This is a great debut novel by Laura McCluskey!

Detective Inspectors Georgina (Georgie) Lennox and Richie Stewart are sent to a remote Scottish Island to investigate the death (by suicide?) of a young islander called Alan Ferguson. This is a small island, all islanders are born & bred there, stay in the community and are close knit, all looking out for each other.

They stay in a local croft, and set about proving or disproving the young lad's suicide. A really rough storm forces the DI's to stay on the island, when indeed they were ready to leave, finding no evidence to point to murder, but the islanders are not happy they have not left! There are legends attached to the lighthouse and previous disappearance of the lighthouse keepers, many years ago. They are given the journals of the keepers and Georgie reads these late into the night, when her own demons prevent her from sleeping. is there more to the legends, were more islanders murdered in the past?

To frighten them off, Georgie finds herself staring through the dark window at a wolf, which howls and gives her the creeps! Can they keep it together during the awful storm and against the odds, discover the truth from the secrets??

A great debut novel, gripping and atmospheric!

This was a very strange story which took me nearly halfway through the book to get into it. I nearly gave up but was pleased I persevered as this was different, I wonder if this could happen in a place that has not been brought up to date and people still live in the past solving their problems. Most of the actual story happens in the second half of the book so that keeps you reading. I would never have guessed how this all ends and it is shocking in a way you cannot imagine happening. Great work by the author I nearly gave this a five star but the first half needed to grab me more plus there are a few characters to remember who they are in the story. If you want something different to read, this is the book for you.

An exceptional debut novel.
Engaging from first to last page, well written with superb characters throughout.
Two detectives are sent almost back in time to a remote island to investigate a death, seemingly a simple suicide but is there more to it. This is an island full of odd characters and secrets. Eerie sinister with plenty of surprises and twists along the way.
Be warned you might need some extra layers or the heating turned up as the Author's description of the weather conditions is completely gripping.
Completely recommended.

Sent to a remote island to investigate a death to investigate a death. The main character, George, appears to be recovering from an injury from a previous investigati9n. Richie seems protective. The book builds slowly and towards the end draws you in. Wouldn't give it 5 stars but still a good read.

I'm not sure where to start with this suspenseful thriller set against the backdrop of remote Scottish island life.

The main police characters are very interesting and there are lots of flashes to their joint back story which helps to flesh the characters out.

The task of dotting the i's and crossing the t's on what seems to be a fairly simple suicide starts off quite slowly. The islanders are clearly suspicious of 2 mainland police officers and consequently making any kind of investigation proves difficult. It's only in the last quarter of the book that the pace dramatically increases and the story concludes in a way which I had certainly not envisaged at the outset.

Very well written and I did want to keep reading it despite the slow start. I'll keep an eye out for future novels by this new author.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my review copy.

A really interesting and suspense-filled mystery, as two police officers try to investigate what looks like a suicide in a very closed, remote island community. I could really feel the atmosphere and the ending was unexpected and shocking.

The Wolf Tree is a captivating debut novel that takes readers to a remote and atmospheric Scottish island, where isolation and the harsh natural surroundings create a palpable sense of tension throughout the story. The author’s ability to craft such an immersive setting is one of the book’s greatest strengths; you can practically feel the chill of the sea breeze and hear the howling of the wind.

The characterisation is equally impressive, with well-rounded, complex characters whose emotional journeys feel authentic. The protagonist’s struggle with both the island’s mystique and their own internal conflicts provides the heart of the narrative, and the interactions between the characters are layered and believable.

While the novel’s pacing is deliberate, it enhances the slow-burn suspense that builds throughout the story. The setting is almost a character in itself, which adds to the book’s sense of foreboding and mystery. Fans of atmospheric thrillers and character-driven stories will find much to enjoy in The Wolf Tree, and I look forward to seeing what this talented author does next.

A strong debut with much to admire!

I so wanted to like this but it was so slow and I wanted to give it a big kick to get it moving.
I persevered but to be honest wish I hadn’t.
I hate to not like a book I’ve requested, but unfortunately this is one.

