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The Dune
A shy, academic teenager, Luke spent the long, hot summer of 1976 working on an isolated bird reserve in Norfolk, England. Like most young men of his age, he found his thoughts preoccupied with the opposite sex and, gradually, peculiar events unfolded around him that seemed designed to take advantage of this Achilles heel. 36 years later, the discovery of human remains at a coastal archaeological site sheds shocking new light upon his experiences of 1976, compelling him to reappraise his memories and, finally, to return to East Anglia in an attempt to unravel the truth of a tale of witchcraft, intrigue, murder and love. The Dune is a smouldering coming-of-age novel that slowly burns to an explosive, violent and unexpected climax.
252 pages, Paperback
First published August 11, 2012
43 people are currently reading
937 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Beckham
85 books462 followersBRUCE BECKHAM brings a lifelong love of the outdoors to the contemporary crime novel. An award-winning, Amazon best-selling writer and member of the UK Society of Authors, he pens fiendish plots, vivid wild scenes and compelling dramas.
His series 'Detective Inspector Skelgill Investigates' now extends to 24 standalone murder mysteries and 8 boxsets, and sells across five continents, from Japan and India to Brazil and the United States of America. Over one million copies have been downloaded worldwide.
Murder at Blind Beck (#25) was released in May 2025 and can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK2XQ46Z
You are welcome to contact Bruce directly through the Goodreads message system or via his publisher, at this address: lucius-ebooks@live.com
To sign up for his monthly newsletter please click the website link above, or send a friend request or click 'follow' - to receive updates of free Kindle downloads and Goodreads giveaways.
His series 'Detective Inspector Skelgill Investigates' now extends to 24 standalone murder mysteries and 8 boxsets, and sells across five continents, from Japan and India to Brazil and the United States of America. Over one million copies have been downloaded worldwide.
Murder at Blind Beck (#25) was released in May 2025 and can be ordered at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DK2XQ46Z
You are welcome to contact Bruce directly through the Goodreads message system or via his publisher, at this address: lucius-ebooks@live.com
To sign up for his monthly newsletter please click the website link above, or send a friend request or click 'follow' - to receive updates of free Kindle downloads and Goodreads giveaways.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 14, 2014
The author has created a good character with seventeen year old Luke. Working as an apprentice for the summer in a remote bird observatory on the coast of Norfolk, England, he has a lot of things to ponder. He is a pure math major, he can fly in his dreams, and he makes lists incessantly. First and foremost, though, girls are on his mind. He intends to make this summer count, in a number of ways.
The writing is lovely, but I expected more of a bent toward sorcery and witchcraft than to twitchers and birds and plants. If rare bird sightings interest you, or if the cataloging of birds and plants calls your name, this will be a veritable delight. On the other hand, if you are hoping for more of a dark tale of witchery, there may not be enough of it here to make you holler.
The writing is lovely, but I expected more of a bent toward sorcery and witchcraft than to twitchers and birds and plants. If rare bird sightings interest you, or if the cataloging of birds and plants calls your name, this will be a veritable delight. On the other hand, if you are hoping for more of a dark tale of witchery, there may not be enough of it here to make you holler.
June 6, 2025
This book has its moments of mystery and intrigue, witchcraft and young love. Nature is also a strong presence. A bird reserve in Norfolk is the major setting.
June 11, 2017
Having enjoyed the Inspector Skelgill series by Bruce Beckham, I wasn't going to miss this one, alerted about its free download opportunity by the author for which I am grateful. The plot is quite good but the execution not much so. The story doesn't move much through the first sixty percent of the book; what little progress the story makes is impeded by an overdose of botanical and ornithological terminology. The latter part of the book rounds up everything nicely to end on a high note. I felt that the first and the second parts are undeservedly long and short respectively.
The dune is a well written novel that is let down by too much of descriptions and an inadequate amount of actual story...
The dune is a well written novel that is let down by too much of descriptions and an inadequate amount of actual story...
