Darkness on the Sound

This story is based on a fictional Scottish Island, Stoirm, based in one of the Scottish Sounds. Now there are a couple of straits in Scotland with the name “Sound” as far as I can figure out: either “Inner Sound”, close to Skye, or “Sound of Islay”, between the islands of Islay and Jura. I’m not sure which is meant, but there are a couple of islands in either area which could give you that “small island community” feel. Not that I’ve ever been to Scotland, let alone a remote island with one main town where everyone knows each other.

So I took my ideas of what such a small community would feel like based on my very limited experiences of a small village community where, yes, everyone knows each other, and not always in a friendly way.

This small community on Stoirm has its secrets, which no one repeats, and must stay in the past. But that is all about to be stirred up with the return of Roddie Drummond, who was “not proven” of murdering his girlfriend, Mhairi, 15 years previously, and Rebecca Connolly, who not only wants to dig into the past to find out the truth of what happened to Mhairi, but also wants to discover why her father left the island in his youth, and why he never talked about it.

There’s a lot of twists and turns into finding the truth, which not only the islanders, but some dangerous men (such a typical cliché, them being Eastern Europeans) want to keep well hidden.

The trouble is, the truth. Well, the truth is not exciting at all. And the truth of why Rebecca’s father left, it didn’t give the impact expected, either. The most action to be had was in what appeared to be a homophobic attack on two of Rebecca’s new-found friends. That aside, Rebecca defying everyone to get the story she’s looking for, which is just as much her boss as the islanders themselves, is just as cliché as some of the rest.

The best part about this book, apart from the cover (the main reason I picked up the book in the first place), was probably the place descriptions. Thunder Bay was described beautifully, as a place that must be visited, and the scenery on the routes was just as detailed.

It's a shame, really, as there was so much that could have been good and even better about this. In the end, I’m a little disappointed, with the grip not quite catching me completely.

Final rating: ★★★☆☆ – Sort of liked/OK

What a beautiful and stunning cover!
That's all. That is what caught my attention. I was not enticed to stay and read this or others by this author. Again, beautiful cover.
So, 100 characters! Yeah, I was not allowed to just leave a thought. I had to stick around! Ha ha! Normally I'd say backfire, but I just don't give a shit! I'll end where I tried to begin. "Being nice and all!"
What a beautiful and stunning cover!

Thunder Bay is an atmospheric mystery taking place on a Scottish island called Stoirm. The island is the most important element to the story, the islanders understanding of family and community is everything. Rebecca Connolly is a reporter, an outsider with an inside connection. Her late father came from Stoirm, though he never told her a thing about his life there. She is certain there is a story to be told when Roddie Drummond, a man suspected of killing his lover Mhairi fifteen years earlier, returns for his mother’s funeral. Scotland has a third verdict option, not proven, which is not quite not guilty.

Meanwhile, there is another conflict brewing, one that connects many of the same people who were friends with Roddie and Mhairi long ago. So, when people are attacked or are killed is it because of the past or the present? And will Rebecca ever learn anything about her father?

I am struggling with what to say about Thunder Bay. Usually, when I do not like a book, I know exactly why. I did not connect with Rebecca or any of the characters. The author, Douglas Skelton, did create a sense of place, of insular isolation and scenic beauty, but the people seemed like archetypes, not real people. Rebecca was smart enough and her dual motivation plausible, but I didn’t like her and I don’t know why. Perhaps she was too careless of other people.

There are two separate “plots” so to speak, both involve many of the same people. I didn’t feel any sense of suspense, though. I knew quite soon who the “bad guys” had to be and was not surprised. Nonetheless, that’s fairly common for anyone who has read a lot of mysteries. Perhaps it’s just generalized anxiety from the pandemic and not the author’s fault at all.

I received an e-galley of Thunder Bay from the publisher through NetGalley.

Thunder Bay at Skyhorse Publishing
Douglas Skelton author site

Sleep? Who needs sleep when you're reading a book as heart pounding as this one. Don't start it at night because I promise you, you won't be able to put it down. It's a roller coaster of a ride with a climax that you'll never see coming. I sure didn't. Happy reading!

Atmospheric and twisty! Rebecca, a journalist, decides she's going to follow up on the possible return of Roddie to the island of Storim off the coast of Scotland after 15 years away. Almost everyone there thinks he killed his girlfriend Mhairi, including retired DS Bill Sawyer, who is also there to prove once and for all that Roddie did it. Rebecca also wants to know more about her father's life- he was born on the island but always refused to talk about it. She finds a lot more than she expected. It's a community roiled by class and changing times. There's an undercurrent of danger too. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a good read.

Douglas Skelton has crafted an engrossing page turner of a read in Thunder Bay. Well worth the time of the read!

I warmed to Rebecca Connolly, the heroine of this story the minute she described a sports car as a “high performance dick extender”. Rebecca is a reporter for a weekly newspaper in Scotland. Skelton does a great job of making Rebecca seem real within a few chapters. I loved her thoughts on journalism.

