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Sam Coyle Trilogy #1
Orkney Twilight
All families have secrets.
But some have more secrets than others. Jim is a brilliant raconteur whose stories get taller with each glass of whisky. His daughter Sam thinks it's time she found out the truth about her dad. On holiday in Orkney, Sam spies on Jim as he travels across the island. What has he hidden in the abandoned watchtower? Who is he meeting in the stone circle at dusk? And why is he suddenly obsessed with Norse myths? As Sam is drawn into Jim's shadowy world, she begins to realise that pursuing the truth is not as simple as it seems... Set against the harsh beauty of the remote Scottish islands of Orkney, inspired by the author's own childhood, this is a gripping first novel from an astonishing new talent.
But some have more secrets than others. Jim is a brilliant raconteur whose stories get taller with each glass of whisky. His daughter Sam thinks it's time she found out the truth about her dad. On holiday in Orkney, Sam spies on Jim as he travels across the island. What has he hidden in the abandoned watchtower? Who is he meeting in the stone circle at dusk? And why is he suddenly obsessed with Norse myths? As Sam is drawn into Jim's shadowy world, she begins to realise that pursuing the truth is not as simple as it seems... Set against the harsh beauty of the remote Scottish islands of Orkney, inspired by the author's own childhood, this is a gripping first novel from an astonishing new talent.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
April 6, 2025
*3.5 stars *
The main protagonist, Sam, is a very bright student who is set to start a degree at Oxford University in the coming autumn. Sam's family is oddly disjointed: Her mother is a professor of literature, completely self-possessed and independent; her father, Jim, is a bluff, outspoken Yorkshireman who began his career in the Army and has since been an undercover cop for as long as Sam can remember. She has two sisters who are typical teenagers. Her mother was an active participant in the Greenham Common camps, and Sam was frequently taken along there as a child.
Essentially, this is a tale of a father/daughter relationship. Sam relates how, as a seven-year-old, Jim would take her to his eyrie in the cab of a crane suspended high above the London docks, where he would keep an eye on the comings and goings of Soviet shipping. Under the influence of her father and her mother, Sam has experienced a most peculiar childhood. Her own closest friends are those she made in the Greenham Common camps.
As Sam is now spending time at home without much to do before going up to Oxford, Jim suggests she might like to come to Orkney with him for a short break. She can bring a friend if she wants. The Orkney islands were the setting for several family holidays when she was younger and she agrees to go, as she still has a great deal of interest in the pre-history of the islands, although she is well aware that Jim must have an assignment there.
She selects a friend of hers called Tom as a companion, who is also going to Oxford in the autumn. She doesn't know him very well and there is no suggestion of a romance between them.
The part of the book set in Orkney is the most captivating section, as the islands, at that time of the year is when the sun never really sets, with their mysterious Neolithic burial grounds and stone circles, they provide a fascinating background. Sam is very well aware that they are being watched the whole time, and that Jim is meeting various contacts. She takes Tom into her confidence and he eventually believes her. They undertake investigations of their own. But it is impossible to tell who is a friend and who a life-threatening danger.
I am not convinced that a father would involve his young daughter in his undercover work, and it was a little slow at times, but nevertheless a decent enough read.
The main protagonist, Sam, is a very bright student who is set to start a degree at Oxford University in the coming autumn. Sam's family is oddly disjointed: Her mother is a professor of literature, completely self-possessed and independent; her father, Jim, is a bluff, outspoken Yorkshireman who began his career in the Army and has since been an undercover cop for as long as Sam can remember. She has two sisters who are typical teenagers. Her mother was an active participant in the Greenham Common camps, and Sam was frequently taken along there as a child.
Essentially, this is a tale of a father/daughter relationship. Sam relates how, as a seven-year-old, Jim would take her to his eyrie in the cab of a crane suspended high above the London docks, where he would keep an eye on the comings and goings of Soviet shipping. Under the influence of her father and her mother, Sam has experienced a most peculiar childhood. Her own closest friends are those she made in the Greenham Common camps.
