Death at Neist Point

Misty Isle #6

by J.M. Dalgliesh

Sticks and stones may break your bones… but your name is going to kill you…

When the body of a missing teenager is discovered at Neist Point close to the famous lighthouse, battered and bruised, D.I. Duncan McAdam and his small team must determine how he died.

The Skye Ball, an annual event steeped in tradition where the next generation of the great and the good meet to celebrate their coming of age and present themselves to one another, has always been something of a spectacle for the islanders. The two-day affair culminates in a glitzy dinner followed by a night of Scottish Country Dancing where the young female attendees have a strict plan of who they will be introduced to, who they will dance with and to which song. The band plays almost until dawn when the gathered teenagers throw caution to the wind and leap together into Portree Harbour, a fitting end to mark their journey from adolescence into adulthood.

This year, a dozen teenagers go into the water... only one fails to resurface.

The rescue teams scour the bay in vain, searching for the missing boy; the last surviving heir to a Highland land baron dying from a terminal illness. With those who have vested interests in both the boy's survival - and indeed his untimely death - circling the scene, laying down markers of their own, how will Duncan determine whether the disappearance is a tragic accident or something much more sinister?

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Fiction, Scotland, Audiobook, Ebooks

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 18, 2025

About the author

Jason Dalgliesh was born on the south coast of England and grew up in Hampshire, UK. He has worked in the power transmission industry, the retail sector, call centres and as a night-owl in a bakery. His greatest challenge of all is ongoing, as a stay at home parent.

He is presently writing the Dark Yorkshire crime-series, featuring DI Nathaniel Caslin.

The novels are set in Yorkshire, England. The medieval City of York is Caslin's home town and the plot lines take in some of the UK's most rugged and beautiful landscapes, from the windswept North Sea coastline and across the stunning North York Moors.

Penned in the style of the Crime Noir genre, Caslin is a deep character, as flawed as he is brilliant, battling his own demons as much as those he is pitted against. Readers who enjoy gritty, atmospheric thrillers will find the series a must read.

Having spent time abroad, Jason has lived and worked in various parts of England as well as the Scottish Highlands. He currently resides in the East Riding, with his wife and two young children.

You can reach him via his website at www.jmdalgliesh.com

You can also follow him on social media;
facebook.com/jmdalglieshauthor
twitter.com/darkyorkshire

Reviews

[Lavins · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up

The book errs a bit too much on the personal side of the D.I. Duncan McAdam. To the point where he almost spends more time dealing with personal drama ( either because of his diva girlfriend or her very, very entitled ex with whom he shares a kid).

In addition, i am starting to question the legitimacy of his actions. He is deploying an army to save his son because he called and said "i need you" not having any clue if something is wrong or not. Which begs the question, if a stranger or someone that was not related to him would have made the same call, would he have acted the same way? Then is it okay to deploy all that manpower just because it's about his son? Where do we draw the line.

Not to mention the idea of him going to investigate the phone calls made by the victim to his ex. WITHOUT clearing that out with anyone else (least of his DS, his partner). What is this? A soap opera or a police investigation?

Zero investigation, just a hunch and a "forced" confession.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This seems to be the 13th book from this author that I have now read, but in this case not an unlucky 13. The action and characters were perfectly choreographed to make for a jolly engaging read. I won't turn down the opportunity to read more from this author.
I can now head out for Taste of Chicago in a good mood with something of a healthy appetite as all's well that ends well. At times during the dramatic action I feared the worst would happen. For some it did, of course.
Whoops - forgot to mention how very much I enjoyed the Skye setting!

Kindle Unlimited

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

i preferred this plot to the previous book however felt it was a bit all over the place

the ending tho, i’ll defo need to read the next one now

[Tammy Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy the story telling in this series but this one needs some serious editing.

[Abigail Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

DI McAdam is forced into a case when a teenager, Blair, disappears at an event right in front of him. After Blair’s body is discovered, McAdam needs to figure out who is behind this vile murder. It’s hard enough to find the killer, but when Blair’s father admits to dealing with scrupulous criminals it becomes even harder! Has Blair been killed due to the dealings of his father, or is the answer a bit closer to home?

I enjoyed the plot of this novel and how it kept you guessing. I also loved the cliffhanger ending where Callum outright asked McAdam if he is his father! This was clever piece of writing that makes you eager for the next book to see if the truth finally comes out.

As much as I enjoyed the plot, there were two reasons why I felt I couldn’t rate this more than three stars. Firstly, the continued continuity errors. I’d suggest the author gets a better editing team as very obvious mistakes keep cropping up. For example, in this novel McAdam shows a photo of the victim and a mystery girl to the killer, prompting them to want her dead, yet later on the killer states that they never saw the photo and McAdam states that he knows they didn’t see it, but they must have heard about it. This is a rather big error and should have been noticed before publication, especially as it’s a big plot point that pushed the killer’s actions.

