John Carson

A wide-ranging account of American and French understandings of merit, talent, and intelligence over the past two centuriesHow have modern democracies squared their commitment to equality with their fear that disparities in talent and intelligence might be natural, persistent, and consequential? John Carson tells the fascinating story of how two nations wrestled scientifically with human inequalities and their social and political implications. Surveying a broad array of political tracts, philosophical treatises, scientific works, and journalistic writings, Carson chronicles the gradual embrace of the IQ version of intelligence in the United States, while in France, the birthplace of the modern intelligence test, expert judgment was consistently prized above such quantitative measures. He also reveals the crucial role that determinations of, and contests over, merit have played in both societies—they have helped to organize educational systems, justify racial hierarchies, classify army recruits, and direct individuals onto particular educational and career paths. A contribution to both the history of science and intellectual history, The Measure of Merit illuminates the shadow languages of inequality that have haunted the American and French republics since their inceptions.

A callous crime. A killer's rampage. A storm of death on the horizon. Edinburgh, the dead of winter. DCI Harry McNeil knows the subzero temperatures can trigger the cruelest of crimes. But when he's called out in the middle of a blizzard, he's horrified at the sight of a frozen female corpse found hidden inside a snowman. And when none of the evidence adds up, McNeil's investigation is skating on thin ice... On the brink of connecting a serial killer to a two-year-old cold case, he's caught under a cloud of alleged misconduct. And with the heat turned up in every direction, the embattled cop must both clear his name and wade through a snowstorm of suspects to put a lethal opponent behind bars. Will McNeil weather this deadly attack, or will running down this murderer prove fatal? Dead Before You Die is the third heart-stopping book in the DCI Harry McNeil mystery series. If you like relentless detectives, a twist of humor, and airtight camaraderie, then you'll love John Carson's chilling story. Buy Dead Before You Die to find cracks in the lies today

Who's more dangerous? The serial killer you're hunting, or the one you never knew existed? DI Frank Miller is about to find out. Every year, thousands of women go missing in the UK, some of them never to be seen again. A killer stalks the streets of Edinburgh, trawling through the thousands of tourists during the Edinburgh International Festival, looking for prey. He finds his target, and she disappears, and despite a missing persons report, she's never seen again. This time he's made a mistake; the American female isn't a tourist. She's a local. And there was a witness. But shortly after seeing the woman die, the witness is incarcerated for an unconnected crime. When he's released, instead of going to the police, he decides to profit from the American's death. The killer is taking out anybody he thinks might be connected to her, but soon, the witness, the killer and Miller will clash in an explosive showdown...but not before more lives are taken...and somebody close to Miller is on the list...

A high-flying young lawyer is murdered in her own home. The killer takes her body with him, but leaves behind a photo of her corpse. A retired judge dies of a massive stroke. A surgeon's girlfriend goes missing. Another female is murdered, her corpse taken away and a photo left behind for the police to find. They are connected...but how? A Priest has the answer...but he can't reveal it. Miller and his team fight against the odds to track down a killer who has no intention of stopping and who has a knack for hiding in plain sight...

A man stabs his boss before throwing him off the roof of the office building. As Detective Inspector Frank Miller has him cornered on the roof of the building, the killer jumps to his death. A woman sets fire to the hotel kitchen where she works, then stabs and kills two co-workers before leaping to her death from the North Bridge. Miller wonders what would make two, seemingly innocent people commit such atrocious acts. The investigation leads them to a wellness centre. An undercover operation is mounted by Miller and his boss. Then another atrocity occurs, but by then, it's too late. Somebody is literally making life and death decisions, but he isn't finished yet. He's only just started...

For Frank Miller, his first month in CID is a baptism of fire. In this prequel, Miller is attending a crime scene where a woman has been found murdered at a local tourist spot. She's been operated on and vital organs removed before being crudely sewn back up again. At her Post Mortem, they find her ID inside her. As Miller's girlfriend is promoted to CID, they are both thrown in at the deep end. While they're being mentored by an experienced detective, they look for a killer who the press has dubbed The Surgeon, and they're also looking for a peeping Tom. So far, he's only been reported looking through windows, but he goes one step further and kills a young woman in her own home. As The Surgeon's second victim is found, Miller and his colleagues know he's getting more confident with his killing. World famous thriller writer, Len Chatter, is coming to Edinburgh to launch his new book at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He's looking for writers to co-author a new line of books. But this time, he's attracting the attention of somebody who wants to make him more famous for all the wrong reasons... Frank Miller will have to use everything he's being taught about being a detective to catch this killer, but as they close in on their suspect, they discover that not only is this case far more complex than they first thought, but the killer has outclassed them all. In a shocking twist, Carol's life is put in danger, and Miller knows he's up against one of the most formidable opponents he's ever likely to meet...

