to distance himself from.

I found Jim utterly fascinating as a main character. To the Dogs is very much focused on Jim’s personal reckoning with his legacy and his realisation of how far he is willing to go to protect his family, and the life and career he has built for himself. This is a deftly plotted and genuinely unputdownable book, which looks at morality, fatherhood, corruption and violence set in a modern and gritty Glasgow that uncovers both the dark and the idealistic sides of a city dripping in character. I loved every minute of Jim’s journey into darkness and retribution, as he fights to keep his reputation and more importantly, his family, safe. I couldn’t recommend this outstanding piece of crime fiction more highly and will be adding Louise Welsh to my list of auto-buy authors. A very easy five stars.

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I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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