Description

The breathtaking, devastating second novel in the acclaimed Glasgow Trilogy, a Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year.

How does a gunman retire? Frank MacLeod was the best at what he does. Thoughtful. Efficient. Ruthless. But with his health failing him, how long before he’s no longer of use to his employers? A new job. A target. But something is about to go horribly wrong. And up-and-coming hitman Calum MacLean will be called upon to pick up the pieces.

Most gunmen say goodbye to the world with a bang. Frank’s still here. No longer in his prime, certainly. But with decades of experience at the top of his profession. Underestimating such a man could prove to be deadly.

Praise

"[Mackay's] Glasgow Trilogy is classic . . . The subject is organized crime, but it's the author's blunt eloquence that matters. Don't pick up a Mackay book unless you've got spare time. They're habit-forming." —Janet Maslin, New York Times
"It's been a long time since so many pages went by so fast .... Mackay is a natural storyteller [with] a voice to which we're happy to surrender. Surprisingly rewarding .... a thriller trilogy that thrills. " —Dennis Drabelle, Washington Post
"Bracing ... remarkable." —Adam Woog, Seattle Times
"Gripping and surprisingly poignant . . . Frank and Calum are brutal criminals, but Mackay never robs the characters of their humanity." —Publishers Weekly (starred)
"How a Gunman Says Goodbyeis even better than its remarkable predecessor . . . The author is already being hailed as a new star of tartan noir and if the third book in this trilogy can maintain the impetus of the first two the existing clan of Scottish writers may have to look to their laurels." —Daily Express
"You know how among all the kids acting tough at school there is one that stands out, the only one who convinces? Malcolm Mackay is that man. His characteristically urgent prose style drives his narrative at a remorseless pace as the Gunman - old and approaching the end of his career - works out what options he has left . . . Don't worry that it's set in Glasgow - there's no dialect. Nor that it's the second in a trilogy - it stands alone. By all means read the first book; you'll enjoy it. But it's time to get on board. Hail the new king of Scottish crime. This is a superb book. It should win prizes." —Crime Time
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