Thirty-One Bones by Morgan Cry

I am delighted to share my review today of Thirty-One Bones by Morgan Cry for my stop on the blog tour. It's just what I needed - an injection of hot Spanish sun, although this one comes with a whole heap of trouble!  My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for the invitation and Polygon Books for my review copy.

The Blurb: 

When Effie Coulston drops dead on the floor of her bar in a small Spanish town mid-business meeting, her daughter Daniella feels it’s her duty to return for the funeral. But Daniella has been estranged from her mother for over twenty years, and Effie’s life in Spain harbours many secrets . Daniella is soon confronted by a hostile group of ex-pat misfits who frequent the bar and who, along with Effie, are involved in a multi-million-pound property scam. But the money has vanished, and the ex-pats are threatening to implicate Daniella to save themselves.

Meanwhile, a Spanish detective is investigating Effie’s death. He’s convinced Daniella knows more than she is telling. And now a terrifying enforcer has heard about the missing cash. With no idea where the money is and threats coming from all sides, Daniella is up against a seemingly impossible deadline to find the cash. She’s a stranger in a strange town – and she’s seriously out of her depth.

Thirty-One Bones was published by Polygon on 2nd July 2020 and can be purchased from Hive (supporting independent booksellers), Waterstones, Amazon and all good booksellers. 

My Review:

Daniella Coulston hasn't seen her mum much in the last wee while, but when Effie dies suddenly in the Spanish town where she lives Daniella flies out for the funeral and to sort out her mother's will. She's taken a week off from her insurance firm job and has already booked her budget return flight. But things aren't quite that simple. In fact, the whole situation is, well,... it's complicated.

It turns out that Effie had a personality to match her size - large - and had attracted a ragtag bunch of ex-pats into her circle over the years. And they had this sweet little con running until Effie died. The ex-pats need to take the cash and run before the swindled investors come after them. Except the money is missing...

The is a really enjoyable and fast paced read. The scene setting is wonderful. The cafe tables sitting in the sunshine made me want to escape on holiday, especially after the few months we've had! And the sunny town square contrasted beautifully with the dingy interior of Effie's pub and the layer of dust settling in her flat.

The characters are larger than life and so well drawn, and whilst it's hard to like some of them, it's hard to dislike them either - they've all got a wee something about them. George is a bad sort - likes to come over that way anyway - and I was particularly conflicted about Zia throughout most of the book. Loved Clyde and Señor Cholbi. And Daniella. Loved her too. After being completely thrown by the things she finds out about her mum, she draws a breath and finds her feet. And shows that she's no fool, but she's on a time limit to solve the problem with pressure from investors, questions from the police, intimidation from a heavy and a very particular threat of violence.

This book is far more fun than it has any right to be! The police interviews made me laugh, as did some of the exchanges between Daniella and the ex-pats. And Cry has a great turn of phrase - I particularly enjoyed the man 'who oozed fat into my (Daniella's) space for the entire flight' and the reference to a good old 'taps-aff' day. But there are moments of real poignancy too.

This is a thoroughly entertaining crime caper  - a race against time in a fabulous setting, populated by a colourful cast and an engaging, smart protagonist. I absolutely loved it and look forward to reading more from Cry. 

The Author:

Morgan Cry is the ex-pat alias of Gordon Brown, a Scottish crime writer with 7 novels to his name. Leaving the dark alleyways of tartan noir and heading for the Spanish sunshine, Morgan Cry debuts with a cracking tale of murder, intrigue, and a daughter flung right in at the deep end with her mother's secrets. It's dangerous out in the sun.