As Sam is now spending time at home without much to do before going up to Oxford, Jim suggests she might like to come to Orkney with him for a short break. She can bring a friend if she wants. The Orkney islands were the setting for several family holidays when she was younger and she agrees to go, as she still has a great deal of interest in the pre-history of the islands, although she is well aware that Jim must have an assignment there.
She selects a friend of hers called Tom as a companion, who is also going to Oxford in the autumn. She doesn't know him very well and there is no suggestion of a romance between them.
The part of the book set in Orkney is the most captivating section, as the islands, at that time of the year is when the sun never really sets, with their mysterious Neolithic burial grounds and stone circles, they provide a fascinating background. Sam is very well aware that they are being watched the whole time, and that Jim is meeting various contacts. She takes Tom into her confidence and he eventually believes her. They undertake investigations of their own. But it is impossible to tell who is a friend and who a life-threatening danger.
I am not convinced that a father would involve his young daughter in his undercover work, and it was a little slow at times, but nevertheless a decent enough read.
March 16, 2017
I've been on a thriller bent recently and have turned to my local library's Overdrive collection because Overdrive has "thriller" as a category that you can easily search for. This one sounded pretty stinking great and the cover was stunning, so I dived in.
Except.
It turns out that Overdrive doesn't differentiate between psychological/crime thrillers and spy thrillers. This is a spy thriller. I kept waiting for the murder and mayhem and creepiness to turn up and IT NEVER DID. I probably should have DNFed it when I realised it was a spy thriller because I honestly don't give a shit about spy stuff. Especially spy stuff set during the Cold War.
And yet for some reason, I finished this.
It was...fine? But like I said, not really my cup of tea. And it felt like it was never going to end, which isn't really what you want from a thriller...
Except.
It turns out that Overdrive doesn't differentiate between psychological/crime thrillers and spy thrillers. This is a spy thriller. I kept waiting for the murder and mayhem and creepiness to turn up and IT NEVER DID. I probably should have DNFed it when I realised it was a spy thriller because I honestly don't give a shit about spy stuff. Especially spy stuff set during the Cold War.
And yet for some reason, I finished this.
It was...fine? But like I said, not really my cup of tea. And it felt like it was never going to end, which isn't really what you want from a thriller...
May 9, 2015
From my review blog:
https://themoustachioedreader.wordpre...
I hate to admit it but this book was a struggle for me. I ploughed on through 240 of its 360 plus pages but had to admit defeat and cast it to one side.
The plot involves eighteen-year old Sam, the daughter of Jim, an undercover policeman, and her “difficult” relationship with her father. They visit a favourite family holiday haunt, the Orkney’s, whilst Jim decides on his future and Sam, under orders from her mother, tags along to keep an eye on what he gets up to. There are hints and tantalising glimpses of shadowy figures watching Sam and Jim and I hoped for an exciting read. However, despite my desire to discover how the book ends and to learn what Jim’s secrets are, this book failed to engage me enough.
I think that the author has an obvious love for the location, this is apparent in her description of the scenes and I believe that, for other readers, this will prove an enjoyable book. For me, though, I failed to connect with Sam at all; I found her to be rather annoying in many ways and interesting in only a few. I wanted to know much more about Jim but little about him is forthcoming and, by page 240, I had given up interest in learning more about either of them.
I’m rather disappointed. But, whether in myself for not sticking it out, or in the book for failing to grab my attention, I’m unsure.
The-Mustachioed-Reader
My Rating: 2.0* out of 5.0*
https://themoustachioedreader.wordpre...
I hate to admit it but this book was a struggle for me. I ploughed on through 240 of its 360 plus pages but had to admit defeat and cast it to one side.
The plot involves eighteen-year old Sam, the daughter of Jim, an undercover policeman, and her “difficult” relationship with her father. They visit a favourite family holiday haunt, the Orkney’s, whilst Jim decides on his future and Sam, under orders from her mother, tags along to keep an eye on what he gets up to. There are hints and tantalising glimpses of shadowy figures watching Sam and Jim and I hoped for an exciting read. However, despite my desire to discover how the book ends and to learn what Jim’s secrets are, this book failed to engage me enough.