John Carson is a Londoner who has lived in Weston-super-Mare for most of the past 40 years. In the mid-1980's, he began collecting earthenwares produced by "The Bristol Pottery", which was the factory associated with the name "Pountney" for much of its long history. As his knowledge of the Pottery increased, he became conscious of the many gaps that existed in the published information available, particularly in regard to the actual wares produced. Consequently, he saw a need for a comprehensive publication covering the whole period from the time creamware succeeded delftware at Temple Back in the late eighteenth century until the Pottery's last years in Cornwall in the 1970's. The results of his researches are now brought together in this book.

How have modern democracies squared their commitment to equality with their fear that disparities in talent and intelligence might be natural, persistent, and consequential? In this wide-ranging account of American and French understandings of merit, talent, and intelligence over the past two centuries, John Carson tells the fascinating story of how two nations wrestled scientifically with human inequalities and their social and political implications. Surveying a broad array of political tracts, philosophical treatises, scientific works, and journalistic writings, Carson chronicles the gradual embrace of the IQ version of intelligence in the United States, while in France, the birthplace of the modern intelligence test, expert judgment was consistently prized above such quantitative measures. He also reveals the crucial role that determinations of, and contests over, merit have played in both societies--they have helped to organize educational systems, justify racial hierarchies, classify army recruits, and direct individuals onto particular educational and career paths. A contribution to both the history of science and intellectual history, The Measure of Merit illuminates the shadow languages of inequality that have haunted the American and French republics since their inceptions.

The next thrilling instalment in John Carson's utterly gripping DCI Liam Brodie series. A must-read for fans of J D Kirk and Ed James. ???? Some killers are caught. Others simply go into hiding… DCI Liam Brodie is no stranger to horror. Seven years ago, he led the hunt for a murderer who killed seven women, leaving their bodies out on display like some kind of morbid exhibition. Never any witnesses; never any clue as to who he was. The press called him The Embalmer. Brodie called him a monster. Now, seven years later, the killings have started again. Same method. Same pattern. Same nightmare. Brodie is called back to Fife to lead the investigation. But this time, the killer isn’t just repeating the past—he’s rewriting it. And Brodie isn’t just hunting a serial killer… He’s being hunted. Praise for John Carson: 'Excellent! Fast paced and hard hitting with a sharp edge of quick wit.' Bestselling thriller author Diane Saxon 'Broken Bones is a cracking start to a brand new series. Flawed characters, twists and turns galore and a brutal mystery that had me guessing until the end.' Bestselling crime author Wes Markin 'A twisty, tartan-clad cracker laced with dark humour.' Bestselling crime author Ross Greenwood 'Always a five star for John Carson. His books just keep getting better and better.' ????? Reader Review 'Another great book from this highly recommend author. Hard to put down any of his books they keep you gripped from the beginning to the end.' ????? Reader Review 'OUTSTANDING!' ????? Reader Review 'A brilliant new series from one of my favourite authors!' ????? Reader Review 'Lots of humour and normality as well as intrigue and right at the end, the final, and most stunning twist.' ????? Reader Review

The next thrilling instalment in John Carson's utterly gripping DCI Liam Brodie series. A must-read for fans of J D Kirk and Ed James. ???? Some killers are caught. Others simply go into hiding… DCI Liam Brodie is no stranger to horror. Seven years ago, he led the hunt for a murderer who killed seven women, leaving their bodies out on display like some kind of morbid exhibition. Never any witnesses; never any clue as to who he was. The press called him The Embalmer. Brodie called him a monster. Now, seven years later, the killings have started again. Same method. Same pattern. Same nightmare. Brodie is called back to Fife to lead the investigation. But this time, the killer isn’t just repeating the past—he’s rewriting it. And Brodie isn’t just hunting a serial killer… He’s being hunted. Praise for John Carson: 'Excellent! Fast paced and hard hitting with a sharp edge of quick wit.' Bestselling thriller author Diane Saxon 'Broken Bones is a cracking start to a brand new series. Flawed characters, twists and turns galore and a brutal mystery that had me guessing until the end.' Bestselling crime author Wes Markin 'A twisty, tartan-clad cracker laced with dark humour.' Bestselling crime author Ross Greenwood 'Always a five star for John Carson. His books just keep getting better and better.' ????? Reader Review 'Another great book from this highly recommend author. Hard to put down any of his books they keep you gripped from the beginning to the end.' ????? Reader Review 'OUTSTANDING!' ????? Reader Review 'A brilliant new series from one of my favourite authors!' ????? Reader Review 'Lots of humour and normality as well as intrigue and right at the end, the final, and most stunning twist.' ????? Reader Review

The next thrilling instalment in John Carson's utterly gripping DCI Liam Brodie series. A must-read for fans of J D Kirk and Ed James. ???? Some killers are caught. Others simply go into hiding… DCI Liam Brodie is no stranger to horror. Seven years ago, he led the hunt for a murderer who killed seven women, leaving their bodies out on display like some kind of morbid exhibition. Never any witnesses; never any clue as to who he was. The press called him The Embalmer. Brodie called him a monster. Now, seven years later, the killings have started again. Same method. Same pattern. Same nightmare. Brodie is called back to Fife to lead the investigation. But this time, the killer isn’t just repeating the past—he’s rewriting it. And Brodie isn’t just hunting a serial killer… He’s being hunted. Praise for John Carson: 'Excellent! Fast paced and hard hitting with a sharp edge of quick wit.' Bestselling thriller author Diane Saxon 'Broken Bones is a cracking start to a brand new series. Flawed characters, twists and turns galore and a brutal mystery that had me guessing until the end.' Bestselling crime author Wes Markin 'A twisty, tartan-clad cracker laced with dark humour.' Bestselling crime author Ross Greenwood 'Always a five star for John Carson. His books just keep getting better and better.' ????? Reader Review 'Another great book from this highly recommend author. Hard to put down any of his books they keep you gripped from the beginning to the end.' ????? Reader Review 'OUTSTANDING!' ????? Reader Review 'A brilliant new series from one of my favourite authors!' ????? Reader Review 'Lots of humour and normality as well as intrigue and right at the end, the final, and most stunning twist.' ????? Reader Review

The next thrilling instalment in John Carson's utterly gripping DCI Liam Brodie series. A must-read for fans of J D Kirk and Ed James. ???? Some killers are caught. Others simply go into hiding… DCI Liam Brodie is no stranger to horror. Seven years ago, he led the hunt for a murderer who killed seven women, leaving their bodies out on display like some kind of morbid exhibition. Never any witnesses; never any clue as to who he was. The press called him The Embalmer. Brodie called him a monster. Now, seven years later, the killings have started again. Same method. Same pattern. Same nightmare. Brodie is called back to Fife to lead the investigation. But this time, the killer isn’t just repeating the past—he’s rewriting it. And Brodie isn’t just hunting a serial killer… He’s being hunted. Praise for John Carson: 'Excellent! Fast paced and hard hitting with a sharp edge of quick wit.' Bestselling thriller author Diane Saxon 'Broken Bones is a cracking start to a brand new series. Flawed characters, twists and turns galore and a brutal mystery that had me guessing until the end.' Bestselling crime author Wes Markin 'A twisty, tartan-clad cracker laced with dark humour.' Bestselling crime author Ross Greenwood 'Always a five star for John Carson. His books just keep getting better and better.' ????? Reader Review 'Another great book from this highly recommend author. Hard to put down any of his books they keep you gripped from the beginning to the end.' ????? Reader Review 'OUTSTANDING!' ????? Reader Review 'A brilliant new series from one of my favourite authors!' ????? Reader Review 'Lots of humour and normality as well as intrigue and right at the end, the final, and most stunning twist.' ????? Reader Review

A woman is found in a local cemetery, crushed to death under a gravestone. A production company is there, filming the remake of a classic sci-fi TV show in the grounds, making the investigation more difficult for DCI Harry McNeil. It's his first day in charge of the cold case unit in Edinburgh. After spending four years in Professional Standards, he has little choice but to take the promotion. The Crown Office decides which cold cases should be reviewed, and this time, they've decided the murder of a teenage girl from twenty years ago should be re-opened. A girl who was murdered by somebody pushing a gravestone on top of her... The case gets more complicated when they find out who the latest victim is. Suddenly there are no shortage of suspects. As the filming continues, so does the killing. And McNeil wonders, has a killer been murdering for twenty years? Or is this case completely unconnected? With Frank Miller's help, he's going to find out...the hard way...

It looked like a simple murder case. But the victim's false identity is just the beginning... Edinburgh DCI Harry McNeil's dangerous job wasn't made for relationships. So when a female officer's mutilated remains wash up in a canal, it feels like proof he was right to leave his long-time girlfriend. But the investigation takes an unexpected turn when he discovers the corpse was carrying a police ID belonging to a cop already dead and buried. Digging deeper, McNeil learns the woman was actually a software engineer nosing around high-tech, classified projects and poking into murky government corners. So when a second body surfaces, he fears the truth lies in the darkest corners of greed and corruption. And someone is determined to make certain those secrets never come to light... Can McNeil catch the killer before the deadly tables are turned on him? BACK TO LIFE is the second book in the gritty DCI Harry McNeil Scottish crime thriller series. If you like hardboiled detectives, dark humor, and snappy banter, then you'll love John Carson's unputdownable tale. Buy BACK TO LIFE to decode a treacherous conspiracy today

A horrific murder. A stunning abduction. Can he open an old case to prevent another grisly death? Edinburgh DCI Harry McNeil isn't easily intimidated. But after years investigating crooked cops, a promotion heading up a Major Investigation Team will put his reputation on the line. And he's starting to sweat when the daughter of a rich and powerful family vanishes from the honeymoon suite in a Scottish Highlands castle... Searching alongside officers from two other divisions, pushes McNeil to his breaking point when the investigation uncovers a charred corpse dressed in a wedding gown. Fearing the missing bride will suffer the same gruesome fate, the detective follows a fifteen-year long trail of clues littered with vengeance, false identities, and a tragic murder-suicide. Can McNeil bring the butcher to justice before the celebration turns into a mass funeral? STICKS AND STONES is the enthralling first book in the DCI Harry McNeil Scottish crime thriller series. If you like hardened detectives, witty dialogue, and twisted mysteries, then you'll love John Carson's gripping novel. Buy STICKS AND STONES to douse a killer's deadly match today

The badly decomposed body of a young woman is found in the old nuclear bunker in Corstorphine Hill, where there is ongoing work being done to turn it into a museum. In her pockets are found items belonging to Becky McIver, a woman who went missing six years ago. Back then, Gus McIver was arrested and charged with his wife's murder. He maintained his innocence, and despite Becky's body never being found, McIver was sentenced to life in prison. No trace of Becky has ever been found. Until now. Miller looks into the bunker victim's background while McIver once again raises the question of his innocence. What was the dead woman doing in the bunker? How did she come to possess Becky McIver's belongings? Miller follows a trail that will lead him down some dark alleys, uncovering a truth that somebody wanted kept hidden. But it's a truth that will shock everybody. Some secrets are never meant to see the light of day, especially the one revealing what really happened to Becky McIver...

A devastating attack has been made on the Los Angeles office of the Phoenix Group. Two agents are unaccounted for, presumed killed in the explosion. Then suspicions are aroused and it is now thought they have gone rogue. Max Doyle gets a text from one of them, Special Agent Michelle Barragan, confirming that at least one of them is still alive. He knows her. She worked with him when she was in Army Intelligence. To others, the text is nonsense, the ramblings of a mad person. To Doyle, it's a cry for help. As a team of government assassins are sent to the town in Maine where the text originated from, Doyle and Jordan Lane are dispatched to hunt Michelle down and bring her in. When they get there, everything they have been told so far is thrown into question. A conspiracy is uncovered, outlining one of the worst attacks that New York City has ever been threatened with. Michelle Barragan has the answers... And to uncover the truth, they need to find her before the assassins do...