Many thanks to NetGalley and to Storm Publishing for letting me see an advance reader’s copy of The Graveyard Bell by Andrew James Greig.
This is Book 3 in the PI Teàrlach Paterson series, and my favourite story so far.
A photographer falls to his death after taking pictures of puffins. A fisherman goes missing. And a marine scientist is drowned in the sea. Three apparently unconnected events, but they all happen in the same place and are investigated by Teàrlach and his team.
I remembered how to pronounce Teàrlach’s name from Book 1 (I call him Charlie inside my head, but I love the Sherlock connection too), but in case someone is coming into the series from Book 2 onwards, it would be good to have a quick reminder during the first chapter in which he appears.
I loved the setting of this book as it brought back stirring memories from the Isle of Mull. I could ‘see’ everywhere. And it opened with puffins! What isn’t to love about puffins? Great start, but oh did it bring me up sharp with a massive shock at the end of the first chapter. (No spoilers.)
I particularly liked the segue with Greig’s other detective, Corstophine, over in Fort William, even if he didn’t have a lot to do with the case.
There are still Americanisms creeping in to what’s a Scottish book written by a Scottish writer set in the highlands of Scotlands, such as the masculine ‘blond’ when it should be the feminine ‘blonde’.
There are still lots of names starting with the same letter or sounding similar: Sam, Steve, Stevenson, Siobhan, Suzie. Churchill, Chambers, Crammond, Corstophine, Calum, Chloe, Claire. And two different Johns.
And there are still some continuity issues, such as Teàrlach heading for his bedroom when he’s sleeping on the couch, and Siobhan flicking a car vanity mirror down when she’s standing outside a hospital.
But on the whole it was another excellent story in a terrific setting that the author brings to life. I love to read Greig’s books. The writing is wonderful with great depth and lots of colour.
Roll on Book 4!
Five stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
