When I see the number of reviews for Nigel Bird's books on Amazon, or the number of copies of his books on LibraryThing (the world's greatest website), It makes me wonder what folks are looking for. Bird writes with an honesty and flair that few authors have. His stories, often set in Scotland, are about real people with real lives and real problems. In most cases, you'll be happy they are not your lives or problems! His characterization is exceptional, as we get inside the heads of characters who may be rebellious, criminal, lovesick, or just plain crazy. Or often a combination of the above. The language is gritty and tinged with Scottish or British slang, but not so much that you need a dictionary. (Of course, you already have one on your Kindle!) The level of detail and the well-drawn settings make for an immersive reading experience.

In this book, the second of four in the Southsiders series, we rejoin young teenager Jesse as he deals with the aftermath of his father's arrest for the murder (not on purpose, we believe) of his abuseful mother. The father, Ray, is in prison, while Jessie is hiding out in his friend Artie's treehouse to escape being sent to another set of foster parents who are only interested in collecting a government check (or should I say cheque?) Jesse is also very much in love, with the aptly named Bonnie. Luckily, his father's old (but long-estranged) friend Danny is around to help. Ray, meanwhile, runs into an old nemesis in prison, and things get dicey. Scottish prisons seem to have some sort of open door policy where prisoners just wander around, enter other prisoners' cells, and assault them at will. Can Danny help him escape?

You'll just have to read on to find out (and through books 3 and 4 as well). This is a better book than the first one, because it doesn't have such a frustrating ending. After finishing this one, I immediately ordered the other two. Nigel needs my $3.98, I'm sure. And he very much deserves it. I didn't favorite him on LibraryThing for nothing.This is an author of surprising range who has a lot to say. While much of his work is noirish, he can also surprise you, as in his novel In Loco Parentis, where he draws upon his own experience as a teacher, or in the totally different love story, How to Choose a Sweetheart. Just start reading him--see if you can stop. ( )