The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Scottish Book Of The Week
Douglas Skelton’s second addition to his Rebecca Connolly thriller series arrives in the form of The Blood Is Still. The first in the series, Thunder Bay, was longlisted for the McIlvanney prize in 2019 and Skelton’s experience as a fiction and non-fiction crime writer comes to the fore in this follow-up.
Set in the Highlands, the thriller sees journalist Rebecca Connolly become entangled within two seemingly linked murders as she attempts to untwine the mysteries between them. The first body is discovered in full 18th Century Highland dress on the site of the Battle of Culloden, and so begins Rebecca’s journey as she takes up the story for the Highland Chronicle.
Skelton’s years as the editor of a local newspaper make for an intrinsic, pitch-black depiction of the competition between the police, the press, and the powers-that-be in the scramble to construct and control narratives. Indeed, Rebecca’s allegiance to the Chronicle is tested to breaking point as the plot develops further and her rebellious working nature causes diverse frictions.
The notorious Burke family have long had a reputation for crime and wrongdoing within the Highlands. Thus, Rebecca soon finds herself becoming more familiar with the family than she may have first intended; in particular with Nolan Burke, whose honest attempts to break free from his family’s reputation somewhat beguile Rebecca.
Right-wing political groups Spirit of the Gael and Black Dawn add further intricacies to the storyline as a second body turns up in the Redcoat uniform of the government army. Rebecca finds herself becoming drawn even deeper into the mystery; are the murders connected to politics, gang feuds or something else entirely?
As the plot winds to its suspenseful conclusion, it becomes clear that Rebecca’s own life is increasingly at stake. Perhaps she’s taken one step too far to uncover this story.
Aside from his writing, Skelton has also investigated real-life crime for Glasgow solicitors and was involved in a long-running campaign to right the famous Ice Cream Wars miscarriage of justice. Again, this first-hand experience of real-life crime enriches his writing, as the book’s complexities gradually increase and the finer details of the murders become ever more important.
Review by Jamie Wilde.
7/10