I think that the author has an obvious love for the location, this is apparent in her description of the scenes and I believe that, for other readers, this will prove an enjoyable book. For me, though, I failed to connect with Sam at all; I found her to be rather annoying in many ways and interesting in only a few. I wanted to know much more about Jim but little about him is forthcoming and, by page 240, I had given up interest in learning more about either of them.
I’m rather disappointed. But, whether in myself for not sticking it out, or in the book for failing to grab my attention, I’m unsure.
The-Mustachioed-Reader
My Rating: 2.0* out of 5.0*
December 12, 2015
I heard Clare Carson speaking at a crime event earlier this year, and at last have read her debut thriller, Orkney Twilight and what a rare treat it was. From the outset I found myself completely involved in the unique father-daughter relationship between the shadowy and almost unknowable Jim and the feisty and sharp witted Sam. I loved the way that Carson explores their relationship throughout the book, as their paths of trust and mutual empathy converge and diverge, as the secrets that Jim carries, in his work as an undercover police officer, begin to impact on Sam, as she seeks to discover more about her father. The interactions and dialogue that Carson conjures around them is made all the more powerful by the invisible gaps that have appeared through long periods of estrangement, and there is a real sense of two people so utterly alike behaving as if the opposite was true. I was utterly entranced from start to finish, not only by the strength of the characterisation, with a relatively small cast of protagonists, and the engaging plot, but by the lyrical quality of the prose, underscored by the allusions to Norse myth and Scottish folklore and the beautiful realisation of location throughout. There is a subtle claustrophobia woven into the book, not only in the realms of human understanding, but played out cleverly at odds under the large skies of the Scottish isles that hold sway over much of the action. Outstanding.
March 24, 2016
This was a beautifully written novel about a teenage daughter drawn into various complex goings-on involving her shady father - I was very impressed by the atmosphere created, as well as some of the wonderful turns of phrase and onomatopoeia used by the author. I also very much enjoyed the setting of the novel in Orkney, having (like the author) spent a lot of time on the islands as a child myself.
However, I have only given this a three-star rating because I found the characters difficult to like, and as a consequence difficult to care about. The plot was also too convoluted and inconceivable for my liking - coincidences and secrets were revealed in series at exactly the right point in exactly the right order, which I just didn't buy. I also didn't buy the odd relationship between the father and daughter at the centre of the story, it seemed unrealistic too often.
The overall affect was that Carson had used her excellent writing ability, knowledge and experience, but the story felt a little 'tacked-on'. Though I give the author bonus points for mentioning Dag Hammarskjöld in passing, I'm not sure whether I'd read more by the same author.
However, I have only given this a three-star rating because I found the characters difficult to like, and as a consequence difficult to care about. The plot was also too convoluted and inconceivable for my liking - coincidences and secrets were revealed in series at exactly the right point in exactly the right order, which I just didn't buy. I also didn't buy the odd relationship between the father and daughter at the centre of the story, it seemed unrealistic too often.
The overall affect was that Carson had used her excellent writing ability, knowledge and experience, but the story felt a little 'tacked-on'. Though I give the author bonus points for mentioning Dag Hammarskjöld in passing, I'm not sure whether I'd read more by the same author.
May 22, 2016
I'd saved this to read until I was actually in Orkney, but ultimately found it difficult to know how to rate it. The writing was very good, lovely in places, dialogue and description, scene and action fine, but I had a lot of problem with the various plot strands, which seemed flimsy and under-supported, in a way which suggested the end came before the middle. Also there seemed to be more than a bit of drum-banging about Greenham Common, uranium mines and miner's strikes and I felt the information for this had been strung around memories of Orkney in ways which did not always convince.
I would have liked a bit more concentration of the father/daughter relationship which had the potential to be something unique and much meatier than portrayed here.