When she gets the heads up on an exclusive story, the return of Roddie Drummond to the island of Stoirm after a fifteen year absence, she jumps on it even after her editor said no. Roddie had been accused of murdering his girlfriend but found Not Proven. No one knows where he’s been during those intervening years. Her father came from this island and has never spoken about his time there, so she’s got another motivation for going.

It’s a beautifully atmospheric novel. Stoirm is an insulated community, buffeted by wild weather. We’re given a real feel for it and for its inhabitants. “Secrets. Family. Blood. It was an island thing.”

This is a steady, even keeled novel. There are lots of subplots to keep things moving forward and lots of characters to keep track of. I couldn’t tell how this would all come together. The themes go beyond murder to include family secrets, domestic abuse and homophobia. The only part that didn’t work for me was the reason John Connolly left the island as a young man.

While the present day chapters are told from Rebecca’s POV, there are also chapters that take place in the past and are told from the POV of various islanders.

My thanks to netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

Douglas Skelton's dark and atmospheric Scottish crime novel is set on the island of Stoirm, off the west coast of Scotland, featuring Highland Chronicle reporter, Rebecca Connolly. When Rebecca is informed that Roddie Drummond is returning to Stoirm to attend his mother's funeral, she knows there is a story to be had. 15 years ago Roddie had gone on trial for the murder of his live-in girlfriend, Mhairi Sinclair, who died with the last words from her mouth being that of Thunder Bay. After a not proven verdict, Roddie left Stoirm and disappeared. Rebecca's editor refuses her pitch to cover the story, but a driven Rebecca ignores his order as she arrives for her first visit to the island. Besides, her deceased father had left the island, never to return and never to speak of it to his family in his lifetime, and she is desperate to know the family secrets that he has taken to his grave.

Roddie's return triggers feelings of resentment, bitterness, anger, and brutal violence, with many believing him guilty of murder. Stoirm has its own ways of dealing with things, blood and family is everything, loyalty is expected, no matter what happens, and the islanders believe in their own form of justice. Arriving with Rebecca is retired DS Bill Sawyer, rock solid in his certainty that Roddie is guilty of murder. The local laird, Lord Henry Stuart is planning to redevelop his estate for the exclusive use of the wealthy hunting, shooting, and golf crowd, but is facing some resistance from locals, such as that from ex-addict Donnie Kerr. Henry, Donnie and Roddie were a tight knit group of boys who ran around with the beautiful and bright Mhairi, all of them in love with her. With the help of young photographer, Chaz Wymark, Rebecca begins to become aware of the tensions and grudges that simmer beneath the surface of the small community, there is the jealous and abusive gamekeeper, the 'moron squad', a bunch of violent homophobic thugs, and she faces hostility from those determined to prevent the truth of the past emerging.

Skelton paints a rich picture of an insular community and life on a small island, with its inclement weather and the beauty spot of Thunder Bay, a place that legend depicts as the gateway to the West for the spirits of the dead. The turbulent weather conditions that arise match the turbulence and danger in the community that Roddie's arrival brings. Rebecca is uniquely placed to uncover the truth of the past and eventually learns why her father left Stoirm, an action that Rebecca replicates in her desire to never set foot on Stoirm again. This is a intensely compulsive piece of Scottish crime fiction that I really enjoyed reading and which I recommend. Many thanks to Skyhorse Publishing for an ARC.

Great book, very enjoyable. Highly recommend. This book was provided free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.

Atmospheric with good characters. Really feel as though you are on the island as an outsider, slowly learning the hidden secrets of the past.

Thunder Bay is a fantastic book with great characters. The storyline is entertaining and well written. This is worth the read.

Rebecca is a reporter for a small weekly newspaper in the Scottish highlands. Her friend tells her there's a developing story in a small island off the Scottish coast and against her boss's wishes, she goes to investigate. The island has many secrets, and Rebecca stirs up trouble among residents who would prefer to forget some of the things in the past. The author evokes the dark and sinister atmosphere of the island, and the suspicious insularity of its denizens. Thanks to the publisher and to Netgalley for this ARC.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for a review copy of Thunder Bay, a stand alone novel set on the Scottish island of Stoirm featuring reporter Rebecca Connolly.

15 years ago Mhairi Sinclair was murdered on the island and her boyfriend Roddy Drummond was tried for the murder. The case resulted in the Scottish verdict of not proven and Roddy was released. Now he is returning to the island for the first time and Rebecca returns to her father’s boyhood home to investigate.

I was really looking forward to reading Thunder Bay as, being Scottish, I am always interested in home fiction where there is a certain comfort and familiarity, be it the physical location or the characters’ reactions and dialogue. Unfortunately I was disappointed as this failed to hold my attention and it took me days rather than hours to get through. Firstly I should say that I enjoyed the prose which is clear and concise, making every development easy to understand. It is, however, also very detailed, for example, detailing every character’s appearance and clothing. I assume that this is designed to let the reader draw inferences and build a clear picture but it also slows the momentum of events. Strangely as I’m not always a big fan of multiple viewpoints and timelines I thought the most impactful parts of the novel were when Rebecca’s interviewees slipped back 15 years to give first person accounts of events as there is a real sense of emotion that seems to be lacking in present day events.

