Dog Fight

“A terrific read.” Martina Cole


Kenny O'Neill, a villain with a conscience, returns in a hard-hitting thriller of exploitation, corruption and criminal gangs. When Kenny's cousin, Ian, comes to the aid of a fellow ex-squaddie in a heap of trouble, he gets caught up in the vicious underground fight scene, where callous criminals prey on the vulnerable, damaged and homeless.

With Ian in too deep to escape, Kenny has no option other than to infiltrate the gang for the sake of his family. Kenny is an experienced MMA fighter, as tough as they come, but has he found himself in the one fight he can never win?


«A terrific thriller – taught, tense, funny and fierce, it races you through a world which most readers will be thankfully unaware … a tale which is all too believable, and that's the really scary thing.» Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae

«Dog Fight sucked me in from the opening chapters. Malone's characters are perfectly drawn and the action is searingly brutal. The fights pull no punches and neither does Malone's writing. It's terse, raw and very, very addictive.» Crime Review UK

«An outstanding thriller… truly gripping… The story is beautifully crafted and perfectly paced… set against the background of an issue that truly matters.» Undiscovered Scotland

«A dark and gritty tale of violence and retribution… if you enjoy the likes of Martina Cole et al, then you would enjoy Dog Fight immensely.» Bibliophile Book Club

«The smell of adrenaline, testosterone, blood, sweat and fear all pour out of the pages and claw their way into your senses. A fantastic novel with many plot layers which kept me captivated and reading into the wee small hours!… An attention-grabbing read, it will give you that hit you are looking for and leave you begging for more!» Chapter In My Life

«The writing is tight, the storyline riveting and the characters' voices scream from the pages! Every page I turned, I was waiting for THAT moment – the gasp, the nail-biting WTAF feeling. And it was delivered, tenfold! Fast-paced, tense, gripping and, well, bloody awesome! … A Top Read of 2017.» Crime Book Junkie

«A great piece of hard-boiled crime fiction…cranking up the tension as it sweeps through the Glasgow streets… The book paints a haunting picture of people brutalised by parental neglect, betrayal, being raised in a criminal environment or having seen too much inhumanity in the police or armed forces.» Alastair Mabbott, The Herald

«Gritty, raw, compelling… The story really pulls you in, sticks you in a chokehold and doesn't let go. Highly recommended.» Damp Pebbles book blog

«A real rollercoaster of a read with some really cool descriptive prose and a hell of a lot of oomph… Dog Fight is fast, gripping, decisively authentic and a real proper page-turner.» Liz Loves Books blog

«Dark and dangerous… Gritty and unflinching, but there is humour and energy, and there are uplifting scenes too. Michael J Malone can't half tell a good story – this is a beauty.» Grab This Book

«The characters are fantastic, portrayed warts and all… There's a real sense of menace running through the pages… The plotting and characterisation is top-notch, with a nice layer of dark humour in the dialogue running throughout.» Espressococo

«Nail biting, powerful, racy stuff. This is a book that can easily be read in a couple of heart-pounding sittings. Grit, grime and glory. Dog Fight has it all. Fans of hard-boiled crime thrillers will love this!» Random Things book blog