*****
A murder in a Glasgow flat sees forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod attending an early-morning crime scene. The shocking killing of a teenage boy brings back memories from MacLeod’s own past as she struggles to come to terms with the disturbing resemblance between herself and the victim. Having given up a baby boy for adoption seventeen years previously, Rhona is determined to discover if the boy could be her own son. In the meantime, there’s a killer on the loose.
This is the first of the Rhona MacLeod books by Ms Anderson and it gets off to a good start. Setting up several storylines, the author develops her characters well, leaving the reader plenty to think about. The relationships between the main character and her ex-husband, as well as her current, uncertain, musician boyfriend, are well-judged, while the unravelling of the plot delves into child abuse and paedophiles, which may be upsetting for some readers.
The detail Anderson gets into is satisfyingly realistic without being overly gruesome and though the story wasn’t quite as thrilling as I’d expected, it still held my attention without too much trouble.
Great start to a great series.
This sounds like quite a story, Colin.
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Thanks, Robbie. Yes, it’s more about relationships than just the usual police procedural.
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Sounds interesting. I spent a lot of time in Glasgow in the past and I always enjoy reading a novel set in a city I’ve known.
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Yeah, me too. I’ve read a lot of Stuart McBride’s books, which are set in Aberdeen where I now work. It gives the stories another layer of interest.
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