Blood City

A gritty, atmospheric crime thriller set in the brutal underworld of 1980s Glasgow — where loyalty is fragile, violence is currency, and survival comes at a cost.

Davie McCall is a henchman with a code — shaped by trauma, sharpened by the streets, and tested by a city on the brink of change.

About the Ebook

Blood City introduces Davie McCall — a young man forged in violence long before he ever entered Glasgow’s criminal world. After fifteen years of torment at the hands of his father, Davie carries a darkness inside him, one that finds direction under the mentorship of Joe “the Tailor” Klein, the city’s feared but principled Godfather.

Joe the Tailor may be a killer, but he has rules: no drugs, no foul language, and never violence against women. Davie respects that code. But when Glasgow’s new drug trade begins to take hold, the Tailor refuses to get involved — and the underworld erupts.

As alliances fracture and bodies fall, Davie is pulled deeper into a war he never wanted. And when a young reporter enters his life, he begins to wonder if escape is possible — or if a man like him can ever truly change.

Set during a seismic shift in Glasgow’s criminal landscape, Blood City is a gripping story of corruption, betrayal and the cost of loyalty.

Critical Praise

"Positively delights in the city's dark underbelly… fierce, all too believable, with a clear ear for the Glasgow dialect."
— Daily Mail

"Signals the arrival of a new and sophisticated voice in Scotland’s crime fiction community."
— Glasgow Now

"Skilfully builds atmosphere, develops characters and keeps the twists coming."
— Alastair Mabbott, The Herald

"Effortless prose, Glasgow banter and the wearing down of shoe leather as you charge through the streets of the mean city."
— Michael J. Malone, crimesquad.com

Why You'll Love This Ebook

• A gripping, character‑driven crime thriller rooted in Glasgow’s real criminal history.
• A morally complex protagonist shaped by trauma and torn between loyalty and change.
• Fast‑paced, atmospheric storytelling with sharp dialogue and vivid sense of place.
• The explosive first book in the acclaimed Davie McCall Quartet.
• Perfect for fans of Tartan Noir and gritty Scottish crime fiction.

About the Author

Douglas Skelton is one of Scotland’s leading true‑crime authors, with eleven non‑fiction titles including Glasgow’s Black Heart, Frightener and Indian Peter. His work has featured in numerous documentaries and news programmes, and he presented the BBC Scotland radio adaptation of Indian Peter.

Frightener played a key role in clearing the names of two men wrongly imprisoned for mass murder and is currently being adapted for film. Blood City is his first novel and the beginning of the iconic Davie McCall series.

Publication Details

Publisher: Luath Press

Publication Date: —

Print Length: — (Ebook edition)

ISBN (Ebook): 9781909912533

Format: Ebook

Language: English / Scots

Categories: Crime Fiction / Tartan Noir / Scottish Fiction

Also in the Davie McCall Quartet

Continue Davie McCall’s story in the rest of Douglas Skelton’s acclaimed Glasgow crime series:

• Crow Bait — Book 2
• Devil’s Knock — Book 3
• Open Wounds — Book 4

Or get the full series in one place:

The Complete Davie McCall Quartet Bundle

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