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Shetland Sailing Mysteries #3
A Handful of Ash
Book Three in The Shetland Sailing Mysteries by Marsali Taylor Liveaboard skipper and amateur sleuth Cass Lynch is busy at marine college in Scalloway, until one night she finds an acquaintance dead in a doorway, whose hand is smeared with peat ash. Rumours spread of a strange ritual linked to the witches once burned in Shetland’s ancient capital, of horned figures abroad in the night, and townsfolk behaving strangely. At first Cass dismisses these as mere superstition, until there’s a second murder, and she begins to wonder if the devil really does walk in Scalloway …
290 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2014
81 people are currently reading
537 people want to read
About the author
Marsali Taylor
39 books174 followersMarsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 23, 2022
This was really bad
It goes on an on with uninteresting descriptions of sailing , with nothing to connect it to the average person. The witches theme (and Christian influence) was so lame. The main character is really uninteresting , in fact I didn’t care about a single character , they didn’t have personalities .
The ending is basically just someone sitting down and explaining what happened in the most boring and unimaginative way possible.
It goes on an on with uninteresting descriptions of sailing , with nothing to connect it to the average person. The witches theme (and Christian influence) was so lame. The main character is really uninteresting , in fact I didn’t care about a single character , they didn’t have personalities .
The ending is basically just someone sitting down and explaining what happened in the most boring and unimaginative way possible.
February 1, 2024
Cass finds herself on land while studying and in the run-up to Halloween Scalloway is full of witches and talks of curses and a demon. When Cass finds a teenager dead in the town, DI Gavin Macrae arrives to investigate the suspicious death and rumours swirling around the town. Cass finds herself accused of witchcraft and then a second death happens which inflames sentiments further. Very spooky with a stifling atmosphere, I thoroughly enjoyed this instalment in the series.
November 30, 2019
A nice little mystery in the Shetland Sailing series, this edition returns to a straightforward murder mystery for seawoman Cass and her detective friend Gavin - I particularly enjoyed their growing relationship.
The story is only 216 pages, but with a small print it took it me longer to read than I was expecting.
The story is only 216 pages, but with a small print it took it me longer to read than I was expecting.
February 5, 2019
Far less a mystery and far more about the culture of the Shetlands. Could have been interesting but the focus on witches is just as annoying as it is everywhere else.The first two books were good, this one wasn't.
March 27, 2018
An einem Abend kurz vor Halloween stolpert Cass Lynch fast buchstäblich über eine Leiche, als sie in einem ruhigen Viertel des Städtchens Scalloway unterwegs ist, und muss zu ihrem großen Entsetzen feststellen, dass sie die junge Frau mit den langen blonden Haaren kennt. Es handelt sich um die Tochter der Frau, der sie momentan bei Gartenarbeiten hilft, um sich ihr Studium an der Marineakademie zu finanzieren.
Eine merkwürdige, etwas unheimliche Stimmung liegt in diesen Tagen über den Shetland-Inseln, nicht nur wegen des erschreckenden Todesfalls, sondern auch, weil alte Bräuche der Jahreszeit nach wie vor hochgehalten werden (und Cass selbst schon fast bereit ist, an Geister zu glauben). Dass die Tote mit einigen Gleichaltrigen im Clinch lag, ist bekannt, aber Cass ist nicht sicher, ob das Grund genug gewesen sein konnte, ihr tatsächlich Böses anzutun.
Die offiziellen Ermittlungen übernimmt ein alter Bekannter von Cass (oder ist er nicht sogar schon mehr als das?) - der bekennende Kiltträger Gavin Macrae ist wieder mit von der Partie und kümmert sich um den offiziellen Part, während Cass sich ihre eigenen Gedanken macht und sich schließlich selbst mit mehr oder minder unverblümten Drohungen konfrontiert sieht. Ob die als bloßes leeres Geschwätz zu Halloween zu werten sind oder man sie doch ernst nehmen sollte, ist ihr nicht ganz klar. Auf jeden Fall will sie Annettes Mörder finden, alleine schon ihrer Teilzeit-Arbeitgeberin zuliebe.
Dass Cass, passionierte Seglerin, neuerlich auch Studentin und Hilfsgärtnerin, in einem so begrenzten Umfeld wie den Shetlands immer wieder in Mordfälle hineingerät, ist natürlich ziemlich konstruiert, aber nichts, was man nicht auch tausend anderen Krimiserien vorwerfen könnte und somit gut hinnehmbar. Vor allem, weil Marsali Taylor die Geographie der Inseln, die Besonderheiten des dortigen Lebens und Cass' Liebe zu ihrer Heimat und zum Meer so schön zu schildern versteht.
Der Kriminalfall selbst hat mich diesmal nicht ganz so überzeugt, zumal ich lange Zeit die Befürchtung hatte, er könne in eine eher abstruse Richtung abdriften. Am Ende kriegt die Autorin aber doch die Kurve und führt die Ermittlungen zu einer überraschenden, aber nachvollziehbaren Lösung (die mir deutlich besser gefallen hat als das, was ich zunächst vermutet hatte).
Im nunmehr dritten Band ist mir die zunächst etwas spröde wirkende Cass durchaus ans Herz gewachsen. Schön, nicht nur die Entwicklung ihres Verhältnisses zu Gavin Macrae zu beobachten, beileibe keine glattgebügelte Lovestory, sondern auch eine Annäherung an ihre Mutter zu sehen. Etwas gewundert hat mich Cass' plötzliche Religiosität, die war mir zuvor so nie aufgefallen und wirkte ein bisschen aufgesetzt.
Einen der nächsten Bände möchte ich dann mal im Original lesen, denn auch diesmal hat mich die Übersetzung nur bedingt überzeugen können. Dafür wurde dem Buch diesmal wenigstens ein originalgetreuer deutscher Titel vergönnt, die englische Version heißt auch "A Handful of Ash".
Ein solider Krimi und ein schönes Wiedersehen mit liebgewonnenen Figuren.
Eine merkwürdige, etwas unheimliche Stimmung liegt in diesen Tagen über den Shetland-Inseln, nicht nur wegen des erschreckenden Todesfalls, sondern auch, weil alte Bräuche der Jahreszeit nach wie vor hochgehalten werden (und Cass selbst schon fast bereit ist, an Geister zu glauben). Dass die Tote mit einigen Gleichaltrigen im Clinch lag, ist bekannt, aber Cass ist nicht sicher, ob das Grund genug gewesen sein konnte, ihr tatsächlich Böses anzutun.
Die offiziellen Ermittlungen übernimmt ein alter Bekannter von Cass (oder ist er nicht sogar schon mehr als das?) - der bekennende Kiltträger Gavin Macrae ist wieder mit von der Partie und kümmert sich um den offiziellen Part, während Cass sich ihre eigenen Gedanken macht und sich schließlich selbst mit mehr oder minder unverblümten Drohungen konfrontiert sieht. Ob die als bloßes leeres Geschwätz zu Halloween zu werten sind oder man sie doch ernst nehmen sollte, ist ihr nicht ganz klar. Auf jeden Fall will sie Annettes Mörder finden, alleine schon ihrer Teilzeit-Arbeitgeberin zuliebe.
Dass Cass, passionierte Seglerin, neuerlich auch Studentin und Hilfsgärtnerin, in einem so begrenzten Umfeld wie den Shetlands immer wieder in Mordfälle hineingerät, ist natürlich ziemlich konstruiert, aber nichts, was man nicht auch tausend anderen Krimiserien vorwerfen könnte und somit gut hinnehmbar. Vor allem, weil Marsali Taylor die Geographie der Inseln, die Besonderheiten des dortigen Lebens und Cass' Liebe zu ihrer Heimat und zum Meer so schön zu schildern versteht.
Der Kriminalfall selbst hat mich diesmal nicht ganz so überzeugt, zumal ich lange Zeit die Befürchtung hatte, er könne in eine eher abstruse Richtung abdriften. Am Ende kriegt die Autorin aber doch die Kurve und führt die Ermittlungen zu einer überraschenden, aber nachvollziehbaren Lösung (die mir deutlich besser gefallen hat als das, was ich zunächst vermutet hatte).
Im nunmehr dritten Band ist mir die zunächst etwas spröde wirkende Cass durchaus ans Herz gewachsen. Schön, nicht nur die Entwicklung ihres Verhältnisses zu Gavin Macrae zu beobachten, beileibe keine glattgebügelte Lovestory, sondern auch eine Annäherung an ihre Mutter zu sehen. Etwas gewundert hat mich Cass' plötzliche Religiosität, die war mir zuvor so nie aufgefallen und wirkte ein bisschen aufgesetzt.
Einen der nächsten Bände möchte ich dann mal im Original lesen, denn auch diesmal hat mich die Übersetzung nur bedingt überzeugen können. Dafür wurde dem Buch diesmal wenigstens ein originalgetreuer deutscher Titel vergönnt, die englische Version heißt auch "A Handful of Ash".
Ein solider Krimi und ein schönes Wiedersehen mit liebgewonnenen Figuren.
May 27, 2023
This is the eighth book which I have read in this cosy crime series. This is the third book in this series (eleven books so far) and was originally published as "A handful of ash". I like the main character of Cass Lynch and I like the references to life in the islands so I find the books charming.
In this book Cass is studying at the marine college in Scalloway so she can gain the qualification needed to be an officer on a tall ship. She is doing some part time work as a gardener to support her studies. The daughter of the family employing Cass as a gardener is found dead then another young man is found tied up and drowned. To make it more interesting there are elements of witchcraft!
I am not sure that the plot quite worked and there were a couple of occasions were the author got her characters' names mixed up but I enjoyed this mystery.
In this book Cass is studying at the marine college in Scalloway so she can gain the qualification needed to be an officer on a tall ship. She is doing some part time work as a gardener to support her studies. The daughter of the family employing Cass as a gardener is found dead then another young man is found tied up and drowned. To make it more interesting there are elements of witchcraft!
I am not sure that the plot quite worked and there were a couple of occasions were the author got her characters' names mixed up but I enjoyed this mystery.
December 19, 2023
This is the second of Marsali Taylor's sailing mysteries I've read. I found this one a real page turner, particularly as one neared the end. Plenty of clues, plenty of red herrings to keep one engaged even when the solution occurs to you. Some lovely descriptions of scenery, sailing and food. If I have one criticism of the series it is that there is no list showing the order of the books, so the two I've read so far are a little random in terms of following a time line through Cass' life and career.
Perhaps like Ellis Peters' Cadfael series I'll read them all higgledypiggledy and then assemble them all and read them again in the correct order. With Cadfael this gave me a real sense of the history of the period covered. With the Shetland Sailing Mysteries, it may give me more sense of Cass' life and family and career, and her love life.
A very engaging read.
Perhaps like Ellis Peters' Cadfael series I'll read them all higgledypiggledy and then assemble them all and read them again in the correct order. With Cadfael this gave me a real sense of the history of the period covered. With the Shetland Sailing Mysteries, it may give me more sense of Cass' life and family and career, and her love life.
A very engaging read.
November 1, 2024
What's not to like? Sea, Shetland, fantastic local information and interesting characters. I guess if you're not into islands nor sailing then there's some tedious bits, but I as an island inhabitant and former sailor found this excellent. The living with and knowing about the weather and sea movements is so true. I've also been to Shetland, though only once unfortunately, but can so well imagine the places and people. Some of the places I've even been to which is extra thrilling!
It was interesting to read the book on exactly the same dates, including Halloween, as the story in the book – completely coincidental.
The only minus is from the theme of witches and devils, which I'm not so keen on and therefore liked this book slightly less than the previous two. Luckily I have the next book in the series already, because I can't wait what happens to Cass next.
It was interesting to read the book on exactly the same dates, including Halloween, as the story in the book – completely coincidental.
The only minus is from the theme of witches and devils, which I'm not so keen on and therefore liked this book slightly less than the previous two. Luckily I have the next book in the series already, because I can't wait what happens to Cass next.
July 2, 2024
A tourist guidebook
This is rather over fantastical. And once more there is perhaps too much 'bindweed' in the garden, a reference you might understand having read the book.
Cass, the central character, is very likeable, but unlike in the previous books the other characters are less focused. Unfortunately Cass's musings and suppositions are often too complicated and random to be worth reading. I found myself skipping through large chunks of writing that seemed unnecessary. Personally I would prefer a leaner, more focused tale telling.
Some of the descriptions and throwaway histories make me want to visit the Shetland islands. But that's also true of the Highlands and the Hebrides.
This is rather over fantastical. And once more there is perhaps too much 'bindweed' in the garden, a reference you might understand having read the book.
Cass, the central character, is very likeable, but unlike in the previous books the other characters are less focused. Unfortunately Cass's musings and suppositions are often too complicated and random to be worth reading. I found myself skipping through large chunks of writing that seemed unnecessary. Personally I would prefer a leaner, more focused tale telling.
Some of the descriptions and throwaway histories make me want to visit the Shetland islands. But that's also true of the Highlands and the Hebrides.
July 11, 2022
Beached and bewildered.
For me this a four star. I am not a sailing enthusiast and thought I would like this story more because Cass our detective is in Scalloway, at college studying for official ratings to enable her to serve a tall ship's office and as a result there is less sailing around Shetland. Guess what? I missed the sailing. It is near Halloween and from her yacht home Cass witnesses some nasty business with youngsters,real or pretend witches. A girl dies. Was it ritual murder? The policeman maybe love intrrest is called in. Cass nearly dies. Exciting stuff. Loved it but get back to sea, Cass.
For me this a four star. I am not a sailing enthusiast and thought I would like this story more because Cass our detective is in Scalloway, at college studying for official ratings to enable her to serve a tall ship's office and as a result there is less sailing around Shetland. Guess what? I missed the sailing. It is near Halloween and from her yacht home Cass witnesses some nasty business with youngsters,real or pretend witches. A girl dies. Was it ritual murder? The policeman maybe love intrrest is called in. Cass nearly dies. Exciting stuff. Loved it but get back to sea, Cass.
August 17, 2017
This is a very unusual book. It only had 216 pages but the writing was tiny and seem to take ages. It took a while to get into as it is written in Shetland speak and to be truthful there wasn't much sailing. Maybe I needed to start at the beginning. This was book 3.
July 16, 2024
Oh loving this series, so normal and yet the evil slowly builds and despite being theatrical it is just believable. Every book gets better and leads you on wondering if Cass will ever sort out her love life.
August 4, 2021
Mooie serie over de Shetland eilanden
Leuke detective met spannend plot. Dit keer over heksen
Leuke detective met spannend plot. Dit keer over heksen
October 15, 2021
Descriptive series
Enjoyed the 3 books so far in this series. I did find myself skipping some of the longer descriptive passages to get to the story.
Enjoyed the 3 books so far in this series. I did find myself skipping some of the longer descriptive passages to get to the story.
September 6, 2022
Another great story, this one full of Halloween and witches etc but somehow keeps its feet on the ground (or the deck) and weaves an enjoyable tale.
July 6, 2023
Great story, love the feeling of being there
October 12, 2024
I love these detective books set in Shetland. Great stories with a beautiful setting. I am hooked!
February 21, 2025
Great series
I have really enjoyed this series of books and the characters are credible and developing. I look forward to the next one.
I have really enjoyed this series of books and the characters are credible and developing. I look forward to the next one.