Thunder Bay is a really slow novel with little happening. It is a gradual unravelling of facts and thoughts and my poor attention span obviously denotes my desire for a bit more action and forcefulness. This is amply rewarded in the final quarter of the novel which has enough action and revealed secrets to fill the entire novel.

I also feel that I got little sense of location. Yes, the island is well described but the small secretive, insular community that lives there could be anywhere and while it is atmospheric there is no real sense of Scottishness in either the dialogue or the characters. The picture it paints of a small community jealously guarding its secrets from outsiders is distinctly unedifying, not just about Mhairi’s death but about why Rebecca’s dad left the island which is a secondary thread in the novel.

Thunder Bay will appeal to the more thoughtful reader.

What is not to enjoy with this fantastic new book from Douglas Skelton. The book is set on the fictitious Scottish island of Stoirm. The reader is immediately transported there due to the vivid descriptions which enables you to feel the tense atmosphere throughout the book. I loved the central character of Rebecca, very believable and dogged in her search for the truth. She is a journalist on The Chronicle, a local newspaper and has a whiff of a story when a local woman dies. Her son is returning to the island for her funeral after a 15 year absence. This book is filled with dark secrets, family loyalties and mysteries and is written with great insight. I highly recommend this read from one of my favourite authors. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Atmospheric and dark, the reporter wants to find out about an infamous murder for both professional and personal reasons. Revealing long time secrets stirs the small town and smaller population.

Its a fun read, especially in So Cal while reading about a windswept island in West Scotland.

Thank you NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the eARC.
Journalist Rebecca Connelly, against her editor 's wishes, travels to the island of Stoirm, wanting to find out the reason her father left the island, never speaking of it again. At the same time there's a story she wants to cover: 15 years ago a young woman was beaten to death, presumably by her live-in boyfriend. He was found 'Not Proven' and disappeared to the mainland. Now he's back to bury his mother and Rebecca feels there's a good story for her paper.
It's an atmospheric and well-written book, hard to put down, with many twists and turns and a satisfactory ending. The description of the island and the islanders is vivid, if a bit claustrophobic. I certainly wouldn't want to live there!
Definitely recommended!

I have been looking forward to reading this book and it did not disappoint.
The character Rebecca was a very likable person and a great description of the island. The book had me gripped from the first page and I will definitely reading more books by Douglas

I’m a big fan of Mr. Skelton’s Davie McCall series so when the chance came to read his new stand alone book, I lunged. Think I might have pulled something. Anyhoo….

Rebecca Connolly is a young reporter at a small weekly paper in Inverness. And she just got a tip on a story that may help her personally & professionally. Chaz Wymark is her contact on Stoirm, an island off the west coast of Scotland, and he has some news. A woman named Mary Drummond recently died & rumour has it her son Roddie will be attending the funeral. Hardly earth shattering unless you know the whole story.

Fifteen years ago, Roddie was tried for the brutal murder of his girlfriend Mhairi Sinclair. Although he was not convicted by the courts, many of the locals had no doubt he was guilty & when the trial ended he vanished. Now he’s coming home & Chaz believes his return will stir up hard feelings that have been simmering all these years. Boy, was he right.

Rebecca has another more personal reason for visiting Stoirm. Her father was born there but left when he was young. He never went back & died without ever speaking about his previous life. Maybe now she can find his past.

Grab your favourite beverage, find a comfy spot & settle in. There’s a great story ahead & I have to begin with the setting. It’s perfect. I couldn’t help but think of a volcano…..at first glance, it’s idyllic & beautiful to look at but you soon feel tremors that give you an inkling it could blow at any time. A small island community allows the author to weave complicated relationships, culture, isolation & weather into the story with great effect. Through his descriptions, you can see the stunning yet harsh landscape & feel the driving storms in your bones. The insular mindset means you may not love your neighbours but you have to live with them & will stand united against outsiders. As Rebecca soon discovers.

There’s a large cast & they share a massive amount of history. As Rebecca digs into Mhairi’s life, we meet her parents, Roddie’s family, an ex-cop with an agenda, those she grew up with & various locals. One of those is Henry Stuart, the local laird who is butting heads with some of the residents over his big plans to draw tourists to the island. It’s a battle he literally can’t afford to lose due to some of the “businessmen” he’s hooked up with.

Rebecca is the primary narrator but several historical chapters are told by those who were involved in events preceding Mhairi’s death. It’s then we learn the whole messy story & grasp the significance of some of the subplots in the present. These people hold secrets like it’s an Olympic event & as the chapters fly by, the hits just keep on coming.

The story has one weak spot (IMHO) that accounts for my rating. As much as I enjoyed watching the present day drama unfold, I also wanted to know what Rebecca would learn about her father. When the reason he left the island was revealed I had a hard time believing it could impact him that deeply. I don’t want to give anything away so it’s hard to explain but it just didn’t seem personal enough to make him alter the course of his life.

That said, I really enjoyed this. Skelton is a wonderful story teller & the well drawn cast & atmospheric prose pull you right into the thick of it. There are several characters I’d love to bump into again so if this is the start of a new series, sign me up for book #2 please.