Alice Somerville and
her husband Will are in the highlands looking for buried treasure.
Her grandfather buried two rare motorcycles at the end of WWII. She
has a map and with the help of Hamish, a highland crofter, has found
the exact spot. With excited expectation they dig down, but before
they uncover the motorcycles, they find a body riddled with bullet
holes.
Since the body was
killed in 1995, it is categorized as a cold case. DCI Karen Pirie,
head of the Cold Case Unit, is given the assignment. As Pirie and her
team struggle to solve the case, she has to deal with a new,
insubordinate team member, and the animosity of her boss.
The story is not
fast paced. Much of the action involves the relationships between
Pirie, her team, and her superior. She is also is tracking two other
cases, so the focus on the old murder is diluted by findings on the
other cases. The novel reads more like a character study, or a police
procedural where many cases are being followed.
The descriptions of
the highlands are enticing. They make you see the area even if
you’ve never been there. The character descriptions are realistic. Pirie
is struggling with personal issues from the death of her lover, and
the animosity of her superior.
I recommend this
book if you enjoy an interesting location and a character driven
story. The plot is good, but there are many digressions. The
resolution is almost startling it comes on so rapidly at the end of
the book.
I received this book
from Net Galley for this review.
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