Whispers of the Dead by Lin Anderson
When a movie star goes missing while filming their latest blockbuster in Glasgow, Rhona MacLeod and the team must investigate.
In the dead of night, a man’s body is found strapped to a chair in Glasgow’s Elder Park, his identity unknown. As forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod examines the scene, the violence on display suggests a gangland feud could be the cause. At the post-mortem, a bullet engraved with a snake’s head is found in the man’s stomach, lending weight to the theory.
Elsewhere in the city, a major Hollywood movie is being filmed. But shooting comes to a standstill when its lead actor is reported missing. As the news spreads, Police Scotland believe the two cases may be connected.
DS Michael McNab thinks the key to finding those responsible could be the film itself. A storyline playing out in real-life on the streets of Glasgow with a killer intent on revenge at any cost. A vendetta which must be paid in blood . . .
About the author
Lin Anderson is a Scottish author and screenwriter known for her bestselling crime series featuring forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod. Four of her novels have been longlisted for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year, and in 2022 she was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association Dagger in the Library Award. Lin is the co-founder of the international crime writing festival Bloody Scotland, which takes place annually in Stirling.
Review
‘Whispers of the Dead’ is the latest book from one of my favourite authors, Lin Anderson. It was a dark and twisted tale, full of tangible Weegie characters and a story so engrossing I flew through it in one day! This is the 18th book in the series but this can be easily read as a standalone, as it is very much is own story. I do recommend reading the series though as they are cracking intelligent books - a shining example of gritty tartan noir.
Dr Rhona MacLeod, a forensic scientist is called to a horrifying scene of a tortured man strapped to a chair in the garden of an old derelict farmhouse in Elder Park, Govan. Ally Feeney and his mates Dreep and Kev had stumbled on the body and fled pretty quickly but Dreep dropped his phone somewhere and Ally was tasked to go back and find it. Unfortunately, the cops got there first! Rhona also meets a prisoner, Marnie whilst holding a forensic course in the local prison. She is said to have killed her daughter but has never told her story. She has created a beautiful highland dancer doll and on her release a few days later she sends it to Rhona. Rhona is wondering if she is asking for help and did she really kill her daughter Tizzy. DS McNab who worked on the case 6 years ago definitely thought there was more to it than Marnie ever said.
Anderson has created two brilliant characters in Ally and Marnie. Both from around Elderpark and in my eyes they show how a immature and innocent young adult can be affected by the circumstances of their geographical and environmental situation. Ally is the before and Marnie the after. But both have a heart of gold, they are someone you could root for as a reader and they made the main cast of characters fade into the background slightly. I just wanted to know that they were safe. This was definitely a book in which the victims/witnesses shine the brightest.
This was a brilliant read, a real page-turner and full of interesting scientific details. This series is always going to be an auto-read and that's because the writing is seamless, the research impeccable and the characters are nuanced and very relatable. Roll on book 19!
Let me know if you pick this one up!
