Loose Threads by Martin Stewart review: 'Meet the most exciting 'detective' in Scottish literature'

Welcome to a world of Soviet Spies, llama farms, gangland battles and radioactive shoes.

A spiky, fast-paced novel, Loose Threads is the second in a series that introduces us to the most exciting “detective” in Scottish literature.

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There is more than a hint of the Dirk Gently about this book. Robbie may not quite be a holistic detective, but his chaotic approach of shaking everything up and seeing where it lands feels similar. There is also a wit and liveliness that is reminiscent of Douglas Adams, and I don’t use that comparison lightly.

I can count on one hand the number of books that have made me laugh. Not just a wry smile or a huff of a chuckle, but a proper, out-loud laugh. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to do, and this book succeeded to a level that took me by surprise.

Robbie is funny in a very Scottish way: he is self-deprecating, quick-witted and irreverent and he has some of the most delightful one-liners I’ve ever read.

Dialogue can often be the downfall of authors, particularly when writing in Scots - it can sometimes feel forced and out of place, even cliched. This could not be further from the truth in Loose Threads. The characters feel natural and real, their conversations and accents lift off the page.

Robbie is rude, crass and tactless, but still likable, and that’s an impressive magic trick to pull off. I usually despise the disrespectful, couldn’t-care-less, alcohol-fuelled detective - it feels like worn and over-used trope, especially in Scottish fiction. But Robbie isn’t gruff, he’s charming and his sass is usually delivered with a sweet smile (although maybe I’m just excusing his behaviour because he’s funny. It’s amazing what some genuinely good patter can do).

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Within the anarchy of Robbie’s investigation there is a strong narrative structure, so rather than the book turning into a hot mess, we can enjoy the myriad of characters and clues that are thrown our way. Added to this, the writing is superb. Stewart is able to do a lot with only a few words, and he manages to ground Robbie in reality, making him feel like a whole person.

This is not your stereotypical Tartan Noir. There are no sweeping vistas or isolated villages, and Scotland does not loom large as a separate and dominating character. Instead, we get gritty city life and gangland battles, and it is the characters that bring Scotland to the page.

The story moves at such a pace that sometimes it feels as if even the author himself can’t keep up with Robbie as he flies along in his flip-flops and rain bonnet, riling people up without discrimination. There are many different threads tying the plot together, along with an array of the most astonishing characters including spies, llama farmers and two homicidal maniacs with giant heads. The story feels propelled, not just by this remarkable cast, but by an overriding force, some external power forcing us forward. Those Dirk Gently echoes again.

I approached this book as a standalone, having missed the first release in the series, and I never struggled with the story. There are a few expositional moments that get us up to speed in no time, and the story works in isolation. However, I will confess that the second I put this book down I rushed to my local bookshop and scoured the shelves for the first in the series, and I will be waiting with eager anticipation in the hope that this is not the end of the Robbie Gould books. I predict a golden future for Mr Gould, and I can’t wait.

Loose Threads by Martin Stewart, Polygon, £9.99

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