The Violent Hour : THE LATEST HIGH-STAKES INSPECTOR McLEAN THRILLER FROM THE MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING AUTHOR 'Oswald at the height of his powers' IMRAN MAHMOOD, author of YOU DON'T KNOW ME

'A thrilling page turner . . . The Violent Hour is James Oswald at the height of his powers'

IMRAN MAHMOOD

'A fast-paced procedural with plenty of surprises - while this might have been my first Tony McLean outing, it certainly won't be my last'

TARIQ ASHKANANI

'Pulse-pounding from start to finish with menace and intrigue on every page'

THE SUN

'Gripping and sharply observed . . . a real page-turner!'

CHARLOTTE ESSEX

'Do yourself a favour and read James Oswald's series. I can almost guarantee you won't stop at one' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

READER REVIEW

' The Violent Hour should be on everyone's TBR' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

READER REVIEW

'Another "must-read" from James Oswald' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

READER REVIEW

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Festival season. The streets are filled to bursting with tourists, and Edinburgh is gripped by a stifling heatwave. Not the best time for one of the most violent murders the city has witnessed in years.

The victim of the murder cannot be identified; its brutal nature of the shocking both the public and the police. What could possibly have inflicted such gruesome injuries? Was it a wild animal on the loose, or the beginning of some horrific gang warfare?

Another body is found on Musselburgh Beach: naked, comatose . . . but this time still alive. DI Tony McLean can't shake the feeling that there is a connection to the killing - but there are few leads for him and the team to go by.

The police are at a loss, and the city is on edge - will the killer strike again?

MORE PRAISE FOR THE VIOLENT HOUR

'A gift for fans'

The Sunday Post

'Written with real skill and heart . . . a propulsive and gripping read from start to finish'

DOUG JOHNSTONE

'Gruesome and gripping . . . The Violent Hour is another standout'

ROBBIE MORRISON

'James Oswald at his finest, his darkest, his most inventive'

R. D. McLEAN

'Dark, spooky and ambitious'

Scotland on Sunday

Author: James Oswald

Crime & mystery, Thriller / suspense

Published on 2 Jul 2026 by Headline Publishing Group.