Never Somewhere Else by Alex Gray

Val Penny ♦ February 22, 2020 ♦ Leave a comment

I have found a few of Alex Gray’s more recent books a bit disappointing. However, I know she can write excellent novels, so when I found this earlier book, Never Somewhere Else, on sale, I picked it up, only to discover that this is the first book in the author’s DCI Lorimer series and I enjoyed it.

DCI William Lorimer has been tasked with the unenviable job of unmasking a vicious killer who has mutilated and scalped three women leaving their bodies to be discovered in St Mungo’s park, Glasgow, Scotland. These are gruesome murders, with the antagonist keeping the scalps as trophies, reminiscent of the 1800 battles of the Native Americans.

To help him understand the mind of the perpetrator he requests the services of psychologist Sol Brightman. Lorimer is a detemined DCI who instils trust in the officers under his command. His wife, Maggie, is an English teacher. She finds his routine annoyingly unpredictable and she never knows what time to expect his presence at home…if at all. 

Ultimately, it takes a homeless man to find the connections among the victims, and Dr. Brightman finds himself lucky to have survived an assault with his hair intact. When a news reporter and his photographer start turning up and releasing confidential information, DCI Lorimer goes ballistic and more people die.

This is a gripping debut to the series and I am really glad to have caught up with it, all be it belatedly. If you enjoy tartan noir and good crime fiction, Never Somewhere Else is well worth a read.

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.

Val Penny