Ask me my spirit of choice and it’ll be gin every time. Whisky? Not my tipple mate. But crime fiction has a way of altering perceptions and weakening prejudices – and William McIntyre’s Illicit Still is a case in point.
It’ll come as no surprise to learn that the book is set in Scotland, where world-weary defence solicitor Robbie Munro has been plying his trade for quite some time. His base is in Lithlingow, not that far from Edinburgh, and he can generally be found in the Sheriff Court handling pretty run of the mill cases. This time though, things are a bit different – and faint alarm bells ring when a woman accused of the murder of her husband walks into the office and asks him to defend her.
There’s something fishy going on here. First, the defendant in question is Gillian Halkett, better known as best-selling romance writer Jilly Jean Lyon; second, Robbie is surprised to learn that she’s been referred by his old employers; third, her husband used to be her father-in-law – she was previously married to his son, the latest wedding happening purely for inheritance tax avoidance reasons; and fourth, the man she’s supposed to have killed was Tom Halkett, owner of the famed Bradburn Distillery.
Oh, and the prosecution is doing its best to fast-track the trial, which makes the previously muted alarm bells begin clang vigorously. But hey, Robbie is a man of resources – or so he likes to believe. Luckily, he has wife Joanna, also a lawyer, to keep him on the straight and narrow. She’s even taking the lead on the case, until Gillian/Jilly takes offence and sacks her. So Robbie is once again on the back foot, and in desperation offers the job to the legendary Lionel Geddes, now past his prime but well up to the job… supposedly.
As you can tell from the above, author McIntyre handles the narrative with a light touch, injecting a wry Scottish humour into a well woven legal thriller and mixing everything together like a master blender of the finest malt. His characterisations are well rounded too. You’ll find hard bitten criminals rubbing shoulders with the hoi polloi and everything in between, creating a rich tapestry that keeps those pages flying by.
If your courtroom heroes are the likes of Michael Connelly’s Lincoln Lawyer Mickey Haller or Steve Cavanagh’s conman turned legal eagle Eddie Flynn, then the Scottish system of law might come as a bit of a surprise. On this showing, things are a little more staid and definitely less dramatic when compared to the US system – and William McIntyre should know, because he’s a retired Scottish criminal defence lawyer who plied his trade up north for 30 years. It gives the book an authentic feel, although I did find myself hankering after a bit of good ol’ American grandstanding as the case progressed.
The Scottish noir sub-genre is a broad church and Illicit Still fits right in. It may be the 16th book in the Robbie Munro series but this newcomer can vouch for the fact that it’s no problem to get up to speed by dipping in, because it works fine read on its own. Some of the Scottish legal terms were a little foreign to these English eyes and a wee glossary at the back might have helped, although Google is another option of course.
That aside, this is a read that will keep you entertained as the nights begin to draw in. Settle back and get acquainted with Robbie and his assorted friends and enemies – and don’t forget to pour a week dram to make the reading experience even more authentic. Slàinte!
You can read our interview with the author here.
Vinci Books
Print/Kindle
£4.99
CFL Rating: 4 Stars