An isolated island, a lighthouse, and an unexplained death – what more could a crime fiction reader ask for? Perhaps some secrets or even pagan rituals? And surely, a threatening storm leaving everyone stranded would complete the picture. Of course. Check, check, and check. Scottish author Laura McCluskey utilises multiple crime fiction tropes in her debut novel to craft a dark, gothic tale. While the closed-circle trope has been used frequently, it remains compelling for a reason.

Link to full review: https://westwordsreviews.wordpress.com/2025/03/27/the-wolf-tree-laura-mccluskey/

A great debut novel from this author, set on a remote Scottish island, George and her partner Richie go to investigate the death of a young man. George has recently returned to work after having serious injuries in a previous case, the details of which are gradually revaled throughout the book. She can be hot-headed and her partner has worries about her and tries to be a stabilizing influence. The death appears to be suicide, but quite quickly, the pair realize that something is going on with the islanders and there is some malevolence towards them.
Although fairly slow paced, the book engaged me very quickly and I was able to sort out who was who from the inhabitants of the island. You quickly get the impression of the claustrophobic life where everyone knows everyone else's business and try to make life difficult for the investigators. Where the book fell down a little for me, was the concluding chapters where the action picks up very quickly and there are twists. Not because of the plot but leaving several open ends. All in all a real pageturner and I will definately look out for more by the author
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

I found this book to be a bit slow paced, repetitious in parts and it was a struggle to carry on reading. I don't think it was for me.

I have included this book on the podcast as my top Crime read as I thought it was absolutely stunning. The feeling of being trapped on the island and the division between islanders and police, each with their own issues, was both well plotted and written. First class.

This was a rather interesting read and I am still not sure how much I liked it as it was both strange and thrilling. We follow the story of DI George Lennox and DI Richie Stewart as they head to a small island off teh coast of Scotland to investigate the death of a young man.

With Georgie's past problems still somewhat haunting her and strange happenings on this isolated island this book will have you guessing (but I must say I did guess one part of the mystery). It is a bit of a slow read as it real concentrates on setting up the scene. there are quite a few characters to keep straight also and how they all fit into the picture.

A good debut for this author and she really got the atmosphere of the place right. It is somewhat cultish (you will understand this once you get to the end) and a little bit creepy at times but overall a good read. I'd give it 3 1/2 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Twenty-eight year old DI George (Georgina) Lennox is working her first case after a devastating work related accident. Her partner, DI Richie Stewart accompanies her from Glasgow to Eilean Eadar, a remote western Hebridean island to investigate the circumstances around the death of a teenage boy.

They arrive via a rough sea crossing. The locals set them up in a disused croft who once belonged to an elderly resident who has passed away. Some of the locals seem welcoming, while others view them with thinly veiled hostility. They have just a few days to investigate Alan Ferguson's death which, on the surface, seems a suicide. The boy's body was found at the base of the lighthouse and it is assumed that he threw himself from the heights.

As George and Richie interview the local residents, they sense that all is not as it might at first appear. The islanders seem to be harbouring a secret... All 206 residents attend the Catholic Church led by Father Ross, a man who seems to hold great sway over the islanders and their activities. The religion they practice is an odd blend of Catholicism and ancient Celtic paganism. There is no mobile reception on the island and the only telephone is a satellite phone located in the post office. Though their way of life seems antiquated, the residents do have a commendable habit of looking out for one another...

"It's only when you get up close that you see the cracks."

Though Richie Stewart is very fond of his young partner, he feels she is impetuous and prone to taking unnecessary risks. When he discovers that she has been abusing painkillers since her terrible accident eight months previously, the trust between the two police officers wears thin.

In addition to their present day investigation, George is given the journals of the lighthouse keepers from long ago. Back in 1919 three lighthouse keepers vanished off the island, a mystery that has never been forgotten.

At night, someone with a wolf mask is peering in the kitchen window of the croft where George and Richie are staying. George cannot sleep due to the incessant howling of the wind, which sounds, in a sinister way, very much like a wolf's howl.

By the time that George and Richie finally leave the island of Eilean Eadar both the present day and ancient mysteries will be solved and the very essence of the island will be in a state of upheaval that might never be righted...

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut mystery. The sense of place permeated the entire novel with its wind, damp, and bone-chilling cold. George was a courageous policewoman, who was reckless and damaged, yet oh so good at her job.

