Thriller set in the Scottish isles. A good read with a mix of interesting characters and an intriguing storyline.

Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for an early kindle copy of The Graveyard Bell. This is the third book in the series to feature PI Tearlach Paterson and his colleagues Dee and Chloe. Once again Andrew James Grieg has written a fast paced, exciting thriller. This book sees Tearlach return to Mull, the island he grew up on, to investigate the death of an old friends husband. Another body is then found and the team are also tasked with finding a missing person. The vivid descriptions of the island, its isolated landscape and the incoming storm all add to the suspense and the dramatic ending. Look forward to Book 4. Highly recommend!

A nature photographer falls to his death after a mysterious meeting. A marine researcher drowns while searching for the source of eerie underwater singing. A fisherman leaves his boat at the end of the day, never to be seen again. PI Teàrlach Paterson is hired by the wife of the photographer who doesn’t believe that her husband’s death was an accident. The fisherman’s father also hires Teàrlach because he wants to see his son before he dies. Two deaths and a disappearance are unusual for the peaceful Isle of Mull and the presence of Teàrlach and his investigators. As he tries to find links between these three events, he has to deal with angry townspeople, old legends, a new romance and confront his own past. Staying in the cottage where his aunt raised him after a family tragedy brings new information among the memories.

The Graveyard Bell is the third in the excellent Teàrlach Paterson series by Andrew James Greig. It’s the first I have read and it won’t be the last. The Inner Hebrides provides a haunting, atmospheric setting and is beautifully described. Teàrlach is a captivating character, tormented by his past. This mystery/thriller is thoughtfully plotted and full of surprises. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Andrew James Grieg.

I am new to this author . Seeing that the novel is set on the Isle of Mull intrigued me so I decided to give the book a try. Wow! Three muders on this small isle brings a dectective and his associates to find the missing lnik betwee the murders and solve the crime. I loved every moment of the book; I am planning to read his other books and will recommend to those who love Scottish mysteries.

Three unexpected and apparently unrelated deaths on the Isle of Mull. Local police don't feel any crimes have been committed. The widow of one calls her old friend Teàrlach, private investigator, to delve deeper as she in convince husband was killed. He and his two colleagues, Dee and Chloe, head to Mull; they are a very disparate trio with tragic backgrounds but are learning to work together. The story is complicated and involves family feuds, closed islander life amidst tourism with excellent descriptions of Mull's landscape and seascapes. The story probably took less than half the book with the majority seemingly dealing with issues, background and angst of the three main characters - who they were, guilt, background and this just got rather too much for me. Otherwise the characters were relatable and the ways Dee, especially, circumnavigates the internet is interesting. She did find the general communication black holes frustrating though. Welcome to west Scotland! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

Private Investigator Tearlach Paterson returns to his childhood home on the Isle of Mull to investigate three unusual events. After a wildlife photographer falls to his death from above Fingal’s Cave, a young fisherman vanishes without a trace, and soon after, a marine scientist’s body is pulled from the sea, leaving behind his last recording, which turns out to be a piece of evidence of his death.
The photographer's widow hires Tearlach to investigate her husband’s death. Tearlach’s investigation leads him into a web of family feuds, betrayals, and failed love interests. Tearlach finds that the photographer’s death was no accident and the fisherman's father is dying in the hospital. He races against time to find his son before he dies.
Tearlach’s investigation is further hampered by a violent storm covering the town and the wall of deep, dark secrets he must break through before completing his investigations.

I was attracted by the beautiful setting on the Isle of Mull to this, my first introduction to private investigator Teàrlach Paterson.
I was a little undecided to start with because a private investigator can only do certain things. Their work can be painstaking and dull; they're not going to be banging on a door yelling "armed police."
But in the case of The Graveyard Bell, I got to admire the breadth of the work of Teàrlach and his two colleagues, particularly in their usage of white hat hacking and social media.
Teàrlach is an interesting character: I didn't feel I got to know him, which is the author's intention: he seems quite inscrutable.
Three incidents which seemed unrelated came together beautifully and there was a dramatic finale. I look forward to reading more.
Thanks to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the advance digital copy.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

This is my first time reading this author. I loved the writing style, and that the setting became a character all its own. I didn't feel I was missing anything from not having read the other books in this series. What keeps me from giving this 5 stars is the repetition throughout the story, and the fact that Teàrlach didn't seem to have a handle on the investigation. Who is the head of this PI team anyway, him or Dee? She did most of the work. I felt they didn't even like each other most of the time. Maybe I am missing something from the other books after all? Anyway, I would recommend this one, particularly for the island setting.

