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John Harkin
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The Fear of Falling (The DI Kidston Crime Thrillers) Kindle Edition

by John Harkin (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 326 ratings

In gritty Glasgow, a police detective confronts criminals—as well as an enemy that lies within . . .

In the seedy environs of 1980s Glasgow, Scotland, it takes guts to be a cop. DI Luc Kidston has guts—though he also has a weak spot thanks to his fear of heights. Now he must focus on finding a samurai sword–wielding vigilante—and untangling the case of one of his protégés, who’s been arrested for allegedly putting a woman into a coma.

Solving both problems will lead Kidston to take some unorthodox steps, including hiring a forensic hypnotist. It will also bring him into conflict with his own colleagues and lead him to fight for his life in a terrifying showdown . . .

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  1. Book 1 of 2
    DI Kidston
  2. Print length
    340 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Bloodhound Books
  5. Publication date
    January 17, 2022
  6. File size
    3.0 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 2 books in this series.
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09HTLVGDH
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bloodhound Books (January 17, 2022)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 17, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 340 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 326 ratings

About the author

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John Harkin

John Harkin

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John Harkin was born and raised in Glasgow where he still resides.

He’s a former shipbuilder, police officer and business consultant.

As a former police commander and hostage negotiator, his novels draw upon his police experience. Serving in uniform, CID, and firearms teams, and with experience of policing armed sieges and major incidents, John can tap into a rich seam of material for writing crime fiction.

John’s debut novel, The Fear Of Falling, was published in January 2022 by Bloodhound Books. In October 2022, the novel was featured in Bloody Scotland, the annual crime fiction festival in Stirling as part of their Crime in the Spotlight series.

A second novel, A Fear of Dark Places, will be published by Bloodhound Books on 2 June 2023.

Away from writing, his other passions are reading, music and football.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
326 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Mandi L.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Exciting Read!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2022
    I have to say, as a US reader, it took me a bit to get the hang of the slang in this book. Once I got used to it, it took off from there. I really enjoyed this novel! It was exciting and it kept me reading at a quick pace. I'm surprised this was Mr. Harkin's first novel, as it was written so well. I can't wait for another!
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  • Bobbi Jo Wagner
    4.0 out of 5 stars great story
    Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2022
    This is a new author for me which I enjoyed from beginning to end. His writing style is such that it brings the story to life and kept it engaging. His attention to details gave the story a realistic feel. I enjoyed being pulled into this suspenseful story by the characters. They are connectable and made the story easy to read. A story full of action and hard to put down. This was a great pick up that I highly recommend. You don't want to miss the twists and turns that really made the story edge sitting.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Ellie Ness
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tartan Noir Glasgow set novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Glasgow: the city of unsolicited conversations. The city that in the 80s was just moving out of its ”no mean city” tagline into its regeneration of slums such as the Gorbals. Glasgow still has its Young Teams who fight it out for territory and more serious crime families who control drugs, prostitution and money laundering into ”clean” businesses.

    Into this setting the reader is taken into two separate investigations – a young girl left damaged by an apparent attack at the side of a darkened road and a samurai attack on a drug dealing henchman. Our protagonist is DI Kidston who fits the tartan noir hero of being so focused on the job that he lives alone. That’s not to say that he is unattractive to women, quite the reverse, but he fits the various females who orbit his periphery into any downtime he manages to squeeze in.

    It was a delight to this Glasgow girl to read about locations such as the Gorbals, Queen’s Park or Tradeston and to be able to imagine Glasgow a few decades ago.

    The investigations travel along at a decent lick and all the characters are well rounded enough that you care about their outcomes.

    I would recommend this to readers of good detective novels. The author is a former police officer and the air of authenticity comes across in the writing.
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  • Kindle Customer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 18, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Good police procedural based in the centre of Glasgow. The characters were excellent and the storyline just rolled along at an acceptable rate.
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  • Stewart Daniels
    5.0 out of 5 stars A gritty, authentic read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This impressive first novel by the author turned into a real pageturner. As a retired police officer who worked in the Glasgow area during this time period, I could identify, and immerse myself in, the environment, the criminality and the police culture of the time. The range of police characters, from the younger career-focused to the more experienced but cynical officers, is very authentic.
    I look forward to starting the author’s second novel soon.
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  • Patrick Head
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great first novel
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Patrick Head

    What a great first novel from the talented John Harkins, He has delivered a fast paced thriller which takes you right to the heart of Glasgow's Gorbals of the 80's in great detail.
    John has created a police novel that runs two cases parallel to each other with believable characters and storylines which allow you to picture the characters and the locations of Glasgow.
    John has also given insight into the characters personalities and their own personal circumstances. The novel leaves you knowing what has happened to the characters and that is refreshing.
    DI Kidston and his team could be the new Taggart as their is so much scope to this first novel.
    Thank you for a great read and hopefully Bloodhound Books will be chasing novel no.2 from John
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  • Jill B
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great page-turner
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 15, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This is a police thriller set in Glasgow written by a former police officer who worked in Glasgow. Harkin’s characters seem to be people he’s known for decades. They don’t have superpowers but most of them, most of the time, are hardworking police officers. The reader wants them to succeed, but above all, wants to know what happens next. A great story!
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