Books Reviews

The Hanging Shed – Book Review

By Angela Youngman Jun 6, 2011, 17:15 GMT

Glasgow 1946. The last time Brodie came home it was 1942 and he was a proud young man in a paratrooper\'s uniform. Now, the war is over but victory\'s wine has soured and Brodie\'s back in Scotland to try and save childhood friend Shug Donovan from the gallows. Everyone thought Donovan was dead, shot down in the war. Perhaps it would have been kinder if he had been killed. ...more

It's 1946 and Douglas Brodie is struggling to come to terms with life on Civvie Street while trying to scratch a living as a freelance journalist.  Then comes the call from Glasgow.  An old childhood friend is facing the gallows but says he is innocent. 

Brodie does not hesitate.  He takes the train up north and sets out to investigate, hoping against hope he can find something that will save his friend.  Did Shug Donovan really kill the children?  Or was he framed?  It is a race against time and not helped by Brodie's difficult relationship with his former police colleagues in Glasgow. 

Soon he begins to realize that the search for answers is threatening his own life.  Some incredibly dramatic scenes set in the Clyde and across on the isle of Arran result.  This is very powerful writing and Ferris is clearly getting better and better as an author. 

The complex story line grips your attention, with unexpected surprises appearing.  It is extremely well plotted, and no loose ends left untied at the end.  I really enjoyed this story, it is very atmospheric bringing the post war world to life.