Review: DORMIE 5, G. R. Jordan

• 
  This edition available from Amazon on Kindle
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BQF9K1DT
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (April 30, 2023)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 239 pages
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 25

Synopsis (Amazon)

A clash of cultures at a golf club of distinction. The club secretary found sliced on the 15th tee box. Can Macleod and McGrath find the rogue player on the course before some else receives a two slash penalty?

With the building of the new parkland course beside Newtonmoray’s famous old links, tensions rise in the realms of the club’s devoted golfers. But when there is talk of a professional tour event coming to the club and being switched to the new course, the gloves are off in a fight for the event. In the midst of the fervour, the club secretary is found dead over his golf trolley at the picturesque 15th hole. Can Seoras and Hope wade through the club politics and personalities to uncover a brutal killer, or will the clubhouse row lead to more patrons being teed up!

The match might be dormie, but they’ll play to the death!

My Take

It is a while since I've read one in this series and this one has served to remind me of how good they are! The solving of a brutal murder at a local golf course is complicated by the fact that MacLeod has been made Acting DCI but McGrath is still to be made Acting DI. So Hope takes on the lead for the case while Seoras tries to leave her alone, and not to interfere too much. Command structures are not clear and Seoras worries that Hope is not ready for the new responsibilities, while she worries that he will be disappointed in her.

Meanwhile there is a second death but is it the same murderer or a copycat?

You will see from the list below that I love this series.   

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16 
• 4.5, THE CORTADO CLUB - #17
• 4.5, CLEARED TO DIE - #18
• 4.5, MAN OVERBOARD - #19 
• 4.6, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR -#20 
• 4.5, ROGUE'S GALLERY- #21
• 4.5, THE DEATH OF MACLEOD - #22
• 4.5, A COMMON MAN -#23
• 4.5, A SWEEPING DARKNESS - #24

Review: A SWEEPING DARKNESS, Inferno Trilogy 3, G.R.Jordan

• 
   this edition from Amazon on Kindle
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BLP5MWZ8
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (January 1, 2023
  
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 210 pages
• #24 Highlands and Islands Detectives

Synopsis (Amazon)

The public weeps as the killings begin again. With the chase now on, agendas are quickly accelerated. Can Macleod and McGrath pull together a ragged investigation to stop an unholy sacrifice?

Reinstated but still under the public glare, DI Macleod knows that the dark cult responsible for the first deaths are now feeling the pressure. Tales of brutality and sacrifice run rife leaving Macleod to sort rumour from reality. As the true nature of what the cult intends to do comes to light, Seoras and Hope find themselves in a desperate race to find missing children and Ross's adopted child.

For the love of God, he has to find them!

My Take:

The Infernal Trilogy races to its breathtaking conclusion. MacLeod and his team has to find the final meeting place of the cult as well as locate seven children selected for sacrifice.

An impressively constructed story. 

My rating:  4.5

I have read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16 
• 4.5, THE CORTADO CLUB - #17
• 4.5, CLEARED TO DIE - #18
• 4.5, MAN OVERBOARD - #19 
• 4.6, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR -#20 
• 4.5, ROGUE'S GALLERY- #21
• 4.5, THE DEATH OF MACLEOD - #22
• 4.5, A COMMON MAN -#23

Review: A COMMON MAN, Inferno Trilogy 2, G. R. Jordan

• 
  this edition available from Amazon on Kindle
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BLP9G14P
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (December 11, 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 222 pages
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 23 

Synopsis (Amazon)

Removed from his post and cast aside by his superiors. Without authority and any resources to call to hand. Can Macleod operate from the dark and hunt down the mysterious group before another child dies?

Having been sidelined from the investigation and fast tracked for an early retirement, DI Macleod knows that the child killer is still on the loose. With the assistance of his injured Colleague, DS Urquhart, Macleod finds himself operating beyond the law for the first time in his career. With DS McGrath increasingly frustrated by the glory hunting DCI, Macleod must pull whatever resources he can to bring about the arrest of the dark band of brothers before another innocent suffers.

With Hope removed, you need a rottweiler at your heels! 

My Take

Warning: don't start this until you have read THE DEATH OF MACLEOD, Inferno Trilogy 1.

Spoiler: in the first in the Trilogy, Macleod had a falling out with the new DCI and has gone on indefinite leave. Clarissa was injured in that novel and so she is on leave too. None of Macleod's team are meant to be in contact with him.