June 11, 2025
unusual
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Skelgill series and was delighted to find this book on Amazon. It’s rather distanced from what I’m used to from Beckham. The first part is extremely slow, stream of consciousness almost. It takes us through 16-year-old Luke’s month at a bird sanctuary, working as assistant warden. A lot happens in that month. The second part, 30-some years later, takes us back to the same area to learn of the consequences of events decades before. Although this is certainly not one of my favorites of his books, it is good.
I have thoroughly enjoyed the Skelgill series and was delighted to find this book on Amazon. It’s rather distanced from what I’m used to from Beckham. The first part is extremely slow, stream of consciousness almost. It takes us through 16-year-old Luke’s month at a bird sanctuary, working as assistant warden. A lot happens in that month. The second part, 30-some years later, takes us back to the same area to learn of the consequences of events decades before. Although this is certainly not one of my favorites of his books, it is good.
November 6, 2019
I enjoyed this read. Well written. I enjoy all his books that I've read. I would recommend it. It had a little "Catcher In The Rye", some interesting science and a nice mystery thrown in for good measure.
December 15, 2025
Blast from the Past
76 was a good year and it was a long summer. Rather different from the lakes but no less entertaining
76 was a good year and it was a long summer. Rather different from the lakes but no less entertaining
October 31, 2015
Book review of The Dune by Bruce Beckham
I received this book as a free download from Amazon.
The book begins with a 17 year old young man called Luke from the Midlands going to the Norfolk coast to work at a bird observatory for the summer back in the 1970’s. During his time there he encounters some odd characters and has a bizarre experience one night at midnight – or does he?
The latter part of the book sees Luke now in his 50’s reading reports of archaeologists discovering remains of an infant from around 1977 and linking it to speculation of a witches’ coven operating in the area at the time. Luke goes back to the area to investigate.
The first part of the book I found a bit difficult as there are a lot of lengthy descriptive passages which contain details of different types of birds and their habitats. The bird observatory and the environment is the setting for the later events but it rather takes over a bit too much at the beginning. Some of the language is a bit difficult for the average reader too which gets in the way early in the story.
It is the last third of the book when it begins to come together and all of the loose ends are tied up. I would have preferred less descriptive detail in the first part of the book and more detail of the investigation in the latter third which seemed a little rushed. The interaction between the characters as Luke tries to uncover what happened back in the 1970’s could have been made more detailed and explored in more depth.
The ending of the story is a surprise that few people will expect. However there are elements which stretch the imagination of the reader. Would a person behave in this way?
If you are looking for a traditional crime thriller or a typical fantasy story then perhaps you should try elsewhere but if you are looking for something different then this could be the book for you.
I received this book as a free download from Amazon.
The book begins with a 17 year old young man called Luke from the Midlands going to the Norfolk coast to work at a bird observatory for the summer back in the 1970’s. During his time there he encounters some odd characters and has a bizarre experience one night at midnight – or does he?
The latter part of the book sees Luke now in his 50’s reading reports of archaeologists discovering remains of an infant from around 1977 and linking it to speculation of a witches’ coven operating in the area at the time. Luke goes back to the area to investigate.
The first part of the book I found a bit difficult as there are a lot of lengthy descriptive passages which contain details of different types of birds and their habitats. The bird observatory and the environment is the setting for the later events but it rather takes over a bit too much at the beginning. Some of the language is a bit difficult for the average reader too which gets in the way early in the story.
It is the last third of the book when it begins to come together and all of the loose ends are tied up. I would have preferred less descriptive detail in the first part of the book and more detail of the investigation in the latter third which seemed a little rushed. The interaction between the characters as Luke tries to uncover what happened back in the 1970’s could have been made more detailed and explored in more depth.
The ending of the story is a surprise that few people will expect. However there are elements which stretch the imagination of the reader. Would a person behave in this way?
