Claire MacLeary
Claire MacLeary lived for manyย years in Aberdeen and St Andrews, but describes herself as โa feisty Glaswegian with a full life to draw onโ. Following a career in business, she gained an MLitt with Distinction from the University of Dundee and her short stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies. She has appeared at Granite Noir, Noir at the Bar and other literary events.
Claire’s crime series, Harcus & Laird, has been recieved with wide acclaim. Her debut novel and the first in the series, Cross Purpose, was longlisted for the prestigious McIlvanney Prize, Scottish Crime Book of the Year Award 2017. Burnout was longlisted for the Hearst Big Book Award 2018.ย Runaway, her third novel, was published in 2019. Payback is Claire’s fourth novel and continues the Harcus & Laird series.
In Death Drop, theย fifth Harcus & Laird novel, PIs Maggie and Wilma find themselves chasing leads on several fronts, including a missing Aberdeen schoolchild and the fallout from a disturbing hanging with a backstory of secrets and lies.ย Death Drop is out in July 2022.
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Buy Runaway
When Aberdeen housewife Debbie Milne abruptly vanishes, her husband is frantic with worry and turns to local PIs Maggie Laird and โBig Wilmaโ Harcus.
Maggie is reluctant to take on a โmisperโ case, but Wilma cajoles her into a covert operation โ trawling womenโs refuges and homeless squats in search of a lead. But when a womanโs body is discovered in a skip, the unlikely investigators are dragged into a deeper mystery involving people-trafficking, gambling and prostitution โ and theyโre in deadly danger.
With the police struggling to make headway and the clock ticking, the race is on for Harcus & Laird to find answers, further straining their already fraying relationship.
With Runaway, Claire MacLeary delivers the goods again โ creating a surprising, gritty, fast-paced tale with the warmth and wit of โwomen of a certain ageโ.
REVIEWS OF Runaway
โA vitality and verve which is rare โฆ A great crime novel [featuring] two of Scottish fictionโs most engaging characters.โ Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae
โOriginal and entertaining โฆ With her quirky mix of grit and humour, Claire MacLeary is carving a niche for herself.โ Crime Fiction Lover
โA gripping, dark and gritty read.โ The Quiet Knitterer
โSurprising, compelling and brought to life by two of the most wonderful main characters.โ Chocolate n Waffles
โDynamite โฆ The author loves to smash gender and age stereotypes โฆ As an avid fan of this series, I have to say Runaway is my favourite.โ Chapter In My Life
โAbsolutely brilliant โฆ A fast-paced and sometimes humorous story with lots of tense and downright scary moments.โ Beauty and Balm
โFunny, full of tension and drama, and with some real stop-you-in-your-tracks moments.โ Jen Medโs Book Reviews
โAs true a portrait of the relationship between two quite different women as you are likely to get โฆ The descriptions of people and places are extremely well done โฆ Aberdeen springs to life in MacLearyโs vivid setting, adding yet another layer of authenticity.โ Live and Deadly
โWhilst Runaway is an enjoyable and well written crime novel, it is also so much more than that. Claire MacLeary lays bareโฆ the way [working] women view themselves and one another, and explores the complex relationships they must juggle just to get through each and every day. Wholeheartedly recommended.โ Undiscovered Scotland
โThis is a thoroughly entertaining series that could run and run.โ Sunday Herald
