The latest enthralling book in the DCI Steve Burt series, The Scottish Murder, by local crime fiction author, John Reid, was released on the 21 March.

In The Scottish Murder, John Reid takes fans on another gripping journey with DCI Steve Burt. Expect a thrilling mix of suspense, mystery, and unexpected twists.

The author kindly shared a blurb of the book with The Portugal News: “Two killings 500 miles apart seem to be unconnected. A girl’s body discovered in a doorway in London cannot surely be connected to another body discovered in Dundee. When the Scottish body vanishes from the mortuary, Police Scotland wash their hands of the investigation. As the murdered girl found in Scotland had recently travelled from London, DCI Steve Burt is given both cases.

During the investigation, the team battles political greed, a ruthless killer and major corruption as they unearth a devious plan that would give the UK complete world domination and make a government minister very rich. However, in order to protect his expected wealth, the minister must eliminate anyone who gets in the way. Steve and his team have to deal with a succession of apparently unrelated murders before the two cases finally come together.”

Behind the story

When asked about the inspiration behind his book, John explained, “I have long thought of writing a detective series based on my hometown of Dundee in Scotland. I have in fact started writing this new series and characters. So when sketching out the plot for my ninth DCI Steve Burt novel, which opens in a northern city, it seemed natural to move further north and set the opening in Dundee. Plus, I am obviously familiar with the place, which made character identification and scene setting easier.”´

John also shared how this latest novel differs from previous installments: “I have always tried not to follow the same formula when adding to the DCI Burt collection. The ninth book builds on previous characters plus introduces new ones who hopefully add a new dimension together with some humour. Having a two jurisdiction plot sets number nine apart.”

Finally, without giving too much away, book ten in the beloved series is scheduled for release in 2026 with the title “The Set Up” and sees Steve Burt having to consider his future in the Met.

Credits: Supplied Image;

What’s next for DCI Steve Burt?

John revealed that “at the moment, the tenth book will be the last currently for DCI Burt, but the door is open for his return. I am working on a new series based in and around Dundee, Scotland. The main character is DS Billy Kerr, a street-wise, passed-over policeman who flaunts the rules to get results.”

John Reid’s last book The Revenge, received rave reviews, with one reader sharing “I have been waiting far too long for the next instalment in this wonderfully enthralling DCI Steve Burt series but has been well worth it! Consistently brilliant storytelling as expected, with interwoven plots full of suspense and ingenuity. With so many titles and brilliant authors in this genre , we as readers are spoilt for choice, but you must read not only this book but the whole series if you love crime fiction and police dramas full of murder, mystery and plot twists you will never expect.

The Revenge has all of the characteristics of the previous DCI Steve Burt series - well written, fast paced, intriguing cases and great police work from the team that continue to grow and evolve as characters with every case. And as with the rest of the books, it still feels fresh and original with new crimes, conspiracies and killings, and with the recent unfortunate war in Ukraine, it feels more real than ever.

Fans of crime fiction won’t want to miss The Scottish Murder. Get your copy today and dive into one of the most thrilling cases in the DCI Steve Burt series.

To purchase copies of Scottish Murder, please visit Amazon.com in any country, www.wook.pt, WHSmith, or www.austinmcauley.com

To keep up to date with the latest from the DCI Steve Burt mysteries, please visit www.steve-burt.com/books or alternatively, visit https://www.instagram.com/johnreidauthor/ and https://johnreidauthor.website/.

Author

Following undertaking her university degree in English with American Literature in the UK, Cristina da Costa Brookes moved back to Portugal to pursue a career in Journalism, where she has worked at The Portugal News for 3 years. Cristina’s passion lies with Arts & Culture as well as sharing all important community-related news.

Cristina da Costa Brookes