A Dead Man On Staffin Beach by JM Dalgliesh
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

That 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.

When Death Calls by J M Dalgleish
Publisher: Hamilton Press
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Blood is thicker than water… and runs just as freely…
When the body of a man is discovered face down one morning in the swimming pool of his upmarket family home, the team wonder if it is the result of a tragic accident or serious foul play.

DI Tom Janssen is currently suspended pending the outcome of the events at the close of his previous case. Using the time away from the office to consider his future, and how this will impact on his family life, Tom is invited to attend a school reunion which he reluctantly agrees to. Coming face to face with people he hasn’t seen in years leads to more than a reunion of old friendships. Some people find it hard to let go of the past while others foster long-held grudges. It isn’t long before Tom finds old feuds rekindled and scores that aim to be settled… one way or another.

Finding himself at the centre of a murder inquiry – only this time as a witness rather than an investigator – can he steer clear of the case or will temptation, and a search for the truth, be too much for him to ignore.

DI Tom Janssen is suspended and trying to make the best of his undesired time off. When his wife insists, they attend his high school reunion Tom is less than thrilled, but really has nothing else to pass the time with. Meeting back up with a bunch of people he hasn’t seen in decades might not be Tom’s idea of a good time, but he’s shocked when the following morning he hears that he’s now on the opposite side of a murder investigation – being a witness and possibly the last person to see the victim alive. Can Tom resist the impulse to help with the investigation?

I was thrilled when the author released another book in this series – it’s been a while – and I was delighted to read another investigation with Tom and his team. Even though Tom is suspended – and deeply unhappy about it – I admit that I was pleased to find Tom for the most part tried not to nudge his way into the investigation. Sure, he is deeply curious, and when a few tidbits of other people involved came his way he followed along. But I found it quite refreshing from other similar stories where he didn’t insert himself into the investigation or run his own shadow or side investigation.

I liked how Tom was clearly interested but also very respectful of his team conducting the proper police investigation. I found that quite refreshing.

Readers who enjoy a British police procedural murder mystery should find this a good book and quite easy to pick up. With Tom suspended from duty his team is all still present but not as “front and center” as usual so this is actually quite a good book to my mind to pick up if you haven’t read any of the previous installments or if you’re a few books behind in the series. A lot of this book focuses on Tom and on the characters and setting and not as much as usual on the rest of the team and their dynamics.

With a strongly plotted mystery and a number of interesting and layered characters I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable mystery book. Recommended.