I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for Whirligig by Andrew James Greig, a book which had intrigued me as soon as I saw the cover. Huge thanks to Kelly Lacey at Love Books Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.
The Blurb:
Just outside a sleepy Highland town, a gamekeeper is found hanging lifeless from a tree. The local police investigate an apparent suicide, only to find he’s been snared as efficiently as the rabbit suspended beside him. As the body count rises, the desperate hunt is on to find the murderer before any more people die. But the town doesn’t give up its secrets easily, and who makes the intricate clockwork mechanisms carved from bone and wood found at each crime?
Whirligig is a tartan noir like no other; an exposé of the corruption pervading a small Highland community and the damage this inflicts on society’s most vulnerable. What happens when those placed in positions of trust look the other way; when those charged with our protection are inadequate to the challenge; when the only justice is that served by those who have been sinned against?
This debut crime novel introduces DI James Corstophine – a man still grieving for a wife lost to cancer; his small close-knit team of passed-over police and their quiet Highland town. He’s up against a killer who plays him as easily as a child. For a man whose been treading water since the death of his wife, he’s facing a metaphorical flood of biblical proportions as he struggles to understand why these murders are happening, and who is behind each carefully planned execution. All the time, the clock is ticking.
Whilrligig was published on 26th March 2020 by Fledgling Press and is available as an eBook and in paperback.
Buy Link:
My Review:
Before I get going, can I just give this book some cover love. When I first saw the front cover (illustration by Graeme Clarke) I had no idea what the book was about, but was mesmerised by the tree. And desperate to find out more. That doesn't happen often with me - normally I need to read the blurb too, but not in this case. I was sold on it straight away. Great job.
DI James Corstorphine, DC Frankie McKenzie and their small team - only five of them in total - have to follow up on a suicide, only to find it's not a suicide at all. The man has been snared and hung with careful and ruthless efficiency. But before they really even get chance to investigate this death, they have another body to deal with. And an old notebook comes to light, raising questions about a crime years earlier. To try to distract himself from work, Corstorphine has started dating for the first time since his wife died, but it's fair to say he's pretty anxious about it.
The prologue pulls you in, with its description of the hanging rabbit, and the mechanism that's keeping it there. The first chapter grabs you and keeps you there. The details are fascinatingly gruesome and so original. Greig has a great turn of phrase. I can't think of anywhere else I've seen the term 'arboreal ossuary' used, and I loved the description of the two bodies, rabbit and man, hanging from the tree - '...they performed an aerial pirouette, bloodied bodies coyly facing each other then slowly turning away again.'
The gruesome originality continues throughout the book and I was fascinated by the details of the crimes, the planning put in by the perpetrator and the level of skill required. There is a beauty in how the author describes these scenes. As someone who knows nothing about clockwork mechanisms, I was enthralled. But there are also some scenes that require a strong stomach!
The investigation into the original death and subsequent crimes raises more questions than it answers and threatens to blow up in Corstorphine's face. But it becomes clear that an old case needs reopening, despite the protestations of senior people in the community. In this novel, Greig touches on both domestic abuse and child abuse, but does so sympathetically - although the alleged crimes of one man are very similar to a real high profile case, which is perhaps inappropriate.
There are some great characters here. I loved Corstorphine with his errant eyebrows and his wee exchanges with his late wife, and Frankie is presented as an intelligent, capable woman, more than able to hold her own in a team of men. There are a few unlikeable characters too - my favourite of these was the laird as I was able to build up a complete picture of him in my mind.
The cases, present and past, start to weave together with each unearthed horror. There are tales of trusts betrayed, crimes ignored and lives damaged or lost. Tension is maintained throughout and kept me turning the pages. I did work out the identity of the perpetrator but the ending still surprised me. It was gentler (for want of a better word) than I expected and I'm still in two minds about it.
Whirligig is a highly original, clearly well researched and well written genre debut which I really enjoyed. I don't know if a series is planned, but I hope this won't be the last we'll see of James Corstorphine, Frankie McKenzie et al.
About the Author:
Now living happily in central Scotland, where I enjoy writing books, playing music and exploring the great outdoors with my best friend who happily is my wife.
You can find out more about Andrew and his writing at
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