Description
Cold waves surround the woman, soaking her hair before pushing her onto the black rocks at the bottom of the cliff. She should gasp for air, but she doesn’t move at all…
Rachel McKenzie has trust issues. That’s what happens when your father murders your mother and gets away with it for years. Tormented by her past, Rachel seeks justice for others, investigating suspicious deaths in the remote and rugged Scottish Highlands.
So, when Rachel hears about a drowned woman on the windswept island where her estranged family lives, she’s driven to investigate. Ellen Hargreaves was a newcomer to the isolated isle, but the locals describe her fondly, especially her love of archaeology and the notebook where she wrote down everything she saw. A notebook that Rachel can’t now find…
The island’s sergeant wants to label Ellen’s death an accident, but Rachel is convinced there’s more to the story. Her instincts prove right when she discovers that Ellen found a human bone before her death. Had Ellen stumbled onto a dangerous secret?
Rachel is determined to find the truth. But then a teenage girl goes missing shortly after talking to her, and Rachel realises that she has exposed an innocent girl to a twisted killer. Heart pounding and wracked with guilt, Rachel works around the clock to find the vanished girl. But will she get there in time?
My Thoughts
Readers who like a blend of police procedural with familial and village drama will surely enjoy this debut series from Morag Pringle. The setting on the remote islands of Uist combined with a complex, well-developed mystery will draw readers in and keep them glued to page after page.
Protagonist Rachel McKenzie has the potential to become a favorite character. She’s smart, resilient, and empathetic, fully determined to speak for the dead and find answers.
Pringle is equally skilled at plot development, dialog, and description. Her descriptions of the remote and sometimes desolate Uist landscape are some of the best I’ve read. As I worked my way through the book, I kept thinking that Ann Cleeves’ successor has arrived.
Very well done.
A compulsively gripping crime thriller set in the atmospheric and stormy Scottish Highlands. Perfect for fans of Elly Griffiths, Rachel McLean and Rachel Caine.
Publication Date: May 20, 2024
Published By: Storm Publishing
Thanks to Netgalley for the book
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