If you are looking for a traditional crime thriller or a typical fantasy story then perhaps you should try elsewhere but if you are looking for something different then this could be the book for you.
October 22, 2014
The Dune was not what I'd thought it would be given the tag line "Sun, Sand and Sorcery" but in the end it did offer all this and more. The story begins with Luke-now a man, trying to piece together the lost moments in his life when he spent his summer of '76 volunteering in a nature reserve to add to his end of year school results. He had a passion for birdlife and thought it could add to his "spotting" success rate as well as the chance to enjoy some time working alongside nature. He met many intriguing personalities while undertaking his tasks.
Driving back in his Mercedes Benz on familiar roads felt strange as he had last experienced them on a borrowed motor bike.
The whole exercise of returning to Colme-next-the-Sea began after his reading about the body of an infant found in the Dunes wrapped in ancient ceremonial style but turning out to be a "modern day" death that the police were investigating as a possible murder.
I will not go further into the story line as it would give too much away. The characters were as diverse as they were dark and innocent as they were guilty.
The whole process of changing from past to present was very skillfully done as was the melding of the characters and events in the final chapters. I could be sceptical and say the bird "twitching" was over done and annoying but actually I found it an integral part of the story and quite interesting.
It very good book that I found enjoyable to read and was impressed with how cleverly it was presented. 5/5 stars from me.
Driving back in his Mercedes Benz on familiar roads felt strange as he had last experienced them on a borrowed motor bike.
The whole exercise of returning to Colme-next-the-Sea began after his reading about the body of an infant found in the Dunes wrapped in ancient ceremonial style but turning out to be a "modern day" death that the police were investigating as a possible murder.
I will not go further into the story line as it would give too much away. The characters were as diverse as they were dark and innocent as they were guilty.
The whole process of changing from past to present was very skillfully done as was the melding of the characters and events in the final chapters. I could be sceptical and say the bird "twitching" was over done and annoying but actually I found it an integral part of the story and quite interesting.
It very good book that I found enjoyable to read and was impressed with how cleverly it was presented. 5/5 stars from me.
September 6, 2016
Beautifully rich with expressive language is the best way for me to describe this book. Admittedly, at times I had to refer to the dictionary when coming across the names of birds and plants but that only adds to my enjoyment of a read if I can also learn.
In the summer of 1976 Luke, a seventeen year old, volunteers at a bird reserve in a tiny town in Norfolk to pursue an ornithological project for his last year in school before university. His landlady takes liberties in entering his room with just a jiggle of the door handle and not waiting for a signal that she should enter and then there is the business of not wanting him in the back garden where not all the plantings are flowers. His boss barely speaks to him and mostly leaves him on his own to explore the shore area and work on his project. He finds himself craving companionship and when he sees the blond girl on the black stallion racing along the beach he becomes fascinated by her and then there is the raven haired Maeve at the Smugglers pub who has made it clear she is interested although she has a boyfriend. Finally the last days of his stay arrive and end with a shadowy mystery that will haunt him and cause his return to Colme-next-the-sea thirty-six years later.
I enjoyed this well written book with its flowing language and its intimations of a dark mystery yet to unfold. I read the last hundred pages in one sitting because I just could not put this book down.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
In the summer of 1976 Luke, a seventeen year old, volunteers at a bird reserve in a tiny town in Norfolk to pursue an ornithological project for his last year in school before university. His landlady takes liberties in entering his room with just a jiggle of the door handle and not waiting for a signal that she should enter and then there is the business of not wanting him in the back garden where not all the plantings are flowers. His boss barely speaks to him and mostly leaves him on his own to explore the shore area and work on his project. He finds himself craving companionship and when he sees the blond girl on the black stallion racing along the beach he becomes fascinated by her and then there is the raven haired Maeve at the Smugglers pub who has made it clear she is interested although she has a boyfriend. Finally the last days of his stay arrive and end with a shadowy mystery that will haunt him and cause his return to Colme-next-the-sea thirty-six years later.