Recommended to readers who love a police procedural with a highly atmospheric and insular setting.

This is a slow burn that does pick up in the second half of the book, but I struggled to keep going.

The Wolf Tree
Laura McCluskey

“I’ll never tell you not to trust your gut. But a homicide needs evidence, and we’ve got nothing of the sort - because…?”

This felt rather descriptive and set a slower pace to start. With the two DI’s arrival on the isolated island, they are covering old ground, reinterviewing people to get a sense for the crime. The more time spent on the island and with the inhabitants, the sooner you learn there’s a rather ominous undertone towards outsiders.

“Because history has shown them that when people stop doing what they’re supposed to, bad things happen.”

The Wolf Tree is filled with atmosphere and suspense. You have the current crime; Alan Ferguson’s fall from the island’s lighthouse and the famous historical crime of three lighthouse keepers who disappeared in 1919. These mysteries both converge to create a wonderful isolating and hostile environment that makes you wonder if Detective Inspector Georgina Lennox and partner, Detective Inspector Richie Stewart will unravel the mystery of Eilean Eadar island and it’s devout inhabitants.

“Can you imagine trying to hold a grudge in a place this small? It’d be impossible to stay angry with someone when they’re your boss, your cousin and your hairdresser.”

“What else is there for kids to do? If they’re not working, they’re bored. And boredom breeds strife.”

The Wolf Tree is set on a tiny, remote island off the coast of Scotland where an 18 year old has just been found dead at the foot of the lighthouse - an apparent suicide. DIs George and Ritchie are sent to investigate, but a storm sees them trapped for longer than they expected and the locals are wary of 'mainlanders'. The detectives realise that there is more to the island than meets the eye and find themselves embroiled in a mystery going back over a hundred years.

This seems to be quite a common premise for thrillers - people get stuck on a remote island and a storm sets in, so I didn't find it overly 'exciting'. That said, it was well written and the descriptions of the island were good and I could definitely picture the scene.
I liked the two detectives and their relationship, but felt that I wanted to know more about their history.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

DI's George Lennox and Richie Stewart have been dispatched to Eadar, one of the most remote islands in the Outer Hebrides, to investigate the death of a young man. People believe it was suicide, but the medical examiner found marks on his arm that look like fingerprints. With a population of only 206, it's likely that everyone knows everyone else's business.

Alan Ferguson's body was found at the foot of the lighthouse. A seemingly happy young man who wanted to go to the mainland to study at a university.
Did he jump off the top of the lighthouse?
A note on the autopsy report is niggling at George—"Bruising inconsistent with impact trauma."

Is there something more sinister going on on this small, idyllic island, and is there a connection to the mysterious disappearance of three lighthouse keepers in 1919? This island, steeped in superstition and folklore, may not be a place you want to visit...

While I found the pacing a bit slow, I really enjoyed the atmospheric tone and the way the story builds to a suspenseful climax. The island is vividly described and appears idyllic until the ominous howling of the wolf tree begins...

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest.

Inspectors Richie and George are sent to a remote, wild island off the Scottish coast to investigate the death of an 18year old who was found at the bottom of the lighthouse. Is it murder is it suicide. The locals are full of suspicion of the mainlanders and just want the inspectors gone. The island has priest but the inspectors also notice pagan signs.
I loved the descriptiveness of the island and its people, the ruggedness of the landscape, the rapid change of weather and their remote lifestyle that makes them suspicious of any newcomers.
A brilliant book that makes you feel you are there and worry for the inspectors tucked away in a little cottage away from the village..

Inspectors George and Richie are sent from the mainland to investigate a sudden death on remote island Eilean Eadar. As they get to know the locals and the landscape, they hear about the mysterious disappearance of three light house keepers over a hundred years ago. With no evidence of foul play in either case, impulsive George’s instincts tells her there is more than meets the eye.

I found this an atmospheric and compelling read. George and Richie work well together with their work styles balancing each other out whilst there is a wholesome pseudo-father-daughter vibe going on between them. I liked the cast of islanders, each one secretive and kind of creepy in their own way. I found it quite slow to start and quite late to finish but felt like it galloped during the last twenty percent of the book. A solid thriller. I would definitely be interested to see the characters develop if it was turned into a series.