This novel further explores the dynamics that holds this team together. The trilogy has one more title to go.

My rating: 4.6 

I've read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16 
• 4.5, THE CORTADO CLUB - #17
• 4.5, CLEARED TO DIE - #18
• 4.5, MAN OVERBOARD - #19 
• 4.6, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR -#20 
• 4.5, ROGUE'S GALLERY- #21
• 4.5, THE DEATH OF MACLEOD - #22

Review: THE DEATH OF MACLEOD: Inferno Trilogy 1, G.R. Jordan

• 
  this book available from Amazon on Kindle
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 22
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BLZQ6FCS
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (November 9, 2022)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 9, 2022

Synopsis (Amazon)

A slaughter of innocents. A crazed public demands vengeance from any source. Can Macleod hold his poise amidst a cry for blood before justice?

When a heinous crime against children provokes a national outcry, Detective Inspector Macleod and his team are under pressure for results like never before. As the murders continue, top brass demands a scapegoat at all costs. But when Detective Sergeant McGrath suspects evidence has been planted to sate the public’s bloodlust, can Macleod find the real killer before the public tears their sacrificial lamb apart?

Today in the crucible, tomorrow the gallows.

My Take

These stories continue to hold my attention. 

Macleod has a new DCI who sees Macleod as a managerial challenge. When Macleod comes up with a radical interpretation of the ghastly events that are occurring, the DCI insists that he is wrong and forces Macleod to take action that he feels is wrong.

There can only be one result.

The author has chosen to break this story into 3 parts, hence the title.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16 
• 4.5, THE CORTADO CLUB - #17
• 4.5, CLEARED TO DIE - #18
• 4.5, MAN OVERBOARD - #19 
• 4.6, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR -#20 
• 4.5, ROGUE'S GALLERY- #21

Review: ROGUE'S GALLERY, G.R. Jordan

• 
  this edition an e-book on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• #21 in the Highlands and Islands series
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (10 September 2022)
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 228 pages
  

Synopsis (Amazon)

Foreign royalty found dead on an island estate. A fractious gathering provides a plethora of suspects. Can Macleod and McGrath sort the treasure from the driftwood to reveal who truly gains the most from the duke's death?

DI Seoras Macleod is ordered away from his recovering partner Jane, to investigate the suspicious death of a foreign duke at the estate of his mother. Found naked and deceased in a small loch near the family's holiday estate, the duke is not short of enemies at the milestone gathering of his remaining parent's birthday. Amidst bluster and genuine loathing, Macleod, and his faithful Sergeant McGrath, must hunt down a killer who seems ready to destroy an entire lineage.

Blood runs thicker than water, every drop!

My Take

A small European royal family has been allowed to set up a sequestered embassy on a remote Scottish island. MacLeod and his team have been ordered by the British government to investigate the murder of the head of the family. But MacLoed is far from happy. He is very restricted in the way in which he can carry out the investigation.

And then the weather closes in and the team becomes isolated on the island, and then more murders take place. MacLeod can't understand why he has been assigned this case. In addition he has been taken away from his partner who suffered mental stress in the last case. He thinks Jane needs him more than this case does.

What is the British government hoping he will achieve, or do they have another agenda?

My rating: 4.6 

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16 
• 4.5, THE CORTADO CLUB - #17
• 4.5, CLEARED TO DIE - #18
• 4.5, MAN OVERBOARD - #19 
• 4.6, ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR -#20

Review: ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, G.R. Jordan

• 
  This edition available from Amazon on Kindle
  
• #20 in Highlands and Islands series
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B21SCJCQ
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (17 July 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 228 pages

Synopsis (Amazon) 

A youth is found dead at a children’s playpark. A stolen car burnt out with the joyriders inside. Can Macleod discover the avenging angel brutally restoring the highland’s peace and quiet?

When a spate of deaths indicating teenagers as targets sends Macleod and McGrath into a very public hunt for killer, they must walk in view of the hottest debate of the day. But when Hope believes she sees an angle that points the blame at those who responsible for the nation’s safety, Macleod must trust his Sergeant’s instincts while dodging a career ending bullet.

It was all easier back in the day, or was it?

My Take

Set in Inverness. Gangs from two council estates appear to be at war. In one night 5 young people dead in two separate incidents. Macleod's DCI wants a public campaign with Seoras as the figurehead. He protests, that is not his job. His is finding out who is responsible for the murders.

Besides, he and his team are not convinced that gang conflict is the root of the problem. The weapons being used, including a grenade, are too sophisticated.

Another excellent read.

My rating: 4.6 

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16 
• 4.5, THE CORTADO CLUB - #17
• 4.5, CLEARED TO DIE - #18
• 4.5, MAN OVERBOARD - #19

Review: MAN OVERBOARD, G. R. Jordan

• 
  this edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• #19 in the Highlands and Island series
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09WVJVP9P
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (May 29, 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 219 pages

Synopsis (Amazon)

A Coastguard’s nightmare repeats. The fledgling tourist season is in tatters. Can Macleod and McGrath find the killer amongst the hordes of holidaymakers?

When the Coastguard note an increase in drownings from travellers falling overboard from passenger vessels, Macleod is called in to satisfy an itch that these may not be innocent accidents. When the victims are all found to be from troubled marriages, the team must seek the hidden orchestrator of spring mayhem. Can Seoras and Hope find the killer before widow maker of the seas strikes again?

To jump or not to jump, sometimes it’s not a choice! 

My Take

While the people apparently committing suicide by jumping into the sea from the top deck of a ferry are all on different ferries, they are all ferries being run by the same company. So is somebody trying to put the company out of business? 

These suicides are too much of a coincidence for Macleod, but the investigation is hampered by the fact that most of them don't surface and the bodies are not able to be retrieved.  But then they get "lucky" and a body is retrieved and the pathologist is able to determine that it is a case of murder.

The team gets stretched very thin by the locations of these incidents, and by also tracking down the people that these "bodies" have been interacting with before they jumped.

Another very engaging read! I am very much enjoying the variety in these stories, and the fact that they are so readable.

My rating: 4.5

I have read the following:

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16 
• 4.5, THE CORTADO CLUB - #17
• 4.5, CLEARED TO DIE - #18

Review: CLEARED TO DIE, G.R. Jordan

• 
  This edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 18
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09SGS5979
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (3 April 2022)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 227 pages

Synopsis (Amazon)

A dead controller killed alone in his tower. A climate of fear and coercion among employees and managers. Can Macleod enter the world of air traffic and bring a safe, orderly, and expeditious solution to the case?

When a commercial turboprop is forced to go-around on losing communication with Mull tower, the operations team find their oldest controller dead at his post. Amidst a furore over a change of working, Macleod and McGrath find a company in turmoil and with grudges to settle. As the sides are unmasked and the stakes known, can the pair see through the anger and disgruntlement, to bring a brutal killer to justice?

Silence is golden… unless you need to land! 

My Take

I'm unashamedly hooked on this series.

This book is set on Mull where a traffic controller is found dead at his desk when a small plane is attempting to land. 

A relatively quick read, but several puzzles keep you hooked until the end. 

But if you are new to this series, do tackle some of the earlier titles, so get some real knowledge of the main characters. I enjoy the variety of settings, and also the real variety in plots. Look out to for the well developed interactions between the main characters. They get you thinkin!

My rating: 4.5

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16 
• 4.5, THE CORTADO CLUB - #17

 

 

Review: THE CORTADO CLUB, G. R. Jordan

• 
  ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09NL676CT
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (February 20, 2022)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 20, 2022
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
• #17 in the Highlands and Islands Detective Thrillers

Synopsis (Publisher)

An established coffee house with a reputation for excellence. A rapid surge in customers dying with froth on their lips. Can Macleod and McGrath discover the link between the clientele before the last cup is drunk?

When Macleod is called back to his Isle of Lewis roots, he finds the most sedate murders he has ever known. But for all the quietness and beauty in the method of dispatch, an evil seeks to destroy the community. With a subtlety Macleod finds hard to expose, the killer follows their path of perfect destruction. Can the Inspector thwart his most taxing nemesis yet?

Why take two shots when one will do? 

My Take

Set on MacLeod's home island of Lewis. Who is being targetted with these strange coffee cup poisonings?

Another in this series with an interesting plot and some interesting things to say about human relationships. Rewarding reads especially if you read them in order.

My rating: 4.5 

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15
• 4.6, WHERE JUSTICE FAILS - #16

Review: WHEN JUSTICE FAILS, G.R. Jordan

• 
  Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (31 October 2021)- Amazon
  
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 244 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1914073606
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1914073601
• #16 in the Highlands and Islands Detective Thrillers

Synopsis (publisher)

A disturbed grave and a switched corpse. A new TV show and a quest for the truth. Can Macleod and McGrath bring an increasingly popular vigilante to justice before mob rule takes over?

