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Rhona MacLeod #17
The Wild Coast
'Lin Anderson is one of Scotland’s national treasures' Stuart MacBride
'Forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod has become one of the most satisfying characters in modern crime fiction' Daily Mail
A remote shoreline. A lethal killer. As lone visitors disappear from the rural northwest of Scotland, campsites are becoming crime scenes. The Wild Coast is a chilling thriller from Lin Anderson.
When forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is brought in to analyse a shallow grave on Scotland’s west coast, she is disturbed by a bundle of twigs crafted into a stickman and left in the victim’s mouth.
Then, when a young woman is reported missing from a nearby campsite with another sinister figurine left in her van, it seems that someone is targeting wild campers. An idyllic coastline known for providing peace and serenity, now the area is a hunting ground.
As her investigation proceeds, Rhona is forced to reconsider her closest bonds. Rumours of sexual assault offences by serving police officers are circling in Glasgow, which may include her trusted colleague DS Michael McNab. Could it be true, or is someone looking to put him out of action?
All the while a young woman’s life is on the line and the clock is ticking . . .
'Forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod has become one of the most satisfying characters in modern crime fiction' Daily Mail
A remote shoreline. A lethal killer. As lone visitors disappear from the rural northwest of Scotland, campsites are becoming crime scenes. The Wild Coast is a chilling thriller from Lin Anderson.
When forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is brought in to analyse a shallow grave on Scotland’s west coast, she is disturbed by a bundle of twigs crafted into a stickman and left in the victim’s mouth.
Then, when a young woman is reported missing from a nearby campsite with another sinister figurine left in her van, it seems that someone is targeting wild campers. An idyllic coastline known for providing peace and serenity, now the area is a hunting ground.
As her investigation proceeds, Rhona is forced to reconsider her closest bonds. Rumours of sexual assault offences by serving police officers are circling in Glasgow, which may include her trusted colleague DS Michael McNab. Could it be true, or is someone looking to put him out of action?
All the while a young woman’s life is on the line and the clock is ticking . . .
480 pages, Hardcover
Published October 10, 2023
105 people are currently reading
288 people want to read
About the author
Lin Anderson
73 books383 followersLin Anderson was born in Greenock of Scottish and Irish parents. A graduate of both Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, she has lived in many different parts of Scotland and also spent five years working in the African bush. A teacher of Mathematics and Computing, she began her writing career four years ago. Her first film, Small Love, which was broadcast on STV, was nominated for TAPS writer of the year award 2001. Her African short stories have been published in the 10th Anniversary Macallan collection and broadcast on BBC Radio Four.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
June 13, 2023
Rhona MacLeod #17
The beautiful and remote north-west coastline of Scotland is usually a place of peace and quiet as visitors survey the stunning white sands and deep blue sea. It’s a place for wild camping and camper vans in order to make the most of the solitude and the views. However, during a search for a missing child from a campsite in Arisaig, human remains are found buried in the machair. Forensics scientist Rhona MacLeod is about to leave her Isle of Skye bolthole and is dispatched to the scene. As if this isn’t enough to contend with, a young woman who arrives at the campsite the previous evening, is now nowhere to be seen. Even more concerning, it’s clear that there had been a violent altercation in her camper van. Thus starts a very difficult and incredibly challenging case for Rhona and her team. Is there, by any chance, a link to the sexual assault cases in Glasgow that DS Michael McNab is investigating?
I’m delighted the author chooses to set part of her latest instalment of this stellar series in the north-west, now more well known due to the Northwest 500 (500 mile round-trip starting in Inverness). This beautiful, idyllic location contrasts so sharply with the ever deepening seriousness of the enquiry. The plot is very well thought out, it’s carefully constructed and complex with multiple layers that ultimately connect very well. The plot centres on very pertinent issues, especially that of sexual assault and extreme misogyny. I like the direction the plot takes, there are a number of interesting influences which I can’t mention for fear of spoilers, but it certainly takes horrifying leap into evil. It becomes apparent in this increasingly perilous investigation the perpetrators are not only extremely dangerous, they’re one step ahead and very ruthless. It builds well, the pace is brisk throughout, there are plenty of twists and turns and has a tense and exciting finale.
Apart from the thoughtful way in which Lin Anderson writes her novels, she has created an excellent cast of of characters. Rhona and her sidekick Chrissie McInsh feel like old friends now, Professor Magnus Pike offers his thoughtful psychological input and as per usual, McNab is wandering near the edge of a precipice and this time teeters very close to the brink of possible destruction.
If you like detective/mystery books this series is well worth looking at as the forensic angle is centre stage.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan for the appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
The beautiful and remote north-west coastline of Scotland is usually a place of peace and quiet as visitors survey the stunning white sands and deep blue sea. It’s a place for wild camping and camper vans in order to make the most of the solitude and the views. However, during a search for a missing child from a campsite in Arisaig, human remains are found buried in the machair. Forensics scientist Rhona MacLeod is about to leave her Isle of Skye bolthole and is dispatched to the scene. As if this isn’t enough to contend with, a young woman who arrives at the campsite the previous evening, is now nowhere to be seen. Even more concerning, it’s clear that there had been a violent altercation in her camper van. Thus starts a very difficult and incredibly challenging case for Rhona and her team. Is there, by any chance, a link to the sexual assault cases in Glasgow that DS Michael McNab is investigating?
I’m delighted the author chooses to set part of her latest instalment of this stellar series in the north-west, now more well known due to the Northwest 500 (500 mile round-trip starting in Inverness). This beautiful, idyllic location contrasts so sharply with the ever deepening seriousness of the enquiry. The plot is very well thought out, it’s carefully constructed and complex with multiple layers that ultimately connect very well. The plot centres on very pertinent issues, especially that of sexual assault and extreme misogyny. I like the direction the plot takes, there are a number of interesting influences which I can’t mention for fear of spoilers, but it certainly takes horrifying leap into evil. It becomes apparent in this increasingly perilous investigation the perpetrators are not only extremely dangerous, they’re one step ahead and very ruthless. It builds well, the pace is brisk throughout, there are plenty of twists and turns and has a tense and exciting finale.
Apart from the thoughtful way in which Lin Anderson writes her novels, she has created an excellent cast of of characters. Rhona and her sidekick Chrissie McInsh feel like old friends now, Professor Magnus Pike offers his thoughtful psychological input and as per usual, McNab is wandering near the edge of a precipice and this time teeters very close to the brink of possible destruction.
If you like detective/mystery books this series is well worth looking at as the forensic angle is centre stage.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Pan McMillan for the appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
June 8, 2024
Surprisingly, this is my first read from the Rhona MacLead series (the 17th title).
Though I found it still works brilliantly as a standalone.
The stick figures that are discovered in or near the victims is such a creepy yet effective draw into the mystery.
I liked the procedural manner and Rhona and her team are great characters and it's clear to see why this series is still going strong.
The Scottish setting also works so so well with in telling the story, as campers are being targeted. I really appreciated the references to a popular 90's movie.
A race against time that continually made me want to read more, I'd be happy to read more of the earlier titles in the series.
Though I found it still works brilliantly as a standalone.
The stick figures that are discovered in or near the victims is such a creepy yet effective draw into the mystery.
I liked the procedural manner and Rhona and her team are great characters and it's clear to see why this series is still going strong.
The Scottish setting also works so so well with in telling the story, as campers are being targeted. I really appreciated the references to a popular 90's movie.
A race against time that continually made me want to read more, I'd be happy to read more of the earlier titles in the series.
October 2, 2025
THE WILD COAST is #17 in the Dr. Rhona MacLeod series. Although it begins with Rhona undertaking a buried corpse case, I felt that overall the story emphasized the travails of her friend and co-worker, DS Michael McNab. Thus, the police investigation aspects of the case received more attention than the forensic analysis perspective and I didn't enjoy it quite as much as The Dead and the Dying, #19 in the series, a novel that I recently finished.
Still it was a quick and easy read, and I definitely enjoy author Lin Anderson's straightforward writing style, so 3.5 stars overall.
I did feel the plot was a bit implausible but, on the other hand, it highlighted the misogynist views prevalent amongst some members of male-oriented professions (specifically, some police and military personnel). Consequently, I hesitated between giving this book a 3- or 4-star final rating. I do wish that Goodreads allowed a 7 or 10-point scale, which is a more accurate rating scale for books. So, a 3-star (average) read given its lack of informative depth; a 4-star (guilty pleasures) read if you are looking for an easy-to-follow story about men who despise women.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for other Rhona MacLeod novels:
The Dead and the Dying (Rhona MacLeod #19)
Whispers of the Dead (Rhona MacLeod #18)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to the Greater Victoria Public Library for providing the ebook that I read.
Still it was a quick and easy read, and I definitely enjoy author Lin Anderson's straightforward writing style, so 3.5 stars overall.
I did feel the plot was a bit implausible but, on the other hand, it highlighted the misogynist views prevalent amongst some members of male-oriented professions (specifically, some police and military personnel). Consequently, I hesitated between giving this book a 3- or 4-star final rating. I do wish that Goodreads allowed a 7 or 10-point scale, which is a more accurate rating scale for books. So, a 3-star (average) read given its lack of informative depth; a 4-star (guilty pleasures) read if you are looking for an easy-to-follow story about men who despise women.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for other Rhona MacLeod novels:
The Dead and the Dying (Rhona MacLeod #19)
Whispers of the Dead (Rhona MacLeod #18)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to the Greater Victoria Public Library for providing the ebook that I read.
