When DIs Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart are sent to the remote Scottish island of Eilean Eadar, they think its just a box ticking exercise. Teenager Alan Ferguson’s death has been ruled a suicide, they just need to ask a few questions, confirm the details and go back home. But when a storm strands them on the island they find their visit may be unwelcome.
It quickly becomes clear that the islanders have their own set of rules that they live by, and they are not happy about “mainlanders” interfering.
As the two inspectors delve into Alan’s life they discover that the island is ruled by fear and superstition. Can they get to the bottom of what happened to Alan or are they putting themselves in danger just being on the island.
Lennox and Stewart are good characters, and this is a really enjoyable debut. It is original, atmospheric, and will keep you guessing right up until the end. I am looking forward to seeing what comes next for this duo.

I loved this book! Lots of intrigue, suspense and mystery. I couldn’t wait to read it and raced through it. I highly recommend this if you like a thriller!

What a fantastic and eerie debut for Detective Inspectors George (Georgina) Lennox and Richard (Ritchie) Stewart as they are sent from the Glasgow force to investigate the apparent suicide of a young man on the Hebridean island of Eilein Eador.

The strangely hostile atmosphere and lack of cooperation from the islanders soon suggests that there is more to the 18 year old’s death than was previously believed, especially when they learn that his is not the first death at the lighthouse.

The slow building of tension, the use of meteorology and place to increase the brooding atmosphere, and the strangeness of a small community left to self-govern, are all skilfully handled.

Without any direct parallels, I felt similar overtones to The Wicker Man and Midsommer and found it a command compulsive read.

With thanks to NetGalley, Laura McCluskey and Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

What an amazing location for a book. A remote Scottish island, that has its own unique justice system meets the rest of the world when two police inspectors are sent to look into a death of a teenager. At first they seem to run into a dead end, but gradually things come to light that reveal what has been going on. The relationship between George and Richie is good, even when he chastises her for her impetuosity. Her backstory is interesting too. Although George can be a bit tedious, it would be good to see what happens to her next, as her heart is in the right place and she has the potential to be a good inspector. If you enjoy books about isolation and its impacts, this would be a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read and review.

I enjoyed most of this book but found the ending quite exasperating - it stretched credulity for me. I thought George and Richie were a great pair of inspectors though and would definitely pick up another book if they were the main characters. The descriptions of the weather, food, local cottages and the island in general were excellent.

Gripping story of DIs Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart are sent to investigate the death concerning eighteen-year-old Alan Ferguson who was found at the foot of the lighthouse in an apparent suicide on a small island off the coast of Scotland. The DIs are trapped on the island for four days after a raging storm so start to investigate Alan's death but the locals will not talk to them and are hostile and have to deal with superstition and secrets.
A well written story that is creepy and keeps you on edge until the very end.
Would highly recommend for a thrilling read.

This story will not disappoint. It feels like a slow burner and you think that the answer is boringly obvious and what was the point. Then, things start moving and suddenly you’re not so sure it’s as obvious as you thought.
At this point the pace picks up and you realize that even though you don’t know why, you do know that George & Richie are in real danger but you’re still not sure what exactly the threat is.
What a macabre revelation is in store for the reader. It will make you shiver at the horror of it all.
This is one to read with the door locked and the log fire burning.

DI’s Georgina Lennox (George) and Richard Stewart are sent to a remote Hebridian island to investigate a suspected suicide. George is recovering from a severe head injury and her boss believes it is an easy job for her gradual return to work. Upon arrival they have a very mixed reception. Some are kind and welcoming but many are wary and some downright rude. There are only some two hundred people living on the Island and they have to fend for themselves with little outside help. With so few people on the island their lives are all intertwined and they are used to dealing with problems themselves and don’t take kindly to outsiders. With no emergency services and only one satellite phone, it really is a world away from what we perceive as normality. The victim, Alan is reported to have committed suicide by jumping from the desolate lighthouse on the far side of the island. As their investigation begins they are met with distrust and hostility but nothing that really points to foul play. However, as frightening and unexplained events begin to happen George won’t let things lie and her determination to find answers puts her in extreme danger. An original story that had many different characters, all in same way affected by their solitary existence. A well written story that immerses the reader into this isolated and bleak place with its strange folklore and traditions.

Really enjoyed this gritty thriller, with a well written and atmospheric plot, very creepy and believable.
The Scottish isle set the best scene for eerie and suspicious behaviour.
The characters were described perfectly and I was interested in both George and Ritchie, and to be honest some of the others aswell.
A good solid twist at the end made for a very satisfactory finale.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Bit of a slow burn to start with, the second half picks up more. Although I did enjoy this, I wasn't a fan of the ending.

3.5 stars

A splendid debut from Laura McCluskey. Set on a remote Scottish island, it is atmospheric and intriguing. Two DIs from the mainland arrive to investigate the mysterious death of the teenager Alan. However the small and tight knit community clam up and progress is slow. Until....! Gripping and surprising from the start.

I really enjoyed this book. I can hardly believe this is a debut novel. This is a murder mystery set off the coast of Scotland, where two detectives are sent to investigate the death of a young man who possibly committed suicide. Whilst on the island the detectives hear about the disappearance of three lighthouse men a hundred years before. The two detectives are friends and their past has not always easy. They want to protect each other. The book was gripping and had me guessing to the end, it unsettled me but in a good way, I was hooked. I can't wait for any future books by this author. She writes with fluency and I felt a enthusiasm to share her story. I wanted this book to be part of a series but that doesn't seem to be the case. However it is a book I will remember for a long time to come.

A very good debut novel set on a remote island off Scotland. Two police officers are sent from the mainland to investigate a death. Atmospheric and suspenseful as they become aware of old local traditions, legends and folklore. The novel was slow to take off at first, but then picked up the pace to leave you wondering what was going to happen next in this close knit community.

This is the author's debut novel and it is a very good one. Eilein Eador is a remote island off Scotland's north west mainland. A young man Alan Ferguson has fallen to his death off the lighthouse. Is this suicide?
Two detective inspectors are sent by boat to investigate. Richard Stewart and Georgina ( George ) Lennox. The weather is dreadful, it is a very severe winter.
The detectives encounter various locals. Cecily Campbell, the post mistress Kathy McKinnon, the dead boy's mother Catriona and the Island's priest James Ross. They find the Island's people friendly but very reserved. They learn the strange tale from the Island's history of when the lighthouse was manned, that three men from the mainland suddenly vanished, and were never seen again!
They stay in the cottage of a local who died recently, they have to keep the fire burning in the fireplace, otherwise they are told they will freeze.
George and Richard soon realise that things are not right, but don't know how to get to the bottom of this strange and secretive place. Things are about to get more sinister when they hear the howling from the wolf tree.
I enjoyed the book very much, it reminded me a little bit of the book/film "The Wicker Man". I definitely look forward to more from this author.

I love atmospheric crime thrillers set in remote places especially where the weather forms a large part of the story and The Wolf Tree is a great addition to this collection.
The story opens during a storm when two police inspectors from Glasgow are on their way to the remote Hebridean Island of Eilean Eadar to investigate the apparent suicide of an 18 year old boy. This opening sets the scene for the tale that follows. The storm foreshadows the hostility that the two inspectors meet from most of the island’s inhabitants who have developed their own ways of dealing with problems and don’t welcome any interference from outsiders.
They have five days on the island to find the truth but despite interviewing all of the victim’s acquaintances, the two officers can’t find any evidence that he didn’t commit suicide and yet there is still something that doesn’t feel right.
The inspectors seem an unlikely pairing – would this task really be given to two senior officers even if one of them is recovering from serious injury? However I did like both of them although George could be irritating at times and I definitely sympathised with Richie’s exasperation with her actions at times.
The inhabitants of the island are a very mixed bunch from Kathy, the chatty postmistress who seems to look after everyone to the taciturn farmer who barely says a word. There is obviously some friction between the older islanders who want to things to remain just as they are and the younger ones such as Lewis who want more from their lives but all of them will stick together to protect the island’s secrets.
I loved the threatening atmosphere that pervaded the whole novel and the final chapters especially were as thrilling as anyone could wish. I wasn’t totally convinced by the ending which seemed a little far fetched but the scene in the woods near the end really had me on the edge of my seat.
I thought that this was an excellent debut novel and look forward to seeing what Laura MacCluskey writes next.
Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story followed two detectives Georgina Lennox and Richie Stewart who have been sent to a remote Scottish island to investigate the apparent suicide of an 18 year old islander. The investigation is a slow moving start as George and Richie interview the islanders and bad weather prolongs their stay. This is an atmospheric story that moves along at an increased speed with eerie goings on and lots of suspects and many twists with a surprise ending. After a slow start this became a good read.

This started off well for me, a questionable death being looked into on a remote Scottish Island. Two detectives sent from Glasgow, my home town, to investigate. I didn’t particularly take to Georgina but I liked Richie, though I did find them an odd match partner wise. They meet a fair few Islanders and they are a mix bag of characters, but they intrigue you and keep you wanting to know more. It’s the second half of the book I started to struggle with, Wolfs and Faeries and missing Lighthouse Keepers all thrown into the mix. Then I found the ending so far fetched and ridiculous,,it definitely spoiled it for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early copy.

A truly enjoyable police procedural novel. Liked the characters and the setting descriptive and atmospheric. I'll be keeping an eye out for this author in the future. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

A brilliant book which has you on the edge of your through to the very end. Set on a remote Scottish island cut off from mainland Scotland a lot of the time by storms. Two detectives Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart are sent to investigate. A raging storm keeps them trapped on the island for five days, the islanders don't take to well to outsiders but there are more secrets hidden here than they expected. A gripping crime novel that I recommend.

DI Georgina (George) Lennox and DI Richard (Richie) Stewart are sent to the small Scottish island of Eilean Eadar to sign off a suicide of an 18 year old lad.
But things aren’t as they seem. Cathy, the postmistress hands George the log books from the lighthouse that closed over 100 years ago. Islanders are suspicious of mainlanders and even more so the police, so talking to the locals is hard. Life on the island seems difficult and everyone appears to pull together to support one another. But there’s a strange feeling that George can’t quite shake. She was sent as she’s recovering from a traumatic previous case and this on the face of it is an easy case. Digging deeper proves challenging, particularly when someone with a wolf mask on appears at the window and a warning is left outside the cottage they are staying in. Even the wind sounds like a wolf howling. It’s really not a welcoming place.
Compulsive reading, I couldn’t put it down. Twists and turns and a surprise ending.
Easy to read, engaging. I enjoyed it.