I would have liked a bit more concentration of the father/daughter relationship which had the potential to be something unique and much meatier than portrayed here.
March 1, 2022
3.5 stars
July 27, 2017
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
18 year old Sam and her friend Tom join her father, Jim, on a holiday to Orkney, a place that Sam remembers well from a previous childhood visit. However, it soon becomes clear that this is not just a holiday for her father. Jim is an undercover policeman, although exactly who he is working for becomes increasingly uncertain. As Sam observes her father's actions, she gets drawn into a web of deceit and double dealing that begins to threaten her own safety.
This is a promising debut novel, especially in the way Clare Carson uses the landscape and weather of Orkney to create an atmosphere. The myths and legends of the area are skilfully woven into the story. The tension between Sam and her father adds to the feeling that all is not as it seems, and the reader shares Sam's emotions as she resolutely keeps to her investigation, despite her fear of what the consequences could be.
The plot is rather involved, and I felt it stayed at the same pace through the novel. This made it intriguing, and retained my interest in what was happening, but it never really built to a dramatic finale, and so didn't deliver the explosive ending I had envisaged. Mysterious and absorbing rather than exciting.
A 3.5 star read, that would especially appeal to anyone interested in the setting, and I will be looking out for more from this author in future.
18 year old Sam and her friend Tom join her father, Jim, on a holiday to Orkney, a place that Sam remembers well from a previous childhood visit. However, it soon becomes clear that this is not just a holiday for her father. Jim is an undercover policeman, although exactly who he is working for becomes increasingly uncertain. As Sam observes her father's actions, she gets drawn into a web of deceit and double dealing that begins to threaten her own safety.
This is a promising debut novel, especially in the way Clare Carson uses the landscape and weather of Orkney to create an atmosphere. The myths and legends of the area are skilfully woven into the story. The tension between Sam and her father adds to the feeling that all is not as it seems, and the reader shares Sam's emotions as she resolutely keeps to her investigation, despite her fear of what the consequences could be.
The plot is rather involved, and I felt it stayed at the same pace through the novel. This made it intriguing, and retained my interest in what was happening, but it never really built to a dramatic finale, and so didn't deliver the explosive ending I had envisaged. Mysterious and absorbing rather than exciting.
A 3.5 star read, that would especially appeal to anyone interested in the setting, and I will be looking out for more from this author in future.
February 9, 2016
Beautifully written with plenty of descriptive prose that really set the scene. Orkney is now on my list of places to visit.
October 1, 2016
What was so engaging about this book for me was the insight it gave into the landscape and community in Orkney. Well worth reading for that alone.
December 28, 2024
I picked this one for the geography and it did not disappoint on that score. The story itself did not take off until very near the end. The character Sam needed more filling out to be interesting.
March 9, 2018
I have to confess that I love books set in Orkney! This one is no exception, it's an absorbing mystery, with more than a few twists and turns, entwined in Norse myths and remote Scottish landscapes. This is Clare Carson's first book, I hope it won't be her last. I can't wait to read the next one.
June 19, 2015
*WARNING! CONTAINS SPOILERS!*
Orkney Twilight is the kind of book that pulls you in from the start, and doesn't let you go until the very last page. Carson's language is clear and honest, slightly cynical and coldly empty where feeling is concerned; the build up of emotion not really setting in until the middle of the novel. You can really tell that the protagonist is a teenager, even though the story is told through a chilling and somewhat ambiguous third person narrative. Sam as a character is not immediately likeable, but I gradually warmed towards her as I realised how complex the tale that she set out to tell was. Tom was a welcome escape from the seriousness of Sam and the drunkenness and harsh temper of Jim; I liked him immediately and considered him a clever device to give some insight into the otherwise complex and mysterious story.
As for the plot itself, I found myself not only being swept away by the mystery and the excitement of the thriller twists, but also learning a lot as Carson delved into the rich history of the 1970s. Carson always kept you guessing, never giving you enough time to think, never leaving you space in your brain to make your own conclusions. You are not a passive reader of Orkney Twilight, but an active participant of the story. You are not watching Sam discover the truth about Jim and his ominous history, but helping her along the way.
My favourite part of Orkney Twilight was most definitely the character of Jim. I loved him from the first introduction of him and I loved him until his demise. But even then, the astonishing presence of Jim didn't fade away. Carson was able to keep the spirit of Jim alive, even when the physical character of him no longer existed. He was a delicious character, the type most readers can only dream about, where you continually ask yourself whether it is actually possible to ever understand him.
I had to include this extract of the book, as it brought me very close to tears. Here it is:
She felt a tear welling, forced it back and then smiled as she remembered Jim. And she thought then that what she really missed was the double-edged reassurance of his presence, the sense of danger letting you know you were alive, the lack of certainty, the doubts about what was real, what was cover, the feeling that he was more reliable, more trustworthy than the people who played it straight. Because in her heart she knew that truth was little more than fool's gold and there were no solid facts in this world, only stories and cover-ups, and if you scraped the surface all you would find were more strange tales and sleights of hand and anyone who thought differently was living in a land of make-believe.
I think that sums up pretty well Orkney Twilight, and why I loved it so much. I would highly recommend that if you're up for an utterly thrilling read, that you check this book out!
Orkney Twilight is the kind of book that pulls you in from the start, and doesn't let you go until the very last page. Carson's language is clear and honest, slightly cynical and coldly empty where feeling is concerned; the build up of emotion not really setting in until the middle of the novel. You can really tell that the protagonist is a teenager, even though the story is told through a chilling and somewhat ambiguous third person narrative. Sam as a character is not immediately likeable, but I gradually warmed towards her as I realised how complex the tale that she set out to tell was. Tom was a welcome escape from the seriousness of Sam and the drunkenness and harsh temper of Jim; I liked him immediately and considered him a clever device to give some insight into the otherwise complex and mysterious story.
As for the plot itself, I found myself not only being swept away by the mystery and the excitement of the thriller twists, but also learning a lot as Carson delved into the rich history of the 1970s. Carson always kept you guessing, never giving you enough time to think, never leaving you space in your brain to make your own conclusions. You are not a passive reader of Orkney Twilight, but an active participant of the story. You are not watching Sam discover the truth about Jim and his ominous history, but helping her along the way.
My favourite part of Orkney Twilight was most definitely the character of Jim. I loved him from the first introduction of him and I loved him until his demise. But even then, the astonishing presence of Jim didn't fade away. Carson was able to keep the spirit of Jim alive, even when the physical character of him no longer existed. He was a delicious character, the type most readers can only dream about, where you continually ask yourself whether it is actually possible to ever understand him.
I had to include this extract of the book, as it brought me very close to tears. Here it is:
She felt a tear welling, forced it back and then smiled as she remembered Jim. And she thought then that what she really missed was the double-edged reassurance of his presence, the sense of danger letting you know you were alive, the lack of certainty, the doubts about what was real, what was cover, the feeling that he was more reliable, more trustworthy than the people who played it straight. Because in her heart she knew that truth was little more than fool's gold and there were no solid facts in this world, only stories and cover-ups, and if you scraped the surface all you would find were more strange tales and sleights of hand and anyone who thought differently was living in a land of make-believe.
I think that sums up pretty well Orkney Twilight, and why I loved it so much. I would highly recommend that if you're up for an utterly thrilling read, that you check this book out!
December 14, 2014
My mother’s side of the family originates from Orkney so I was pleased and intrigued when this popped onto my door mat. This book is due to be published in April 2015.
This is Clare Carson’s debut novel; it is a dark thriller that interweaves with myths folk tales and some Norse mythology thrown into the mix from Orkney.
it was interesting that the author writes this with a teenage daughter of an undercover policeman as the narrator – would appear strange had I not read this book- but it works.
I enjoyed Clare’s style of writing and the characters extremely believable. This was a real page turner, scary and haunting; it keeps you guessing and the reader just has to read this book to the very end.
This is an author to look out for I cannot wait for her next book.
This is Clare Carson’s debut novel; it is a dark thriller that interweaves with myths folk tales and some Norse mythology thrown into the mix from Orkney.
it was interesting that the author writes this with a teenage daughter of an undercover policeman as the narrator – would appear strange had I not read this book- but it works.
I enjoyed Clare’s style of writing and the characters extremely believable. This was a real page turner, scary and haunting; it keeps you guessing and the reader just has to read this book to the very end.
This is an author to look out for I cannot wait for her next book.
October 13, 2016
2.5 stars.
This left me feeling a bit meh. It was not at all what I expected: far too much politics and not enough emphasis on the Norse mythology for my liking. Why include it in the blurb if it's not an integral part of the story? It was seriously just a minor detail. Disappointed.
I wasn't gripped and, honestly, I was just reading to get to the end so that I could move on to something new. I wasn't actually bothered about the characters or where the plot was going. The whole thing just feels very forgettable.
This left me feeling a bit meh. It was not at all what I expected: far too much politics and not enough emphasis on the Norse mythology for my liking. Why include it in the blurb if it's not an integral part of the story? It was seriously just a minor detail. Disappointed.
I wasn't gripped and, honestly, I was just reading to get to the end so that I could move on to something new. I wasn't actually bothered about the characters or where the plot was going. The whole thing just feels very forgettable.
January 3, 2016
A stunning first novel. Carson has created such an atmospheric piece, placed in what was an explosive point in modern British history that those of us of a certain age feel the anger rising and the blood pumping in our veins again. This is a coming of age story; it is a story about a father and daughter. It is spy thriller and a police drama. It is a road trip novel and historical saga. It is surprising and real and the ending will really stop you in your tracks.
April 3, 2016
This has been lurking on my Kindle for a long while & I though it was about time I attacked some of my 'To be read' collection.
I found this quite hard going. The plot was carefully crafted with lots of interesting twists along the way. However I really struggled to engage with the characters. There was no-one I was really rooting for which meant that a lot of the suspense passed over me. I was interested enough to read to the end but couldn't really give it more than three & a half stars.
I found this quite hard going. The plot was carefully crafted with lots of interesting twists along the way. However I really struggled to engage with the characters. There was no-one I was really rooting for which meant that a lot of the suspense passed over me. I was interested enough to read to the end but couldn't really give it more than three & a half stars.
December 21, 2016
Once again there is no mention in the description that this is a YA book! I'm sick of it. I don't really want to read another story of a poor, misunderstood teenager trying to cope with her parents. I put it down, just couldn't finish it. I gave it two stars because if you are specifically looking for a YA book, you might like this one.
April 18, 2015
I loved this book and raced through it practically without exhaling.... extremely pacey and well-written. The heroine, Sam, is a very realistic teenager....stroppy, clever, funny and a bit selfish. I also loved the character Jim and hope to see him again in other novels.
April 15, 2018
Slow burner
Although this took some getting into as the story jumped around a little to start the ending more than makes up for it. Great fast paced ending brings all the loose strings together
Although this took some getting into as the story jumped around a little to start the ending more than makes up for it. Great fast paced ending brings all the loose strings together
August 18, 2017
Meh. The mystery makes no sense and I didn't much care for the characters (I just couldn't believe them). I read it for the Orkney setting and that was cool enough, I guess.
March 2, 2019
A Young Adult spy-thriller. I read it as 'homework' for an upcoming holiday in Orkney.
March 24, 2020
For a mystery/thriller, nothing really happens until page 140 or so (and even then only in fits and starts until the end).
For a book about Orkney, it mentions quite a few locations and their ties to the Vikings, but otherwise not much at all. In fact, the closest person we meet to a "local" is actually a Norwegian fisherman.
Otherwise I found it a book with odd, not very plausible, characters. Maybe it's just a different mentality or something, but they seemed at times brilliant and at times extremely dull-witted. I understand the father and daughter had issues, but when an obvious international spy makes death threats to you and your father, why not at least mention it to your undercover cop father to get his take? But maybe that's just me.
