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4.0 

Payback

By Claire MacLeary
Payback by Claire MacLeary digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

'Claire MacLeary has, with little fuss or fanfare, written a crime series that subverts and rejuvenates the crime genre' Scots Whay Hae

When police are called to a murder scene at the home of Aberdeen socialite Annabel Imray, they are under pressure to get a conviction, and fast. The last thing they want is the distraction of a series of baffling break-ins. The victims, all of them women, are terrorised: just how did the intruder know so much about them?

Meanwhile, local PIs Maggie Laird and Wilma Harcus are at rock bottom, their bills mounting. As Maggie prepares to sell her home and contemplates dissolving the agency, Wilma goes off-piste to get a loan. But when the clock starts ticking on repayment, she realises the price is too high.

And before long, Maggie herself is in grave danger. Wilma fears the worst. Can she find her before it's too late?

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Payback Reviews

4.0
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Helen McBay

Created almost 6 years ago
“I read Payback in paperback (not Kindle as stated here)”
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Living_the_life_of_a_bookworm

Created about 6 years ago
“This book was a really easy read with some humour thrown in, it would be hard not to be drawn into the lives of Maggie and Wilma. I enjoyed it as a quick read that allowed for a little escapism. I definitely think this could be written into a TV detective series.”
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Vikkiew87

Created about 6 years ago
“What an absolutely fantastic book!
I have not been able to put this one down. I have definitely stayed up far too late reading this one. It has been highly worth it. This is a fantastic book and the author has pulled me in from the very beginning. 
I have been kept guessing throughout this one and despite this being my first read by this author. I highly doubt it will be the last. I am definitely a fan of this author after reading this book, I will definitely be seeking more of her work.”
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Dee-Cee

Created about 6 years ago
“Payback is the fourth book in the Harcus and Laird series and having loved the other three I was quite desperate to read this one. I will say though that if you haven’t read the others this will work as a stand-alone nicely but I do highly recommend you read the others as they are fantastic and I’ve loved following the characters and getting to know them more. Maggie’s struggling, the business is quiet and the bills are mounting up. Her daughter Kirsty is at uni and away to start her honours, son Colin is about to start 6th year at his private school which doesn’t come cheap and to top it off she’s still waiting for payment from a previous case. Having been given advice from her friend Val, Maggie’s contemplating letting Wilma go and hiring an intern to save money. Luckily Wilma has no idea about Vals advice and like usual Wilma has got Maggie’s back, she ends up hell bent on helping her friend but what will the consequences be? Things may be quiet for the PIs but the police are being stretched in two, the murder of a young woman, house thefts and a missing cat all need to be solved but there doesn’t seem to be many leads and DI Allan Chisholm is getting it in the neck from them upstairs and needs results fast. The characters in these books are fantastic and I particularly like Wilma, she’s loud and proud and a right character. She won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I’d love to go for a drink with her. We get to know a bit more about Maggie though in Payback, she’s quite lonely after her husbands death and realising that she needs to take a bit of time for herself. She’s still a bit snobby, especially where Wilma is concerned but the two have a great relationship, a real friendship. Two very different women but with a great bond. I love how we basically have two different stories in this book, you have Maggie and Wilma’s and then the police and it’s interesting to read how they all come together. It’s a real mystery that is exciting and intriguing and one I loved trying to figure out. Payback is another fantastic addition to this series, it was quite an addictive read and I’ve found that with each book. It has a great setting in Aberdeen, it has a clever plot and brilliant characters that feel real. With each page I turned I felt myself getting pulled in further and further and I really didn’t want to put it down. I’m really excited to see where we are taken next on Maggie and Wilma’s journey and I hope this series continues for a long time. Thoroughly enjoyable and another book I’ll be highly recommending from Claire MacLeary.”

About Claire MacLeary

Claire MacLeary has lived in Aberdeen and Fife, but describes herself as “a feisty Glaswegian with a full life to draw on”. Following a career in business, she gained an MLitt with Distinction from the University of Dundee. Payback is her fourth novel and continues the Harcus & Laird series.

Other books by Claire MacLeary

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Burnout

Claire MacLeary
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Runaway

Claire MacLeary
$16.95

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