When the first episodes of a new programme coincide with the discovery of corpse switching, Macleod believes the gaudy production is merely fuelling high jinks from a disaffected community. But when the presenter becomes a spokesperson for the lack of justice, the Inspector finds his casebook increases with previously thought innocent suspects. Can the team discover the connection between the weekly show and the spate of new killings before a growing clamour for justice becomes the prelude to kangaroo courts?

Make way for the public's arbiter of justice!

My Take

This story is set in Inverness. MacLeod's partner Jane is watching a new TV reality show - titled Where Justice Fails. The general idea is that there are crimes where the wrong person has been blamed, and a murderer is still at large. The television producers really want to prove that the police are incompetent.

The series begins with a disturbed grave, the former occupant disinterred and taken away, and a new body sitting on top of the grave. A sticker has been left on the side of the coffin, showing Lady Justice within a red circle with a bar across it.

I love the way this series comes up with interesting cases, at the same time as exploring the relationships between team members and incorporating new people in the team.

My rating: 4.6

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14 
• 4.7, THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS - #15

Review: THE CULLING AT SINGING SANDS, G. R. Jordan

• 
  Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (31 October 2021)
  
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 244 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1914073606
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1914073601
• #15 in the Highlands and Islands Detective Thrillers
• author website
  

Synopsis (publisher)
A glamorous retirement village on an isolated island. A brutal killer culls the elderly starting with the oldest resident. Can Macleod discover the murderous motive and prevent the island graveyard from overflowing?

When the Isle of Eigg enjoys the opening of ‘The Singing Sands’ Later but Better Township’, little do they realise that death is only round the corner for the new arrivals. Joy turns to sorrow as old friends meet a bloody end, and DI Macleod and DS McGrath are dispatched to investigate. As a determined clientele and some unseasonal weather hamper the investigation, the detectives must look to the past to prevent the dispatching of those seen to be past their time.

Even in paradise you’re only one step from the grave!

My Take

Hope McGrath's Aunt Mary lived in this select retirement village until she apparently committed suicide.  She apparently jumped into the sea and her remains have never been found. And then Hope finds her shawl and an arm. She also learns that her aunt was the 3rd person to disappear in this way. 

This very select retirement home has only 8 residents and now 3 of them have gone in a matter of months. With the discovery of the arm all of Hope's alarm bells are ringing and a full investigation is launched.

I really enjoyed this story and you can see from my rating that I think it is the best one yet. I think this one is a little blacker than the rest, but I am also enjoying the character exploration and varied scenarios. Each book is a little over 200 pages, so not long reads, but they do pack quite a punch.

But if you haven't read any of them, then you must make the effort to read them from the beginning. They are all available on Kindle and probably on other e-book platforms.

According to Fantastic Fiction there are now 29 in the series, and I am intending at this stage to read them all.

My rating: 4.7

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #11 
• 4.3, CULHWCH ALPHA - #12
• 4.5, FAIR MARKET VALUE - #13
• 4.5, THE COACH BOMBER -  #14

Review: THE COACH BOMBER, G.R. Jordan

 Once again apologies for the brevity of this”review”. I am still reduced to writing posts on my iPad but hopefully will have a new computer in a day or so.

This is the 14th book in this series.

“ When an airport bus is blown apart on the main road out of Inverness, DI Macleod finds a press backlash when they name their own suspect. With the undercurrent of an ongoing drug war upping the ante, Macleod must rely on his Sergeant Hope McGrath to infiltrate the organisations and help bring the real killer to the light.

Don’t miss your stop on the way to boomtown! ‘

I felt this book brought a grittier dimension to the story. A gangland boss is amongst the 30 or so dead after a bomb explodes on a coach near the airport at Inverness. At first the fear is that this is the start of a war between rival gangs, but Macleod dismisses this theory when the head of a rival gang protests that it has nothing to do with him.

Macleod’s new DS Urqhart who was added to the team in the 13th title because of her knowledge of antiques becomes a surprise package because of her ability to meet violence with violence.

When the series first started I thought it bordered on the cozies but now the titles are getting much closer to thrillers. In each too there is an element of surprise.

My rating: 4.5

Review: FAIR MARKET VALUE, G. R. Jordan

 With my computer still out of order, I am reduced to writing very basic reviews, but I don’t want to get any more than I need to.

This the 13th in the Highlands and Islands and Detectives series which I am really enjoying. I encourage you to read the books in order so you get the full background and character development. Each book has a different setting in the Highlands and Islands and different issues are raised.

What we see in this one is a change in the team headed by Detective Inspector Seoras Macleod. DC Stewart has left and the team is missing her diligence and tough work. This time an auctioneer north of Inverness has been beaten to death with his gavel. Macleod is convinced the central clue must be related to an item that was sold during the auction the day before. He is also aware that that his team is in desperate need of an expert in ancient artifacts which is what was in the auction.  And so he adds a new woman to the team with that she might join permanently. Macleod is almost offended when he finds out what the item was.

My rating: 4.5

Review: CULHWCH ALPHA, G.R. Jordan

• 
  This book available as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08YY1NMVF
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (May 9, 2021)
• #12 in the Highlands & Islands Detective series
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 219 pages

Synopsis (Amazon)

A routine call to muster on a North Sea oil rig. One man short and a body found hanging in the canteen. High above the raging sea, can Macleod and McGrath uncover the underbelly of fear to reveal a brutal killer?

Six months into production and the death of a well-liked colleague rips apart the community on Scotland’s newest oil rig. But beneath the camaraderie and sense of loss, broods a sense of fear and control. As a killer extends their sights to multiple targets, can Macleod stop the murders before the shift completes its final day.

When the sea becomes your cage there’s nowhere left to hide!

My Take

This is really a variant on a locked-room mystery. A murder has taken place on a North Sea oil rig and Macleod and his team know the murderer is still on the rig. However there is a limited time people can be kept on the rig, and while they narrow the list of suspects down to 20, some are due to return home within hours.

So Macleod is coordinating an investigation both on the rig and back on nearby islands and the mainland. As they get closer somebody tries to eliminate McGrath.

This time the plot struggles to hold itself together and I got the feeling the author was juggling a few too many balls, and occasionally I struggled to make sense of the connections.  It all seemed to come together at the end, but I think Macleod seemed out of his depth at times.

Rating: 4.3

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10  
• 4.4, THE SATCHEL - #1
  

Review: THE SATCHEL, G. R. Jordan

• 
   This book available as an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08V22KVZH
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (March 20, 2021)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 221 pages
• #11 in the Highlands & Islands Detective series

Synopsis (Amazon)

A bag is found hanging on a lonely tree in an Inverness park. Inside, a morbid collection of fists tell a tale of murder and intrigue. Can Macleod find the killer and stop a second show of hands?

Battle-weary Macleod must seek to understand a murderer’s obsession when a bag of appendages turns up in a local park. But as the links between the victims become more apparent, the possible identities of the killer increase. Can Macleod sift the wheat from the chaff and stop the killer before another bag is full?

Don’t raise your hand if you know what’s good for you!

My Take

This series really has me hooked

The gruesome discovery of a satchel full of 8 right hands hanging from a tree near a popular picnic spot near Inverness sparks a hunt by Macleod's team to identify their owners. Some of the hands have been recently detached, while others belong to people who have been missing for some time. And what have their owners done to deserve this sort of treatment?

The team discovers that two satchels were bought at the same time, and so there are some people still in danger of becoming victims. It is a race to find them, and then to convince them that they are in danger.

The team is well established now and the main characters are clearly defined.

Rating: 4.4

Others in the series that I have read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9
• 4.4, OUR GATED COMMUNITY - #10 
  

Review: OUR GATED COMMUNITY, G. R. Jordan

• 
  this edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08Q4C4GKD
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (January 31, 2021) 
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 10 

Synopsis (Amazon)

A remote island community starts its new life. A dead body leads to locked doors and closed mouths. Can Macleod and McGrath find the killer hell bent on destroying paradise?

Leaving behind the city of Inverness, Seoras and Hope travel to the fledgling paradise of Morning Light to investigate a body found in the idyllic town square. When the Mayor tries to run roughshod over Macleod’s investigation, the determined pair find a wall of silence and an underlying current of deceit and mistrust. Can Macleod find who controls the villagers’ tongues before more permanent measures are taken against those who speak out?

A generous dose of fear is the key to a happy town!

My Take

When the call comes in about a dead body in th town square of a gated community on a remote island, Macleod and McGrath are away at a conference being told about new procedures for officers addressing other and their subordinates. It is almost too much for Macleod who feels it will all lead to disrespect, at least for senior officers.

So Constable Ross has to lead the investigation and ventures on to the island at the beginning of a storm, which effectively cuts off communications and turns it into a locked room mystery. As the deaths begin to mount, it becomes obvious that they need reinforcements from the mainland, if anybody is to survive. It also becomes obvious that things in this community are not as they should be. There is evidence that the community is being used for criminal purposes, and that not everybody there is what they seem.

This becomes a particularly violent scenario, and Macleod feels he is being stretched to his limits.

My rating: 4.4

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8  
• 4.5, THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS - #9 
  

Review: THE NUMEROUS DEATHS OF SANTA CLAUS, G. R. Jordan

• 
   this edition read on my Kindle (Amazon)
  
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08NTF1GH8
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (December 19, 2020)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 222 pages
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 9 

Synopsis (Amazon)

A dead Santa Claus in a garden centre grotto. Underground fighting in the dark corners of the Highlands. Can Macleod and McGrath discover who is dispatching the strongmen of the ring in such a festive fashion?

With Hope McGrath struggling to regain her confidence after a disfiguring injury, Macleod must encourage his protegee as they seek to discover the link between Grotto strangulations and an underground fighting promotion. But as the snow starts to fall and Yuletide celebrations turn sour, Macleod must look beyond the lights and fanciful characters to find the real murderer in their midst.

Ho-Ho-Ho! This time, Santa better watch out! 

My Take

This story is set in the north of Scotland near Inverness, but the author says is quick to say that the city has been used as an inspirational canvas and not to be confused with "actual buildings and structures".

In the previous case Hope McGrath was severely burned on the face by boiling oil and McLeod's partner Jane, already injured in a hit and run accident, was threatened by a maniac but was saved by McGrath. McGrath is very conscious of her disfigurement and believes everyone is looking at her.

In this case the team is called to a garden centre where a Santa has been killed. But the nature of the killing is unusual - he has been suffocated in a wrestling hold, and this discovery leads to a secondary case. It leads to DC Kirsten Stewart working undercover and also being put in danger.

I am really enjoying this series. The plots are inventive, sometimes at the bounds of credibility, but the exploration of the relationships between the main characters is very good.

My rating: 4.5

I've also read (all from this series)

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA  - #7
• 4.6, A JUST PUNISHMENT - #8  

Review: A JUST PUNISHMENT, G.R. Jordan

• 
  This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 8
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08L82JBTF
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (November 23, 2020)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 220 pages 

Synopsis  (Amazon)

A former convict, hung, drawn and quartered. Macleod called by name for his former actions. Can the Lewis detective find the righter of wrongs before the killer executes those close to Macleod?

As his partner recovers from a devastating accident, Macleod faces a hidden face from his past who is determined to see justice truly done. But as the killer punishes each justifiable victim, Macleod feels the target of the attacks is moving coming closer to home. In a devastating finale, Macleod must rely on his younger Sergeant, Hope McGrath, more than he has ever before.

The pain you deal will be visited upon you tenfold!

My Take

This story is set around Inverness, but its origins go back one of the first arrests that Mcleod ever made. He rescued a person accused of perpetrating child abuse from a mob. The man was convicted and sentenced to jail. He was recently released but someone believes he was not sufficiently punished.  A card with the body indicates that the vigilante believes that Mcleod was responsible for the inadequate punishment. 

More incidents occur: bodies that have been subjected to bizarre almost medieval punishments, and the incidents seem to be getting closer to Mcleod himself. As the story reaches its climax McGrath is fighting against time to discover who perpetrator is, before the action gets to Mcleod's own doorstep.

You will probably, like me, solve the mystery ahead of McGrath but that didn't really lessen the tension.

My rating: 4.6 

I've also read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6
• 4.5, A PERSONAL AGENDA - #7 

Review: A PERSONAL AGENDA, G. R. Jordan

• 
  This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 7
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08HQG9GML
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (October 20, 2020)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 224 pages

Synopsis (Amazon)

When terrorist attacks occur in the West of Scotland, Macleod and McGrath work amidst the multitude of agencies to uncover the organisation behind it. But just as Macleod makes a startling revelation, a crisis at home removes him from the team. With the country’s agencies chasing down a blind alley, can newly promoted DS McGrath pull her team together and stop one final killing?

There’s no wilder face of terror than the one with a personal agenda!

My Take

I have really developed a liking for this series. MacLeod and McGrath have come a long way from the first in the series, and I strongly recommend reading them in order, so that you see the full character development, as well as the way new members are added to the team.

The action begins with a small cruise ship taking holiday makers down the Caledonian Canal, along Loch Ness, and through Fort Augustus before arriving at a breath-taking series of locks known as Neptune's Staircase. A sniper picks off a German tourist and a couple of other passengers. Some investigators are later inclined to think the lone gunman is an Irish terrorist but who would target Scotland? 

From the beginning McLeod believes the agenda is more personal but as more incidents occur, the bombing of the bridge to Skye, and then an incident with a bow and arrow, the Irish terrorist paramilitary theory gains more credence. 

The case is challenging for McLeod's team, and then becomes more so when he has to rush home after an incident that puts his partner in hospital, and McGrath has to take over.

An excellent read.

My rating: 4.5

I've already read

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5
• 4.4, THE PIRATE CLUB  - #6

Review: THE PIRATE CLUB, G. R. Jordan

• 
  This edition an e-book on Kindle (Amazon)
  
• Highlands & Islands Detective Book 6
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08BS369DY
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Carpetless Publishing (September 22, 2020)
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 242 pages 

Synopsis  (Amazon)

A body holding a spade in the sand amidst tales of a missing gem. An old boy’s network whose members are rapidly becoming extinct. Can Macleod solve the gamester’s clues before the club players are liquidated and the prize is gone forever?

In the sixth major case of Macleod and McGrath’s partnership, a deadly game is being played in the search for a long-stolen jewel of fantastic wealth. Whilst former friends dispatch their new enemies, DI Macleod hunts the pieces of parchment that will lead him to the resting place of a Sultan’s pride and joy, and the killers who cannot live without it. Will the pirate king emerge triumphant, or can the Inspector run their plans asunder?

When precious things seem out of reach, death may be the only compromise.

My Take

Bodies turn up on two separate islands, one male, one female: one killed where he lies and the other perhaps has floated in off a ferry. But Mcleod is convinced that they are somehow connected.  A scrap of a map with locations marked. A man digging up a gold cross on a beach, the item identified as something taken from a Spanish museum, 25 years earlier.

And now a trail of bodies, more murders, more throats slashed, and some young murderers, not above killing police pursuers if they get in the way.

I nearly drowned in the complexity of this plot and I'm still not sure that I got it all worked out. The "treasure hunt" turns into a fast paced thriller, challenging all the resources that Macleod and McGrath can muster. Macleod is forced to re-define and expand his team, firstly as his usual pathologist is incapacitated by ill health and needs to be replaced, and then he needs to add new investigators to his team, resulting in a redefinition of McGrath's role, with her being promoted to DS. McGrath becomes angry as choice bits of the investigation appear to be being handed over to the DC Stewart, and Macleod struggles to maintain control.

I've been thinking about why I am enjoying this series so much. I think it has something to do with the episodic nature of it. The investigative team of Macleod and McGrath is being expanded and redefined as both characters are developed from episode to episode.  I think Macleod is creating a crack investigative team which can be thrown into whatever mystery the Highlands and Islands can throw up. Macleod's superior officer is playing a very small role in this scenario. I'd almost compare this structure to something like a television series where in each episode we tackle a new mystery. Each of the episodes is sited on a different island and comes with its own locational challenges.

Running behind all this though are some personal scenarios for the main characters. Macleod has certainly developed since Book 1. He has now got a female live-in partner who needs to be very accommodating to the demands of his job. They have moved out of Glasgow back to the Isle of Lewis. MacGrath has changed too. She is still looking for a live-in partner, but she too intends to move out of Glasgow. She has risen from DC to DS and has become very attached to working with Macleod at the same time as getting very angry with him at times.

The episodes of the series do not move directly from one to another. In some cases a short period of time has elapsed and we are told of significant developments in the following pages.

I am looking forward to seeing how the series develops next.

My rating : 4.4 

• 4.5, WATER'S EDGE -#1
• 4.4, THE BOTHY - #2
• 4.4, THE HORROR WEEKEND - #3
• 4.5, THE SMALL FERRY - #4 
• 4.5, DEAD AT THIRD MAN  - #5