A twisty, disturbing, clever thriller that kept me guessing until the end. Great plot, great setting, loved getting to know the characters. I loved it and quickly downloaded the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Andrew James Greig for an advance digital copy for review. All opinions are my own.

The Bone Clock is a gripping and intense read for fans of dark crime fiction and police procedurals. Greig crafts a complex and unforgettable villain and a protagonist you can't help but root for, making this a satisfying and unsettling mystery that will keep you on edge until the final, shocking conclusion.

Originally published in 2020 under the title Whirligig, Andrew James Greig’s The Bone Clock is the first book in the DI James Corstorphine series—and it’s a gripping slice of Scottish Noir that blends atmosphere, suspense, and shocking revelations.

Set in a remote Highland town where not much usually happens, the story begins with the apparent suicide of Oscar Anderson at the notorious “Hanging Tree.” But DI Corstorphine and DC Frankie McKenzie quickly discover this was no ordinary death—it was a meticulously planned murder, triggered by a sinister hand-built mechanism known as a bone clock. When more deaths follow, each staged with the same eerie precision, the detectives realize they’re facing a killer with a method—and a message.

The investigation peels back layers of corruption, abuse, and long-buried secrets tied to the local orphanage run by the Sisters of Holy Mercy. Community leaders—once pillars of respectability—are implicated in horrifying crimes. As the truth emerges, so do questions of justice, morality, and whether vengeance can ever truly set things right.

Greig balances the grim subject matter with well-drawn characters. Corstorphine, still haunted by the loss of his wife, is a quietly compelling lead—flawed, human, and determined to seek the truth despite pressure from above. McKenzie brings grit and loyalty, rounding out a strong investigative duo. The setting, bleak and claustrophobic, amplifies the dread, while the inventive murder devices add a macabre, almost gothic twist.

Yes, there are moments where the pacing feels dense and names blur together, but overall this is an unsettling, original mystery that lingers long after the final page. Fans of tartan noir series like Shetland or Vera will feel right at home.

A chilling and cleverly constructed mystery, and a strong start to what promises to be a standout Highland crime series.

Excellent tartan noir crime novel from this brilliant author. This is the first in the series introducing the likable DCI Corstorphine and I enjoyed every twist and turn. Highly recommended

This is the first book I have read by the author, Andrew James Greig. I really enjoyed this first one of the Detective Corstorphine series. The characters are well developed and I loved the setting of the Scottish Highlands. I ended up listening to the audiobook version and loved the narrator’s voice and accent. While pure evil is displayed throughout the pages, the story itself was creative and kept my attention. I will look forward to reading more books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Book Club
Crime
Fiction
Mystery
Mystery Thriller
Scotland
Suspense
Thriller

Andrew James Greig (https://andrewjgreig.wordpress.com) is the author of six novels. The Bone Clock (originally released as Whirligig in 2020) was republished last April. It is the 41st book I completed reading in 2025.

Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own! Due to scenes of violence and some mature language, I categorize this novel as R.

The story is set in a small town in the Scottish Highlands. The primary characters are Detective Inspector James Corstorphine and Detective Constable Frankie McKenzie. They are the two senior officers at the local police station. They generally don’t have much to deal with. That is until Oscar Anderson is found dangling from the Hanging Tree.

The tree had been given that name nearly 20 years earlier, in 1997, when the body of June Stevens was found there. The young single mother and reporter for The Chronicle, the local paper, had apparently chosen that remote spot to commit suicide.

At first, Anderson’s death was also considered a suicide. That did not hold for long once Corstorphine and McKenzie began to investigate. The death quickly became a thoroughly planned homicide. The wire snare that snatched Anderson from his four-wheeler had been controlled in some way by a complex, hand-built bone clock mechanism. Corstorphine and McKenzie had no shortage of suspects with a motive to kill Anderson. He had been a local bully for years, but none had the wherewithal to plan out the killing or construct the clock.

Two days later, Reverend Simon McLean, the minister at St. Cuthbert’s, is killed. He had been ringing the church bell when a structural failure caused the heavy bell to fall and crush him. At first, it was thought to be a terrible accident. That opinion quickly changed when an intricate bone mechanism was found to be at fault.

Only a few days later, Sheriff Anthony McCallum finds himself locked into an isolated hut on his property. Having no water or food puts a strain on him after a couple of days in captivity. The two large, aggressive dogs that accompanied him forget their domestication and turn on McCallum in an effort to survive. By the time the police find the hut there are no survivors.

As their investigation proceeds, accusations begin to come out tying Anderson, McLean, McCallum, and others to child abuse. A Catholic Order known as the Sisters of Holy Mercy had run the City Road orphanage for several years. Accusations claim men came to the orphanage on more than one occasion to abuse the residents. Some children may even have died and were secretly buried on the grounds.

The truth about the orphanage and those who abused their power begins to come out. The cover-up of June Stevens' murder is revealed, as is a miscarriage of justice causing a man’s imprisonment. Reputations are ruined. Lord Reginald Lagan is the final community leader tainted by the abuse accusations. Of course, he denies everything.

As the tale nears its conclusion, Corstorphine and McKenzie have no suspect in custody for the murders. Pressure is building from above to close the investigation. Will they be able to identify the person behind the deaths? Will Lagan escape the killer’s retribution?

I enjoyed the 6.5+ hours I spent reading this 325-page mystery. This was a good mystery. I like the chosen cover art. I give this novel a rating of 4.5 (rounded to 5) out of 5.

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A good start to a new series featuring DI Corstorphine who investigates an apparent suicide. Full of twists that will keep you guessing. Good characters that hopefully will grow as the series continues. I would recommend this book Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for this review ARC.

I loved the draw in of the story and the series. I felt like I needed to read to find out more . It was so easier to picture the characters. Watch out world Andrew’s books are a game changer in this genre. It is truly an honor to read the book

When a gamekeeper is found hanging from an oak tree in the Scottish Highlands DI James Corstorphine is called in to investigate. At first suicide seems to be the explanation until the method of hanging is very unusual with the inclusion of human bones in the mix. It seems the victim was an abusive man and none too popular, but everyone deserves justice. When further investigation leads to a link to the death of a journalist many years ago, as well as being linked to an orphanage long gone- but maybe not forgotten.

This is a good start to a new series James Corstorphine is an interesting character, struggling to get over the death of his wife he now puts his all into his work. The setting was also engaging. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one in the series. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

First in a series about Detective James Corstorphine, this starts with the discovery of a man hanged by a trap constructed using carved bone and builds up with more murders that point to revenge. This was really good, and I jumped right into the second book. 4 stars.

What an excellent book this was to read. A fantastic storyline that you thought was going in one direction suddenly took you in a totally different direction. This change really kept you captivated and I didn’t want to put the book down - my sign of an excellent book! Great characters too that helped keep you captivated. Highly recommend this book!

Book 1 in the DI Corstorphine series. A great start to a series, an unusual gripping storyline, good main characters, will be interesting to know how their characters develop over the series.

This was the first in a series featuring DI Corstorphine and was set in the Scottish Highlands. The book started with throwback scene to when a woman is hanged from a tree pleading for the safety of her daughter, before being brought to the current day and another murder.
This book was well written with twist and suspense cleverly woven in. I was captivated from the start and virtually read the book in one sitting.

The Bone Clock was my first read by Andrew James Greig, but it won't be my last.

As it's heart, The Bone Clock is a police procedural, but the vehicle used to deliver the narrative was utterly unique and I doubt it's likely to be done again.

DI Corstorphine is an interesting character, and although he does have a sad past, this doesn't feel like a cliche as it has done in so many other books in the genre.

I also have a copy of The Devils' Cut (Book 2) to read and I'm looking forward to it.

Many thanks to NetGalley and to Storm Publishing for letting me see an advance reader's copy of The Bone Clock by Andrew James Grieg.

This book was previously called Whirligig, and I think this might have been a better title for the reboot. Then, like the main protagonist, I too wouldn’t have had any idea what this strange contraption was at the site of a murder. With the new title, it’s quite clear what it is.

The Bone Clock is the first in the DI Corstorphine Scottish crime series and it introduces recurring characters who appear in the second book too. We meet Corstorphine when he is summoned to a particularly gruesome murder scene in the Scottish highlands.

I loved the characters and I loved the setting, and I loved the tartan noir aspect. Delicious.

However, the detective’s name was my first stumbling block with this book. It’s not really an easy name to read to oneself and I found myself shortening it to Corsto inside my head, or using his first name James.

I had other character name issues too, with two Simons, a Bill and a William, and a Jenny, a June and a Jennifer, which Jenny is also short for (as well as James). This is confusing enough for a reader when the names are too similar in the first place. But when there were also two characters with the same name, I had to make sure I had the right person.

The writing had a bit of an old-fashioned feel to it, I think because of the overlong and complex sentences where shorter, punchier sentences would work much better. There’s a lot of colon usage too, which I also think dates either the writing or the writer.

There were a few continuity issues, such as we had Brian specifically naming someone when in fact it had been James who specifically named the person, there was a question that remained ignored and/or unanswered, a commotion Corsto went to investigate that hadn’t even been mentioned by anyone, and Corsto announced that someone’s sister was on the way when nobody had told him this. It made me wonder if there was text missing in places. Especially with an abrupt ending as well.

Overall, though, it’s a great new series for me, it’s dark, it’s gritty and it’s disturbing. And I look forward to reading more about James Corstorphine and his team.

Four stars.

Amazing! Love this author and this series! If you haven't read this author yet, I would highly recommend him. Start with this book - it's just wow!

The first novel in the DI Corstorphine Scottish crime series, The Bone Clock is a police procedural mystery thriller all packed into one fantastic novel. When a local gamekeeper is found hanging from an oak tree, a link to the past is revealed. And as more people are murdered in a horrendous fashion, the link is even stronger. The question is who are the real victims in this sinister crime. This captivating, fast-paced, page turner is quite emotional, quite disturbing, and quite believable. It is a well-written novel with wonderfully vivid descriptions. The ending is a bit abrupt, but still, a must read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Bone Clock was very easy to get into and very easy to get stuck into, and quick to finish.

Its quite dark and gritty and very well written. The pace of the story was quick and it was a very intriguing read, where you just had to know what would happen next.

I'll happily read and recomend this series.

A new series, new detective and team all set in a rather dark Scotland. The killer is smart and leaves traps of intricate detail to deal with the victims. Not just murder but retribution for past events dealing with children's homes and abuse. Definitely a Scottish noir but keeps the reader engaged. Also good to have a detective who seems real, dealing with the death of his wife some years before but learning to move on. Highly recommended and I don't do that very often these days! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

This is a brilliant book in a brand new series.

The gritty plot was at times very dark. My heart was breaking for some of the characters. I was totally hooked and I will highly recommend this book.

I can't wait to read the next one.