Dead Man Deep by Lynne McEwan

Nothing stays buried forever

Lifeboat volunteer DI Shona Oliver receives a Mayday call coming from Kilcatrin Island. Upon the beach is the badly burned body of a man, and a boy lies gravely injured nearby. Strewn around them are scores of Second World War incendiary bombs, presumably washed up by the tide from Beaufort’s Dyke, an offshore arms dump deep in the Irish Sea.

The dead man is a local fisherman – his son the other victim – and it rocks the tight-knit community on the shores of the Solway Firth. As lead detective, Shona has to maintain a professional distance. But she can’t ignore the hardship that her neighbours who make a living at sea are experiencing. Anger is directed at the Ministry of Defence when the fallout threatens tourism, and livelihoods including Shona’s own family B&B business are at risk.

Suspicious behaviour seems to be found at every turn. It’s impossible for Shona to get to the truth unless she can gain the trust of those who know more than they’ve been willing to reveal. But blind loyalty may mean she’s too late to save those still in danger – including herself.

About the author

Glasgow-born Lynne McEwan is a former newspaper photographer turned crime author. She’s covered stories including the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the first Gulf War in addition to many high profile murder cases. Her DI Shona Oliver series is set on the beautiful Solway Firth which forms the border between Scotland and England, and where Shona is also a lifeboat volunteer. Lynne is a graduate of the University of East Anglia's Creative Writing programme and splits her time between Lincolnshire and Scotland.

Review

‘Dead Man Deep’ is the second book in Lynne McEwan’s series set on the Scottish coast of the Solway Firth. I had read the first book ‘In Dark Water’ last year and loved it, so it was a pleasant surprise to see that this one had been published. However, you can read this very easily as a standalone as all past events when alluded to have enough details provided to pick up the threads. I would recommend reading the first one though as I think this is a series that will only get better and better, so getting in the from the start would give you brownie points!

‘Dead Man Deep’ is intensely dark in places, brilliantly plotted, and highly addictive! I devoured it in one day. I know I say that a lot but I was hooked as soon as the bodies were found to the final revelations. The story revolves around DI Shona Oliver, her team at the police station, her personal life and also her role as a lifeguard volunteer. I think this is what makes the series unique and exciting in the tartan noir landscape, that added element of being in dangerous situations on the sea. It certainly makes for a heart-stopping read at times.

When a mayday call is received from Kilcatrin Island Shona and the lifeboat team jump into action! They find the body of a badly burnt man and a young boy lying nearby and the detritus of phosphorus material on the beach. These are remnants of bombs from WWII which have drifted up from Beaufort’s Dyke! Cue the MOD sending their own men in to work with Shona - Simon Wallace and its safe to say the relationship between the two branches of government is rocky. It turns out the dead man is local fisherman Tony Carlin and the injured boy is his son. This makes it personal for Shona, as she is close friends with Laura Carlin, Tony’s wife. She is now determined to find out the truth about what happened on Kilcatrin Island…

Once again I learnt something this week and that is all about Beaufort Dyke which I knew nothing about. It's not just leftover ammunition and bombs from WWII but also nuclear waste!!! Flaming Nora! I loved that Shona’s daughter Becca was so involved in the green movement as it ties in very neatly with this branch of the narrative and her relationship with Willow was a good example of hero worship.

I really enjoyed returning to these characters and I can't wait to read more! Please let Dan be able to move into Police Scotland as I can see some interesting dynamics happening if he does. The plot in this book was excellent, I may have guessed the resolution but the process of getting there was entertaining and I was enthralled throughout.

Roll on the next book!