I enjoyed this well written book with its flowing language and its intimations of a dark mystery yet to unfold. I read the last hundred pages in one sitting because I just could not put this book down.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
October 3, 2014
This book was awesome, beautifully written with expressive details. I almost could imagine I was there on the dune with Luke, the main character.
It starts out in 1976 with Luke, a birder and 17 years old, working at a birdreserve by the ocieanside near Norfolk. He meets a lot of people, makes friends and falls in love with a mysterious girl that rides a black stallion. They finally meet at midnight of the full moon on the dune. Thirty six years later, a mystery arises and brings him back to Colme-next-to-Sea. There he finally gets his answers to what actually happened all those years before.
The story wasn't fast paced or super exciting as some novels are, but the location and the beauty of the area, plus the history and legends, made it a worthwhile book to read. I would highly recommend it.
It starts out in 1976 with Luke, a birder and 17 years old, working at a birdreserve by the ocieanside near Norfolk. He meets a lot of people, makes friends and falls in love with a mysterious girl that rides a black stallion. They finally meet at midnight of the full moon on the dune. Thirty six years later, a mystery arises and brings him back to Colme-next-to-Sea. There he finally gets his answers to what actually happened all those years before.
The story wasn't fast paced or super exciting as some novels are, but the location and the beauty of the area, plus the history and legends, made it a worthwhile book to read. I would highly recommend it.
October 23, 2014
I got this book as a free first reads and I am sorry to say I was unable to finish it. (I had a baby and my time became consumed by a little one instead of a book). I was able to read the first half and it seemed a little of a slow start to me. I was unable to keep entertained, however I am not sure if it was the book or me. I just couldn't get into it. I never got to the "witchcraft and sorcery" everyone is talking about. I couldn't get past the birds in this book. I found myself getting bord when the author talked about a bird for an entire page. Maybe I will try to pick it up again a little later...
August 12, 2015
The book was enjoyable, well-written, and atmospheric. I could feel the sand between my toes and the sun on my face.
However given the tagline on the book "sun, sand... and sorcery", I expected more sorcery and fewer birds.
Over half of the book was given over to twitchers, bird sightings, bird habitats and the like. The sorcery didn't really come into its own until the final 3rd of the book, and then it seemed a bit rushed although the ending was a complete surprise.
However given the tagline on the book "sun, sand... and sorcery", I expected more sorcery and fewer birds.
Over half of the book was given over to twitchers, bird sightings, bird habitats and the like. The sorcery didn't really come into its own until the final 3rd of the book, and then it seemed a bit rushed although the ending was a complete surprise.
March 27, 2014
I’m not a birder, birdwatcher or twitcher. I don’t know the Norfolk coast. I know little of witches and covens. I didn’t need any of that to enjoy this book. It may have seemed that the story was drawn out as the summer of 76 progressed, but all the little details blended together to build a solid finale to the story that left me thoroughly satisfied.
September 17, 2015
I really didn't like the book. I never got into it and there wasn't really any suspense. It just told a story but there was nothing to capture the readers attention. It was set in a time before I was born in a country I don't live in. It was hard for me to connect with anything. And even the "big reveal" at the end wasn't that great.
June 28, 2016
Closer to 3 and a half stars, but I'll give it 4, just because this is a favourite author of mine.
This was a strange and unexpectedly macabre story. It took a little while to figure out what was going on, with it flipping back and forth from the past to the present, but it was an interesting book, with a surprise conclusion.
This was a strange and unexpectedly macabre story. It took a little while to figure out what was going on, with it flipping back and forth from the past to the present, but it was an interesting book, with a surprise conclusion.
April 17, 2014
This was a wonderfully written book. The story was strong and had interesting character. I won this book on Good reads. Thank you
May 14, 2014
Loved the story and I thought it was interesting, but I do have to say I needed a dictionary to look up some words. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and I am glad I did.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews