No Saints Only Killers is a noir thriller set in 1922 Scotland by Luke Deckard. Tagged as Tartan Noir, I thought this would be fantastic way to start reading more outside the cozy mystery genre (which was one of my poorly kept reading resolutions for 2026)
Title: No Saints Only Killers
Author: Luke Deckard
First Published: June 10, 2026
Publisher: MX Publishing
Genres: noir fiction
Acquired: from the author
*** Disclaimer: I organised the book tour for No Saints Only Killers that this review is a part of. This review is completely unbiased and voluntary and I would not have posted a review if I didn’t honestly enjoy the book
American ex-pat Logan Bishop is a war-damaged, morphine-dependent private investigator.
When his estranged father, Reverend Daniel Bishop, arrives from Chicago, Logan refuses to see him—until his father is brutally attacked. Before slipping into a coma, Daniel leaves Logan with a desperate plea: find Greta Matas—a woman tied to his past-before she’s killed.
Logan heads to Edinburgh in search of answers.
But from the moment he arrives, nothing adds up. Greta is missing. Her son is wanted for murder. And Logan is being watched. By the police. By gangsters. By men who don’t want the truth uncovered.
As Logan is pulled deeper into a web of lies and corruption, he realises the truth may cost him his life.
An atmospheric and gritty Tartan noir
No Saints Only Killers is a dark, atmospheric crime novel that successfully blends historical fiction with the hardboiled detective style. For me, one of the book’s biggest strengths is its setting in 1920s Scotland – the Edinburgh that Deckard writes about feel gritty and unpredictable and while this feels like a classic American noir story, setting it in the UK gives it a unique identity.
Logan Bishop is cynical, emotionally damaged, and deeply distrustful and these flaws make him a complicated character as we navigate the story alongside him. Almost every character in this book operates in a grey area, making them all interesting in their own way.
This was much darker (as expected) than the mysteries and sleuths that I read 95% of the time and it was a nice sharp contrast to my usual titles. It was fast paced and suspenseful, and I really appreciated both Logan and the environment he operates in.
If you’re looking for a gritty, hard-boiled noir detective story, then I highly recommend No Saints Only Killers.
About the Author, Luke Deckard
Luke Deckard is the author of No Saints Only Killers, which was shortlisted for the Amazon New Voices Awards and a finalist at Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect. He is the co-host of CINEMA SLEUTHS podcast, a reviewer for Get Your Comic On, and mentors creative writing students at the University of Westminster.
You can connect with Luke Deckard online here:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | THREADS | X | FACEBOOK | BLUESKY
Purchase your own copy of No Saints Only Killers here:
