The Cuillin Dead by J M Dalgliesh

The Cuillin Dead by J M Dalgliesh
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Life is full of choices. Death… is chosen for you…
When the body of a missing tourist is discovered slain in the foothills of the Cuillin Mountain range beside Loch Coruisk, it falls to D.I. Duncan McAdam and his small team to discover how he came to be there and who would have a motive to kill him.

The summer season is a welcome distraction following a brutal and challenging winter. The Isle of Skye is booming with a revitalised tourist trade after a tough few years, and the Misty Isle is on course for its best year for visitors on record. But one person has not received the warm greeting the islanders are famed for. Here, on the inner Hebridean island, long-held secrets, past crimes and burning resentment are set to be unveiled in the most brutal fashion.

Some people come to the island to experience a return to nature, others to detach from their hectic lives seeking a simpler existence. And then there are those who wish to escape their past and begin again. These people believe they are making a fresh start but overlook one universal truth, their sins come with them… and there will be a reckoning…

When the body of a tourist is discovered at the foothills of the Cuillin mountains DI Duncan McAdam and his small team need to uncover why the man was in that spot and who would have a reason to kill him. Visiting with friends for a stag do, it doesn’t appear anyone at a first glance has a reason for wanting the tourist dead. Can DI McAdam persevere and uncover the truth?

I have been enjoying this series and find the rural setting of the Isle of Skye a wonderful atmosphere. With a small population and huge open spaces I really like the wildness the scenery conveys to me when I read these mysteries. Additionally, I love the depth and often the complexities of these plots. While a Scottish police procedural, and the plot being more deduction rather than action/adventure, I do feel like I can keep up with everything as the mystery deepens rather than just feeling like I’m keeping up which often happens to me with more action orientated stories.

I also really appreciated how with this novel I felt a number of the characters really progressed in their personal storylines. While the mystery was absolutely front and center, I definitely felt with this novel that Duncan was beginning to grow a bit more as a character and take some more mature steps. I really enjoyed this and hope it continues into the next few books.

Readers looking for an interested and complex murder mystery plot should absolutely find this book fits the bill. While this is part way through the series I strongly feel this stands well alone and readers shouldn’t be shy about picking it up even if the author and series is new to them. With a beautiful atmosphere and scenery and interesting characters this was a great read and one I can easily recommend.