Filled with interesting characters, this is another very good read from the author. It is The third book in the series set in Scotland, featuring PI Tearlach Paterson is full of atmosphere and evocative descriptions of the landscape. It can easily be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the previous two for background information. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Wow wow wow - amazing - so intense and thrilling

I was totally hooked on this series of Private Investigator Tearlach Paterson murder mystery.

Bloody hell - how many murders all in this book ?
Tearlach, Dee and Chloe are a great team solving these crimes. Just brilliant

Highly recommended

Thank you to Netgalley and Storm Publishing

Fantastic, an interesting trilogy of mysteries in this one. Teàrlach is hired by a photographer's widow to find out what really happened when he died. Teàrlach, Dee and Chloe all end up on the island of Mull to investigate. While there, living in Teàrlach's aunt's cottage where he grew up and which he hasn't been to since she passed 2 years before, they get asked by an old fisherman to find his son, and they hear about a mysterious drowning on the island as well. As the weather gets wilder, the cases seem to have overlaps and it's up to the three of them to unravel all the threads. An intriguing and exciting read!
Thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Andrew James Greig for the free ARC. All opinions are my own.

This the third in Andrew James Greig’s Téarlach Paterson PI series and just like the first ( I’ve still to read the second, The Secret Ritual), it is a real page-turner.

The setting is the Scottish island of Mull, and Greig brings to life an island, not too remote, which is much more than just a tourist haven, a place where people live and work. But then he adds murder.

It starts with the death of a renowned wildlife photographer but more characters and storylines emerge and he cleverly builds both suspense and confusion.

There are moments of utter terror as a second character dies. Throughout, the language is powerful, the metaphors dramatic, extravagant even. Greig brings the landscape (which, I confess I know a little) to life, with both accuracy and humour, not least the description of Téarlach’s arrival in the village of Dervaig and how he describes its church tower.

A character from Greig’s previous series, DI Costorphine, makes a brief but welcome return (by phone) and a new polis, the rather prickly Sgt Suzie Crammond is introduced and he continues to tell the ongoing story of the relationships between him and his colleagues Dee and Chloe and their back stories.

Their stories echo those of the people affected by the deaths at the heart of the novel: the pain that families can inflict on one another set against the importance of family.

So, yes, a great thriller, a total page turner but one that does make you reflect. Looking forward to the next chapter for Téarlach, Dee and Chloe and how they heal.

I love the setting ofThe Graveyard Bell. Tearlach returns to the small Scottish island where he was raised by his aunt after his parents died to investigate the death of the husband of an old friend. His death is followed by another death on the small island and Tearlach and is associates, Dee and Chloe, suspect a connection. They are all dealing with their own unsettled pasts as well as a convoluted mystery. The characters are interesting and likable, and the setting with its wild weather, steep cliffs, and rough seas is a character on its own. A wonderful, atmospheric mystery that keeps you engaged from beginning to end, this was very enjoyable.

0rphan, Ex military, investigations, island-life, islands, missing-persons, murders, nature-photographer, North Sea, Police-Scotland, private-investigators, suspense, thriller, unputdownable*****

The agency has three unconventional people who are still weathering their traumatic pasts. This time they are working to find what truths they can about two different missing persons despite a distinct lack of information. The story starts out rather slowly in order to get all available information out there but then it picks up and travels through a lot of twists and sidebars. Very good read!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital copy from Storm Publishing via NetGalley.
Pub Date Feb 24, 2025
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I was lucky to read an ARC of this and an author who is new to me. It worked as a standalone book, although it is book 3 in a series, so I will be going back to read the other 2 as well.
It was quite evocative of Ann Cleeves' Shetland series, Kate Rhodes' Ben Kitto series and Sheila Quigley's Holy Island series where it was set in beautiful islands, this time the Isle of Mull and Tobermory, and the setting was described perfectly.
The 3 PI characters were very likeable and instantly made an impact on me as the plot developed, with their tenacity, backgrounds and skills. I just wish I knew how to pronounce Tearlach's name!
There was a pretty innocuous beginning with what seemed like an accident, but further events made it clear that it was not. I liked the way the 3 PIs worked together in different ways without their usual access to readily available technology etc. Some of the more technical parts of underground recording etc. were carefully and appropriately explained.
The plot moved quickly with lots of action and I found it hard to put down in the early hours!
I will definitely read more by this author.

The Islands of Mull and Staffa have two sudden deaths and a missing young man. PI Tearlach Paterson returns to his childhood home to investigate one and then all, and also deal with his traumatic childhood and the death of his aunt. The setting is wonderful, the love stories tragic and the family feud believable and tense.
I did enjoy the mystery and investigation in this book. I did find the tragic backstories of Tearlach, Dee and Chloe to be overwhelming to the mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this DRC.
#TheGraveyardBell #NetGalley

Sometimes books are perfectly marketed and The Graveyard Bell is an example of that. Atmospheric? Yes! Gripping? Yes! Thrilling? Yes! I was happy to learn the terrific Teàrlach Paterson was back. The investigative team of Chloe, Dee, and Teàrlach has a winning chemistry and is one of my favorites. They say you can never go home, but that is exactly what Teàrlach does in this admirable addition to the series. The Isle of Mull takes a starring role in The Graveyard Bell as our trio races to solve not one, but three mysteries. Grieg uses his usual pitch perfect pacing to keep the plot moving forward. There are some nice twists in The Graveyard Bell. Some things will never be the same for our heroes after this one. Thank you to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

3.5 rounded up
Teàrlach Paterson #3

A cliff top encounter on Staffa (Inner Hebrides) is witnessed only by puffins and skuas. Later, a body is discovered in Fingals Cave and identified as Rob Jamieson, a keen wildlife photographer. The police deem Rob’s death a tragic accident but his wife Lucy is not convinced. As she’s a school friend of Teàrlach from his days when living on the Isle of Mull with his aunt Rosie, she consults him explaining her fears. When she sees a photograph in a wildlife magazine that she instantly recognises as Rob’s style, her concerns deepen further. She urges him to use his investigative skills and as a favour to someone that he liked a lot at school, he agrees. Further investigation reveals that Rob’s is not the only suspicious death in and around Mull. Teàrlach, Dee and Chloe are on the trail.

I have really enjoyed this series so far and although this is still a good instalment, this is my least favourite. This is because I feel it’s too long taking a deep dive into Teàrlach’s and Dee’s past which though interesting, it takes my eye off the plot ball. What is revealed impacts on the relationship between Teàrlach and Dee which does provide food for thought.

However, despite the above reservation it is as always a book rich in atmosphere which is the author’s trademark. The setting on Mull is excellent and despite all the shenanigans it’s made me want to visit even more. The settings and folklore are used effectively too. The plot is well thought out with the separate strands connecting. There are plenty of twists along the route to the unpredictable end. There’s tension as well as plenty of emotion from several characters.

I really like the central characters as they feel authentic as well as being likeable. In this latest episode there’s a lot of background relating particularly to Teàrlach and how he relates to Mull. Whilst I do have reservations about the depth it goes into, it does further flesh him out and shed deeper glimpses into his personality. It seems he has quite a lot to unpack which I’m sure will feature in Book 4. It will be intriguing to see how all this unfolds in relation to Dee.

Overall, it’s a good read once it gets going with the start being slower than I would have liked.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Storm Publishing for the much appreciated epub in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy of The Graveyard Bell by Andrew James Grieg
The third book in the .Private Investigator Teàrlach Paterson.
A man falls to his death on the lonely island of Staffa, another man has drowned, and a third missing.
All lead to the Isle of Mull. Are they connected? Tearlach and him team head to Mull to find out.
Tearlach, Dee and Chloe are all troubled characters carrying a lot of baggage but it doesn't take away from the main story.
I can't wait for the next book to come out so I can see how the staory pans out.
A good read.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.