A Dead Man On Staffin Beach by JM Dalgliesh
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by FernThat which does not kill you… only makes them try harder…
When the body of a celebrity author, recently returned to the Isle of Skye seemingly to live out his remaining days, is found on Staffin Beach, D.I. Duncan McAdam is left with a mystery to solve.
The circumstances of his last days along with his death prove to be a mystery. How did this man meet his end on the sands of An Corran Beach at dawn? The case generates a great deal of interest in the media, putting a spotlight on Duncan and his team. Little does Duncan know how many people have been keeping secrets on the island. Secrets that some thought – and many hoped – would never come into the light.
As Duncan uncovers a darker side to his beloved Misty Isle, he finds the investigation coming closer to home. The life on Skye he escaped from all those years ago may not have been quite what he thought it was. As the investigation develops, Duncan begins to question not only who he can trust but also to what extent his own experiences have been manipulated by the deeds of the past.
What is it that happened on The Rock all those years ago that no one dares to speak of?
DI Duncan McAdams is called in when the body of a well known author is found on Staffin Beach. The author had returned after many years living away, so Duncan is unsure who could possibly have wanted to kill the man. But as Duncan and his team dig deeper they begin to find a number of secrets – some of which are of such long-standing many lives remain deeply entrenched in their shadows.
I have been enjoying this Scottish noir mystery series. I thought this book was not just a good addition – with a solid plot and a number of well-linked characters I am coming to be attached to – but I was pleased with the forward momentum with some of Duncan’s personal and family life as well. As I’ve found with a few of the other books in this series the ending is a little vague – while the perpetrators are known and the mystery is solved, I’ve found with these books sometimes there remains a few threads dangling that aren’t necessarily neatly tied up. Readers should be mindful of that with this series.
The main characters – both the police team and Duncan’s sister, mother and girlfriend – all have a good amount of time spent on them in this book. I enjoyed this balance, showing that Duncan has a number of things on the go and not just his work. While I do feel readers can easily pick this book up by itself and thoroughly enjoy it, plus the links and relationships are all very clearly explained, I admit my attachment to Ros – Duncan’s sister – in particular stemmed more from a deeper understanding having read the previous books. I feel this book was richer to me, personally, for having read the others – but the mystery and most of the book can absolutely be enjoyed by itself.
With a solid mystery, a good number of characters and some fairly dark secrets unearthed I found this to be a good book and a gripping read.
Speak Your Mind