Time for the Dead by Lin Anderson, Guest Book Review

Time for the Dead is the 14^th book in the Rhona MacLeod series by Lin Anderson. Returning to her childhood home on the island of Skye, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod hopes to spend some time recovering from the traumatic events that played out in the previous novel. However, she encounters what appears to be a crime scene in the woods – the complication being there is no body. Fortunately, she is helped by local tracker dog Blaze [an interesting plot device] and is off on the trail of some army medics on leave from Afghanistan. After the discovery of a body at the base of a famous cliff and a potential link to a DS McNab case in Glasgow, before long all of Rhona’s colleagues are joining her on the investigation.

It is often said that the landscape in which a story is set can often act as an additional character and this is particularly true in this novel. It is excellently described in its beauty and brutality and plays no small part in the evolution of the story. In fact, the evocation of Skye in terms of the people and places is very well done. The plotting is skilfully executed and pulls together nicely, building towards a thrilling climax.

I have to confess that this is the first Rhona MacLeod book I have read and therefore have not read the previous novel. As a result, many of the characters motivations are not transparent except for references to the previous novel. Whether this is by accident or design (which is understandable, as one may give away the ending) who knows, but it does impact. This tiny gripe does not detract from the enjoyment of what is a super addition to the Rhona MacLeod canon.

Lin Anderson is a Scottish author and screenwriter, who used to teach maths and computing. Four of her novels have been shortlisted for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year. Her short film River Child won both a Scottish BAFTA for Best Fiction and the Celtic Film Festival’s Best Drama Award.

Published August 2019 in hardback at £14.99 by Macmillan

(guest reviewer: L. Forsyth)