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Cal McGill, Sea Detective #3
The Malice of Waves
For five years Priest's Island has guarded the secret of Max Wheeler's disappearance. Each anniversary the boy's family gathers at the scene to mourn his loss and to commission a new inquiry into the mystery. So far a retired chief constable, a private detective, a forensic archaeologist and a former intelligence officer have failed to uncover what happened to fourteen-year-old Max. Now Cal McGill, an oceanographer with expertise in tracking bodies at sea, has taken up the quest and finds himself caught between a father hell-bent on vengeance, a family riven by tragedy and a community resentful at being accused of murder. As Cal goes about his investigation he discovers an island that provokes dangerous passions in everyone that sets foot on it. And he has a nagging worry: if Max was murdered why shouldn't it happen again?
364 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2016
74 people are currently reading
509 people want to read
About the author
Mark Douglas-Home
4 books166 followersMark Douglas-Home is a newspaper editor turned author. The Sea Detective, his first novel, introduced a new kind of investigator to crime fiction - the oceanographer Cal McGill who tracks floating objects, including dead bodies. It received critical praise, becoming a Sunday Times 'Crime Book of the Month' and was followed by The Woman Who Walked Into The Sea ('simply intoxicating,’ the Library Journal in America) and The Malice of Waves (‘really good stuff, full of atmosphere,’ Morning Star). The fourth in the series, The Driftwood Girls, will be published in January 2020. Before writing books, Mark was editor of The Herald in Glasgow. His career in journalism began as a student in South Africa where he edited the newspaper at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. After the apartheid government banned a number of editions, he was deported from the country. He is married with two children and lives in Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
June 16, 2016
This is an atmospheric, intelligent, intense, and compelling crime story set in the Outer Hebrides. Priest's Island is historically interwoven with the tragedies that have befallen the Wheeler family. The mother dies in a accident, and the teenage Max disappeared whilst camping on the island owned by his father, David. Max is presumed murdered although it could have been an accident. Wheeler is a shell of a man now, he has lost his home and business, in his attempts to find the body of his son and his murderer. To that end through the years, he has funded a number of investigations which have come to nothing. He has three daughters - Joss, Chloe and Hannah, who are lost and adrift with a grief stricken and obsessed father who is barely aware that they even exist. It is all about Max and David's hatred of the locals who he feels have deliberately closed ranks and protected a murderer. The location, the seas, and the weather plays an all encompassing central and majestic role in the novel.
Cal McGill, oceanographer and detective, is ostensibly engaged by Wheeler to find out what happened. Cal is carrying out experiments to discover where the local currents could deposit the body. He meets unwavering hostility from the locals who see him as an instrument through which David Wheeler continues to persecute the community. Cal does not limit himself to the science and finds himself caught up with the people in the case. Interwoven in to the story is Pinkie Pryke, a collector of rare erythristic bird eggs, who in his efforts to secure the rarest of Raven eggs, comes to Priest's Island. DS Helen Jamieson goes undercover in the community to access local intelligence.
Bella and Catriona run the local Deep Blue cafe, which forms the central hub for the locals, acting as a barometer for gauging their feelings and actions. With ominous premonitions and two devastating storms hitting the area one after the other, the malice of the waves is certain to wreak havoc on the locals and others. The past revisits the present as tragedies continue to visit the doomed Wheeler family as Joss turns up dead. This brings a storm of media interest in the case and the locals. Is a murderer striking again? Where will it all end?
Cal finds the case reawakens his insecurities about his relationship with his own father who has gone on create another family in Africa. Cal is a fascinating and offbeat character who seems to embrace the itinerant lifestyle. Through him, the author does a sterling job in informing the reader about the intricacies and the science of the seas, but in such a way that it adds unexpected depths to the locale and the story. The plotting was superb and the story is compelling. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. Thanks to Michael Joseph for an ARC.
Cal McGill, oceanographer and detective, is ostensibly engaged by Wheeler to find out what happened. Cal is carrying out experiments to discover where the local currents could deposit the body. He meets unwavering hostility from the locals who see him as an instrument through which David Wheeler continues to persecute the community. Cal does not limit himself to the science and finds himself caught up with the people in the case. Interwoven in to the story is Pinkie Pryke, a collector of rare erythristic bird eggs, who in his efforts to secure the rarest of Raven eggs, comes to Priest's Island. DS Helen Jamieson goes undercover in the community to access local intelligence.
Bella and Catriona run the local Deep Blue cafe, which forms the central hub for the locals, acting as a barometer for gauging their feelings and actions. With ominous premonitions and two devastating storms hitting the area one after the other, the malice of the waves is certain to wreak havoc on the locals and others. The past revisits the present as tragedies continue to visit the doomed Wheeler family as Joss turns up dead. This brings a storm of media interest in the case and the locals. Is a murderer striking again? Where will it all end?
Cal finds the case reawakens his insecurities about his relationship with his own father who has gone on create another family in Africa. Cal is a fascinating and offbeat character who seems to embrace the itinerant lifestyle. Through him, the author does a sterling job in informing the reader about the intricacies and the science of the seas, but in such a way that it adds unexpected depths to the locale and the story. The plotting was superb and the story is compelling. I have no hesitation in recommending this book. Thanks to Michael Joseph for an ARC.
November 12, 2023
In brief - enjoyable.
In full
I came across this book about Cal McGill, the "sea detective", and found it was the third in the series. I'm always concerned about starting reading part way through a series however the premise was intriguing so I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did. Five years ago a 14 year old boy has gone missing from a Hebridean island. His father has been obsessed by the disappearance. He continues to suspect a closeknit community on the closest occupied island of concealing the truth. Cal McGill comes on to the scene in his role as an oceanographer. He seeks to find where a body may have ended up. I found the start held my attention and was entertaining - always assuming you find the idea of using a dead pig in the sea to try and work out where a human body may have gone.
The writing is easy to read and has a well written feel to it. The characters of both the investigators and the island community, emerge and feel fairly well rounded and interesting. In particular the character of Cal, somewhat understated, I thought was very good indeed. As with so many of the literary investigators he is a loner and, in Cal's case, someone who is happier watching and trying to understand the sea rather than anything else. He also seems to be quite a good listener. The other "character", which is very well worked and utilised, is the setting; evocative writing paints a good picture of windswept isolation. I do have one or two reservations about this story. I found the family of the boy who went missing, the Wheelers, less well developed sadly. I get the fact that the father is simply obsessed and overwhelmed by the disappearance of his son and that that is very much part of the story however the other siblings, three girls, did not really emerge as people until late in the book. The other reservation is over the character and storyline surrounding Stanley Pryke - this didn't really work for me. I'd prefer not to give anything away about the details of the story and anyway I enjoyed the book.
I intend to read more of Cal McGill who I found an interesting and fairly original character in a well written story.
In full
I came across this book about Cal McGill, the "sea detective", and found it was the third in the series. I'm always concerned about starting reading part way through a series however the premise was intriguing so I decided to give it a try and I'm glad I did. Five years ago a 14 year old boy has gone missing from a Hebridean island. His father has been obsessed by the disappearance. He continues to suspect a closeknit community on the closest occupied island of concealing the truth. Cal McGill comes on to the scene in his role as an oceanographer. He seeks to find where a body may have ended up. I found the start held my attention and was entertaining - always assuming you find the idea of using a dead pig in the sea to try and work out where a human body may have gone.
The writing is easy to read and has a well written feel to it. The characters of both the investigators and the island community, emerge and feel fairly well rounded and interesting. In particular the character of Cal, somewhat understated, I thought was very good indeed. As with so many of the literary investigators he is a loner and, in Cal's case, someone who is happier watching and trying to understand the sea rather than anything else. He also seems to be quite a good listener. The other "character", which is very well worked and utilised, is the setting; evocative writing paints a good picture of windswept isolation. I do have one or two reservations about this story. I found the family of the boy who went missing, the Wheelers, less well developed sadly. I get the fact that the father is simply obsessed and overwhelmed by the disappearance of his son and that that is very much part of the story however the other siblings, three girls, did not really emerge as people until late in the book. The other reservation is over the character and storyline surrounding Stanley Pryke - this didn't really work for me. I'd prefer not to give anything away about the details of the story and anyway I enjoyed the book.
I intend to read more of Cal McGill who I found an interesting and fairly original character in a well written story.
November 22, 2016
The Malice of Waves is the third book in the Sea Detective Series. I love this series. This series and the Elly Griffiths (Ruth Galloway) series are my two favorite crime fiction series. Why do I like this series so much? I like books that are character driven and have a strong atmospheric location. This series has both. The plots are different and diverse.
Cal McGill is an oceanographer who studies the tides and winds of the ocean to see where different items that were in the ocean turn up. At the beginning of this book Cal is placing Millie, a deceased pig, into the ocean near where he is looking into a disappearance from five years ago. He want to see where Millie will turn up and Millie does turn up quite dramatically later on in the book. Cal is quite likable and is different than most people. His own comforts mean little to him as his main interest is the ocean. He is also a caring person and is willing to take a back seat and listen to people. What is different too about the books is that they aren't all about Cal but the people who are involved in the story line.
Detective Sergeant Helen Jamieson makes a second appearance in this book. She is a very intelligent policewoman who admires Cal. She is undercover and is able to connect with a important character in the story. I hope she is in future books.
A fourteen year old boy named Max disappeared 5 years ago while he was alone on an isolated island that his dad purchased. Every year on the date his son disappeared, his father has a memorial service for his child. The village comes out and stands on the beach to show that they are caring people. There are bad feelings between the villagers and the father of the missing boy. The father feels the villagers know what happened to his son and are harbouring the murderer. The father feels he knows who this person is. Everybody has been affected by this disappearance. Cal has been hired to see if he can find some answers as to where the body could have gone.
The location as always plays an important role. As a reader, I could hear the ocean birds, hear the waves crashing in, see the gray skies, and understand the loneliness of the land. It was quite wonderful.
I should mention the plot line in each book. Every book has had a different plot line and each book is different from each other. The plot line is very well written and quite thoughtful. This is not a formula driven series. Each book was a very good read. If you are a new reader to this series, I would start with The Sea Detective which is the first book in the series. You have some good reading ahead for you. I am now waiting for the fourth book to be written and published..
Cal McGill is an oceanographer who studies the tides and winds of the ocean to see where different items that were in the ocean turn up. At the beginning of this book Cal is placing Millie, a deceased pig, into the ocean near where he is looking into a disappearance from five years ago. He want to see where Millie will turn up and Millie does turn up quite dramatically later on in the book. Cal is quite likable and is different than most people. His own comforts mean little to him as his main interest is the ocean. He is also a caring person and is willing to take a back seat and listen to people. What is different too about the books is that they aren't all about Cal but the people who are involved in the story line.
Detective Sergeant Helen Jamieson makes a second appearance in this book. She is a very intelligent policewoman who admires Cal. She is undercover and is able to connect with a important character in the story. I hope she is in future books.
A fourteen year old boy named Max disappeared 5 years ago while he was alone on an isolated island that his dad purchased. Every year on the date his son disappeared, his father has a memorial service for his child. The village comes out and stands on the beach to show that they are caring people. There are bad feelings between the villagers and the father of the missing boy. The father feels the villagers know what happened to his son and are harbouring the murderer. The father feels he knows who this person is. Everybody has been affected by this disappearance. Cal has been hired to see if he can find some answers as to where the body could have gone.
The location as always plays an important role. As a reader, I could hear the ocean birds, hear the waves crashing in, see the gray skies, and understand the loneliness of the land. It was quite wonderful.
I should mention the plot line in each book. Every book has had a different plot line and each book is different from each other. The plot line is very well written and quite thoughtful. This is not a formula driven series. Each book was a very good read. If you are a new reader to this series, I would start with The Sea Detective which is the first book in the series. You have some good reading ahead for you. I am now waiting for the fourth book to be written and published..
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October 14, 2016I would love to review this but the book ended up on page 274. The problem? There are supposed to be 304 pages so it just end in the climax in mid sentence no less. The back part of the book is missing. I have contacted Book Depository and hope they will do something. I'd like to know how it ends.