The second reason why is due to McAdam’s constantly disregarding his team. I love detective books with a good team dynamic, yet McAdam’s always hides things from his team and goes off alone. Especially if things connect to his ex. I hope in future books we see more of a team dynamic!

Overall, a great plot, but continuity and sometimes character development takes away from the story. The final line alone was enough to make the book though!

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

No complaints from me on this one. If there were continuity issues they passed me by, I just wanted it sorted and ending well for Duncan, his family and friends. Engaging, no stereotypes ( maybe the manored family comes close, but even there it’s not clear cut) and a cracking good read on a cold afternoon.

[Jen Black]

The book did not disappoint and I didn't suspect the villain until the last chapter (A bit too late, I hear you cry!)
The misty Isles is a series with personal problems for Duncan McAdam as well the expected problems about killers and I like the contrast. Recommend this as a good read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every book is his best ever!

I have poured out so many words of praise for J M Dalgliesh in all if the series’ he has written but I will admit that the Misty Isle books are my special favourites.

As a Scot I love that he chose Skye as the setting. I feel I could probably get around now with a ferry timetable and a 4x4; definitely a 4 x4.

This book is a sit down and read in one go. It is not possible to set it down for a wee while in case something happens to it.

The baddies. So many baddies some not quite as bad as others but baddies nonetheless.

The occasional wee dig about closing A&E departments and cutting down the time allocated for carers (Jason for PM) just to keep things real. Then even more baddies.

Tell me then, as the baddies were dragged off to get what they deserved, why was I crying?

[Michelle Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duncan is so dismissive to Alastair. Why? Why couldn’t he say a brother in law/ uncle? He continues to hold things close to the chest and not confide in his DS. How is there ever going to be trust between them?

And Duncan, Becky, and Davey keeping Callum’s parentage a secret will bite them all in the ass. And why does Becky continue to treat Duncan like an absentee father when he was never told. Bitch move. Davey’s a prick too.

[Susann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't Really Hang Together

Not his best. A slow start. The plot doesn't really work. It is a stretch. Why does DI McAdam not share his thoughts and doings with the team????

[Giana Bender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good installment in the series but there are a few things that I didn't love. Overall the mystery plot was engaging and had enough elements to it to keep you guessing. You have a juxtaposition between the "regular" islanders and the elite from the beginning, and these class differences are the driver between a lot of the conflict that unfolds. The murder of Blair Sutherland is a tough one to solve as there are multiple relatives who would want to steal his inheritance. You also have the possible involvement of Callum in the matter, the possible involvement of Robert Brown and his daughter, and the possible involvement of a crime syndicate from the mainland to sift through to get to the truth of it. As always, I just love all the descriptions of Skye and feel like they add so much dimension to the writing.

I understand the desire to expand on Duncan's personal life, but I just don't think there is anything substantial with Grace and I am just waiting for them to end things. In the earlier books I enjoyed Becky as a character, but she has gone downhill for me. I definitely don't see a happy ending for her with Duncan, but she is clearly so miserable in her marriage (her husband really does suck) and taking it all out on Duncan. She keeps blaming him for being an absent father when she kept the entire pregnancy a secret so that he intentionally wouldn't be involved. And then we have Duncan, who sees Callum holding a baby once and then spirals about being a grandfather and how could no one have told him - and the baby isn't even Callum's in the end lol. Duncan is really letting his parentage to Callum drive his reactions, even in investigations, and I don't see how it wont eventually catch up to him at work and have him reprimanded in some way. There are also multiple mentions of not being able to tell the gender of babies by their clothing anymore - weird, but at least it is then followed by Duncan noting that times are changing and he needs to adjust? We also get a brief mention about Duncan and Ros having to sort out their dying mother's estate, and then it is never revisited.

[sabagrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the series has been a solid 4-star for me, I had to withhold one star for this one, because ...

* some redundant, even repetitive descriptions and reflections. "The Hall had not changed since his last visit." Really? The last visit was three days ago, or so. We got a description of the house that first time. Nonetheless, we get yet another description in almost as much detail and almost the same words.
* some recurrent characters and themes begin to chafe. Becky is just obnoxious, has been so from the start, and you only can deplore the MC's poor judgement at the time. The obsession with the father-thing is overblown. (hey, wee Duncan, if you want a child that badly, make one).
* by now, we know that every lead that points to organised mainland crime will be a red herring, because the author wants to keep the investigation and the solution strictly insular and in McAdam's hands. That adds quite a lot of redundancy and predictability, alas, and a lot of loose threads dangling out from the last page.
* the first act - the original crime - is spectacular. I understand the author could not resist the drama and the mystery. Unfortunately, it is never sufficiently explained or motivated. and please, how does Jackson manage to get back to the hotel, dressed and dry, within an hour or two? let alone Margaret who is there all the time? there's a hotel full of people and staff, but they can pack an unconscious, gagged and bundled-up person into a car's trunk unnoticed? who drives the car? That spoils the pleasure. Note to authors: be careful what you invent in the first chapter, because you will have to explain it in the last, and your readers will not have forgotten the details - even if you have.

