The Great Silence (The Skelfs Book 3) by Doug Johnstone

I have loved this series about the Skelf women, funeral directors and private investigators. I know it was originally planned as a trilogy, and this is the third book...but I remain hopeful of more. In the meantime, welcome to my review of The Great Silence by Doug Johnstone for my stop on the blog tour. Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me and to Orenda Books for my review copy. Will definitely be buying myself a paperback copy to complete my collection.

The Blurb

Keeping on top of the family funeral directors’ and private investigation businesses is no easy task for the Skelf women, and when matriarch Dorothy discovers a human foot while walking the dog, a perplexing case presents itself.

Daughter Jenny and grand-daughter Hannah have their hands full too: the mysterious circumstances of a dying woman have led them into an unexpected family drama, Hannah’s new astrophysicist colleague claims he’s receiving messages from outer space, and the Skelfs’ teenaged lodger has a devastating experience.

Nothing is clear as the women are immersed ever deeper in their most challenging cases yet. But when the daughter of Jenny’s violent and fugitive ex-husband goes missing without trace and a wild animal is spotted roaming Edinburgh’s parks, real danger presents itself, and all three Skelfs are in peril.

Taut, dark, warmly funny and unafraid to ask big questions – of us all – The Great Silence is the much-anticipated third instalment in the addictive, unforgettable Skelfs series.

The Great Silence is published by Orenda Books. It came out as an eBook on 19th June 2021 and will be released in paperback on 19th August 2021.

My Review

Oh, where to start?! OK, I'll start with the simple stuff! As mentioned above The Great Silence is the third in the series about the Skelf women following A Dark Matter and The Big Chill. The Great Silence works well as a standalone but there are events that refer back to the previous books so you might want to check those out first. And it's such a great series you'll being doing yourself a massive favour! 

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, it features three generations of Skelf women who run a funeral directors and private investigators from matriarch Dorothy's kitchen table. They do take 'regular' cases but they also take on investigations they feel drawn to. As is the case with Dorothy and the human foot she finds. Granddaughter Hannah is the least involved in the businesses as she is a student but even she finds her own case after meeting the tutor for her forthcoming astrophysics PHD studies. 

Dorothy is fabulous. In her early 70s, she is feeling her age. But she's not your typical OAP. Aside from the unusual businesses she runs, she also drums and listens to music by bands with terrifying names. In other words, she's way more hip than me! And she has found a little bit of romance with long time friend Thomas. At one point, the number of women living in Dorothy's house swells to five, and she loves it. Johnstone describes her thoughts, worries and hopes so clearly, so vividly, it's wonderful. And through Dorothy, he gives us a beautiful description of love. 

Some of the minor characters come into the spotlight more in this book. My heart ached for Indy, Hannah's girlfriend in large parts of this book, and swelled with happiness for her at others. Teenager Abi, staying on the sofa bed in Dorothy's studio, sees and learns things no child should experience. And even shy, quiet employee Archie has his moment here. 

There are multiple storylines running through the book, all of which are fascinating. There are moments of tension, particularly towards the end, but each thread has an emotional core. Johnstone has the talent to take a crime story and make it so much more. And be in no doubt, more than one crime features in this book. But he manages to tug at our heartstrings, pull us in and ask us the big questions. This could be a sombre book, given the subject matter, and there are moments of real sadness and heartbreak. But this is a joyful book, full of characters you will care about. Really care about. 

Yes, The Big Silence is a crime story. But it is so much more. It talks about love, loss, family, grief, determination, sadness, hope and resilience. It's beautifully written and populated by a large cast of fully formed characters, some of whom will break your heart, at the centre of which are Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah, strong, independent women. If this is the end of the series, I'm sad, but what a glorious journey it's been. I'm sure this will be amongst my favourite books of the year and I can't wait to see what Johnstone brings us next. 

The Author

Photo by Duncan McGlynn

Doug Johnstone is the author of twelve previous novels, most recently The Big Chill (2020). Several of his books have been bestsellers and three, A Dark Matter (2020), Breakers (2019) and The Jump (2015), were shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions over the last decade – including at a funeral parlour ahead of writing A Dark Matter – and has been an arts journalist for over twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three solo EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He’s also player-manager of the Scotland Writers Football Club. He lives in Edinburgh. Follow Doug on Twitter @doug_johnstone and visit his website: dougjohnstone.com.