Cover: Dark is the Grave (DCI Bone Scottish Crime Thrillers, #1) by TG Reid
The author sent me an ARC (epub format) in exchange for an honest review (a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team).
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ star: (5 stars)
Plot
(by Goodreads)
A dead cop. A damaged detective. A copycat killer on the loose.
When the chief suspect in the notorious Peek-a-boo cop killer case blew himself up, almost taking lead investigator DCI Duncan Bone with him, the psychologically damaged detective thought his days on the force were over. But when another PC is abducted and murdered in the same deranged Peek-a-boo fashion, Bone is persuaded to return to lead the new investigation. But as Bone and his team hunt a copycat killer, and with time running out before yet another cop is slain, Bone’s terrifying past returns to tear open old wounds and push him to very edge of the abyss.
Can DCI Bone end the killing before the killing ends him?
Set among the dramatic hills and glens of Scotland’s Campsie Fells, Dark is the Grave is the first in a series of edge-of-your-seat crime thrillers that will keep you guessing right up to the nail-biting, heart-stopping climax.
Perfect for fans of JD Kirk, Alex Smith, David J. Gatward and J.E. Mayhew.
| Genre(s): | > Police Procedurals (Kindle Store) > Police Procedurals (Books) > Suspense (Kindle Store) |
| Series: | DCI Bone Scottish Crime Thrillers, #1 |
| Length: | 324 pages |
| Release date: | 2021-07-01 |
Teaser
“So what have you found?”
“So we excavated the area. That took forever, trying not to disturb or contaminate the scene, which of course is bloody impossible. But we got there in the end, and sadly we unearthed a deceased female body approximately three metres down.”
My Opinion
The story starts in darkness; PC Hazel Garvey is bound and gagged, trying to remember what might have gotten her into this situation.
With “Dark is the Grave”, TG Reid has created an expertly woven plot, an intriguing story of a damaged (not broken!) investigator and his team chasing a copycat killer. “Dark is the Grave” comprises authentic main characters with sufficient depth – they gain complexity throughout the story. I had a great time reading – this is a very compelling read; I was drawn into the story right away, close to Duncan Bone, freshly reinstated to chase a copycat killer. The plot offers clues, investigative progress and throwbacks, and it is a true edge-of-your-seat read. I liked Bone’s thoroughness and stubbornness, the teamwork, and the determination to stop the killer. I consider “Dark is the Grave” a remarkable mixture of police procedural, psychology, and close-to-home story-telling. It is good to know that the next book in the series is on its way – I know that I have to read it!
This is for you if you like thrilling police procedurals, occasional insights into the mental abyss, and authentic characters.
A remarkable story that requires reading the next in the series as well.
Highly recommended.
In brief:
| Cover | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (five stars) |
| Writing | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (five stars) |
| Plot | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (five stars) |
| Characters | ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (five stars) |
| Mood | Suspenseful |
| Pace | Steady |
| POV | Third person – past tense |
| Language |  – 😳 (some light to medium swearwords) |
| Violence | 😳 (some violence that not everyone might be comfortable with) |
| Sexual content | (the focus is clearly elsewhere) |
About the author
TG Reid is a Scottish-born novel and short story writer, now living in exile in Bath, England. His award-winning novels and stories been published worldwide. TG Reid also writes dark literary thrillers under the pen name of Tom Gillespie. Tom (Gillespie’s) latest novel, The Strange Book of Jacob Boyce, has been praised by critics as ‘utterly spellbinding’, ‘brilliantly unsettling’, ‘obsessively compelling’, and ‘a masterful composition’.
The DCI Bone series is set in Tom’s hometown, among the the hills and glens of the Scottish Campsie Fells. This is Tom’s first foray into the murky, pulse-pounding world of police thrillers.
Connect with the Author:
Please take a look at my statement on reading in My train of thoughts on …reading. Now I am asking you. 🙂
My questions for you bibliophiles:
What about you? What did you think about “Dark is the Grave”? Or – if you did not yet read “Dark is the Grave” – are you now interested in reading it yourself?
I am looking forward to reading your comments. 🙂
My train of thoughts on... 
Thank you Karen.