The three stars (instead of two) are due to the fact that I really like the series. I hope that the author will take a deep breath, and some time out, to return to the quality of the earlier instalments.

[Gretchen Bernet-Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not the crime chasing cop story I thought I would be reading. The location and locals are great but I found DI Duncan McAdam a wee bit too embroiled in his own family affairs. Domestic drama is okay but I thought I'd be reading about solving a strange disappearance, a tricky crime, not a slow and methodical investigation of various rather irrelevant red-herring situations. Maybe that is current day policing, gathering local information rather than fast and furious. It is set in Portree, a peninsula of the Isle of Skye in Scotland, a stunningly windswept part of the country. I could feel the cold just reading about it. Their weather showed 3 degrees Celsius on Friday 8am while I was experiencing 31 degrees Celsius on Friday at 6.12pm. My usual book review quote comes from Chapter 17 "The sunset on the horizon, a deep orange glow belied the dreadful afternoon's weather that had passed over the island." Several families play an important part in this story which contains solid and often relatable feelings, the sort you could imagine Shirley Henderson leading the casting call. I loved the sense of place, however it may be awhile before I pick up another book in this series.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

DEATH AT NEIST POINT is written by J.M. Dalgliesh.
The title is Book #6 in the Misty Isle series.

When the body of a missing teenager is discovered at Neist Point close to the
famous lighthouse, battered and bruised, DI Duncan McAdam and his small team
must determine how he died.

The Misty Isle series is a great set of books byScottish writer J.M. Dalgleish.
[I thought this was the sixth and final book in the series, but a 7th book was
mentioned at the end of DEATH AT NEIST POINT. The title would be Book #7 and
is entitled St. Molaug’s Dead. To be published in 2026 (?)]
This has been a great series by Mr. Dalgleish: 1. A Long Time Dead. 2. The Dead Man of
Storr. 3. The Talisker Dead. 4. The Cuillin Dead. 5. A Dead Man on Staffin Beach. and
6. Death at Neist Point.
The location is a big draw - The Isle of Skye. Its rugged landscape, the ocean, rivers
and bays and waterfalls, even the weather play important parts in every title.
The series is well-written with interesting plots and characters.
****

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seething Skye

As a tourist place it is so picturesque and magnificent. As a murder mystery it is full of drama but the landscape is part of the story too. I still feel damp from the various rains. I love the character development. I was certain who the villain was from the very beginning but it did not detract from the story at all. There were so many fingers in the pot, so many nuances, past and present that the story kept going forward. I love his Norfolk series, but the author has a way with the Scottishness of a good yarn. I love feeling like i have revisited some old haunts. And that it feels the same. It left on a personal cliffhanger, so there will be another story.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this book on Audible and of course Angus King is the best narrator they have. He really brings the Scottish characters to life. I like that the books introduce you to the Isle of Skye and their traditional people in each story. This time the plot revolves around the nobility of the island who are not all they seem on the surface. DI Duncan McAdam has his own baggage and past that he struggles to not let interfere with his cases. The mystery is good and I did not figure it all out until the end. The chemistry between the police team is good and I enjoy how it evolves. The books shows the conflicts between an area that is getting more tourist traffic in contrast to the locals who never seem to change much. Good book!

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A freebie on Kindle Unlimited.

A teenage boy goes missing after a party. He's from a wealthy family and the team investigate.

This is the sixth in the series and was just ok. The story was fine but, as with the others, the writing is sometimes messy. One of the team is called Fraser and one of the suspects has the same name. Why? It just makes it confusing for the reader.

There is a lack of consistency throughout the books. I got the impression that Duncan wasn't keen on dogs when he met Grace's dog called Derek. When they start living together, Derek isn't mentioned for one whole book and then is back in the next one. Huh? I could go on but can't be bothered.

I might try another of his series set in Norfolk but only because they are free.

[Mary Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death at Neist Point

An excellent read, one which grabs hold of your interest from the first page. The characters are brought to life very clearly and the twists and turns in the plot kept me hooked all the way through to the conclusion. Reading all the books in the series in order added to the enjoyment of the book as it gives a clear picture of the relationships between the characters who return in each story. I am already looking forward to book number 7 when it becomes available. Highly recommend these books to people who enjoy a good detective story which keeps you engrossed, but also gives a human interest in bringing the characters in the books vividly to life.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is best yet in this series. It starts with the Skye Ball, which is a version of a debutante ball. Blair Sutherland is seen jumping into the water, by his fiancée, as is custom at the end of the night, but he doesn’t surface or come back out. A full search is organised.
The next day a body is found by the Lighthouse at Neist Point, it is Blair Sutherland, but how did he get there?
Duncan and the team need to investigate, the case though twists and with plenty of unexpected turns.
An excellent read.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Death At Neist Point - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

Death At Neist Point, J.M. Dalgliesh's thrilling whodunit...? centres on DI Duncan McAdam's latest case - the murder of a local estate's heir.
Links to past events in the wider family are mingled with Duncan's own complicated family relationships throughout.

Lots of intense action, a great storyline with many twists and turns, multi-layered characters, wild outdoor scenery...Death At Neist Point has them all and more.

Get a copy today and clear your diary, as you won't want to be disturbed!

[Mully · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duncan is called in to solve a mystery disappearance. What had been a very happy party of youngsters plunging into the sea after a rollicking good time, turns into tragedy when one boy disappears. Then on the other side of Skye, a dead body turns up on top of a very steep cliff. Our author has a devious mind and you will be pushed to work out the mystery as the baffled reader! Enjoy Duncan really putting down roots in his homeland.

[Ian Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now read all the Misty Isles books and Neish Point in just a few days. Surely JM has left the door open with his son asking the question, to continue. Full of intrigue and how it was all brought together. Loved being able from Australia to find the places on MAPS. Having been there. As usual, the weather gets a good mention. So JM when the next one. I did read all the Norfolk and York series so you can see I love his writing.

[Susan Starling · Rating 5 out of 5]

They Just Keep Getting Better

Great mystery in this book, and it continues to further the story of Duncan and Callum. Two things I particularly appreciate about his books - 1) They are well edited without silly spelling or grammatical errors (a frequent issue with Kindle Unlimited series), and 2) He does not rely on the old tired storytelling device of ALL of the higher cups being idiots.

[Corny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The attraction of this series is the characters and their backstories. I pretty much figured this mystery out about halfway through but that did not detract. Duncan McAdam has a lot going on in his life and that tends to be more interesting than the cases he is solving. The subplots here involve not only Grace but Becky and Callum as well as Ros. Nevertheless, McAdam does not let anything get in the way of solving the murder of a teen. A quick read and a joyful one!

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are never long enough, and waiting for the next is too hard!

These mysteries are just so entertaining, a joy to read. D.I. Duncan, and his amazing crew solve the worse crimes, for the Isle of Skye!
Well written murder mysteries, great police work, fascinating characters, and very interesting cast of supporting characters!
I highly recommend these books!

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant written book 6 in The Misty Isle series. It had me hooked from start to finish in this well written gripping, twisty storyline and plot. It kept me intrigued and guessing, and I was slightly right but was fooled by the twists, red herrings, and the twisty ending.
It has strong, interesting characters, and I particularly like D.I.Duncan McAdam and his attitude of not letting anything get in his way of solving a case.
I've read and thoroughly enjoyed all the books in this series and very much look forward to the next one.
As J. M. Dalgliesh is one of my favourite authors, and I enjoy reading his books. As with this one, I always pre-order his books, as I wouldn't want to miss one.
My thanks to the author for the advanced copy. This is my honest and unbiased review of this book.

[marion oshunrinde · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST READ EVER

I read this book tonight and I finished this book tonight. I have never done that in all my years of reading. The story just flows along in each chapter getting better and better a really great story line with a wonderful finish.
The best one yet Mr Dalgleish
Thank you

[Karen Oakley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another cracking read from Mr Dalgleish! So many twists, turns, and red herrings. This series just gets better and better. The interactions between the team are comical at times and the underlying story of Duncan McAdam's convoluted love life is getting more interesting with each book. That cliff hanger at the end was a corker! Looking forward to the next one.

[Pat Gerber-Relf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I am becoming a Scot, after reading so many books from Scotland, but they are enjoyable. Although growing up in London and never been in Scotland,the books are interesting. This was yet another good crime story with a few surprises at the end. I donot want to give too much away but this is the last book in this series until the next one appears-

[barryid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit it, the prologue threw me off. I was in pursuit of a different villain. Oh well. As in all mysteries, the least likely case prevails. I took off one star for the triteness. The second missing star is for the prededominance of personal story which does hang together all that well. From his sister to his girlfriend to the mother of his son, too much.