Gordon Ferris Books In Order

Publication Order of Danny McRae Books

Publication Order of Douglas Brodie Books

Publication Order of Money Tree Books

Scottish author Gordon Ferris writes thriller, crime, and historical novels. He was born on Rabbie Burns’ day in Kilmarnock (which is a tiny industrial town), the West of Scotland. Ferris’ mom took this to be a sign that a literary fortune was coming from him. He ignored this, even though he loved writing more than the fairer sex and rugby.

Before he started writing novels, he worked as an executive for the Ministry of Defence (for the United Kingdom), worked in the banking division as one of the consultancy partners for Price Waterhouse, and a computer programmer.

Ferris writes the “Douglas Brodie” series and the “Danny McRae” series. He made his debut as a novelist in the year 2007, with the novel “Truth Dare Kill”, which is the first book that stars Danny McRae.

He decided to set the first six novels that he wrote in Britain, after the war, due to the fact that he thought it was largely untouched. He felt that most set their work during and about the war or after the late forties.

“The Hanging Shed” is the first novel in the “Douglas Brodie” series and was released in the year 2010. Glasgow in the year 1946. The last time that Douglas Brodie returned home, the year was 1942 and he was in a kilt and quite the young warrior. The war has ended, victory’s wine has gone sour and Brodie is back in Scotland so that he can try to save Hugh Donovan (a childhood friend of Douglas’) from being hanged.

Everyone thought that Hugh got shot and killed during the war. The man that came back was mutilated and horribly burned, and it might have actually been better if he had been killed. Donovan does not see anyone, and only goes out to get heroin so that he can kill the pain he feels from his wounds.

A local boy is found murdered and raped, and the police have just one suspect. Donovan says that he did not do it, but there is quite a bit of evidence that says otherwise. Even though the crime is quite hideous, Douglas decides he will help his old friend.

He works with Samantha Campbell (who is Donovan’s advocate) he travels through the Gorbals’ mean streets and western Scotland’s green hills to find out the truth. They see there is an unholy alliance that was formed with Glasgow’s razor gang, church, and police that is happy to kill to keep their dark secrets protected. Time is running out for Donovan, but the murdered innocents count rises. Douglas gets back into the frame of mind that he had during the war of trained killer. Them or him.

This is an enjoyable and absorbing read, despite being quite violent and a little brutal. Fans of the novel enjoyed the roller coaster ride of a thriller and mystery this was. Some like that there are many layers to the whole mystery that keep you guessing throughout and it makes for a tangled web of a read. Some were blown away by how great this book is for them.

“Bitter Water” is the second novel in the “Douglas Brodie” series and was released in the year 2012. The people of Glasgow have made a declaration, as they find the police corrupt and useless. They take things into their own hands: Glasgow Marshals For Douglas Brodie. The town’s outbreak of both mayhem and killing starts easily enough. It starts with just another Saturday night brawl, that adds some color to the Gazette’s morning paper.

Douglas’ piece gets a pretty hot blooded reply to things, there is a war declared upon petty crime. It is signed by The Glasgow Marshals, who are the vigilantes. He thinks of himself being lucky being back in his home town, playing local crime reporter, after some time at the Front. Although things are being played eye for an eye by these people, Brodie does have some sympathy for the cause these guys represent.

A man is murdered, and the suspicion is quickly turned on The Marshals, the police quickly agree with that. Brodie believes the crime is entirely wrong. The Marshals are opposed to murder and stand for justice. Through the storm of police and populace, there is one well calculated killing that everyone has ignored.

Douglas gets Samantha Campbell’s help so that he can investigate this death on his own. Through this investigation, he finds that still waters really do run deep.

Fans found this to be a stellar follow up to the first book in the series. The plot have been thought out carefully, not to mention, the characters and setting feel quite real. So much so, you almost feel like you are there with all of the people, as things are taking place.

“Pilgrim Soul” is the third novel in the “Douglas Brodie” series and was released in the year 2013. This book stars Danny McRae, a hero of some of Ferris’ other books. The year is 1947 in the worst winter in memory, as Glasgow is covered in deep snow. Killers are walking the streets, and the past of Douglas Brodie is consuming him.

It starts out tiny. The Jewish in Glasgow want Douglas (former cop who became a journalist) to solve a string of burglaries. Brodie is in need of the money and the police do not really care. He is able to solve the mystery, but the thief is discovered after being butchered by someone he was robbing.

Then, the householder is also killed, and the whole town is in a state of uproar, and the simple case of burglary he was working turns into chaos. Danny McRae shows up, he was a sparring partner for Brodie when they both policed the nasty streets of Glasgow. Does Danny bring retribution or redemption? The murders stack up and Brodie finds some tainted gold and a track to the concentration camps. It means the horrors that haunt his nightmares. Glasgow has many Jewish refugees. Are their persecutors hunting them, and who will be the next one to die?

Fans of the novel like reading about Brodie, and find that he is quite likable and interesting; he is just a good man that is trying to do the right thing, and make sense of his mental trouble. Ferris does a great job of writing dialogue in this novel, with strong and brisk pacing.