It’s December, and the Shannon family are returning home to their clifftop mansion near Kinloch for their annual AGM.
When heavy snow cuts off Kintyre, DCI Jim Daley and DS Brian Scott are assigned to protect their illustrious visitors. As an ancient society emerges from the blizzards, and its creation, the Rat Stone, reveals grisly secrets, ghosts of the past come to haunt the Shannons.
Shannon International is one of the world’s biggest private companies, with tendrils reaching around the globe in computing, banking and mineral resourcing, and it has brought untold wealth and privilege to the family. However, a century ago Archibald Shannon stole the land upon which he built their home – and his descendants have been cursed ever since.
As the curse decrees, death is coming – but for whom and from what?
DCI Daley series
- Whisky from Small Glasses
- The Last Witness
- Dark Suits and Sad Songs
- The Rat Stone Serenade
- Well of the Winds
- The Relentless Tide
- A Breath on Dying Embers
- Jeremiah Bell
- For Any Other Truth
- The Death of Remembrance
A Heart-Pounding Thriller!
If you like a thriller to get your ‘little grey matter’ working overtime, this is it!
The Shannon family are returning to their mansion near Kinloch for their annual AGM, despite the heavy snow making travel difficult during the month of December. The family have a global empire which has created great wealth – for family members – but there are always those looking to gain more power. Locally, the Shannons are not well thought of; historic lore tells of their theft of the land the mansion is built on and a curse placed on them because of it. When hooded figures hold their meeting around the Rat Stone, things are never going to end well.
Having already enjoyed earlier books in this series, I was happy to be able to slot this one into my holiday reading; Jim Daley and his sergeant sidekick, Brian Scott, are as realistic ‘polis’ as I’ve come across and, while they both have stuff going on outside the job, they each give their all to solving the crimes which come their way. This is a complicated novel which demands the reader’s full attention and it is such a tremendous read. I was totally engrossed, reading well into the early hours until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. The details are enthralling and I was excited to read the author’s note at the end of the book full of information I wasn’t aware of and which was so interesting! An attention-grabbing story from beginning to end – I can’t wait to get onto the next book in series – which had my heart pounding, fully earning all five sparkling stars and my highest recommendation!
I purchased this novel in ebook format; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.
Tags: crime thriller
- Format: ebook, paperback, audiobook, MP3 CD
- Size: 482 pages
- Publisher: Polygon
- Publication Date: 14 April 2016
- Book Links:
- https://www.goodreads.com
- https://play.google.com
- https://www.barnesandnoble.com
- https://www.foyles.co.uk
- https://www.kobo.com
- https://www.whsmith.co.uk
- https://www.waterstones.com
- https://wordery.com
- https://www.amazon.co.uk
Author Details
Denzil Meyrick was born in Glasgow and brought up in Campbeltown. After studying politics, he pursued a varied career including time spent as a police officer, freelance journalist, and director of several companies.
Beginning with Whisky from Small Glasses, then The Last Witness, Dark Suits and Sad Songs, The Rat Stone Serenade, and Well of the Winds, the DCI Daley series have all become Scottish Crime bestsellers. Whisky from Small Glasses reached #2 in the UK Kindle store in 2016.
An anthology of short stories, One Last Dram was published in late 2017.
The Daley series to date have all been number one bestselling UK audiobooks on Audible. DCI Daley #6 The Relentless Tide and #7 A Breath on Dying Embers one of the Scotsman newspaper’s books of 2018 and 2019. A Breath On Dying Embers was longlisted for the 2019 McIlvanney Prize.
- Website: https://denzilmeyrick.com
- Twitter: @Lochlomonden
- Facebook: @DenzilMeyrickAuthor
- Instagram: @MeyrickDenzil
Grace J Reviewerlady 