September 8, 2016
A nice continuation of the other books in the series, with just the right amount of clues, background, and relationship-building. And we finally get to learn why the unflappable inspector Gavin, who comes up from Inverness whenever there's a murder in Shetland, wears a kilt. There's nothing wrong with wearing one - in fact, I've yet to see a man of any size and shape whose appearance wasn't improved by one - but it seemed atypical enough nowadays to make me wonder. I'd previously ruled out that it was a political statement, a Columbo-raincoat kind of ploy to make suspects careless, he was on his way to a wedding, his policeman's salary was so meager that he was supplementing by being a tour guide, historical re-enactor, or a stripper, or that he just knew that he looked fine in one and current fashion trends be damned. But if romanticized popular culture has stolen or reinvented a perfectly serviceable and practical style of clothing that supports local weavers and tailors, I fully support his understated decision to steal it back.
I hope there's a followup book soon. I'm finally getting a sense of Shetland geography and phrasing without needing to glance at a map or glossary of dialect terms. And if the next one could let us spend Christmas at Gavin's family farm down south in the Highlands (south, that is, for a Shetlander, waayy north and nearly polar for me), all the better. I'll rustle up some warm tartan woolens and settle down to help them solve another mystery.
I hope there's a followup book soon. I'm finally getting a sense of Shetland geography and phrasing without needing to glance at a map or glossary of dialect terms. And if the next one could let us spend Christmas at Gavin's family farm down south in the Highlands (south, that is, for a Shetlander, waayy north and nearly polar for me), all the better. I'll rustle up some warm tartan woolens and settle down to help them solve another mystery.
March 8, 2025
I didn't like this one quite as much as the previous books in the series as the theme is darker and the overall tone is quite sad. However, I still rate it 5 stars.
Cass is now at college, studying for her sailing qualifications and finding it hard going being ashore so much. A part-time gardening job helps her burn off some energy, but when her employer's daughter dies under mysterious circumstances, Cass is drawn into another mystery. Of course, the detective asked to investigate is Gavin Macrae, giving Cass another opportunity to decide if she will return his romantic interest!
As with the previous novels, the plot holds together well, but one really reads these books for the characters, which develop beautifully over the course of the series, and the setting. I know some reviewers complain about the amount of sailing in the books, but for me, this is one of the highlights - I'm no sailor, but reading about Cass's voyages makes me want to be one!
NB: This book is now republished as 'The Shetland Night Killings' as the publisher apparently thinks we are all too stupid to recognise a series of books unless they all have the same place name in the title so has chosen to rename the first five books in the series... Presumably, the book being about CASS LYNCH and written by MARSALI TAYLOR are clues that are just too subtle for the average reader to spot...at least according to Accent Press!
Cass is now at college, studying for her sailing qualifications and finding it hard going being ashore so much. A part-time gardening job helps her burn off some energy, but when her employer's daughter dies under mysterious circumstances, Cass is drawn into another mystery. Of course, the detective asked to investigate is Gavin Macrae, giving Cass another opportunity to decide if she will return his romantic interest!
As with the previous novels, the plot holds together well, but one really reads these books for the characters, which develop beautifully over the course of the series, and the setting. I know some reviewers complain about the amount of sailing in the books, but for me, this is one of the highlights - I'm no sailor, but reading about Cass's voyages makes me want to be one!
NB: This book is now republished as 'The Shetland Night Killings' as the publisher apparently thinks we are all too stupid to recognise a series of books unless they all have the same place name in the title so has chosen to rename the first five books in the series... Presumably, the book being about CASS LYNCH and written by MARSALI TAYLOR are clues that are just too subtle for the average reader to spot...at least according to Accent Press!
January 2, 2015
Well I took the first three books in the "cass" series on a ship when I returned to work... Have read the books and passed them on.... There is now a "waiting list" to read the books... and that on a ship that has a full library... No more needs to be said.. Brilliant...!
August 31, 2015
Great atmosphere, and the characters are developing nicely. The plot was good, though I did spot the murderer.
October 16, 2019
Love these mysteries, getting addicted to Cass.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews