Book Synopsis:
Meet the Skelfs: well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators…
When patriarch Jim dies, it’s left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.
Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another woman, suggesting that Jim wasn’t the husband she thought he was. Hannah’s best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined.
As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything…
A compelling, tense and shocking thriller and a darkly funny and warm portrait of a family in turmoil, A Dark Matter introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, marking the start of an addictive new series.
A Dark Matter is available in ebook and paperback now. You can purchase your copy using the link below.
My Review:
I’m a huge fan of Doug’s books as they are always fantastic, unique stories which are gripping reads.
Interestingly the story revolves around the Skelf family and their businesses of an investigation service and a funeral home. This made me smile as they seemed to have all aspects of death covered. Need to find out who murdered your friend? They can help. Need a coffin for the body? They’ve got you! I found this very amusing and as I don’t remember reading another book like it.
There are two stories running alongside each other in this book. One follows the fantastic Dorothy who has discovered one of her late father’s secrets and is trying to find out more. The other follows the investigation of Jenny’s roommate which allows the reader to find out more about the Skelf family and what they are like. Unusually I enjoyed both storylines equally which never normally happens. Both were full of tension and mystery which made it very hard to put down. I found myself reading faster and faster as I desperately wanted to finish one part of the story to start the offer one.
The Skelf women were all wonderful main characters that I really enjoyed reading about. They are all very different to each other and I found it very endearing how close they were despite this. My favourite sister was definitely Jenny who is a young, confident scientist whose passion for the subject was catching. The author has included a lot of science facts into the book which I found fascinating and has lead to lots of further reading.
This isn’t necessarily a fast paced book but it is a very absorbing one which I found difficult to put down. It has an almost old fashioned vibe to it as there was not lot of modern police equipment used which was interesting. As the book goes on and we discover more about the two stories, the tension slowly increases making the story incredibly gripping. There were lots of twists and secrets revealed, alongside some truly nail biting moments. The ending took me completely by surprise as I thought I had things all figured out when in fact I was nowhere near!
Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.
About The Author:
Doug Johnstone is an author, journalist and musician based in Edinburgh. He’s had eight novels published, most recently Crash Land. His previous novel, The Jump, was a finalist for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. Several of his other novels have been award winners and bestsellers, and he’s had short stories published in numerous anthologies and literary magazines. His work has been praised by the likes of Ian Rankin, Val McDermid and Irvine Welsh. Several of his novels have been optioned for film and television. Doug is also a Royal Literary Fund Consultant Fellow. He’s worked as an RLF Fellow at Queen Margaret University, taught creative writing at Strathclyde University and William Purves Funeral Directors. He mentors and assesses manuscripts for The Literary Consultancy and regularly tutors at Moniack Mhor writing retreat. Doug has released seven albums in various bands, and is the drummer for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He also reviews books for The Big Issue magazine, is player-manager for Scotland Writers Football Club and has a PhD in nuclear physics. Follow him on Twitter @doug_johnstone and visit his website: dougjohnstone.com
Over The Rainbow Blog 
Thanks for the blog tour support Jo x
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