September 14, 2023
Chilling, dark, and skillfully crafted!
In this seventeenth instalment in the Rhona MacLeod series, The Wild Coast, Anderson has written a gritty police procedural that sees forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod and her team tangled up in an inquiry that seems at first glance to be an isolated, missing person case, but which quickly unfolds into something a lot more sinister involving at least one killer with a penchant for confinement, torture, and murder and a strange fascination with figures made of sticks.
The writing is seamless and tight. The characters are multilayered, diligent, and persistent. And the plot is an engrossing, suspenseful tale full of twists, turns, secrets, lies, deception, familial drama, emotional entanglements, depravity, mayhem, and murder.
Overall, The Wild Coast is another thrilling, addictive, propulsive addition to a series that, with its flawed characters, great pace, and constant sense of urgency, is still one of my all-time favourites.
Thank you to PGC Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
In this seventeenth instalment in the Rhona MacLeod series, The Wild Coast, Anderson has written a gritty police procedural that sees forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod and her team tangled up in an inquiry that seems at first glance to be an isolated, missing person case, but which quickly unfolds into something a lot more sinister involving at least one killer with a penchant for confinement, torture, and murder and a strange fascination with figures made of sticks.
The writing is seamless and tight. The characters are multilayered, diligent, and persistent. And the plot is an engrossing, suspenseful tale full of twists, turns, secrets, lies, deception, familial drama, emotional entanglements, depravity, mayhem, and murder.
Overall, The Wild Coast is another thrilling, addictive, propulsive addition to a series that, with its flawed characters, great pace, and constant sense of urgency, is still one of my all-time favourites.
Thank you to PGC Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2023
My first LinnAnderson book and I seem to have started in the middle of a successful series but that wasn’t an issue as it’s definitely a stand alone story. The characters are all easy to get along with and I soon was invested in them all. The setting made me Google it and now I’m looking at holidays nearby!
September 2, 2023
A good crime thriller which I found is part of a series. It can be read as a stand alone and features Rhona Macleod a forensic scientist. Rhona is called in when a shallow grave is found on Scotland's west coast. This is only the beginning. When the body is taken back to the morgue a bundle of twigs fashioned into a grotesque stick man is found lodged in the victims throat. A young woman is reported missing from a local camp site and another stick man is found in her van. Someone is targeting wild campers but why? Full of twists and turns and so much more. A real page turner and almost four stars.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
Thanks to Netgalley for the Arc.
August 10, 2023
On the west coast of Scotland, a little girl, Lucy Henderson, goes missing from a campsite where she was on holiday with her parents and brother.
Whilst searching for her, the local police stumble upon a burial site with mute Lucy nearby.
That’s when Rhona MacLeod, Glasgow’s forensic scientist, gets called in on the scene.
Accompanied by her forensic assistant, Chrissy McInsh, they discover a female body in a state of decomposition with a stick man figure, fashioned from twigs, inside her mouth.
At the same time when Lucy disappeared, a young woman arrived at the campsite. Her van was pitched nearby to the Henderson’s motor home. Now, she is also missing and there’s evidence of a struggle in her van. Above the girl’s bed someone left the same stick man figure that Rhona and Chrissy discovered at the burial site…
Meanwhile in Glasgow, there is a series of sexual assaults happening along the student strip of clubs and bars. The rumour has it that the perpetrator is a serving police officer.
DS McNab goes rogue in pursuit, however, he soon becomes the prime suspect. Is it possible that he’s responsible, or is someone framing him?
I simply love this series of books.
I’m such a big fan of Anderson’s writing style and every time a new book comes out, I pick it up in anticipation. This one didn’t disappoint!
We have a serial killer preying on lone and vulnerable female campers, who travel Scotland’s beautiful and scenic route NC500.
McNab has got himself into trouble. Again. That man has a knack of trouble following him wherever he goes.
Then, there’s Rhona and Chrissy. I adore Rhona, she is superb at her job and it’s so obvious she cares. Her personal life is somewhat a bit of a disaster (just like McNab’s!).
My favourite character in the series is Chrissy – I just love her. She has a radar for gossip and nothing ever escapes her shrewd attention. Plus she loves her food! It always makes me chuckle when she talks about lunch while Rhona and her are working, usually standing above a dead body.
Overall, it’s another great addition to the series.
If you haven’t read this one yet, then I urge you to pick it up. You won’t be disappointed!
Whilst searching for her, the local police stumble upon a burial site with mute Lucy nearby.
That’s when Rhona MacLeod, Glasgow’s forensic scientist, gets called in on the scene.
Accompanied by her forensic assistant, Chrissy McInsh, they discover a female body in a state of decomposition with a stick man figure, fashioned from twigs, inside her mouth.
At the same time when Lucy disappeared, a young woman arrived at the campsite. Her van was pitched nearby to the Henderson’s motor home. Now, she is also missing and there’s evidence of a struggle in her van. Above the girl’s bed someone left the same stick man figure that Rhona and Chrissy discovered at the burial site…
Meanwhile in Glasgow, there is a series of sexual assaults happening along the student strip of clubs and bars. The rumour has it that the perpetrator is a serving police officer.
DS McNab goes rogue in pursuit, however, he soon becomes the prime suspect. Is it possible that he’s responsible, or is someone framing him?
I simply love this series of books.
I’m such a big fan of Anderson’s writing style and every time a new book comes out, I pick it up in anticipation. This one didn’t disappoint!
We have a serial killer preying on lone and vulnerable female campers, who travel Scotland’s beautiful and scenic route NC500.
McNab has got himself into trouble. Again. That man has a knack of trouble following him wherever he goes.
Then, there’s Rhona and Chrissy. I adore Rhona, she is superb at her job and it’s so obvious she cares. Her personal life is somewhat a bit of a disaster (just like McNab’s!).
My favourite character in the series is Chrissy – I just love her. She has a radar for gossip and nothing ever escapes her shrewd attention. Plus she loves her food! It always makes me chuckle when she talks about lunch while Rhona and her are working, usually standing above a dead body.
Overall, it’s another great addition to the series.
If you haven’t read this one yet, then I urge you to pick it up. You won’t be disappointed!
November 5, 2025
ok, but I never got hooked. Don't know why...
August 7, 2023
The Wild Coast is the seventeenth in the Rhona MacLeod series, but easily reads as a standalone novel.
When several young girls go missing another and another is found buried in a shallow grave, is there a connection?
It's fast paced, full of twists and has a gripping storyline that will keep you guessing throughout. The stunning Scottish backdrop made it easier to visualise scenes and the characters true to life and credible.
I'm ashamed to say I've only read two books by Anderson, but I've thoroughly enjoyed both of them and look forward to reading more from her in the future.
When several young girls go missing another and another is found buried in a shallow grave, is there a connection?
It's fast paced, full of twists and has a gripping storyline that will keep you guessing throughout. The stunning Scottish backdrop made it easier to visualise scenes and the characters true to life and credible.
I'm ashamed to say I've only read two books by Anderson, but I've thoroughly enjoyed both of them and look forward to reading more from her in the future.
January 5, 2025
A really good book. The characters in this series are great and the plot was excellent - and thought-provoking given some of the things happening in the real world. The narrative was full of wonderful descriptions of a beautiful part of the world. A very satisfying novel.
December 3, 2025
Very good thriller.
July 26, 2025
5/5 stars, as with all the books in this series that I have read so far!
May 1, 2024
DNF @51%. It really sounded interesting but it kept going on and on in circles. Even the writing, became repetitive. I don't need to know each and every thought that comes to your brain unfortunately, don't waste your effort to package it in writing because it sounds worse than if we were inferring. Get to the storyline/climax. If it's too little content, so be it, or make more.
February 17, 2024
Cliched
Don't waste your money. Amateurish. Boring. Repetitive. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
Don't waste your money. Amateurish. Boring. Repetitive. Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah
August 9, 2023
Having very much enjoyed my first Lin Anderson thriller, The Killing Tide, I was keen to revisit Glasgow-based forensic scientist Rhona McLeod and her colleagues for The Wild Coast, their seventeenth outing but one that, as with the previous book in the series, can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone novel.
Her latest case sees Rhona and her assistant Chrissie called to Arisaig on Scotland’s west coast where a shallow grave has been discovered amidst the wild beauty of the machair. When the body is revealed to be a missing art student from Glasgow, questions arise as to how she ended up being buried in the dunes. Who transported her to Arisaig, and for what purpose? And what happened to this young woman between the time she went missing and when her body was found? With another young woman missing, and some sinister stick figures connecting the body in the machair with her disappearance, Rhona and her colleagues soon find themselves in a race to untangle the connections between the pair before tragedy strikes again.
As in The Killing Tide, The Wild Coast doesn’t shy away from portraying some of the darker aspects of police investigations. Although never gratuitously graphic, readers should be aware that this latest book contains some challenging scenes of domestic, physical, and sexual abuse, and the book contains discussions or descriptions of alcohol & drug use, alcoholism, sexual assault, self-harming behaviours, vomit, and injury/injury detail, as well as the use of some choice language. Because this is a forensic thriller, there are also some detailed descriptions of crime scenes and the bodies uncovered.
