The Graveyard Bell by Andrew James Greig

 

This is one story where the setting added so much to the story. Scottish highlands and remote islands, some with very few inhabitants, some only with birds - puffins and skuas. Turbulent weather, storms, raging seas and a very hardy people.

Tearlach born on the islands is back at his childhood home. He left years ago and has not returned, not even to sort the cottage out. He has plenty of baggage to sort out. A private investigator he is tasked by Lucy Patterson to find out what happened to her wildlife photographer husband. She refuses to accept that her husbands death was an accident. Within a few days the next death occurs which the police conveniently mark out as an accident and when a young man disappears with no trace, it seems very strange that three suspicious deaths have occurred in an area where deaths like this are rare.

Tearlack along with his assistants Chloe and Dee have to tread carefully. The local police do not like them hovering around and cooperating with them is not looked on favorably. Despite putting pieces of the puzzle together much faster than the local police, Tearlach has to step carefully, dealing with volatile characters.

The story apart from the detection held interest especially the descriptive nature of the islands added so much to the story.  There are side stories of Dee’s past and Tearlach discovery of a daughter hitherto unknown but they were almost distractions from the main story.

Sent by Storm Publishing for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.