Dead Man’s Stone by TG Reid
Some secrets are worth killing for
When DCI Duncan Bone is contacted by a terminally-ill psychiatric patient and given clues linking a forty-year-old unsolved murder to high-profile public figures, he finds himself locked into a conspiracy at the very heart of the Scottish criminal and political establishment.
With his bosses stonewalling the investigation, lives under threat, and his career on the line, Bone faces a race against time to hunt down a group of men who will stop at nothing to cover their murderous crime.
Can DCI Bone catch the killer before the killing starts again?
Set among the dramatic hills and glens of Scotland's Campsie Fells, Dead Man's Stone is the third in a series of edge-of-your-seat crime thrillers that will keep you guessing right up to the nail-biting, heart-stopping climax.
Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, J.D. Kirk, Val McDermid and Stuart MacBride.
About the author
TG Reid is a Scottish-born novel and short story writer. His award-winning novels and stories been published worldwide. TG Reid also writes critically acclaimed, award-winning, dark literary thrillers under the pen name of Tom Gillespie.
The DCI Bone series is set in Tom's hometown, among the the hills and glens of the Scottish Campsie Fells. This is Tom's first foray into the murky, pulse-pounding world of police thrillers.
‘Dead Man’s Stone’ was a welcome return to the world of DCI Bone and I was riveted throughout the whole book. I devoured it over the course of an afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the events being less dramatic than in the previous book I think I enjoyed this book more. But then I am a sucker for cold cases as I think it makes for a more detailed investigation that relies on your noggin than forensic evidence.
DCI Bone is still off work recovering from the events that took place in the last book. He is living in a caravan, wild swimming and going through intense therapy. He is calm and feeling on a much firmer footing. When a prisoner demands to speak to Bone and only Bone before he dies, he uses this as a way to dip his toes back in the water, so to speak. Malcolm Lee is an evil bastard and confesses to harming a young boy back in 1979. It's up to Bone and his team to find the evidence to back up this claim.
I enjoyed the narrative as it was kind of like a bonus historical novel on top of our normal Bone story! I would have liked to learn a bit more about the POW camp but that is just the history nerd in me. The empathy shown towards Bone’s situation was still present here and it shows that the author has taken the time to research the subject. It was lovely to see him getting a more secure handle on his life again.
Another great outing from TG Reid and his DCI Bone series and I can't wait for the next one! This can be read as a standalone though very easily.
Let me know if you pick this one up!