A Rattle of Bones by Douglas Skelton

I shared a little bit of my love for this book last month but today is the publication day for A Rattle of Bones by Douglas Skelton so please indulge me whilst I rave about it some more! Thanks again to Douglas for my early review copy and happy publication day!  I've now bought my own paperback copy when they hit the shops a little early. 

 

The Blurb

In 1752, Seamus a’Ghlynne, James of the Glen, was executed for the murder of government man Colin Campbell. He was almost certainly innocent.

When banners are placed at his gravesite claiming that his namesake, James Stewart, is innocent of murder, reporter Rebecca Connolly smells a story. The young Stewart has been in prison for ten years for the brutal murder of his lover, lawyer and politician Murdo Maxwell, in his Appin home. Rebecca soon discovers that Maxwell believed he was being followed prior to his murder and his phones were tapped.

Why is a Glasgow crime boss so interested in the case? As Rebecca keeps digging, she finds herself in the sights of Inverness crime matriarch Mo Burke, who wants payback for the damage caused to her family in a previous case.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Scottish Highlands, A Rattle of Bones is a tale of injustice and mystery, and the echo of the past in the present.

A Rattle of Bones is published by Polygon is out in eBook and paperback today and in audio on September 1st 2021. It is available for pre-order now from Bookshop.org, Waterstones, Amazon or your preferred bookseller.

Look how gorgeous it is! My copy, bought from one of my favourite bookshops, PrintPoint in Rothesay, on the beautiful Isle of Bute. 

My Review

A Rattle of Bones is the third Rebecca Connolly book (after Thunder Bay and The Blood is Still). If you haven't read the first two, don't panic, you will still enjoy this because it works perfectly as a standalone. Skelton provides all the background you need without overdoing it and boring readers of the series. But if you get the chance, do check out the first two as I believe you will have a richer reading experience here if you've started at the beginning. 

Rebecca Connolly is tired. She's been through a lot and is emotionally battered and bruised but she's not going to let that stop her doing her job. Looking for a story and wanting to uncover the truth, she investigates the case of James Stewart who is in prison for murder,  but who some believe was wrongly imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. But Rebecca is not the only person interested in the story, and there are a couple of people interested in Rebecca herself...

Skelton's characterisation is right on point, for the whole cast. This is an  author who knows people, and who pays attention to the small details which make it all feel more real - facial expressions, posture, nervous habits. It's  great to see a story populated by strong women, not least Rebecca herself, of course. She's gutsy, determined and not easily cowed. Afua Stewart was another standout for me, elegant and poised. I was pleased to see returning characters from the previous books - Elsbeth and Mo Burke rate a mention. Two brilliantly written women from different sides of the law.  There are some smashing, colourful new characters too as we meet guys from the Glasgow and Inverness underworld, amongst others.

The writing is lyrical in places, the subject matter serious but there are dashes of dark humour shot through the story. As well as being a tale of injustice this is also a love letter to the often breathtaking, yet sometimes harsh, Scottish landscape. The first chapter is hauntingly beautiful, I defy you not to shiver. 

A Rattle of Bones is a story of murder, wrongdoing, truth seeking and love. It's beautifully written, very atmospheric, weaving Scottish history in with the criminal underworld of today. Skelton has, as always, delivered a well developed plot and a satisfying denouement with a red herring or two thrown in along the way. I devoured it in two days and think it might be my favourite of the series yet. It will be amongst my books of the year. If you haven't read anything by Douglas Skelton I would urge you to do so, and this series is a great place to start. 


The Author

Douglas Skelton has published 12 non fiction books, ten crime thrillers and an e-novella. He has been a bank clerk, tax officer, shelf stacker, meat porter, taxi driver (for two days), wine waiter (for two hours), reporter, investigator and editor.

His first thriller Blood City was published in 2013. The gritty thriller was the first in a quartet set on the tough streets of Glasgow from 1980 onwards. It was followed by Crow Bait, Devil's Knock and finally Open Wounds, which was longlisted for the first McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year in 2016.

His two Dominic Queste thrillers, The Dead Don't Boogie and Tag - You're Dead lightened the tone but didn't skimp on thrills.

He followed this with his New York-set chase thriller The Janus Run in 2018.

Thunder Bay, a dark and atmospheric tale of secrets, lies and murder on a Scottish island, was published to great acclaim by Polygon in 2019. It was longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for 2019. The second in the series, The Blood is Still, came out in March 2020. A Rattle of Bones is the third in the Rebecca Connolly series. Death Insurance, an e-novella featuring Rebecca, written with Morgan Cry, was published in July 2020

Douglas is often recruited by documentary makers to contribute to true crime shows on TV and radio and is a regular on the crime writing festival circuit.

He takes part in comedy shows with other crime writers. To date he has written three Carry on Sleuthing plays in which he also appears along with Caro Ramsay, Michael J Malone, Theresa Talbot, Pat Young and Lucy Cameron, with occasional guests Alex Gray, Lin Anderson and Neil Broadfoot.

He is also one quarter of Four Blokes in search of a Plot, along with Gordon Brown, Mark Leggatt and Neil Broadfoot. This is a fun show in which they invited the audience to give them a murder weapon and a protagonist. They then take it in turns to create a crime story (usually developing into something wild and wacky) while also answering audience queries about the craft.

His one man event, You the Jury, invites audiences to deliver verdicts on real life but heavily disguised cases from around the world. In 2019 the format was extended into a court drama, thanks to the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland, within Stirling Sheriff Court played to three sell-out houses during the Bloody Scotland festival.