'Brilliant debut. The Darker the Night pulled me in from the start and didn’t let go' – Jeremy Bowen, BBC International Editor

NPR's Book of the Day

A referendum on Scottish independence is only days away, and the campaign has been expertly orchestrated by First Minister Susan Ward. All signs point to victory for the nationalists. But when senior civil servant John Millar is shot in a Glasgow alley on a furiously rain-soaked night, his death triggers a chain of catastrophic events. An incriminating phone number and video are found in his possession.

Into this chaos walks reporter Fulton Mackenzie. A man himself blighted by tragedy but also someone used to seeing beneath the surface to find the truth. Who was John Millar? Who wanted him dead? And why? And the biggest question of all – who is trying to alter the future path of an entire nation?

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'Patience writes with a newsman’s sharp eye ... an impressive mix of backstreet noir and high Scottish politics'

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'Punchy, political and bursting with clever plot twists, this page-turner kept me on my toes from start to finish'

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'A strong and confident debut novel unafraid of playing for high stakes'

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'This is a gritty, no-nonsense thriller that will engage you, draw you in and keep you reading. I thoroughly enjoyed it’

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'The Darker the Night by Martin Patience is a fascinating combination of murder mystery and political thriller'

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'I enjoyed Martin Patience's debut novel The Darker the Night so much I stayed up way past midnight last night to finish it. Gripping crime-thriller about a seismic murder on the eve of Scotland's independence referendum'

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'Patience – a BBC foreign correspondent for 15 years – manages to keep things rattling along with pleasing efficiency'

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'With a dark and gripping plot and characters so engaging that you wouldn't be surprised to bump into one in a Glasgow boozer, this is a thoroughly enjoyable crime thriller'