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Silent Bones

by Chris Kahn

Book of the Week September 11, 2025

When a mudslide blocks a highway near Edinburgh, the debris also exposes a skeleton with a damaged skull, indicating signs of murder. Detective Inspector Karen Pitrie and her Police Scotland Historic Crimes Unit are called in to investigate. It’s spring 2025, five years after the traumatic COVID-related events of Past Lying. Research indicates that the skeleton, soon identified as that of freelance journalist Sam Nimmo, was buried back in 2014 when the road was constructed. At that time, Nimmo was the prime suspect in the killing of his pregnant girlfriend. Was his death an act of vengeance? Or was his investigation into a possible sex scandal connected to the 2014 referendum for Scottish independence the motivating factor? Pirie and her team also probe the so-called accidental death of a hotel manager with ties to a mysterious book club called Justified Sinners, whose members are wealthy, entitled men. Flavoring her writing with colorful Scottish slang, McDermid combines compelling, intricate plotting with strong character development. It’s nice to see DC Jason Murray developing his sleuthing skills and confidence under Karen’s patient mentoring, while talented but impulsive DS Daisy Mortimer occasionally still irritates her boss. The unsettled ending may disappoint some readers (real life is not always so neatly tied up), but McDermid’s passion for justice shines through.

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Review

Guilt

by Brian Kenney

A brilliant novel that at first seems to be a simple murder case but grows into an expansive investigation of the nature of crime and its outcomes. Higashino is best known for his Detective Kaga and Detective Galileo series, and this is the first in his Detective Godai series to be translated into English. Godai, a member of the Tokyo Police Department, is investigating the death of a lawyer, Kensuke Shiraishi, whose body was found on a Tokyo riverbank. From there the story leads to Tatsuro Kuraki, said to have had some relationship with Shiraishi, who confesses to both the lawyer’s murder and another killing from 30 years ago. You would think this would wrap up the narrative, which is complex, albeit completely readable. But no, the story moves on, with new players, more motives, and a shocking conclusion. What a delight it is for English-speaking readers to have a new novel from Higashino.

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Review

The Quiet Mother

by Brian Kenney

Lies, guilt, and betrayal are the engines that drive Indridason’s powerful third and most recent of the Konrad novels to be published in English. Retired police detective Konrad hears of the brutal murder of Valborg, an older woman who lives a simple life in her Reykjavik apartment. She leaves behind little, except for a note with Konrad’s phone number. It turns out that Konrad was contacted by Valborg several times—they even met for coffee—as Valborg tried to convince the detective to take on her case: she wanted him to find a child that she had given up almost 50 years before. Konrad repeatedly turned down her request, fearing that there wasn’t enough information to complete her search. But once Valborg is murdered, guilt consumes Konrad, and he decides to delve into the past to understand the present. Dark and haunting, Konrad’s search unearths the sad and sordid history of his own family, a history he has striven to repress. A fast-moving Nordic noir that will appeal to fans of police narratives, family histories, and Iceland’s past.

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Review

Come Through Your Door

by Danise Hoover

Twists within deceptions are at the heart of O’Connor’s story of insanity, confusion, and murder. Some readers, in fact, may need to take notes to keep straight the murder of Annabelle a year ago from what is happening in the present day. Veterinarian Dimpna Wilde is once again at the center of events that involve her assistant, Niamh, with a dead body found in her apartment. Cormac, Dimpna’s love interest, is investigating and is tricked by a fake crime-scene photographer who cleans the scene of evidence and disappears, just one of the outlandish events that occurs. The confusion about who is who and what is what is eventually explained, but hardly makes the situation clearer. There is even a bizarre Irish pun of a name that somehow brings the murderer into focus. This series, while offering much in the way of Irish local color, is far from cozy, and offers a lot of satisfaction for readers willing to untangle all the complicated knots.

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Review

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer

by Brian Kenney

Considering the title, you could be forgiven for thinking this is a frothy, fun-filled mystery akin to Only Murders in the Building. And while there is some droll humor here, this book also tackles serious social issues, including domestic violence and a murder that reverberates through the decades. The plot is both simple (Elín S. Jónsdóttir, a famous, older, mystery writer disappears) and complex (she has many friends who would be willing to help her vanish). But what’s the motive? That question lies in the hands of young detective Helgi Reykdal, who should be familiar to many readers from Jónasson’s Death at the Sanatorium. The two books share much in common, including multiple timelines and a rapid pace that keeps the readers on their toes. As the onion gets peeled, and the pieces start to fall apart, the book becomes increasingly transparent. Exhilarating and gripping; fans of Agatha Christie and Nordic Noir will find much to enjoy here.

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Review

Murder in Pitigliano

by Brian Kenney

A new installment in Trincheri’s mystery series is a call for nothing less than celebration. Retired NYPD detective Nico Doyle, now living in Tuscany, takes it upon himself to investigate a murder that has torn a family apart. A message discreetly deposited in the collar of Nico’s dog (“Please help my babbo”) by Cilia, a seven-year-old girl, piques Nico’s interest. Enough that he decides to take up the investigation and locate Saverio, Cilia’s father, who disappeared after his partner in an electronics store was killed, with Saverio the carabinieri’s number one suspect. Nico starts by questioning some of the local folk and friends in Gravigna, his hometown, but eventually he heads off to the larger, beautiful town of Pitigliano, where the murder took place. Rich in culture, food, wine and—above all else—friendship, this is sure to be loved by fans of cozyish series, gentle police procedurals, and Italia!

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Review

The Living and the Dead

by Brian Kenney

A powerful novel that spans generations as it takes us deep into rural western Sweden. It’s the holidays in the winter of 1999, and most people are anxious about little more than where to hide their money before it disappears into Y2K, when the police discover a terrifying accident. A car is found smashed into a tree, leaving behind a bloody steering wheel and the body of a local teen in the trunk. With such a small community, you would think that the secrets would come tumbling out. But no. These people aren’t talkers. Terse and taciturn, both adults and teens remain reserved. Even the new young officer, Siri Bengtsson—who is closely watching two young men as suspects—can’t successfully crack either the families or the teens. Jump ahead 20 years, when there is a similar murder, strange enough to coax Siri out of retirement, and to finally get some of those teens—now adults—talking. Carlsson (Blaze Me a Sun, Under the Storm), who has a doctorate in criminology, is the recipient of several prizes in Scandinavian crime writing. Readers who enjoy his work will also appreciate Liza Marklund, Ragnar Jónasson, and Tana French.

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Review

Murder on a Scottish Train

by Danise Hoover

It’s hard to believe that Dr. Emilia (Em) McRoy has been in Sea Isle, Scotland for a year. She moved from Seattle to the village to take over as doctor and, to her surprise, as the local coroner as well. In this fourth outing (previous titles include Death at a Scottish Christmas) in the series, she and her family of friends become involved in the death of a local accountant and train fancier on the opening night of a restored historic train ride. Ewan, local Laird, constable, and her sometime nemesis, has decided it’s easier to include her in the investigation than to rescue her from the scrapes she gets herself into when she goes off by herself. With suspicion of financial skullduggery, there are plenty of suspects, but no one stands out; we have anaphylaxis, cheating spouses, and estranged siblings. The charming customs and landscape enhance the story as Em continues to settle into the folklife and tempo of the village and, of course, solves the crime. The engaging characters and tightly worked plot will leave readers eager for the next installment.

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Review

Death on the Island

by Henrietta Thornton

As a former first lady of Iceland, Reid has plenty to draw on when it comes to this tale of a far-too-eventful diplomatic trip to Iceland’s remote Vestmannaeyjar, or Westman islands, by a Canadian delegation that might result in the island’s main employer expanding to Canada. The visitors’ carefully managed tour brings them to Skell, a gourmet restaurant that uses local herbs in its food and in its dramatic, served-on-fire Flaming Viking cocktail, a ritual that sees one of the delegation drop dead on the floor. And that’s not even the only mysterious death in the town lately: before the big visit, the town’s mayor found his husband dead; the devastated widower insists it’s murder, but the police ruled it a death by natural causes. The Canadian ambassador’s wife, Jane, takes up an investigation of the restaurant death but is soon drawn into fast-moving undercurrents: politics in the town, diplomatic tendencies to overlook problems that won’t go away, and, as always, tensions in personal relationships, including in her own marriage. There are many threads to pull at here, plus the rich details of diplomatic and Icelandic life, add to an engrossing whodunit that offers a delicious ending twist.

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Review

The Potting Shed Murder

by Brian Kenney

Might this book be a cozy mystery? Let’s run it through my cozy-meter and find out. One, do we have much empathy for the lead character? Absolutely. Daphne Brewster, a Black woman—in fact, the only person of color as far as the eye can see—has moved her husband and family out of south London to a Norfolk town called Pudding Corner to escape urban woes. She’s become so successful at selling antiques that she’s now known as the vintage lady. Still, it turns out that things are as complex in Pudding as they are in London. Two, isn’t the book too slow? No. If you want faster, go find James Patterson. The characters in this town are so absolutely delightful as they roam about the town that I would happily spend another day or two with them. Again, the name: Pudding Corner. Might that be a hint as to what we can expect? Three, is it sexy and violent? Much more yearning than sexy. And if there had been any sex, it was years ago. As to the violence, it is offstage, involving a corpse that keels over in his allotment patch—a little garden the size of a postage stamp where Brits go and plant rutabaga on the weekends. Four, is this book a stand-alone? We hope that the publisher is sensible and Ms. Sutton will be back to delight us again with Daphne and Book Two.

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