Too bad, I was looking forward to a book about Orkney, and a mystery novel at that.
For a book about Orkney, it mentions quite a few locations and their ties to the Vikings, but otherwise not much at all. In fact, the closest person we meet to a "local" is actually a Norwegian fisherman.
Otherwise I found it a book with odd, not very plausible, characters. Maybe it's just a different mentality or something, but they seemed at times brilliant and at times extremely dull-witted. I understand the father and daughter had issues, but when an obvious international spy makes death threats to you and your father, why not at least mention it to your undercover cop father to get his take? But maybe that's just me.
Too bad, I was looking forward to a book about Orkney, and a mystery novel at that.
November 3, 2017
It is such a shame that this very talented writer got the plot and characters so wrong in this book. To say it lacked direction is an understatement. It meandered all over the world with tenuous connections and made the plot unstructured and confusing, The characters were spurious at best and there were enough red herrings to open a fish shop! The writing, however, is exceptional. It is intelligent and the words beautifully crafted. The descriptive passages were insightful. To sum up I read this book to the end though the mismatched characters and rambling plot were disappointing. I would try another by this author but with optimistic scepticism.
April 2, 2020
I like a fast paced crime novel, this one kind of judders along. Jim Coyle is an undercover cop who works for the Commander. Sam is his eighteen year old daughter who is tasked with spending a few days on Orkney with him to keep him company and keep an eye on him. A story line with twists and turns but so slow that by the end I just wanted it to end. There are clues from a childhood visit that Sam made to the docks when her dad was working there, there are clues from conversations with Jim (he is never dad, always Jim), there are clues turning up everywhere but in the end everyone is watching everyone else. A story of death and disaster wherever you looked. Completely unbelievable.
January 23, 2018
Well, clearly a case of being swung by the pretty cover and blurb. Sadly, this just didn't cut it for me. Overly descriptive, and the main character is so bloody annoying and paranoid that she really irritated me. The story takes forever to get going, and when you read other reader reviews, the action happens in the last third or quarter of the book. Forgive me, but I just don't care about the characters to even continue. I'm on 41% according to Kindle stats and I'm calling it a day. Others love it, I don't. Bored now!
August 21, 2018
Though I appreciated the writing, much of which was lovely, I didn’t like the characters. I loved all the birdlife (though it has annoyed others), but less than half the book is actually spent in Orkney, which was disappointing. In a way it’s a coming of age novel that happens to be set against the background of mercenaries, covert arms of the police, and African uranium running: the main theme in the end seems to be Sam’s relationship with her difficult father, Jim, and his lifestyle as an undercover policeman. It's sort of a 3.5 in the end.
August 28, 2022
Originally read this back in 2018, and "found" it back in my Kindle library. I'd forgotten how good it was, especially having a young woman as the main protagonist mixed in with the miner's strikes of 1984. It's a slow burn book that accelerates in the last 20%. It does however make me feel a little "old", taking place during events I can remember. The absence of mobile technology and computers also feels strange but that's how it was then, "the past is a foreign country" and all that.
Anyway it's made me want to finish the trilogy which is the mark of a well written book and story line.
Anyway it's made me want to finish the trilogy which is the mark of a well written book and story line.
October 11, 2024
I liked this a lot so have another half star. At the time this story is set I was in London squatting after four years living in Scotland and made some trips to Greenham Common. The miner's strike affected us all. And I have recently made it all the way to Orkney. So what with all that and the birds and plants and archaeology - and whisky - there was a lot in it for me - and the characters came to life for me as well. Apparently it was the author's first novel but there are at least two more. I look forward to the next volume.
September 1, 2020
An enjoyable read. An atmospheric, at moments tense thriller. Not your obvious blood and murder rampage, a more subtle form but still builds up and your not quite sure how its all going to end. This is clare carson's debut novel which i enjoyed, great descriptions of Orkney and some of the history associated with the island. I will read the other books following this one. Which is a good sign that I enjoyed the book😊
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews