Always excited to be given the chat preview a book by Caro Ramsay - the book was a thrilling ride set in the highest and starting from the killing of a family.

A new character for Caro and I’m keen to see where it goes . Great work

Sad to say I am totally new to Caro Ramsay and her part in the lively Tartan noir scene. She is a worthy companion to MacBride, Macilvanney, May, McDermid and of course Rankin et al. In this gruesome crime investigation. DCI Caplan, bogged down with both professional and personal baggage is despatched to the western highlands to investigate the massacre of a local wealthy family. The local investigating officer disappears before she arrives, and local police have two local lads firmly in the frame.
The City policewoman, butts heads with the locals as she enters a close society trying to keep it's secrets and is faced with misogyny and scepticism in equal part. The Scottish coastal area plays a satisfying role, as a plethora of potential suspects are weighed and discarded.
Well developed, perfectly paced plot line allows time for the reader to bond with DCI Caplan, and her baggage. leaving the reader in anticipation for the next adventure

I have been putting off reading this for a little while, I am a mood reader and just haven't fancied giving this one a go - boy am I glad I finally did !

I am new to Caro Ramsay's writing and have to say this was a brilliant introduction - this is waaay more than 'just another' police procedural, it is an incredibly detailed story and extremely well written. The characters are well developed and given depth with enough backstory for flavour and to keep interest piqued (although there's no shortage of that with the story itself).

DI Christine Caplan is sent to assist on an investigation where five family members have been found murdered, which is her opportunity to boost her career after a demotion and a bit of a fall from grace. Caplan is flawed but likeable, we get snippets of her history which help us root for her. The story is well crafted with a brilliantly intricate plot which is well executed - tension is built up and story threads are all handled in a believable way, not a rush to the end.

The writing style is very engaging and keeps the story zipping along - I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more by this author, if you haven't read any of their books I would definitely recommend.

A very enjoyable read. The seemingly unsolvable problem of a collection of dead bodies leads to a torturous route of mystery and conspiracy. I enjoyed Caplan, she was a very interesting character with a great deal of steel in her bones. She really cracked on with the mystery and I enjoyed "meeting" her. I look forward to more in the series. There are a lot of characters to be aware of, so you have to concentrate in some parts to remember who is who.
Enjoyed it

This is an exciting and fast moving thriller with lots of red herrings and plenty of suspects for the bad guys!

The good guy is DI Christine Caplan who is being punished for perceived problems in Glasgow and so is sent to the Highlands where the existing DI is missing during a grisly wealthy family murder case. The aristocratic family has been all but wiped out and the bodies displayed, local police are focussing on the two boys who found them, not least because they were in fact up to no good!

Amongst all this it transpires that the Devil Stone is missing, placing a further dark interpretation on the murders. Caplan isn’t so sure the boys are to blame, she thinks this was the work of somewhat sharper people than these hapless boys.

The plot from here on in is murky and complex and has you guessing throughout. The local police, as ever, are hostile and don’t like this woman muscling in, she has familu worrries and just wants to wrap this up and get home - but she wants it wrapped up right.

Is the hostility just because she’s not local or are the local police also involved? When DI Caplan life is on the line, she’s clearly hoping it’s only resentment and not badness that she’s facing!
The characters are well drawn and you can feel Caplans tension as she struggles with being away from her family, the family problems generally, the unfair nature of the most recent accusations against her in Glasgow and the hostility she’s encountering from almost everyone in Cronchie.

An excellent read, I’ll be reading more about DI Caplan!

Caro Ramsay is fast becoming the uncrowned Queen of Scottish noir. I love all her books and she keeps getting better and better. This novel is an absolute belter.
Christine Caplan is a great character to head up a series of new police procedurals. She arrives in this first story with her career in trouble and escalating family problems. She's feisty and willing to break all the rules both at work and in her private life. I can't wait to see what she gets up to next.
I love the plot. It's complex and compelling, and Caro brings a touch of Dennis Wheatley into the proceedings, which happen to take place not far from Aleister Crowley's old stomping grounds.

A Glasgow DCI , now demoted to DI, Christine Caplan from Glasgow is sent to the village of Cronchie to assist the SIO Bob Oswald after 5 bodies are found, by 2 teenage burglars, in a family Mansion.The family were supposed to be away on holiday so had not been reported missing. The family had in their possession a supposedly bleeding stone called the Devilstone which had gone missing. Bob Oswald is convinced the 2 burglars are guilty, but after he goes missing Christine steps up and tries to find the one family member, Adam who is missing. Adam is a drop out spending time in a hippy style community on a nearby island. He has not been seen there for a while but as he is the sole heir to the family fortune he needs to be located.
Christine visits the island and meets up with the head of the community and also a girlfriend of Adam who also has not heard from him for a while. It turns out that going on behind the communities back there is a lucrative drugs trade which needs uncovering,

This was an interesting but fairly run of the mill police procedural. Our troubled cop is sent off in slight disgrace to a remote community to investigate the murders of the local gentry. She has a difficult family life, some sort of affair, and a shadow on her career which we can easily guess is no her fault. It was ok but I don't think I'll read any more in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I like Caro Ramsey books and this one was no exception. Well-written full of intrigue and suspense . I can't wait for the next book in the series.

My first Caro Ramsey read but not the last! The Devil Stone is a very entertaining crime read. Not only does it tell a good tale about crime solving, it works in threads of the pressure of policing - especially when officers have family responsibilities = the insular nature of rural towns, the difficulties of keeping up with drug=traffickers and more. But it never feels like a lecture...

In Christine Caplan, Ramsey has created a tough character and a good copper, but who keeps us on her side. The insights into her guilt as a mother, wife and colleague who feels she could do more and the peeks into her guilty secrets, are cleverly handled.

Towards the end there's bit of confusion (perhaps deliberate) about who is who, who can be trusted and who will come out alive, so not a perfect book for me - but I'll be back for more!

A wealthy family are slaughtered in their mansion and the evidence hints at satanism however when the local chief disappears DCI Christine Caplan is called in. She has been demoted and wants to clear up this murder quickly. As she investigates she realises that there is more to the tale and suspects her new team of involvement in the murders and a lucrative drug smuggling operation.
This is a new strand for experienced novelist Ramsay and I quite enjoyed it. As the series is new there were lots of characters and the back-stories were a little confusing at times. However the plot is tight enough, linking devil worship and eco-living, so it skipped along well.

"The Devil Stone" by Caro Ramsey is a dark and gripping Scottish thriller that had me completely engrossed from start to finish.

The protagonist, in particular, is a complex and intriguing figure, making it easy for readers to invest in her journey and struggles.

It's a dark and suspenseful tale filled with just the right level of twists and turns to keep readers guessing. The pacing is spot-on, with a perfect blend of tension and moments of respite. Every revelation and plot development feels well-earned and thoughtfully executed, making for a truly satisfying reading experience.

What's particularly exciting about "The Devil Stone" is the potential for it to be the start of a series. Ramsey has created a set of characters that beg to be explored further, and I found myself hoping that this book is just the beginning of more thrilling adventures featuring these characters.

In conclusion, "The Devil Stone" is a must-read for fans of dark and suspenseful thrillers. Caro Ramsey has crafted a story that is both engaging and stimulating. I can't wait to see what Caro Ramsey has in store for readers next.

An attention-grabbing start to the story to get the reader fully engaged, as a man goes ‘flying’ from a monument on top of a hill, did he jump or was he pushed? That is only the prologue to whet our appetite.

The story starts properly nine days earlier as two neds break into ‘The Big Hoose’ Otterburn House which is owned by local land-owning gentry the McGregor family. The family is supposed to be on holiday, but their security appears lax as not even the alarm is switched on. The young men ‘Bainsy’ and ‘Scotto’ are searching for the famous Devil Stone, which was once on Antiques Roadshow, rumoured to possess great powers and to bleed when taken from the property. The lads are tempted by the dark side and practice black magic with a group of wannabe satanists, so obtaining the Devil Stone will bring great kudos. Inside the house though they come across much more than they bargained for, the stone has gone and the whole family have been slaughtered. They are startled so much they raise the alarm with local residents who call the police.

DCI Christine Caplan has had rather a bad day and hoped that a night at the ballet with Emma, her daughter, will cheer her up. Christine put her heart and soul into being a ballet dancer, but grew too tall, so Scottish Ballet’s loss became Police Scotland’s gain. It was a bad day because Christine had a disciplinary interview, a piece of evidence had been lost and so she must take responsibility and face the prospect of dropping a rank. It only gets worse as after the performance she tries to intervene with a bag snatcher on a bicycle who collapses and dies in front of her, prompting another internal investigation.

Three disparate events that are about to become intertwined. Following the disappearance of the local SIO, Christine is shunted up to the Highlands to cover the Otterburn House killings, which proves to be a demanding investigation.

Christine is interesting as a character as she battles to do the right thing against a wave of people trying to prevent her. Officers on high are undermining her and she starts to mistrust all those around her, though this is not paranoia, as there is a conspiracy against her. This means even if just for self-protection she must keep her cards close to her chest and of course not follow the rules; cops who go rogue for the right reason are so compelling. Here the author has done a wonderful job of capturing the gamut of emotions that Christine goes through, so getting the reader fully on board with the character.

Being the first in a series there is naturally some boundary setting and this is nicely handled. Her friendship with Lizzie and their connection with ‘the bastard’ John Ferguson adds complexity and texture to the storyline as does the lives of her family. Her husband Aklan was successful but is now a burnt-out shell of a man, depressed and permanently exhausted. He is like the albatross around her neck, but she still loves him dearly. Son Kenny looks like he is heading down the wrong road of self-isolation and video games like the Hikikomori in Japan, but luckily as Robert Plant sang ‘there’s still time to change the road you’re on.’ Daughter Emma is the shining light, thoughtful and caring, and a budding eco-warrior.

Of the police colleagues in the Highlands, Craigo and Mackie are the standout ones simply due to them being oddballs but also inscrutable with it. They provide a breath of fresh air to the procedural side and bring much amusement. The prose and dialogue are sprinkled with such typical words and phrases, this could only be a novel set in Scotland, but without becoming too extreme with the vernacular or dialect.

It is giving nothing away in saying police corruption plays a part in the storyline, it is vogue in current crime novels but that is only mirroring real life. Here it is skilfully handled, having the reader guessing to the end, at times edging towards the outrageous but at the same time perfectly plausible.

After the brisk start the pace steadies but remains relentless. Even in the quiet spots Christine is picking her battles with others and at times herself. The tension and paranoia build right up to a breathtaking action set piece, one that will have thriller lovers purring with satisfaction, but even then, not all is revealed.

Book one in a new Sottish Detective series were we are introduced to DCI Christine Caplan recently demoted to DI. who is sent to the Highlands to investigate the massacre of a wealthy family.

Christine is a real relatable character, it's always refreshing to read both the professional and personal plights of an individual as this highlights their true character.

This was a multi layered investigation, well paced and put together, the reader draws you in holds your attention throughout.

Look forward to reading more on the series.

A new addition to the Tartan Noir family. When a local wealthy family are found murdered in the village of Cronchie, the bodies are laid out in such a way as to suggest a satanic ritual, especially given that The Devil Stone is the only thing missing. When the investigating detective disappears DCI Caplan is sent from Glasgow to help with the case. Caplan herself is under a cloud of controversy following a misdemeanour and her off-duty attendance at the scene of another case, with colleagues questioning her commitment given home life circumstances.
However, as the case develops more questions go unanswered ... and the attempt to find the last member of the family draws lots of blanks. The team are convinced that there is a connection to the local (alternative) island community and as the net starts to tighten so does the risk to DCI Caplan

The various characters in the investigation team and the local community are sympathetically portrayed (if sometimes giving to stereotypes) and I hope that we'll get to know the team better over subsequent novels

Thanks to NetGalley and Cannongate for an early copy

In the village of Cronchie on the West coast of Scotland, five members of a wealthy family are found murdered. The only item missing from the home is the Devil Stone: myth says that if the stone is removed from Otterburn House, death will follow. The only suspects are known Satanists but in many ways, that's an easy conclusion given that two of them 'discovered' the body. The Senior Investigating Office is DCI Bob Oswald but when he disappears, DCI Christine Caplan is pulled in to 'shadow' him.

Well, let's be accurate, it's actually DI Caplan now. Caplan was demoted over the problem of some evidence going astray - a big punishment for a relatively small misdemeanour. There's another DI on the case - Gary Kinsella - but he doesn't have the experience to front up an investigation of this size and complexity. He doesn't seem unduly worried about having Caplan there but there's a very odd feeling to the investigating team. Caplan's got her problems at home too. Her husband, Aklen, has been ill for seven years and rarely - if ever - leaves the house or does anything useful whilst he's in it. Kenny - her son - is going through that 'difficult' late teenage stage. Her one support is her daughter, Emma, who's just finishing her thesis at university. Caplan doesn't have her troubles to seek.

There's still one member of the murdered family unaccounted for - Adam McGregor - and he has a connection with a commune (some might call it a cult) on the island of Scone. There are only two members of her team that Caplan feels she can rely on - DC's Mackie and Craigo. Mackie's friendly and the two women go over to Scone on their day off but it's Craigo - still a DC towards the end of his career, who provides the most relevant information. Does he have an agenda of his own or is Caplan benefitting from being the only one who hasn't made him the butt of the team's jokes for years?

It's a really good read and I didn't take long to finish it. Caro Ramsay manages a big cast of characters with aplomb and the plot never lets you get settled into thinking you have it sorted. As well as reading the book sent to me by the publishers, I listened to an audio download (which I bought myself) narrated by Kristin Atherton. Her pacing is good although high drama is not her strongest point. That's me being very picky though, as she has an excellent range of voices and I was never in any doubt as to which character was speaking.

I was tempted into reading this - the first book in the DCI Christine Caplan series - by my experience with Ramsay's Anderson and Costello novels. I think we might be in for another treat.

I enjoyed The Devil Stone a lot. In many ways this book ticks all the boxes of a typical police procedural which includes multiple bodies and suspects and a variety of clues that lead to many places including red herrings and more questions. The book stands out because of the characters. They are all really well written and come to life on the page. The best character is Caplan. She’s not a typical police officer, flawed real and human. Caplan thinks someone has it in for her when witnesses lie about what they’ve seen her doing and her family is targeted but nobody believes her, and she’s determined to expose the rat at the station she’s been sent to. The pacing is spot on, forcing you to keep flicking through the pages.

EXCERPT: 'Hey, look.' Bainsey shone the light across the floor, catching a maggot-ridden goat's head perched on a red velvet chaise longue; from it ran a trickle of dried liquid, two bright goblets on either side. Two daggers, their blades dull and stained, were arranged in between. There was a black figurine, goat-headed, winged and fork-tailed as a centrepiece and, as the beam of light dropped, he saw the inverted cross and the charred book. Even he could guess, from its feather-thin pages, that it was a bible.

He started saying something that Scotto couldn't make out, then his eyes closed, opened again, and he smiled before moving the light down, giggling a little, jerking the phone, causing the beam to drop suddenly where it caught the ghostly white face staring at the ceiling with nacreous clouded eyes. Unable to stop himself, he looked along. Another face. Then another. Five of them in a row, cheek to cheek.

ABOUT 'THE DEVIL STONE': In the small Highland village of Cronchie, a wealthy family are found brutally murdered in a satanic ritual and their heirloom, 'the devil stone', is the only thing stolen. The key suspects are known satanists - case closed? But when the investigating officer disappears after leaving the crime scene, DCI Christine Caplan is pulled in to investigate from Glasgow in a case that could restore her reputation.

Caplan knows she is being punished for a minor misdemeanour when she is seconded to the Highlands, but ever the professional, she's confident she can quickly solve the murders, and return home to her fractious family. But experience soon tells her that this is no open and shut case.

She suspects the murder scene was staged, and with the heir to the family estate missing, there is something more at play than a mythical devil stone. As she closes in on the truth, it is suddenly her life, not her reputation that is danger! Will Caplan's first Highland murder case be her last?

MY THOUGHTS: The Devil Stone is the first crime thriller in a new series featuring the recently demoted DI Christine Caplan. She's very good at her job - no one is arguing about that - but the result of her being distracted from the job by her fractious family has resulted in her demotion. A demotion that no one is easily going to let her forget. The mistake she has taken responsibility for is the source of much good and not-so-good natured ribbing.

The problems with her husband Aklen are treated like some sort of mystery with little bits of information dribbled out throughout the book. Personally, I found this really annoying. I was waiting for this big reveal, something shocking, traumatic. It wasn't and I would rather have had this information from the start. She also has problems with teenage son, Kenny. Daughter Emma is intelligent, kind and focused.

Christine's team on this case are a mixed bag. Kinsella, an inexperienced DCI - Christine's old rank, is pleasant and seems to have a good human touch. But while he is struggling under the weight of his new responsibilities, he seems to be wary of trusting Christine and including her in the investigation. He has teamed her with Craigo, who seems to be a truly unremarkable man. He is the butt of the jokes of the team, and they constantly play pranks on him, for which he falls every time. But in reality, he is bright and hard working, quiet and thoughtful. He has good instincts, but is disinclined to share them. Gourlay is ambitious, and not too choosy about the methods he uses to get to where he wants to be.

There are some incredible characters in this book that I hope we will be seeing more of as the series progresses.

There are multiple threads to this story including police corruption and drug trafficking. There were times during the read that I felt a little confused, but everything is tied up neatly at the end.

⭐⭐⭐.7

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THE AUTHOR: Caro Ramsay was born and brought up in Glasgow, and now lives in a village on the west coast of Scotland. She is an osteopath, acupuncturist and former marathon runner, who devotes much of her time to the complementary treatment of injured wildlife at a local rescue centre. (Amazon)

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Canongate via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Devil Stone by Caro Ramsay for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

A most unique case of a land-owning family murdered by strangulation without a sign of a struggle. All four member formally laid out in a row with suggestion of some satanic ritual. The family was due on holiday and their murder was only brought to light due to a break in. The remaining family member a son, has disappeared. The police are baffled with no leads, except the two teenagers who broke in to steal the devil stone and the missing son. When the DCI in charge also disappears. Disgraced demoted DI Caplan is drafted in from Glasgow as temporary DCI to help. Her descending into a remote rural community with its local force she soon suspects a hidden leak so who to trust and what connection the case has to an adjacent island and its commune idd a puzzle. A most unusual and fascinating mystery.

Scottish crime author Caro Ramsay comes off her thirteen book Anderson and Costello crime series with the unrelated The Devil Stone. Ramsay introduces a new main character DCI Christine Caplan who starts this book in a world of professional and personal trouble, definitely enough to carry her through more than one book as those connections are untangled and second – In her Blood – on the way. In doing so, Caplan follows a well worn path of a group of fictional detectives.
In disgrace, DCI Christine Caplan is temporarily demoted and sent to the small Scottish village of Cronchie to support an investigation into the death of a family of five, seemingly during a satanic ritual. Ramsay is needed as the DCI on the case went missing the night the bodies were found. But she is also glad to get away from her troubled family, including a depressed husband and a video-game obsessed teenager. It is not long before Caplan begins to suspect that the murders had nothing to do with satanism and that there is a corrupt officer on her new team.
Sending a highly competent but troubled detective to a small town has become a staple trope of the genre. In Australia, for example we have Garry Disher’s Paul Hirschhausen, relegated to country South Australia, and Chris Hammer’s Ivan Lucic, who has been banished from Sydney to work in rural areas. The ironic thing about the Scottish equivalent is that Ramsay only ever seems to be a couple of hours drive from her Glasgow home base. Still, there is plenty of play made about the differences between country and city policing and it allows Ramsay to bring Caplan in as an outsider, distrustful of everyone and distrusted in return due to her checkered past.
Overall The Devil’s Stone is a solid Scottish-noir procedural that also delves into Line of Duty territory with potentially corrupt officers leaving Caplan isolated and not knowing who to trust. So that it can all build to a fairly intense finale. Caplan’s family dramas are played as a bit of a mystery, which makes it difficult to care too much in the early going of the story but come good towards the end. And Caplan has a range of relationships in the Force which she both draws on and makes her vulnerable but those connections are likely to be critical to giving some breadth to the individual investigations as this series goes forward. And given Ramsay’s previous works, it is likely that Caplan is here for the long haul.