The Unforgiven Dead

I was drawn to this book by its description and dramatic sounding title.

This was a dark, gritty thriller, and a very well-written one. I was drawn into the story right from the start. I didn't feel any particularly strong connection with any of the characters, or even find them particularly likeable, but the writing was so powerful, and I was drawn to the story itself more than the characters.

The book's tone, and some of its themes, reminded me of Peter May's Entry Island, which is one of my favourite books that I've read a few times.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

Wow. Read this one! The writing was so engaging and the plot so solid I had hard time ;putting it down. While I couldn't really connect with the characters, that didn't detract from the story, surprisingly. Easily a five star read.

This Tartan Horror/Mystery had me creeped out in the middle of the night! And yet, I couldn’t put it down, spine shivers be damned!

The novel revolves around a murder of a young girl and the mystery of her gruesome death, as seen through the eyes of the local constable who is investigating it, Angus. But this policeman is extraordinarily gifted with paranormal (in)sight, a legacy of his own haunted past. What results is a deeply engrossing whodunit woven through with Gaelic history and culture. For readers who enjoy hints of the demonic, pagan, and ancient evils, The Unforgiven Dead will have you prancing a ritual dance. For readers who love a twisted murder mystery, one in which the murderer is hidden in plain sight alá Agatha Christie, The Unforgiven Dead will absolutely make you squeal once the culprit is exposed.

But the story alone is not the novel’s only draw. The characters of this novel are deftly crafted, their dialogue mimics life, their motivations are raw and human and utterly flawed. For readers of literary fiction, the trials of Angus, Nadia, Gills, and Ashleigh will rent your heart. Their lives mimic reality and their hurts are ones we are likely to relate to, if we don’t know them well already.

The Unforgiven Dead leaves me pining for a moody, grey Scotland more than I could have imagined.

An enthralling journey into the pagan, the occult, and history propelled by a fascinating plot? Set in Scotland? Count me in, and consider yourself warned: this psychologically insightful psychological thriller will have you clearing your schedule as you race to the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

**4.5 stars**

This was a fantastic supernatural occult police procedural, almost like a Scottish Charlie Parker book. I loved the characters and setting, the setting itself was almost like a character in the story. I felt like I knew the characters in the story especially Angus and his wife. I’ve been to the Highlands so that probably added to my enjoyment of the book because I’ve seen and experienced the weather, mountains, etc. but even if you’ve never been the author describes everything so clearly you feel like you’re there.

I’ve seen some negative reviews for this book about it being too long and drawn out but I did not feel that at all. The author spends a lot of time with the background on the area, the characters, and the Celtic and supernatural beliefs that are used in the story and to do that well takes time. Even though I received an ARC via NetGalley (thanks to the author and publisher) I also listened to the Audible audiobook for most of the story so I could hear my favorite accent in the world and that definitely added to my enjoyment of the book.

Overall if you love Scotland, atmospheric detective stories that include the supernatural I highly recommend this book especially the audiobook version. The only reason I gave it 4.5 stars is because I correctly guessed Faye’s killer but I don’t think most people will. I very much hope the author continues Angus’ story, I’ll definitely be in line to read/listen to it if he does.