December 20, 2016
Set in the Outer Hebrides on the fictional islands of Eilean Dubh and Priest's island (the latter bought by an outsider, Wheeler). Wheeler is a grieving father who has turned inward from his daughters following the loss of his only son, Max aged 14, five years before. Each year on the anniversary of Max's disappearance, the family returns, the father brooding that his killer is harboured by the close-knit community on Eilean Dubh. and employs private investigators. This year he recruits oceanographer 'The Sea Detective' Cal McGill to check the surrounding sea.
This, the third book in the 'Sea Detective' series, is exceptionally well-written and accomplished. Yet for me there is too much emphasis on human frailty and relationships and too little of the dramatic landscapes and the power of the Atlantic storms and currents: 'So strong the sea bottom will be scoured daily, the sand and silt will shift and churn. Even boulders will be dislodged.' 4stars
This, the third book in the 'Sea Detective' series, is exceptionally well-written and accomplished. Yet for me there is too much emphasis on human frailty and relationships and too little of the dramatic landscapes and the power of the Atlantic storms and currents: 'So strong the sea bottom will be scoured daily, the sand and silt will shift and churn. Even boulders will be dislodged.' 4stars
September 12, 2017
The Island of Adventure...
Young Max Wheeler goes off to spend the night camping on uninhabited Priest's Island, a storm-tossed island in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. His rich father had bought the island as a playground for him a couple of years earlier, much to the annoyance of the townspeople on the neighbouring island of Eilean Dubh, who resented this intrusion into their traditional way of life. Priest's Island had belonged for generations to a local family who had used it for grazing their sheep. When Max fails to return and no trace of him is found, Ewan, the local lad who would have inherited the island had it not been sold to the Wheelers, quickly becomes the chief suspect. But no evidence has ever been found to allow him to be charged. Five years on, Max's father has hired Cal McGill, an oceanographer and expert in tides and waves, in a last ditch effort to trace Max's body. But Cal's appearance stirs old fears and resentments amongst the townspeople and soon danger stalks more than one inhabitant...
This is the third in the Cal McGill series but the first I've read. It worked perfectly well as a standalone and I didn't feel I was missing anything from not having read the earlier books. The mystery element of the plot is very good – I didn't get close to the solution but, when it was revealed, felt that it was well within the bounds of credibility. I did think the plotting lacked a little by failing to provide possible alternative explanations though – there weren't too many red herrings sending me off in the wrong direction. This meant that for quite a long time in the middle I felt the investigation element was rather underdeveloped – neither Cal nor his police officer sidekick Helen Jamieson seemed to be doing very much other than treading water (pun intended) while hoping someone might let something slip. In fact, Cal's specialism played very little part in the story – always a problem when an amateur detective is given such a specific profession.
However, the depiction of the isolated small town on the edge of nowhere is done very well although, oddly, it lacks any feeling of Scottishness – no dialect, no Scottish traditions, not even Scottish cakes in the tea-shop at the heart of the community. It could as easily have been a small island community set anywhere in the world. But the way they band together when one of their number is threatened feels very realistic, as does the way they all know everything about each other and make allowances for one another's quirks. The weather plays a large part in the story, and Douglas-Home gives excellent descriptions of the wildness of storms and how quickly these island communities can be cut off from the mainland.
There's a sub-plot involving an egg-collector – a hobby that's now illegal in order to protect threatened bird species. I found all the stuff about this added a real level of interest to the story – it feels well-researched and authentic, and sent me off to google images of some of the eggs and nests mentioned. Since some of these collectors go to ridiculous lengths in pursuit of rare eggs, it also allows for some hair-raisingly dangerous exploits and extra suspense (that's also a pun, but if you want to know why, you'll have to read the book...).
The writing is very good – third person past tense – hurrah! In this episode we don't get to know too much about Cal's life – there's a little history about his relationship with his father but not much else. However we learn more about Helen Jamieson. She's a police officer, refreshingly competent and angst-free apart from her apparently unrequited longings for Cal, but she doesn't allow these to get in the way of having a good professional relationship with him. I actually found myself thinking of her as the central character rather than Cal, so I hope she's a recurring character in the series.
Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot, and will happily look out for more in this series. Recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Penguin UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Young Max Wheeler goes off to spend the night camping on uninhabited Priest's Island, a storm-tossed island in the Outer Hebrides off the west coast of Scotland. His rich father had bought the island as a playground for him a couple of years earlier, much to the annoyance of the townspeople on the neighbouring island of Eilean Dubh, who resented this intrusion into their traditional way of life. Priest's Island had belonged for generations to a local family who had used it for grazing their sheep. When Max fails to return and no trace of him is found, Ewan, the local lad who would have inherited the island had it not been sold to the Wheelers, quickly becomes the chief suspect. But no evidence has ever been found to allow him to be charged. Five years on, Max's father has hired Cal McGill, an oceanographer and expert in tides and waves, in a last ditch effort to trace Max's body. But Cal's appearance stirs old fears and resentments amongst the townspeople and soon danger stalks more than one inhabitant...
This is the third in the Cal McGill series but the first I've read. It worked perfectly well as a standalone and I didn't feel I was missing anything from not having read the earlier books. The mystery element of the plot is very good – I didn't get close to the solution but, when it was revealed, felt that it was well within the bounds of credibility. I did think the plotting lacked a little by failing to provide possible alternative explanations though – there weren't too many red herrings sending me off in the wrong direction. This meant that for quite a long time in the middle I felt the investigation element was rather underdeveloped – neither Cal nor his police officer sidekick Helen Jamieson seemed to be doing very much other than treading water (pun intended) while hoping someone might let something slip. In fact, Cal's specialism played very little part in the story – always a problem when an amateur detective is given such a specific profession.
However, the depiction of the isolated small town on the edge of nowhere is done very well although, oddly, it lacks any feeling of Scottishness – no dialect, no Scottish traditions, not even Scottish cakes in the tea-shop at the heart of the community. It could as easily have been a small island community set anywhere in the world. But the way they band together when one of their number is threatened feels very realistic, as does the way they all know everything about each other and make allowances for one another's quirks. The weather plays a large part in the story, and Douglas-Home gives excellent descriptions of the wildness of storms and how quickly these island communities can be cut off from the mainland.
There's a sub-plot involving an egg-collector – a hobby that's now illegal in order to protect threatened bird species. I found all the stuff about this added a real level of interest to the story – it feels well-researched and authentic, and sent me off to google images of some of the eggs and nests mentioned. Since some of these collectors go to ridiculous lengths in pursuit of rare eggs, it also allows for some hair-raisingly dangerous exploits and extra suspense (that's also a pun, but if you want to know why, you'll have to read the book...).
The writing is very good – third person past tense – hurrah! In this episode we don't get to know too much about Cal's life – there's a little history about his relationship with his father but not much else. However we learn more about Helen Jamieson. She's a police officer, refreshingly competent and angst-free apart from her apparently unrequited longings for Cal, but she doesn't allow these to get in the way of having a good professional relationship with him. I actually found myself thinking of her as the central character rather than Cal, so I hope she's a recurring character in the series.
Overall, I enjoyed this one a lot, and will happily look out for more in this series. Recommended.
NB This book was provided for review by the publisher, Penguin UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
November 10, 2016
The Malice of Waves is the third book in Mark Douglas-Hume’s The Sea Detective Mystery series and I think it is my favourite. It has an interesting opening scene as Cal sinks a dead pig into the sea off Priest’s Island (a fictional island) to try to work out where the tides, underwater currents and eddies might have taken Max’s body. It’s really a cold case enquiry and there is no new evidence to help him discover the truth. Each year on the anniversary of Max’s disappearance, his family hold a memorial service on the island. His father is convinced that the villagers are complicit in his son’s murder.
The Malice of Waves is just as much a story of the villagers as it is of the Wheeler family and the setting of Priest’s Island, beautifully described by Douglas-Hume, is also a major part of the book. The location came to life as I read the book, making it easy to visualise the scenes. It’s well written and easy to read, leading me effortlessly into the mystery. The police are also present on the island as DS Helen Jamieson is staying undercover in the village, helping Cal with his investigations. I like the insight into Helen’s unspoken feelings for Cal. Both her and Cal are strong, independent characters and the other characters are well depicted too.
Interwoven into the main story is ‘Pinkie’ Pyke’s story. He is a collector of birds’ eggs, but his interest is into rare erythristic bird eggs, those with pink or reddish colouring and there is a raven’s’ nest on the island.
The Malice of Waves is a fascinating book, not only an engrossing mystery, but also a study of the sea, of birds’ eggs (I had never heard of erythristic eggs before), of obsessions and of the way people cope, or don’t cope with grief. I loved it.
The Malice of Waves is just as much a story of the villagers as it is of the Wheeler family and the setting of Priest’s Island, beautifully described by Douglas-Hume, is also a major part of the book. The location came to life as I read the book, making it easy to visualise the scenes. It’s well written and easy to read, leading me effortlessly into the mystery. The police are also present on the island as DS Helen Jamieson is staying undercover in the village, helping Cal with his investigations. I like the insight into Helen’s unspoken feelings for Cal. Both her and Cal are strong, independent characters and the other characters are well depicted too.
Interwoven into the main story is ‘Pinkie’ Pyke’s story. He is a collector of birds’ eggs, but his interest is into rare erythristic bird eggs, those with pink or reddish colouring and there is a raven’s’ nest on the island.
The Malice of Waves is a fascinating book, not only an engrossing mystery, but also a study of the sea, of birds’ eggs (I had never heard of erythristic eggs before), of obsessions and of the way people cope, or don’t cope with grief. I loved it.
January 29, 2017
The Malice of Waves is the third instalment in the sea detective series. It’s not easy to find a fresh angle in crime fiction, but Douglas-Home manages to carve out a little niche with an oceanographer who specialises in tracking bodies lost at sea. In this case Cal McGill is drafted in to help find out what happened to a boy who disappeared from a small island five year’s previously. His presence in the local community is resented and family are hardly welcoming either. He’s joined in the Outer Hebrides by Helen Jamieson, a police officer pretending to an ordinary member of the public trying to get over a failed relationship. While Cal rubs the locals and family up the wrong way while trying to get a handle on the local currents, Helen makes friends with the locals by the hanging around the local tea shop. Douglas-Home creates a strong sense of place and immerses the reader in the tense relations between the locals and family. There’s nice characterisation of the villagers and the Wheeler family, with both Cal and Helen being appealing leads. The pace is steady and unrushed and the plot has plenty of blinds and misdirection. While the main thread is nicely constructed, the plotline with Pinkee Pryke, a poacher of bird eggs, felt like a plot device and was a little underdeveloped and not fully resolved. Overall, an engaging and atmospheric detective story.
July 30, 2020
I loved the first two novels in this series, but "The Malice of the Waves" just dragged on and on, with too many people just chewing on the mystery. What a shame...
September 28, 2016
I love this series. Unless lightning strikes twice, it will be my "find of 2016." Although I didn't find The Malice of Waves to be quite as mesmerizing as the first two books, it's still an excellent read and not to be missed.
Douglas-Home changes it up a bit for this third book, and it's all to do with the villagers on Priest's Island. The settings for the author's books are wonderful. You can hear and watch the sea birds wheeling in the sky overhead. You can smell the salt air and be hypnotized by the crashing of the waves. The locations come to life, but they are fictional, and I like Douglas-Home's reasons for making them so: "My reason for inventing places is to avoid imposing a fictional plot on an island community that has a rich and interesting history of its own." Fictional or not, the landscape is breathtaking and an important part of the books.
While Cal's work with the tides does help to prove (or disprove) various theories as to what happened to the young boy's body, once again there is an environmental element to the story in the character of Pinkie Wise, a man who is obsessed with collecting rare birds' eggs. Pinkie has a small but pivotal role in The Malice of Waves. One of my favorite characters, Detective Sergeant Helen Jamieson, makes her second appearance in the series, and it was a welcome one. I hope to see more of this intelligent, fierce young woman. Both Helen and Cal are unconventional, complex characters-- one of the reasons why I like these books so much.
A strong theme throughout the book is how grief affects different people, and how it can rip families apart. I think I was so strongly opposed to the elder Wheeler's behavior that I completely forgot to keep track of the clues planted all along the way as to the killer's identity. I noticed them, but the lure of the story was too strong for me to put them all together. (Hopefully I won't have to turn in my amateur sleuth badge.)
If you love strong characters teamed with engrossing mysteries and evocative settings, Mark Douglas-Home's the Sea Detective novels are perfect for you. They are best read in order, so please begin with The Sea Detective-- one of my Best Reads of 2016.
Douglas-Home changes it up a bit for this third book, and it's all to do with the villagers on Priest's Island. The settings for the author's books are wonderful. You can hear and watch the sea birds wheeling in the sky overhead. You can smell the salt air and be hypnotized by the crashing of the waves. The locations come to life, but they are fictional, and I like Douglas-Home's reasons for making them so: "My reason for inventing places is to avoid imposing a fictional plot on an island community that has a rich and interesting history of its own." Fictional or not, the landscape is breathtaking and an important part of the books.
While Cal's work with the tides does help to prove (or disprove) various theories as to what happened to the young boy's body, once again there is an environmental element to the story in the character of Pinkie Wise, a man who is obsessed with collecting rare birds' eggs. Pinkie has a small but pivotal role in The Malice of Waves. One of my favorite characters, Detective Sergeant Helen Jamieson, makes her second appearance in the series, and it was a welcome one. I hope to see more of this intelligent, fierce young woman. Both Helen and Cal are unconventional, complex characters-- one of the reasons why I like these books so much.
A strong theme throughout the book is how grief affects different people, and how it can rip families apart. I think I was so strongly opposed to the elder Wheeler's behavior that I completely forgot to keep track of the clues planted all along the way as to the killer's identity. I noticed them, but the lure of the story was too strong for me to put them all together. (Hopefully I won't have to turn in my amateur sleuth badge.)
If you love strong characters teamed with engrossing mysteries and evocative settings, Mark Douglas-Home's the Sea Detective novels are perfect for you. They are best read in order, so please begin with The Sea Detective-- one of my Best Reads of 2016.
July 15, 2016
I really love Mark Douglas-Home's 'Sea Detective' series. The idea of someone trying to discover what has happened through observation of tides & currents is an unusual one but it is not all that makes his books so good.
'The Malice of Waves' has Cal going to an island off the west coast of Scotland to try and discover where the body of a young boy may be found. Max disappeared five years ago and his father has lost hope of finding his son. The boy's disappearance has cast a shadow over the local community.
The atmosphere of a small island is captured very well. The characters are on the whole very believable and the pace of the narrative keeps the pages turning. Although this is the third book in the series it really isn't necessary to have read the earlier ones to enjoy this one.
A definite 5 stars! Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read & review this book. I can't wait for the next one in the series.
'The Malice of Waves' has Cal going to an island off the west coast of Scotland to try and discover where the body of a young boy may be found. Max disappeared five years ago and his father has lost hope of finding his son. The boy's disappearance has cast a shadow over the local community.
The atmosphere of a small island is captured very well. The characters are on the whole very believable and the pace of the narrative keeps the pages turning. Although this is the third book in the series it really isn't necessary to have read the earlier ones to enjoy this one.
A definite 5 stars! Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to read & review this book. I can't wait for the next one in the series.
August 5, 2016
Atmospheric Scottish thriller.
I’d not read any Mark Douglas-Home books before and despite this being the 3rd book of a series it worked well as a self-contained story.
Cal is the “sea detective” and is asked to investigate an unsolved disappearance of a 14 year old boy by his father. Set on the wild coast of Scotland a close village community is implicated in the disappearance Where Cal has to separate the truth from all the rumour and gossip.
Mark Douglas-Home writes well and the story flows along quickly with a rich cast of characters. I didn’t guess whodunit which is always a good result in a mystery/crime novel and would definitely look out for other books in the series.
I’d not read any Mark Douglas-Home books before and despite this being the 3rd book of a series it worked well as a self-contained story.
Cal is the “sea detective” and is asked to investigate an unsolved disappearance of a 14 year old boy by his father. Set on the wild coast of Scotland a close village community is implicated in the disappearance Where Cal has to separate the truth from all the rumour and gossip.
Mark Douglas-Home writes well and the story flows along quickly with a rich cast of characters. I didn’t guess whodunit which is always a good result in a mystery/crime novel and would definitely look out for other books in the series.
August 13, 2020
Much more engaging than the first book in the series. This time McGill is investigating the disappearance of a teenage boy five years ago from a tiny Scottish island. Evocative and with realistic characters and dialogue, A real winner.
March 7, 2019
I thought to start with that this might be a bit hard going but how wrong I was! This is the third Cal McGill Sea Detective book and this one was every bit as good as the two previous ones. There are two seemingly disconnected stories, one that Cal is investigating that takes place in the Outer Hebrides on Eilean Dubh and Priests Island. These are fictional islands although there are two genuine small islands of the north west coast of Scotland with those names. Cal is investigating the disappearance five years previously of young Max Wheeler whose grieving father David has commissioned Cal’s knowledge of oceanography to see if he can solve the mystery. Englishman David Wheeler owns Priests Island which has not endeared him to the population of Eilean Dubh. He has three daughters - Joss the eldest lives in a caravan on Eilean Dubh, Chloe and Hannah. The local community does not welcome Joss’ presence or that of Cal. When David Wheeler bought Priests Island it meant the Grant family lost their grazing rights on the island which did not go down well with many locals. Community life centres around the Deep Blue cafe run by Bella Macleod and her niece Catriona.
The second strand of the story concerns Stanley ‘Pinkie’ Pryke a well known collector of rare birds eggs specifically those with erythrism which gives them a pinky/red colour in a clutch of eggs that would not normally be that colour. Pinkie travels to Eilean Dubh having been secretly told of some erythistic ravens eggs on Priests Island. We never really entirely find out what happens to Pinkie in his quest to take the eggs but we can make assumptions. His part in the story became important as events on Eilean Dubh reach fever pitch following the death of Joss. This brings a large number of police to the island as well as many journalists as news of the escalating events reaches the mainland. Cal assists the police in trying to solve the murders and he plays a pivotal role in solving the mystery of what happened to Max.
I thoroughly enjoyed most of the book which is very well written. I loved the setting as I’m nearly always sold on a book located in Scotland! The characters are good especially Cal who is intuitive, intelligent as well as being a bit of an enigma. I thought the ending was perhaps a bit far fetched but it did not detract from my enjoyment.
The second strand of the story concerns Stanley ‘Pinkie’ Pryke a well known collector of rare birds eggs specifically those with erythrism which gives them a pinky/red colour in a clutch of eggs that would not normally be that colour. Pinkie travels to Eilean Dubh having been secretly told of some erythistic ravens eggs on Priests Island. We never really entirely find out what happens to Pinkie in his quest to take the eggs but we can make assumptions. His part in the story became important as events on Eilean Dubh reach fever pitch following the death of Joss. This brings a large number of police to the island as well as many journalists as news of the escalating events reaches the mainland. Cal assists the police in trying to solve the murders and he plays a pivotal role in solving the mystery of what happened to Max.
I thoroughly enjoyed most of the book which is very well written. I loved the setting as I’m nearly always sold on a book located in Scotland! The characters are good especially Cal who is intuitive, intelligent as well as being a bit of an enigma. I thought the ending was perhaps a bit far fetched but it did not detract from my enjoyment.
July 14, 2017
I think this series has so much promise mainly because I believe most of the science described here is probably true and because the main character, Cal McGill, is troubled but appealing. This series decribes the forensic adventures of McGill who can plot where a dead body will show up in the water after it's been deposited there, using ocean currents and it's fascinating, not doctrinaire. This time round Cal is in the Hebrides following the disappearance of a young boy years before and the havoc wreaked on the locals who are blamed for his death. Good stuff. And I love Cal's sidekick Helen with her weight problem and 173 IQ.
April 17, 2017
This is an unusual and intriguing series with an engaging, intelligent (quirky) protagonist. Another book with a setting influencing events and lives — in this case islands off the coast of Scotland. The two intertwined stories are a bit forced, but the characters in the main story are nicely drawn. I will keep reading this series.
March 6, 2021
Once again a great mystery. I totally didnt pick the murderer. The only thing that annoys me is the "fat" police detective. Apparently in Scotland if you are overweight you cant have a boyfriend, friends or sit in a chair without getting stuck.
July 16, 2023
3.5 stars
February 11, 2017
Another excellent book in the sea detective series. Can't wait for a fourth novel.
May 24, 2016
This is the third in a series. I haven't read the first two but I feel that this did not mar my enjoyment of this book as the story is very well self contained. Yes, there were a few hints and references to what I can only assume to be crimes in previous books, but these were explained well enough for me to understand their reverence in this book.
In this book, Cal is asked to investigate an unsolved crime. Well, I say crime, it could just be an accident rather than a murder or even neither and the boy just upped and left. Anyway, on the anniversary of fourteen year old Max's disappearance, Cal finds himself in the wilds of the highlands. Rumours are rife about how much or little the villagers are/were involved this event and Cal is tasked to not only try and see whether the sea had claimed Max at the same time, listening in on village gossip and tattle. Befriending where he can which isn't many places being as he is apparently working for Max's father who is hated by the villagers as an interloper who bought "their" island and kicked them off. So we have secrets, lies, conspiracies, intrigue, mystery aplenty. And then there's Pinky, an egg collector. Where exactly does he fit into it all?
It's coming across all a bit convoluted here but, be assured, it all flows lovely in the book. Yes, there was enough confusion to keep my intrigue and attention levels high but not too much that I got bored. There are some really nice descriptive bits in the book too. Mostly I don't tend to like much description but being as the setting can be classed as a character in its own right pretty much, I think in this case it is perfectly justified and indeed welcome.
Characters are good too. I did like Cal. He is a bit of a colourful character with a lot of hidden layers and depth to him. He also kind of contradicts himself a little in his lifestyle and behaviour but we learn quite a lot about his childhood in this book. The other characters were well described also. There are quite a few bit part players (ladies from the cafe) and I did kind of merge some of them into one as I got a bit confused. But this is more a me thing than the author's fault I think.
All in all, I really did enjoy this book. So much so, I have just downloaded the first two in the series to play catch-up.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
In this book, Cal is asked to investigate an unsolved crime. Well, I say crime, it could just be an accident rather than a murder or even neither and the boy just upped and left. Anyway, on the anniversary of fourteen year old Max's disappearance, Cal finds himself in the wilds of the highlands. Rumours are rife about how much or little the villagers are/were involved this event and Cal is tasked to not only try and see whether the sea had claimed Max at the same time, listening in on village gossip and tattle. Befriending where he can which isn't many places being as he is apparently working for Max's father who is hated by the villagers as an interloper who bought "their" island and kicked them off. So we have secrets, lies, conspiracies, intrigue, mystery aplenty. And then there's Pinky, an egg collector. Where exactly does he fit into it all?
It's coming across all a bit convoluted here but, be assured, it all flows lovely in the book. Yes, there was enough confusion to keep my intrigue and attention levels high but not too much that I got bored. There are some really nice descriptive bits in the book too. Mostly I don't tend to like much description but being as the setting can be classed as a character in its own right pretty much, I think in this case it is perfectly justified and indeed welcome.
Characters are good too. I did like Cal. He is a bit of a colourful character with a lot of hidden layers and depth to him. He also kind of contradicts himself a little in his lifestyle and behaviour but we learn quite a lot about his childhood in this book. The other characters were well described also. There are quite a few bit part players (ladies from the cafe) and I did kind of merge some of them into one as I got a bit confused. But this is more a me thing than the author's fault I think.
All in all, I really did enjoy this book. So much so, I have just downloaded the first two in the series to play catch-up.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
August 24, 2016
Hurray, number three in the series and another intelligent read. The author doesn't just write a murder mystery of the 'Here's a body, find the murderer' school, he looks at consequences, causes and effects. This makes for a more thoughtful read, a more complex plot and characters worth reading about.
Cal McGill is now more heavily involved with being a pure Sea Detective and finding bodies and he is employed to find the body of a teenager, Max Wheeler, who disappeared from a tiny uninhabited island 5 years earlier. This happened in the Outer Hebrides and again the islands are very much characters in the story. Mr Wheeler is obsessed with finding his son, his daughters suffer, and the island population is sick of being regarded as an evil bunch who prefer to hide a murderer rather than speak the truth. A lot of cause and effect and its consequences. The police are involved again and so Cal meets up with and works with D.S. Helen Jamieson. It's a complex plot and a good read.
Mark Douglas-Home writes well and his prose is lucid and a pleasure to read. Readers don't need to start with the first novel as each novel stands alone but it does really add to reading pleasure to see how some of the things which happen tie back to earlier stories. If you haven't tried this series and enjoy a different kind of mystery this is one not to miss.
Cal McGill is now more heavily involved with being a pure Sea Detective and finding bodies and he is employed to find the body of a teenager, Max Wheeler, who disappeared from a tiny uninhabited island 5 years earlier. This happened in the Outer Hebrides and again the islands are very much characters in the story. Mr Wheeler is obsessed with finding his son, his daughters suffer, and the island population is sick of being regarded as an evil bunch who prefer to hide a murderer rather than speak the truth. A lot of cause and effect and its consequences. The police are involved again and so Cal meets up with and works with D.S. Helen Jamieson. It's a complex plot and a good read.
Mark Douglas-Home writes well and his prose is lucid and a pleasure to read. Readers don't need to start with the first novel as each novel stands alone but it does really add to reading pleasure to see how some of the things which happen tie back to earlier stories. If you haven't tried this series and enjoy a different kind of mystery this is one not to miss.
July 4, 2016
This is the third volume in The Sea Detective series by Mark Douglas-Home, featuring oceanographer Dr. Caladh McGill, who uses his knowledge of tides, winds and currents to solve mysteries no one else can. This latest episode takes place in the isolated but bleakly beautiful Eilean Dubh an island located across The Sound from the smaller Priest's Island and between Harris and North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. The places are fictional although there are Scottish Islands with similar names. The location is a major factor in creating a bleak atmosphere amongst the closeknit and insular community that lives here. Five years ago, fourteen-year-old Max Wheeler disappeared from Priest's Island. Neither the police nor the private investigations since have shed any light on what happened the night he went missing, presumed dead. Cal McGill is hired by the boy's inconsolable father to carry out his own investigation as to what might have happened. He faces resentment from the locals who have lived under a cloud of suspicion for five years. Are they hiding a murderer on Eilean Dubh?
This is another good read, perhaps not quite as absorbing as the first two in the series, but certainly worthy of four stars. I enjoyed it.
This is another good read, perhaps not quite as absorbing as the first two in the series, but certainly worthy of four stars. I enjoyed it.
May 11, 2016
Five years ago a fourteen year old boy disappeared from Priest's Island, an uninhabited place off the coast of Scotland. For his family there has been no closure and for the local community a cloud of suspicion that they know more than they will let on. Mr Wheeler has bankrupted himself trying to find out what has happened to Max and the last throw of the dice is to recruit Cal McGill, the Sea Detective, and expert in waves and currents of the North Atlantic. Meanwhile Priest's Island has attracted a different visitor, one more concerned with the rare birds.
Having really loved the first book in the series I decided to follow up with the advance copy I had of this title. Again the story revolves around a close-knit isolated community which carries secrets but I particularly liked the fact that the issues were caused by the incomers - the rich family who bought an island, the egg obsessive who destroyed lives. McGill is an engaging character, as is his police sidekick, but there is a real love of Scotland and the sea that permeates the writing. That makes the books far more that mere police procedurals.
Having really loved the first book in the series I decided to follow up with the advance copy I had of this title. Again the story revolves around a close-knit isolated community which carries secrets but I particularly liked the fact that the issues were caused by the incomers - the rich family who bought an island, the egg obsessive who destroyed lives. McGill is an engaging character, as is his police sidekick, but there is a real love of Scotland and the sea that permeates the writing. That makes the books far more that mere police procedurals.
October 14, 2016
I checked my reviews for the previous two in this series, and find I am about to repeat myself. Started very well, and Cal McGill brings an interestingly different slant to crime solving. Also, in between the less-attractive (to me) parts, was a well-planned plot and an unexpected ending. The landscape is, as ever, is described in wonderfully atmospheric detail.
But, oh, the township women - Bella in particular - do not ring true, nor does the constant and longevity of the assembling to eat cake. And Helen does not need to be so feeble.
But, oh, the township women - Bella in particular - do not ring true, nor does the constant and longevity of the assembling to eat cake. And Helen does not need to be so feeble.
July 19, 2018
Vacillating between two and three stars. Three, I guess, because I read it straight through without a lot of putting down, sighing heavily, and picking it up again later. But I found the psychology and motivation of almost everybody implausible to unbelievable, especially the township, both individually and in aggregate. This is the first of the series I've read and I won't be reading any more.
January 3, 2019
This is the first I've read by this author, it's is not a bad read, but there were many sub-plots and I felt it jumped around quite a lot, disjointed in parts. It talked of Cal's unique knowledge and skills, but from my perspective, he didn't use them much in this story, he may do in the other books. Not sure if I will read any more in the series though
October 8, 2018
A gripping character driven detective story. (Not bad for a freebie I picked up in the harbour launderette in Tobermory where Yachties leave books for fellow marine travellers to snatch up…). Of course I’m biased as I’m on a boat in the Inner and Outer Hebrides and this book is about a ‘sea detective’ who uses his knowledge of currents and tides etc to help grieving families and the police work out what has happened to missing persons, in this case off a remote island between Harris and Lewis. The weakness of the book (in comparison to, say, a Peter May novel) is that he has made up a completely fictional island and the island community that inhabits it (to avoid offending Hebridean sensibilities who are maybe tired of being portrayed in numerous detective novels as being a gruesome revenge-murder a month society!) and therefore, the setting seems somehow restricted and thin, with locals seeming to have nothing better to do all day than sit drinking tea and eating cake in the local café, and do not give the impression of having a real crofting existence. The remote island is obviously closely modelled on the famous Shiants (aka ‘The Sea Room’ by Adam Nicolson).
The strength of the novel is in the interpersonal relationships between fictional characters, rather than arising a tender depth of knowledge/affection for the Hebrides. I found particularly touching the portrayal of the female police officer who has a bit of a ‘thing’ for the ‘sea detective’ and who nurses vaguely romantic notions that she expects never to be fulfilled, but still can’t suppress. With the painful knowledge that despite her acute intellect, she is frequently overlooked in her profession simply because she is physically unattractive and feels under pressure to try to make up for her looks by justifying her existence by trying to think of something clever or witty to say, and seeing her senior officers seemingly put out by her presence ‘as though their senior rank entitled them to being surrounded by more attractive colleagues’. In this episode, she was the most convincing character. This is book three of a series and the reviews seem to rate the first book as the best, so I’ll maybe see if I can hunt it down.
The strength of the novel is in the interpersonal relationships between fictional characters, rather than arising a tender depth of knowledge/affection for the Hebrides. I found particularly touching the portrayal of the female police officer who has a bit of a ‘thing’ for the ‘sea detective’ and who nurses vaguely romantic notions that she expects never to be fulfilled, but still can’t suppress. With the painful knowledge that despite her acute intellect, she is frequently overlooked in her profession simply because she is physically unattractive and feels under pressure to try to make up for her looks by justifying her existence by trying to think of something clever or witty to say, and seeing her senior officers seemingly put out by her presence ‘as though their senior rank entitled them to being surrounded by more attractive colleagues’. In this episode, she was the most convincing character. This is book three of a series and the reviews seem to rate the first book as the best, so I’ll maybe see if I can hunt it down.
March 23, 2021
In the third installment of the Sea Detective series by Mark Douglas-Home, oceanographer Cal McGill has been commissioned to solve another disappearance at sea - this time of 14-year-old Max Wheeler five years ago.
I wish there was more focus on the Wheeler family - before and after Max's disappearance - to give us insight into David's reasoning and make the ending more believable.
The thing that most draws me to this series is the focus on the ocean, how it becomes a character all on its own, and Douglas-Home writes that very well.
I also enjoyed the focus on Cal's relationship with his father, which goes some way to explain his character and his inability to form real connections with anyone.
It's no secret that haven't been the biggest fan of this series, not because of a lack of plot or issues with the story, but because of the author's repetitive fat shaming of one character in particular, Helen Jamieson. In this installment, Douglas-Home has toned it down significantly, but there are still a few mentions of Helen's "size 18 figure" and her looks, which, apparently, are "an affront". The author has a clear obsession with fat bodies, which is so strange, given how much he hates them - if his earlier books are anything to go by, anyway.
Helen remains a pitiable figure, pining over Cal, but becomes more integral to the story this time around, which I could appreciate.
I loved how the author weaved the storylines together and how all my questions were answered towards the end.
Overall, this was easily the most enjoyable of the series so far because I didn't have to spend my time dodging fat shaming, but there's so much more that Douglas-Home could have done with the novel to make it... More. More heartfelt. More heartbreaking. More emotive. Just more.
There's not enough to make you truly care about the characters and, ultimately, that's this book's downfall.
I wish there was more focus on the Wheeler family - before and after Max's disappearance - to give us insight into David's reasoning and make the ending more believable.
The thing that most draws me to this series is the focus on the ocean, how it becomes a character all on its own, and Douglas-Home writes that very well.
I also enjoyed the focus on Cal's relationship with his father, which goes some way to explain his character and his inability to form real connections with anyone.
It's no secret that haven't been the biggest fan of this series, not because of a lack of plot or issues with the story, but because of the author's repetitive fat shaming of one character in particular, Helen Jamieson. In this installment, Douglas-Home has toned it down significantly, but there are still a few mentions of Helen's "size 18 figure" and her looks, which, apparently, are "an affront". The author has a clear obsession with fat bodies, which is so strange, given how much he hates them - if his earlier books are anything to go by, anyway.
Helen remains a pitiable figure, pining over Cal, but becomes more integral to the story this time around, which I could appreciate.
I loved how the author weaved the storylines together and how all my questions were answered towards the end.
Overall, this was easily the most enjoyable of the series so far because I didn't have to spend my time dodging fat shaming, but there's so much more that Douglas-Home could have done with the novel to make it... More. More heartfelt. More heartbreaking. More emotive. Just more.
There's not enough to make you truly care about the characters and, ultimately, that's this book's downfall.
October 20, 2020
This is the first novel in the Sea Detective series I have read and I was looking forward to seeing this specialist detective at work. However, while Cal did some investigating of the behaviour of the sea in the channel between the two islands, this did not seem to contribute much to solving the mystery surrounding the disappearance of young Max Wheeler five years earlier and much of his time was spent just waiting around hoping someone might let something slip.
The novel is set in the Hebrides in an isolated community and the landscape is well described and an important element in the story. In this respect it is comparable to the BBC series Shetland but without the visual impact. There is little that is particularly Scottish in the dialogue, cuisine or community.
The central characters and the local community are generally well drawn and interesting, but some, particularly the three Wheeler sisters and the their father are hard to fathom. The addition of a poacher of pink bird eggs, was a bit forced and inconclusive.In some ways it is resembles an Enid Blyton adventure as it features a secret cave that is only able to be entered during periods when the tides are extreme and allowed Max to indulge in bad behaviour.
Despite the reservations expressed above I found the novel both readable and enjoyable.
The novel is set in the Hebrides in an isolated community and the landscape is well described and an important element in the story. In this respect it is comparable to the BBC series Shetland but without the visual impact. There is little that is particularly Scottish in the dialogue, cuisine or community.
The central characters and the local community are generally well drawn and interesting, but some, particularly the three Wheeler sisters and the their father are hard to fathom. The addition of a poacher of pink bird eggs, was a bit forced and inconclusive.In some ways it is resembles an Enid Blyton adventure as it features a secret cave that is only able to be entered during periods when the tides are extreme and allowed Max to indulge in bad behaviour.
Despite the reservations expressed above I found the novel both readable and enjoyable.
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