That said, the darker elements of the book are balanced out by both the compulsive plotting and the interactions between the characters. As with previous books in the series, Rhona and Chrissie are joined in their investigation by DS Michael McNab and his partner, DS Janice Clarke, as well as by Professor Magnus Pirie. Rhona’s sort-of relationship with Irish musician Sean is also still sort-of going strong but DS McNab’s recent break-up from on-again, off-again girlfriend Ellie has done nothing to improve either his mood or his penchant for engaging in reckless behaviour: a situation that is exacerbated by the rumours circulating that serving police officers on the Glasgow force have committed sexual offences.
Whilst the sub-plots involving the various characters didn’t interest me as much as the case itself (probably because I don’t have that 17-book-long relationship with them), Anderson strikes a nice balance between portraying the professional and the personal aspects of police work and, for the most part, resists the temptation of letting her detective’s personal lives interrupt their professional investigation whilst also giving sufficient recognition to the fact that they have them.
The case itself is another inventive and twisting mystery with plenty of threads for Rhona and her colleagues to follow and untangle. As the connections between Glasgow and Arisaig become apparent, Rhona and the team find themselves tackling a genuinely sinister perpetrator. Without giving away any spoilers, the finale is really high-stakes and has both professional and personal ramifications for various cast members. As in The Killing Tide, I also really enjoyed Anderson’s evocation of the natural beauty of Scotland which, although contrasting sharply with the often grim events taking place there, still shines through on the page.
Fans of previous books in the series are sure to enjoy reuniting with Rhona and her colleagues for another intriguing case but I would also heartily recommend The Wild Coast – and indeed, the Rhona MacLeod series – to anyone who enjoys a good forensic mystery. Although billed as a thriller, stout-hearted fans of police procedurals who don’t mind a bit of ‘tartan noir’ darkness, will also find much to enjoy here.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Her latest case sees Rhona and her assistant Chrissie called to Arisaig on Scotland’s west coast where a shallow grave has been discovered amidst the wild beauty of the machair. When the body is revealed to be a missing art student from Glasgow, questions arise as to how she ended up being buried in the dunes. Who transported her to Arisaig, and for what purpose? And what happened to this young woman between the time she went missing and when her body was found? With another young woman missing, and some sinister stick figures connecting the body in the machair with her disappearance, Rhona and her colleagues soon find themselves in a race to untangle the connections between the pair before tragedy strikes again.
As in The Killing Tide, The Wild Coast doesn’t shy away from portraying some of the darker aspects of police investigations. Although never gratuitously graphic, readers should be aware that this latest book contains some challenging scenes of domestic, physical, and sexual abuse, and the book contains discussions or descriptions of alcohol & drug use, alcoholism, sexual assault, self-harming behaviours, vomit, and injury/injury detail, as well as the use of some choice language. Because this is a forensic thriller, there are also some detailed descriptions of crime scenes and the bodies uncovered.
That said, the darker elements of the book are balanced out by both the compulsive plotting and the interactions between the characters. As with previous books in the series, Rhona and Chrissie are joined in their investigation by DS Michael McNab and his partner, DS Janice Clarke, as well as by Professor Magnus Pirie. Rhona’s sort-of relationship with Irish musician Sean is also still sort-of going strong but DS McNab’s recent break-up from on-again, off-again girlfriend Ellie has done nothing to improve either his mood or his penchant for engaging in reckless behaviour: a situation that is exacerbated by the rumours circulating that serving police officers on the Glasgow force have committed sexual offences.
Whilst the sub-plots involving the various characters didn’t interest me as much as the case itself (probably because I don’t have that 17-book-long relationship with them), Anderson strikes a nice balance between portraying the professional and the personal aspects of police work and, for the most part, resists the temptation of letting her detective’s personal lives interrupt their professional investigation whilst also giving sufficient recognition to the fact that they have them.
The case itself is another inventive and twisting mystery with plenty of threads for Rhona and her colleagues to follow and untangle. As the connections between Glasgow and Arisaig become apparent, Rhona and the team find themselves tackling a genuinely sinister perpetrator. Without giving away any spoilers, the finale is really high-stakes and has both professional and personal ramifications for various cast members. As in The Killing Tide, I also really enjoyed Anderson’s evocation of the natural beauty of Scotland which, although contrasting sharply with the often grim events taking place there, still shines through on the page.
Fans of previous books in the series are sure to enjoy reuniting with Rhona and her colleagues for another intriguing case but I would also heartily recommend The Wild Coast – and indeed, the Rhona MacLeod series – to anyone who enjoys a good forensic mystery. Although billed as a thriller, stout-hearted fans of police procedurals who don’t mind a bit of ‘tartan noir’ darkness, will also find much to enjoy here.
NB: This review also appears on my blog at https://theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpre... as part of the blog tour for the book. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
April 1, 2025
Lin Anderson Thriller handelt von einem Ermittlerteam um die Forensikerin Rhona MacLeod, das Verbrechen an der schottischen Küste und in Glasgow aufdeckt.
Aus einem Campingplkatz an Schottlandsküste ist eine junge Frau verschwunden. In der Nähe wird ein Grab entdeckt. Gehört die verweste Leiche zu dem verschwundenen Mädchen? Kann eigentlich niocht sein, die Leiche muss hier schon etwas länger liegen. Nun wird die die Forensikerin Rhona MacLeod, die Hauptfigur der Krimireihe von Lin Anderson, zur Analyse des flachen Grabes an Schottlands Westküste gebracht. Bei ihrern Untersuchungen wird sie durch ein Bündel Zweige gestört, die zu einem Strichmännchen verarbeitet und im Mund des Opfers zurückgelassen wurden.
Bei der Suche nach der verschwundenen jungen Frau, deren Van auf dem nahe gelegenen Campingplatz steht, wird in ihrem Van wieder ein Strichmännchen wie eine finstere Figur gefunden. Jetzt scheint es, dass jemand wilde Camper ins Visier nimmt. Eine idyllische Küste, die für Frieden und Ruhe bekannt ist, ist jetzt offenbar ein Jagdrevier. Das verstärkt sich mit dem Fund einer weiteren weiblichen Leiche, bei der erneut ein Strichmännchen auftaucht.
Während ihre Ermittlungen weitergehen, wird Rhona gezwungen, ihre engsten Bindungen zu überdenken. Es gibt Gerüchte über sexuelle Übergriffe durch dienende Polizeibeamte in Glasgow, zu denen auch ihr vertrauenswürdiger Kollege DS Michael McNab gehört. Das ist für viele im Team eigentlich unvorstellbar. Könnte es wahr sein, oder ist jemand, der ihn außer Gefecht setzen will?
Während die Identitäten der Leichen ermittelt werden müssen und DS McNab versiucht, seine Unschuld zu beweisen, steht die ganze Zeit das Leben der verschwundenen jungen Frau Callie auf dem Spiel und die Uhr tickt. Immerhin könnte sie noch am Leben sein.
Lin Anderson habe ich mit diesem Thriller »The Wild Coast«, den ich im Original gelesen habe, neu kennengelernt. Die Figuren werden mit ihren Ecken und Kanten vorgestellt und man wird gleich in das Team hineingezogen, denn es zeichnet sich schnell ab, dass es nicht alles nur Kollegen sind, sondern dass sie sich auch privat gut kennen und einiges zusammen unternehmen. Die Mischung von privaten und dienstlichen Passagen ist der Autorin bestens gelungen. Obwohl ich Rhona LacLeod erst mit diesem Roman kennengelernt habe, fühlte ich mich sofort dazugehörig und werde bestimmt nochmal an die Schauplätze in und um Glasgow zurückkehren.
Spannung wird in dieser Geschichte in drei verschiedenen Strängen genereiert. Da sind zunächst die jungen Frauen, von denen eine nur verschwunden ist. Sofort entsteht die Frage, ob die Verschwundene noch lebend aufgefunden wird oder auch nur als Leiche.
Dann ist da das Verhalten von Polizisten, die angeblich Frauen in der Szene vergewaltigen, zumal auch einer von ihnen tatsächlich ein enges Verhältnis zu einer Frau unterhält. Doch hat er sie tatsächlich vergewaltigt, wie sie behauptet?
Wie sich das ganze in »The Wild Coast« dann auflöst, wird mit einigen Wendungen gespickt. So einfach, wie es anfangs scheint, ist es keinesfalls.
Das Cover vermittelt m.E. den richtigen düsteren Anblick. Des Nächtens auf einem Campingplatz an der Küste. Passender kann es kaum sein.
In der rauen Schönheit einer abgelegenen Küste – die wild coast – , wo die Wellen gegen die Klippen schlagen und der Nebel geheimnisvolle Geschichten erzählt, entfaltet sich ein spannender Plot, der die Leser von der ersten bis zur letzten Zeile fesselt. Die unterhaltsame Geschichte über verschwundene Besucher und die düsteren Geheimnisse der Campingplätze zieht uns in ihren Bann und lässt uns nicht los. Mit verzwickten Konstruktionen, die bis in ein gefährliches Verbrechermilieu führen, wird deutlich, dass nicht alles so ist, wie es scheint. Diese Erzählung »The Wild Coast« erinnert uns daran, dass hinter der Idylle oft eine dunkle Wahrheit lauert. Teilen Sie diesen Blogbeitrag in den sozialen Medien, um auch anderen die Faszination dieser packenden Geschichte näherzubringen!
© Detlef Knut, Düsseldorf 2025
Aus einem Campingplkatz an Schottlandsküste ist eine junge Frau verschwunden. In der Nähe wird ein Grab entdeckt. Gehört die verweste Leiche zu dem verschwundenen Mädchen? Kann eigentlich niocht sein, die Leiche muss hier schon etwas länger liegen. Nun wird die die Forensikerin Rhona MacLeod, die Hauptfigur der Krimireihe von Lin Anderson, zur Analyse des flachen Grabes an Schottlands Westküste gebracht. Bei ihrern Untersuchungen wird sie durch ein Bündel Zweige gestört, die zu einem Strichmännchen verarbeitet und im Mund des Opfers zurückgelassen wurden.
Bei der Suche nach der verschwundenen jungen Frau, deren Van auf dem nahe gelegenen Campingplatz steht, wird in ihrem Van wieder ein Strichmännchen wie eine finstere Figur gefunden. Jetzt scheint es, dass jemand wilde Camper ins Visier nimmt. Eine idyllische Küste, die für Frieden und Ruhe bekannt ist, ist jetzt offenbar ein Jagdrevier. Das verstärkt sich mit dem Fund einer weiteren weiblichen Leiche, bei der erneut ein Strichmännchen auftaucht.
Während ihre Ermittlungen weitergehen, wird Rhona gezwungen, ihre engsten Bindungen zu überdenken. Es gibt Gerüchte über sexuelle Übergriffe durch dienende Polizeibeamte in Glasgow, zu denen auch ihr vertrauenswürdiger Kollege DS Michael McNab gehört. Das ist für viele im Team eigentlich unvorstellbar. Könnte es wahr sein, oder ist jemand, der ihn außer Gefecht setzen will?
Während die Identitäten der Leichen ermittelt werden müssen und DS McNab versiucht, seine Unschuld zu beweisen, steht die ganze Zeit das Leben der verschwundenen jungen Frau Callie auf dem Spiel und die Uhr tickt. Immerhin könnte sie noch am Leben sein.
Lin Anderson habe ich mit diesem Thriller »The Wild Coast«, den ich im Original gelesen habe, neu kennengelernt. Die Figuren werden mit ihren Ecken und Kanten vorgestellt und man wird gleich in das Team hineingezogen, denn es zeichnet sich schnell ab, dass es nicht alles nur Kollegen sind, sondern dass sie sich auch privat gut kennen und einiges zusammen unternehmen. Die Mischung von privaten und dienstlichen Passagen ist der Autorin bestens gelungen. Obwohl ich Rhona LacLeod erst mit diesem Roman kennengelernt habe, fühlte ich mich sofort dazugehörig und werde bestimmt nochmal an die Schauplätze in und um Glasgow zurückkehren.
Spannung wird in dieser Geschichte in drei verschiedenen Strängen genereiert. Da sind zunächst die jungen Frauen, von denen eine nur verschwunden ist. Sofort entsteht die Frage, ob die Verschwundene noch lebend aufgefunden wird oder auch nur als Leiche.
Dann ist da das Verhalten von Polizisten, die angeblich Frauen in der Szene vergewaltigen, zumal auch einer von ihnen tatsächlich ein enges Verhältnis zu einer Frau unterhält. Doch hat er sie tatsächlich vergewaltigt, wie sie behauptet?
Wie sich das ganze in »The Wild Coast« dann auflöst, wird mit einigen Wendungen gespickt. So einfach, wie es anfangs scheint, ist es keinesfalls.
Das Cover vermittelt m.E. den richtigen düsteren Anblick. Des Nächtens auf einem Campingplatz an der Küste. Passender kann es kaum sein.
In der rauen Schönheit einer abgelegenen Küste – die wild coast – , wo die Wellen gegen die Klippen schlagen und der Nebel geheimnisvolle Geschichten erzählt, entfaltet sich ein spannender Plot, der die Leser von der ersten bis zur letzten Zeile fesselt. Die unterhaltsame Geschichte über verschwundene Besucher und die düsteren Geheimnisse der Campingplätze zieht uns in ihren Bann und lässt uns nicht los. Mit verzwickten Konstruktionen, die bis in ein gefährliches Verbrechermilieu führen, wird deutlich, dass nicht alles so ist, wie es scheint. Diese Erzählung »The Wild Coast« erinnert uns daran, dass hinter der Idylle oft eine dunkle Wahrheit lauert. Teilen Sie diesen Blogbeitrag in den sozialen Medien, um auch anderen die Faszination dieser packenden Geschichte näherzubringen!
© Detlef Knut, Düsseldorf 2025
August 3, 2023
It’s been 2 years since the last Dr. Rhona MacLeod novel, and we have missed her! In this 17th book in the series, Lin Anderson has brought Rhona back with a flourish. As she often does, Lin Anderson makes the most out of Scotland’s beautiful scenic coastline for her novels, centring this one on the north-west coast of Scotland around Arisaig, where the wild beauty and often remote locations would calm the storm in any heart.
This landscape is characterised by a rocky coast, blue seas and particularly white sand which all make a good base for exploring the incredibly scenic surrounding countryside. Rhona is on her way back to Glasgow from a stay on Skye when she is called out to a shallow grave along the North Coast 500.
During a search for a 4 year old missing child – on holiday from Glasgow – human remains have been found buried in the machair, a fertile low lying grassy plain. Though Lucy Henderson is found, a murder victim has been discovered. A young woman in a wetsuit has been dead for some time, lying near a wild camping ground where the child and her family were staying.
Not only that, but there are signs of blood and disturbance in a camper van on the site which had only arrived he night before, driven by a young woman with a kayak who cannot now be found..
Meanwhile, back in Glasgow, D.S. Michael McNab is doing some investigating in his own time. Rumours have been circulating for some time about there being police involvement in a series of sexual assaults in Glasgow’s clubbing area and McNab, frustrated with the slow progress of the case and having just seen his last case go down in the courts despite strong forensic evidence, has decided to take matters into his own hands. Foolishly, as it turns out, but we could have predicted that…
As another body is found on the north-west coastline, it becomes clear to Rhona and Chrissie that a serial killer is at work here – one with a scary signature that is left at each body. Each of these young women is a solo traveller and all bear a resemblance of sorts to each other.
As Rhona sifts through the forensic evidence, it becomes clear that the Henderson children – Lucy and her brother Orly, know more than they have yet divulged.
There’s a great deal to admire in The Wild Coast. The characters are tremendous, from the formidable forensics expert Dr Rhona Macleod to her breakfast providing sidekick Chrissie McInsh whose forensic expertise is thoroughly demonstrated on these pages with fascinating detail. There’s so much to learn from these books and I love the way that Lin Anderson incorporates so much detail into these stories. Psychologist Magnus Pirie is on hand to offer advice about the killer’s signature and DS Janice Clark has the thankless task of trying to keep McNab out of too much trouble while still having his back.
The plot line is fascinating and resonates with a lot of what is in the news at the moment as well as the polarisation of some at the extreme edges of sexual politics. Having threaded her needle carefully in both Arisaig and Glasgow, Anderson draws her threads together to create one large tapestry. It is not until we see the whole picture that we truly get an understanding of what’s really going on.
In the meantime, the personal lives of Rhona and McNab are still some way from offering a settled status and sometimes you just want to bang McNab’s head off the wall to get him to see straight. But then Rhona doesn’t know a good thing when she has it, either. They’re both equally frustrating.
Verdict: Beautifully layered and well plotted with characters you grow to love, The Wild Coast is another fresh and exciting journey into the world of forensic detection. I loved it. Welcome back Rhona!
This landscape is characterised by a rocky coast, blue seas and particularly white sand which all make a good base for exploring the incredibly scenic surrounding countryside. Rhona is on her way back to Glasgow from a stay on Skye when she is called out to a shallow grave along the North Coast 500.
During a search for a 4 year old missing child – on holiday from Glasgow – human remains have been found buried in the machair, a fertile low lying grassy plain. Though Lucy Henderson is found, a murder victim has been discovered. A young woman in a wetsuit has been dead for some time, lying near a wild camping ground where the child and her family were staying.
Not only that, but there are signs of blood and disturbance in a camper van on the site which had only arrived he night before, driven by a young woman with a kayak who cannot now be found..
Meanwhile, back in Glasgow, D.S. Michael McNab is doing some investigating in his own time. Rumours have been circulating for some time about there being police involvement in a series of sexual assaults in Glasgow’s clubbing area and McNab, frustrated with the slow progress of the case and having just seen his last case go down in the courts despite strong forensic evidence, has decided to take matters into his own hands. Foolishly, as it turns out, but we could have predicted that…
As another body is found on the north-west coastline, it becomes clear to Rhona and Chrissie that a serial killer is at work here – one with a scary signature that is left at each body. Each of these young women is a solo traveller and all bear a resemblance of sorts to each other.
As Rhona sifts through the forensic evidence, it becomes clear that the Henderson children – Lucy and her brother Orly, know more than they have yet divulged.
There’s a great deal to admire in The Wild Coast. The characters are tremendous, from the formidable forensics expert Dr Rhona Macleod to her breakfast providing sidekick Chrissie McInsh whose forensic expertise is thoroughly demonstrated on these pages with fascinating detail. There’s so much to learn from these books and I love the way that Lin Anderson incorporates so much detail into these stories. Psychologist Magnus Pirie is on hand to offer advice about the killer’s signature and DS Janice Clark has the thankless task of trying to keep McNab out of too much trouble while still having his back.
The plot line is fascinating and resonates with a lot of what is in the news at the moment as well as the polarisation of some at the extreme edges of sexual politics. Having threaded her needle carefully in both Arisaig and Glasgow, Anderson draws her threads together to create one large tapestry. It is not until we see the whole picture that we truly get an understanding of what’s really going on.
In the meantime, the personal lives of Rhona and McNab are still some way from offering a settled status and sometimes you just want to bang McNab’s head off the wall to get him to see straight. But then Rhona doesn’t know a good thing when she has it, either. They’re both equally frustrating.
Verdict: Beautifully layered and well plotted with characters you grow to love, The Wild Coast is another fresh and exciting journey into the world of forensic detection. I loved it. Welcome back Rhona!
January 10, 2025
The Wild Coast is the next entry in the long-running Rhona MacLeod mystery series, and this one explores the challenges women face while traveling alone as well as how easily someone's reputation an be destroyed through allegations. I absolutely loved the setting of the book as the wild coast of Scotland's northwest seemed to contrast beautifully with the difficult case and subject matter of the book. It made me yearn to get on a bike and do a road trip.
Because this is the seventeenth entry in this series, I don't really feel like there was much character development especially if you have read the previous installments. As a result, I was much more interested in the secondary characters that populated this book, the family members, the ones involved with the victims and the reasons for their choices and actions. While I wasn't completely satisfied with the characters and didn't emphasize with all of them, I was still invested in what was happening in their lives. Rhona and Chrissie were quite active in the investigation, but they come across as old acquaintances. I always love when Pike makes an appearance as his psychological insights are always fascinating, and McNab is always three steps away from falling off a cliff, if in a literal sense. I keep waiting for the book when he finally ends up over the edge.
The plot moved along rather quickly as the team investigated missing women as well as a couple of bodies that were discovered. The plot focused on women and the difficulties they have when traveling and escaping abusive relationships, and many important issues were discussed including sexual assault and mistreatment of women. McNab finds himself caught in the middle of a possible sexual assault case due to choices he makes, and the team has to work hard to figure out if he is guilty or innocent. This secondary plot line poses the question about how well you actually know someone even after having worked with them for years and how easily someone's reputation can be ruined. One of the things I have always liked about this author is the way all the threads are wrapped up in the end, and this one satisfies on all counts as well.
The Wild Coast was an interesting read and I liked how the author contrasted the difficult themes of the book with the beautiful setting. The plot moved rather quickly and while the character development wasn't a focus of the book, for long-time readers, being familiar with the characters and their lives definitely helped. While this could be read as a standalone, I do think it reads better if you have read the previous entries in the series as the author doesn't explain the relationships, assumptions are made that you are already familiar with them. As a woman, I appreciated the subject matter and the difficulties and dangers of traveling alone. And if you like forensic work, that is a main part of this series as the main character is a forensic scientist.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Because this is the seventeenth entry in this series, I don't really feel like there was much character development especially if you have read the previous installments. As a result, I was much more interested in the secondary characters that populated this book, the family members, the ones involved with the victims and the reasons for their choices and actions. While I wasn't completely satisfied with the characters and didn't emphasize with all of them, I was still invested in what was happening in their lives. Rhona and Chrissie were quite active in the investigation, but they come across as old acquaintances. I always love when Pike makes an appearance as his psychological insights are always fascinating, and McNab is always three steps away from falling off a cliff, if in a literal sense. I keep waiting for the book when he finally ends up over the edge.
The plot moved along rather quickly as the team investigated missing women as well as a couple of bodies that were discovered. The plot focused on women and the difficulties they have when traveling and escaping abusive relationships, and many important issues were discussed including sexual assault and mistreatment of women. McNab finds himself caught in the middle of a possible sexual assault case due to choices he makes, and the team has to work hard to figure out if he is guilty or innocent. This secondary plot line poses the question about how well you actually know someone even after having worked with them for years and how easily someone's reputation can be ruined. One of the things I have always liked about this author is the way all the threads are wrapped up in the end, and this one satisfies on all counts as well.
The Wild Coast was an interesting read and I liked how the author contrasted the difficult themes of the book with the beautiful setting. The plot moved rather quickly and while the character development wasn't a focus of the book, for long-time readers, being familiar with the characters and their lives definitely helped. While this could be read as a standalone, I do think it reads better if you have read the previous entries in the series as the author doesn't explain the relationships, assumptions are made that you are already familiar with them. As a woman, I appreciated the subject matter and the difficulties and dangers of traveling alone. And if you like forensic work, that is a main part of this series as the main character is a forensic scientist.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Read
February 6, 2024Lin Anderson is one of the top Scottish mystery writers in the world. Her books have enthralled people worldwide, especially the Rhona MacLeod series, of which this is book seventeen. They all have their own unique charm, with suspense levels both mild and through the roof. THE WILD COAST though, lives up to the part of the title where “wild” is an operative word.
The story certainly moves at a frantic pace at times, and since the book is well over 400 pages, it can become a challenge to keep the reader’s interest at peak levels. Lin Anderson does an amazing job of not letting up at all in the book, rather a relentless pace in which the search for a killer or killers is on, as women are becoming victims on a more frequent basis.
Women are going missing, and as Rhona MacLeod investigates, there is the discovery of a female body. It not only shows signs of extreme violence, but there is a stick man stuffed inside her mouth. It was made with sticks. It is not the only time this crude figure is found, as soon it starts being located with more frequency, a sign a killer may not be finished with the crime spree. A woman, Lucy Henderson, has gone missing from a campsite. She was there with her parents. Inside her van, there is another stick figure dangling from the mirror, the same type that was found on the first victim. Rhona and her forensic assistant Chrissy McInsh, are desperately seeking answers before more women can become a crime statistic. Other officers are on the case include DS Michael McNab and DS Janis Clarke, who know about the race against time, and the fact there are other potential victims out there.
Rhona MacLeod has become such a popular character, because of the meticulous manner in which she hunts down suspects, as more clues come to the forefront. But there are also other areas of concern, such as sexual assaults of many women who had gone clubbing. Now there is another variable to all this, the fact there may be those on the police force who could be accomplices in the crimes, something almost too terrible to imagine. The facts speak for themselves though.
Soon there are more female victims, including one at the bottom of the cliff. Clues add up, but Rhona and her assistants, still have a long way to go before anything conclusive is uncovered. Lin Anderson gives us the traditional twists to the tale, as the questions turn into answers and the race against time and additional murders take precedent.
It all leads to a frantic finale, that will leave you breathless. THE WILD COAST is another wild Lin Anderson literary masterpiece.
The story certainly moves at a frantic pace at times, and since the book is well over 400 pages, it can become a challenge to keep the reader’s interest at peak levels. Lin Anderson does an amazing job of not letting up at all in the book, rather a relentless pace in which the search for a killer or killers is on, as women are becoming victims on a more frequent basis.
Women are going missing, and as Rhona MacLeod investigates, there is the discovery of a female body. It not only shows signs of extreme violence, but there is a stick man stuffed inside her mouth. It was made with sticks. It is not the only time this crude figure is found, as soon it starts being located with more frequency, a sign a killer may not be finished with the crime spree. A woman, Lucy Henderson, has gone missing from a campsite. She was there with her parents. Inside her van, there is another stick figure dangling from the mirror, the same type that was found on the first victim. Rhona and her forensic assistant Chrissy McInsh, are desperately seeking answers before more women can become a crime statistic. Other officers are on the case include DS Michael McNab and DS Janis Clarke, who know about the race against time, and the fact there are other potential victims out there.
Rhona MacLeod has become such a popular character, because of the meticulous manner in which she hunts down suspects, as more clues come to the forefront. But there are also other areas of concern, such as sexual assaults of many women who had gone clubbing. Now there is another variable to all this, the fact there may be those on the police force who could be accomplices in the crimes, something almost too terrible to imagine. The facts speak for themselves though.
Soon there are more female victims, including one at the bottom of the cliff. Clues add up, but Rhona and her assistants, still have a long way to go before anything conclusive is uncovered. Lin Anderson gives us the traditional twists to the tale, as the questions turn into answers and the race against time and additional murders take precedent.
It all leads to a frantic finale, that will leave you breathless. THE WILD COAST is another wild Lin Anderson literary masterpiece.
July 6, 2023
This is the latest in Lin Anderson's marvellous gritty Scottish crime series featuring forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod and the tight knit group of investigators with a long history that include her forensic assistant, Chrissy McInsh, nothing escapes her attention, Glasgow DS Michael McNab, his partner DS Janice Clark, his boss, DI Bill Wilson and Professor Magnus Pirie. Rhona is on Skye when she gets called to Arisaig, the site of a shallow grave in the machair, discovered in the search for Francine and Derek Henderson's missing 4 year old daughter, Lucy. It's an extraordinarily beautiful, and idyllic coastal location that attracts motor homes and a number of wild lone campers. The murdered victim is a young woman in a wetsuit who has been dead for some time. What is more concerning is that there are signs of a violent incident in the tent of a missing young woman who had arrived at the campsite the previous evening.
In Glasgow there are rumours of a police officer carrying out sexual assaults on young women, and McNab being McNab is investigating unofficially, and after ill advisedly getting involved with a young woman, he finds himself in a world of trouble, exacerbated by the fact that he refused to talk about it to anyone. His life descends into a nightmare when a friend and police super recogniser identifies him on CCTV. As a dog walker comes across the broken and dead body of another young woman on a beach, the terrifying implication is that there is a serial killer targeting similar looking lone young woman wild camping on the NC500 route. Rhona finds herself the confidant of the 2 young Henderson children, Orly and Lucy, who it appears might have vital info, as she, the police team and Pirie race to prevent more killings.
Anderson skilfully constructs a complex and intriguing deadly mystery of what is happening to young women camping on Scotland's majestic wild coast, with connections that slowly emerge with events happening in Glasgow, with a McNab whose poor decisionmaking results in him feeling the net closing around him. Fortunately for him, his friends and colleagues, whilst exasperated, believe in him, but is it enough? Fans of Anderson and this smashing long running series will likely love this, as indeed will new readers who encounter it for the first time. A wonderful series with a great set of what is by now a well established set of characters it is always a pleasure to renew my acquaintance with. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
In Glasgow there are rumours of a police officer carrying out sexual assaults on young women, and McNab being McNab is investigating unofficially, and after ill advisedly getting involved with a young woman, he finds himself in a world of trouble, exacerbated by the fact that he refused to talk about it to anyone. His life descends into a nightmare when a friend and police super recogniser identifies him on CCTV. As a dog walker comes across the broken and dead body of another young woman on a beach, the terrifying implication is that there is a serial killer targeting similar looking lone young woman wild camping on the NC500 route. Rhona finds herself the confidant of the 2 young Henderson children, Orly and Lucy, who it appears might have vital info, as she, the police team and Pirie race to prevent more killings.
Anderson skilfully constructs a complex and intriguing deadly mystery of what is happening to young women camping on Scotland's majestic wild coast, with connections that slowly emerge with events happening in Glasgow, with a McNab whose poor decisionmaking results in him feeling the net closing around him. Fortunately for him, his friends and colleagues, whilst exasperated, believe in him, but is it enough? Fans of Anderson and this smashing long running series will likely love this, as indeed will new readers who encounter it for the first time. A wonderful series with a great set of what is by now a well established set of characters it is always a pleasure to renew my acquaintance with. Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.
July 12, 2023
I would like to thank Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advance copy of The Wild Coast, the seventeenth novel to feature forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod, set in Glasgow and the north west coast of Scotland.
When the body of an unidentified young woman is found in a shallow at Arisaig Rhona and her friend/assistant, Chrissie McInsh, are called in to investigate. They find a stick man made of twigs in her mouth, but few other clues. At the same time a young woman from a nearby campsite is reported missing and the same stick man is found in her van. Returning to Glasgow she hears rumours of police officers committing sexual assaults in the local clubs, so it hits hard when the allegations implicate her friend, DS Michael McNab.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Wild Coast and not just because much of it is set in my home town of Glasgow, although the ability to picture the locations is always a comfort and makes me feel grounded. It is an exciting read with an interesting plot that I didn’t see coming.
The novel is mostly told from the investigative side, namely Rhona and McNab, but some characters with a story to tell contribute as well. It paints a well rounded story with no hint of the perpetrator’s identity or motive. I was glued to the pages with each incremental reveal whetting my appetite to know it all. There is a topical theme to the motive that I have read several times recently, but the author puts her own spin on it so it feels fresh and very moreish.
The murder investigation continues apace, while McNab suffers his own personal hell. This part of the novel is extremely tense and I found myself putting it down on more than one occasion to take a breather, but I loved the resolution which is clever and very satisfying, although not without its sad moments.
The novel is populated with strong women and it’s a joy to behold. Obviously there are Rhona and Chrissie, the series’ anchors, but there are others who come forward in fear and trepidation to tell their stories, sometimes at personal cost. It is a novel of everyday people and there is a sense of realism that readers don’t always get in fiction. The author is great at portraying the friendship between the characters and the small niggles, notably in the form of McNab, in these friendships that make it real.
The Wild Coast is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
When the body of an unidentified young woman is found in a shallow at Arisaig Rhona and her friend/assistant, Chrissie McInsh, are called in to investigate. They find a stick man made of twigs in her mouth, but few other clues. At the same time a young woman from a nearby campsite is reported missing and the same stick man is found in her van. Returning to Glasgow she hears rumours of police officers committing sexual assaults in the local clubs, so it hits hard when the allegations implicate her friend, DS Michael McNab.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Wild Coast and not just because much of it is set in my home town of Glasgow, although the ability to picture the locations is always a comfort and makes me feel grounded. It is an exciting read with an interesting plot that I didn’t see coming.
The novel is mostly told from the investigative side, namely Rhona and McNab, but some characters with a story to tell contribute as well. It paints a well rounded story with no hint of the perpetrator’s identity or motive. I was glued to the pages with each incremental reveal whetting my appetite to know it all. There is a topical theme to the motive that I have read several times recently, but the author puts her own spin on it so it feels fresh and very moreish.
The murder investigation continues apace, while McNab suffers his own personal hell. This part of the novel is extremely tense and I found myself putting it down on more than one occasion to take a breather, but I loved the resolution which is clever and very satisfying, although not without its sad moments.
The novel is populated with strong women and it’s a joy to behold. Obviously there are Rhona and Chrissie, the series’ anchors, but there are others who come forward in fear and trepidation to tell their stories, sometimes at personal cost. It is a novel of everyday people and there is a sense of realism that readers don’t always get in fiction. The author is great at portraying the friendship between the characters and the small niggles, notably in the form of McNab, in these friendships that make it real.
The Wild Coast is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
July 4, 2025
This is a new series for me, and sadly, I had to start with the most recent book in the series.
Rhona MacLeod, a forensics scientist with the Glasgow Police, is called to a section of Scotland's northeast coast to exhume remains in a shallow grave. A small girl had gone missing from a camping site, and in the hunt for her, the remains of a woman were discovered.
Curiously, a female kayaker also went missing from the same camp site. In her camping van is found a weird stick figure... a similar stick figure was found pushed into the mouth of the buried victim.
Meanwhile, in Glasgow, DS McNab is cruising the clubs near the university, trying to turn up leads for a woman who went missing two months earlier. When the body from the grave is identified, the two cases become linked. Now the worry is that Callie, the missing kayaker, may be in the hands of the same killer.
As the cases develop and new evidence accrues, a second body is discovered up the coast from the first. And the little girl who had first gone missing has evidence she is slowly sharing with investigators; she saw her father near the grave. And her brother believes he saw daddy enter Callie's trailer the night she disappeared.
When someone sets up McNab to look like a sexual assaulter suspected of operating around the student hangouts, a new element enters the case. Are there cops involved in the murders, and are they working with someone with a grudge against McNab?
This book offers a fast pace and interesting characters. I am not a fan of books that center around violence against women, but this is well done, and the suspense is built slowly, intensifying in the final chapters. The prose is crisp, and although there are underlying plot lines involving the individual police officers, it doesn't get bogged down in melodrama.
The bookstore clerk called this "Scottish Noir." I would not. This is a straight-up police procedural, with a mix of relationship drama. I hope to find some early books in the series to see where the character's stories began.
Rhona MacLeod, a forensics scientist with the Glasgow Police, is called to a section of Scotland's northeast coast to exhume remains in a shallow grave. A small girl had gone missing from a camping site, and in the hunt for her, the remains of a woman were discovered.
Curiously, a female kayaker also went missing from the same camp site. In her camping van is found a weird stick figure... a similar stick figure was found pushed into the mouth of the buried victim.
Meanwhile, in Glasgow, DS McNab is cruising the clubs near the university, trying to turn up leads for a woman who went missing two months earlier. When the body from the grave is identified, the two cases become linked. Now the worry is that Callie, the missing kayaker, may be in the hands of the same killer.
As the cases develop and new evidence accrues, a second body is discovered up the coast from the first. And the little girl who had first gone missing has evidence she is slowly sharing with investigators; she saw her father near the grave. And her brother believes he saw daddy enter Callie's trailer the night she disappeared.
When someone sets up McNab to look like a sexual assaulter suspected of operating around the student hangouts, a new element enters the case. Are there cops involved in the murders, and are they working with someone with a grudge against McNab?
This book offers a fast pace and interesting characters. I am not a fan of books that center around violence against women, but this is well done, and the suspense is built slowly, intensifying in the final chapters. The prose is crisp, and although there are underlying plot lines involving the individual police officers, it doesn't get bogged down in melodrama.
The bookstore clerk called this "Scottish Noir." I would not. This is a straight-up police procedural, with a mix of relationship drama. I hope to find some early books in the series to see where the character's stories began.
August 4, 2023
‘The Wild Coast’ is the 17th book in this brilliant series which follows the work and life of forensic scientist Dr Rhona Macleod! I adore this series and love returning to it time and time again. I always feel as if I am learning something whilst enjoying a fabulously plotted whodunit. This might be a well-established series but ‘The Wild Coast’ can easily be read as a standalone, although I do recommend the whole series wholeheartedly.
Rhona is on Skye at her old family croft when she is called over to Arisaig on a case, as remains have been found in a shallow grave near the Sands of Machair. It's is an idyllic spot but when a young girl goes missing she is found sitting near the remains. The victim is a young woman in a wet suit and seems to have been there for some time. What is more concerning is that another young woman goes missing and there is signs of a struggle in her tent. Is someone using this idyllic location as their perfect killing fields?
Back in Glasgow there are rumours that a police officer has been carrying out sexual assaults on young women whilst on nights out in the city. Of course, McNab gets caught up in it as he was unofficially working the area and becomes involved with a student one evening. Has McNab finally crossed the line…
Do you know what I have never understood why these books have never been turned into a TV show as I think they would be brilliant! They are always so engaging and compelling, complexly plotted and has an amazing cast of characters! I love Rhona and of course Chrissy, her assistant in the field and lab. They are both strong female characters that help promote a life in STEM. This book was no exception to the above ravings of this book blogger! I loved the dramatically beautiful landscape being tainted by a horrific crime, the juxtapositioning was spot on. I flew through this book when I first received it and devoured it in one sitting.
A great addition to the series! Let me know if you pick it up.
Rhona is on Skye at her old family croft when she is called over to Arisaig on a case, as remains have been found in a shallow grave near the Sands of Machair. It's is an idyllic spot but when a young girl goes missing she is found sitting near the remains. The victim is a young woman in a wet suit and seems to have been there for some time. What is more concerning is that another young woman goes missing and there is signs of a struggle in her tent. Is someone using this idyllic location as their perfect killing fields?
Back in Glasgow there are rumours that a police officer has been carrying out sexual assaults on young women whilst on nights out in the city. Of course, McNab gets caught up in it as he was unofficially working the area and becomes involved with a student one evening. Has McNab finally crossed the line…
Do you know what I have never understood why these books have never been turned into a TV show as I think they would be brilliant! They are always so engaging and compelling, complexly plotted and has an amazing cast of characters! I love Rhona and of course Chrissy, her assistant in the field and lab. They are both strong female characters that help promote a life in STEM. This book was no exception to the above ravings of this book blogger! I loved the dramatically beautiful landscape being tainted by a horrific crime, the juxtapositioning was spot on. I flew through this book when I first received it and devoured it in one sitting.
A great addition to the series! Let me know if you pick it up.
December 19, 2023
The Wild Coast is the seventeenth book in the series featuring forensic scientist Rhona McLeod. On her way back from a holiday on Skye, Rhona is called on to investigate human remains found near a campsite at Arisaig on the northwest coast of Scotland. The young woman is found to have a strange stick figure in her mouth. Another young woman newly arrived at the same campsite is also missing, with signs of a disturbance in her van, and the same stick figure left behind. The stick figure also turns up in Glasgow, where DS McNab is making unofficial enquiries into reports of female students being attacked at clubs near the university. Rumours suggest that a police officer is involved, so he risks getting himself in a lot of trouble. Though the cases do not appear to be connected, there are just too many coincidences.
As Lin Anderson’s last two books have been standalone thrillers, it was great to catch up with Rhona and the familiar cast of characters who populate her world. I have been a fan of this series right from the start, and really enjoy how Rhona, Chrissie, McNab, and their colleagues all work so well together, bringing different skills to the investigations. Told from multiple viewpoints, and set over the course of ten days, The Wild Coast deals with some very dark themes, but this is offset by the humorous banter. The action is split between Glasgow and the northwest coast of Scotland. I know this part of the country well, and Lin Anderson certainly does it justice. While I’m sure you could read this as a standalone, you would be missing so much by not starting at the beginning of the series. This is a tightly plotted narrative dealing with current topical themes that will keep you reading ‘just one more chapter’ long into the night. This series just keeps getting better, and I look forward to reading Lin Anderson’s next book whether it features Rhona or not. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.
As Lin Anderson’s last two books have been standalone thrillers, it was great to catch up with Rhona and the familiar cast of characters who populate her world. I have been a fan of this series right from the start, and really enjoy how Rhona, Chrissie, McNab, and their colleagues all work so well together, bringing different skills to the investigations. Told from multiple viewpoints, and set over the course of ten days, The Wild Coast deals with some very dark themes, but this is offset by the humorous banter. The action is split between Glasgow and the northwest coast of Scotland. I know this part of the country well, and Lin Anderson certainly does it justice. While I’m sure you could read this as a standalone, you would be missing so much by not starting at the beginning of the series. This is a tightly plotted narrative dealing with current topical themes that will keep you reading ‘just one more chapter’ long into the night. This series just keeps getting better, and I look forward to reading Lin Anderson’s next book whether it features Rhona or not. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.
July 17, 2024
**Read 4.5 STARS!**
This eventful crime novel is the 17th volume of the wonderful "Rhona Macleod" series.
Storytelling is excellent, the storyline superbly structured and executed, while all figures featuring in this tale of hateful abduction, torture and death, come vividly to life, whether professionally and/or privately.
Once again this is an action-packed thriller, as well as a very well researched crime novel, and which is also filled with believable police procedures, good and bad.
The story is situated in Glasgow, but mainly on the west coast of Scotland, and its at the latter where the tortures and killings will take place.
It all starts off with a shallow grave, in which a young woman is buried and where forensic scientist and her assistant, the feisty Chrissy McInsh, are brought to excavate this poor soul, and do some research as to her death.
Not long after that another young woman is kidnapped from a nearby campsite, a place where the Henderson's and their kids, Orly and Lucy, are camping, and this experience will traumatize these same kids and it will also lead to a load of investigations lead by DUI Bill Wilson, DSs Michael McNab and Janice Clark, with also the assistance of psychological profiler, Magnus Pirie, while on the other end rogue police officers and a gangster called, Bonar, will play a devious part during these investigations.
What is to follow is a superb and human fast-paced crime novel, where the perpetrators are working deviously and lethally together and succeeding at first, before Rhona and her team of colleagues and friends are capable of identifying and capturing these perpetrators for their crimes, and thus finally give the court the opportunity to speak justice and give the deserved guilty verdict in the end.
Highly recommended, for this is another wonderful addition to this excellent series, and that's why I like to call this latest episode: "A Captivating Wild Hunt Come Good"!
This eventful crime novel is the 17th volume of the wonderful "Rhona Macleod" series.
Storytelling is excellent, the storyline superbly structured and executed, while all figures featuring in this tale of hateful abduction, torture and death, come vividly to life, whether professionally and/or privately.
Once again this is an action-packed thriller, as well as a very well researched crime novel, and which is also filled with believable police procedures, good and bad.
The story is situated in Glasgow, but mainly on the west coast of Scotland, and its at the latter where the tortures and killings will take place.
It all starts off with a shallow grave, in which a young woman is buried and where forensic scientist and her assistant, the feisty Chrissy McInsh, are brought to excavate this poor soul, and do some research as to her death.
Not long after that another young woman is kidnapped from a nearby campsite, a place where the Henderson's and their kids, Orly and Lucy, are camping, and this experience will traumatize these same kids and it will also lead to a load of investigations lead by DUI Bill Wilson, DSs Michael McNab and Janice Clark, with also the assistance of psychological profiler, Magnus Pirie, while on the other end rogue police officers and a gangster called, Bonar, will play a devious part during these investigations.
What is to follow is a superb and human fast-paced crime novel, where the perpetrators are working deviously and lethally together and succeeding at first, before Rhona and her team of colleagues and friends are capable of identifying and capturing these perpetrators for their crimes, and thus finally give the court the opportunity to speak justice and give the deserved guilty verdict in the end.
Highly recommended, for this is another wonderful addition to this excellent series, and that's why I like to call this latest episode: "A Captivating Wild Hunt Come Good"!
August 8, 2023
How is this the first novel by Lin Anderson I’ve read? The Wild Coast is a gripping new crime thriller featuring Dr Rhona Macleod, who is called to a camping site in Scotland on her way back from holiday, where, during the frantic search for a four-year-old girl, human remains have been discovered. The young woman who has been found has clearly been there for some time. What is even creepier is the discovery of a mark on the body left behind by the killer, and soon it becomes clear to Rhona and the police, that they are dealing with a serial killer, with the discovery of another body with similar markings. And when another woman goes missing from the nearby area, it is feared that a similar fate awaits her, so it quickly turns into a race against the clock to find the person responsible.
This was a complex investigation and I liked how Lin Anderson peeled the layers back as the team working on the case, gets closer to the truth. There is also another sub plot where DS Michael McNab, back in Glasgow, is investigating the possibility of one of his fellow police officers, of being involved in horrific sexual assault cases. You can see just how thin the line is they are treading as they investigate the potential link to a colleague, and Michael has to be very careful with the way how he goes about investigating the possibility. This makes for some tense reading as Michael gets closer to uncovering the truth. You can see that Michael is potentially putting his own career at risk here, if he gets anything wrong.
Lin Anderson really makes you feel as though you are there, creating an immersive experience. I loved her descriptions of the Scottish landscape, which makes her novel feel very atmospheric. This also adds to the creepiness, with the thought of a serial killer lurking around, and possibly, keeping an eye on what the investigating officers are doing. The novel is set in a very remote part of Scotland on the northwest coast, and this is what makes this case feel even more dangerous.
Now that I’ve read my first book by Lin Anderson, I’m keen to catch up on the rest of the series. I feel like I would’ve benefited from reading the previous books to build up a better picture of the character’s, but the story itself can be read as a standalone. Lin Anderson is a terrific writer. I can’t wait to read more of her work in the future.
This was a complex investigation and I liked how Lin Anderson peeled the layers back as the team working on the case, gets closer to the truth. There is also another sub plot where DS Michael McNab, back in Glasgow, is investigating the possibility of one of his fellow police officers, of being involved in horrific sexual assault cases. You can see just how thin the line is they are treading as they investigate the potential link to a colleague, and Michael has to be very careful with the way how he goes about investigating the possibility. This makes for some tense reading as Michael gets closer to uncovering the truth. You can see that Michael is potentially putting his own career at risk here, if he gets anything wrong.
Lin Anderson really makes you feel as though you are there, creating an immersive experience. I loved her descriptions of the Scottish landscape, which makes her novel feel very atmospheric. This also adds to the creepiness, with the thought of a serial killer lurking around, and possibly, keeping an eye on what the investigating officers are doing. The novel is set in a very remote part of Scotland on the northwest coast, and this is what makes this case feel even more dangerous.
Now that I’ve read my first book by Lin Anderson, I’m keen to catch up on the rest of the series. I feel like I would’ve benefited from reading the previous books to build up a better picture of the character’s, but the story itself can be read as a standalone. Lin Anderson is a terrific writer. I can’t wait to read more of her work in the future.
September 4, 2023
I've followed this excellent crime series for several years and it is always with great excitement that I start a new book. The Wild Coast is now the seventeenth book in the Rhona McLeod series and is every bit as good as the previous sixteen books which make up this fascinating crime series.
In The Wild Coast we are quickly immersed in a story which has all the trademarks of this author's fine attention to detail. The intricate descriptions of crime scenes which she does so very well are brought to life by Rhonda McLeod's whose own meticulous attention to detail, and her assistant, Chrissy's, bubbly personality, help to bring such charm to what are, often, quite darkly complex crime stories. In this story Rhona McLeod is called to investigate the discovery of a body on the coast at Arisaig which has been discovered inadvertently during a different investigation.
With tanalising clues left at the scene of crime but with no real investigative leads, there are far reaching effects not just on the community but also within a lager police investigation into why young women are going missing and of their connection to other ongoing criminal activity. As always the myriad strands of a complex crime investigation get pulled ever tighter and with Rhona and Chrissy working hard to discover forensic evidence so DS McNab and DS Clarke are also facing their own challenges especially Michael McNab who always seems to find trouble waiting for him.
I raced through The Wild Coast, eager to read on and yet reluctant to finish as I know it will be a while before the next book is released. Looking forward to book number eighteen...😊
In The Wild Coast we are quickly immersed in a story which has all the trademarks of this author's fine attention to detail. The intricate descriptions of crime scenes which she does so very well are brought to life by Rhonda McLeod's whose own meticulous attention to detail, and her assistant, Chrissy's, bubbly personality, help to bring such charm to what are, often, quite darkly complex crime stories. In this story Rhona McLeod is called to investigate the discovery of a body on the coast at Arisaig which has been discovered inadvertently during a different investigation.
With tanalising clues left at the scene of crime but with no real investigative leads, there are far reaching effects not just on the community but also within a lager police investigation into why young women are going missing and of their connection to other ongoing criminal activity. As always the myriad strands of a complex crime investigation get pulled ever tighter and with Rhona and Chrissy working hard to discover forensic evidence so DS McNab and DS Clarke are also facing their own challenges especially Michael McNab who always seems to find trouble waiting for him.
I raced through The Wild Coast, eager to read on and yet reluctant to finish as I know it will be a while before the next book is released. Looking forward to book number eighteen...😊
August 18, 2023
Summer on the West Coast of Scotland with the right weather can be paradise. With the growing popularity of the West Coast 500 scenic route many people have flocked to small campsites along the route. At Arisaig a young woman arrives with a campervan & a surfboard. She makes friends with the two children next door promising to take Lucy for a swim the next day.
Dr Rhona MacLeod is on route back to Glasgow after holidaying on Skye when she is diverted to Arisaig. A little girl has gone missing. It is Lucy & she is found by the barely hidden grave of a young woman. Rhona is disturbed by a figure made of twigs in the victim's mouth. At the campsite the girl with the campervan is missing but there is blood & vomit in her van & one of these creepy stick figures.
Meanwhile in Glasgow someone is assaulting young women in the nightclubs. Rumour has it that police officers may be involved. DS Michael McNab, rather foolishly decided to go undercover but when a woman with whom he had become involved goes missing & a rather compromising video emerges McNab realises he is in over his head.
I cannot believe that I have missed sixteen books in this series! In spite of diving in so late, this read perfectly well as a stand alone. This was a really good whodunnit, along with the great setting it was a book I just had to keep reading. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
Dr Rhona MacLeod is on route back to Glasgow after holidaying on Skye when she is diverted to Arisaig. A little girl has gone missing. It is Lucy & she is found by the barely hidden grave of a young woman. Rhona is disturbed by a figure made of twigs in the victim's mouth. At the campsite the girl with the campervan is missing but there is blood & vomit in her van & one of these creepy stick figures.
Meanwhile in Glasgow someone is assaulting young women in the nightclubs. Rumour has it that police officers may be involved. DS Michael McNab, rather foolishly decided to go undercover but when a woman with whom he had become involved goes missing & a rather compromising video emerges McNab realises he is in over his head.
I cannot believe that I have missed sixteen books in this series! In spite of diving in so late, this read perfectly well as a stand alone. This was a really good whodunnit, along with the great setting it was a book I just had to keep reading. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
August 7, 2023
Discover the locations in the novel here
I don’t think I would like to go on holiday with forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod. Definately not camping. When she’s around a campsite, it’s because someone has gone missing. Someone seems to be targeting wild campers and so Rhona is called in to help.
The landscape as depicted on the cover is what caught my eye with this novel. It’s set in the Scottish Highlands in a very stunning part. Arisaig Beach is where they find the body and I shivered when I read that as I have very fond memories of that very beach. I remember it being so beautiful but with a chilling wind. To read this novel brought back all of the wind in my hair and sand on my face.
Rhona brings in a whole new level of senstivity and realism to the crimes she comes across. A stick man has been found in the mouth of one person. Another woman has gone missing and this time the figure has been left in her van.
The way Lin has set this up and then picks and unravels it bit by bit is wonderful to read. It’s a stunning location with a chilling wind and the beauty slowly turns into something very dark. It’s a compelling journey to go on.
June 13, 2024
This was first book that I read from the Rhonda MacLeod series and I enjoyed it without feeling that I was out of the loop for not having read the previous 16 books.
Loved the setting and really felt connected to the victims. I felt was important to highlight the vulnerability of lone female tourists which the writer did very well!
Although I struggled with the books as I found the policing procedures hard to believe and out of touch (I’m sorry but WHAT COP WOULD ACTUALLY GIVE A KEY TO A GIRL YOU BARELY KNOW?!). The language by some of the cops also a bit stereotypical and old fashioned and sadly made it difficult to believe. However I remain blissfully unaware in terms of the forensic procedures and was able to be carried away with the story. I found some of the technical terms in the legal procedures incorrect which became a bug barer.
When some of the suspects were identified I felt that there was little satisfaction and I can’t quite explain why I feel this. There was no sense of relief which I found frustrating for the children in the story.
However I did find myself picking it up again and again, was able to get past what annoyed me and saw the story as whole. I found this story engaging, captured the west coast accurately and the vulnerability of lone female travellers being targeted for heinous sexual violent crimes.
Loved the setting and really felt connected to the victims. I felt was important to highlight the vulnerability of lone female tourists which the writer did very well!
Although I struggled with the books as I found the policing procedures hard to believe and out of touch (I’m sorry but WHAT COP WOULD ACTUALLY GIVE A KEY TO A GIRL YOU BARELY KNOW?!). The language by some of the cops also a bit stereotypical and old fashioned and sadly made it difficult to believe. However I remain blissfully unaware in terms of the forensic procedures and was able to be carried away with the story. I found some of the technical terms in the legal procedures incorrect which became a bug barer.
When some of the suspects were identified I felt that there was little satisfaction and I can’t quite explain why I feel this. There was no sense of relief which I found frustrating for the children in the story.
However I did find myself picking it up again and again, was able to get past what annoyed me and saw the story as whole. I found this story engaging, captured the west coast accurately and the vulnerability of lone female travellers being targeted for heinous sexual violent crimes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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