Unknown: An atmospheric amateur sleuth crime thriller from a must-read new voice in Scottish crime fiction

by Heather Critchlow

A woman with no name, a reckoning with the past, a present fraught with danger.

In the most remote spot of the hills surrounding Loch Tay, a woman's remains were found. She had lay there a while, but any evidence of who she was had long gone or never existed. Crime podcaster Cal Lovett seeks to put 'Hillside Jane' to rest, but is he merely running from his own troubles?

With the wife of his sister's alleged killer missing and a sense that any chance he had of getting justice for Margot is slipping from his grasp, Cal is at a crossroads. Perhaps peace for Hillside Jane will soothe his own fears. But events in the village don't bring the results anyone expected. Is Cal so stuck in the past that he won't spot the risk he faces in the here and now?

A gripping instalment of the bestselling Scottish crime series from Bloody Scotland Debut Prize for Scottish Crime-shortlisted author Heather Critchlow. Perfect for fans of Jane Casey, Claire Douglas and Neil Lancaster.

Praise for Heather Critchlow

'One to watch' The Critic

'Evocative, immersive, well written' Harriet Tyce

'Exceptionally good' A. J. Finn

'Assured and compelling' Dominic Nolan

'Gripping and taut' Sam Holland

'A darkly twisted tale' Rachael Blok

'A tense and gripping tale that explores the complexities of motherhood' Heather Darwent

'Heart-racing storytelling with very-real characters' James Delargy

'Will keep you reading long after you should have turned out the light' Kate Simants

What readers are saying about Unknown 'A heart-pounding case, spanning past and present. Absolutely brilliant' Sam Holland

'This series goes from strength to strength... the evocative setting is a blast of fresh Highlands air. A must-read for Scottish crime fiction fans' Jo Furniss

'The perfect true-crime thriller. It was suspenseful and kept me turning the pages until the end' Reader review

'Heather Critchlow's storytelling is superb. She weaves threads and timelines together seamlessly and keeps up the page-turning suspense. An outstanding crime series' Reader review

'My goodness what a story! With such exquisite writing and plot twists you won't see coming, you really will be up all night! An absolute must-read' Reader review

'As always Heather has written a truly immersive world. I was immediately hooked until the very end. I can't wait for the next one (already)' Reader review

'An excellent series. Cal is a complex believable character and his relationships and the world he inhabits feel real to the reader' Reader review

'A brilliant read with a well-thought-out, interesting plot that kept you engaged' Reader review

'I absolutely flew through this Another very enjoyable instalment in the Cal Lovett series I don't think I will ever get enough!' Reader review

'An excellent book. Multiple threads are woven into the story with great dexterity, and are tied together at the end with even more skill' Reader review

'Well-plotted and atmospheric' Reader review

'What I like most about this series is the character development so realistic and so compelling' Reader review

'Excellent, twisty storyline.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 7, 2025

Reviews

[Nav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unknown is the fourth book in the series in Cal Lovett Files by Heather Critchlow.
I won this in a giveaway and got tempted to buy the whole series 🙌🏽 which was so worth it!!
Published on 7 August 2025
Genre: crime fiction

Blurb: The story picks up with the remains of a woman an unidentified body of ‘’ Jane” —found in remote hills near Loch Tay, Scotland.
The main character, Cal Lovett, a crime podcaster, takes on the case of identifying Jane.
At the same time, Cal is wrestling with personal stakes: the wife of his sister’s alleged killer is missing, and his hopes for justice for his sister’s disappearance are slipping.
Themes of identity, loss, the past, dangerous secrets both in the coldcase he investigates and in Cal’s own world.

I absolutely loved how the characters are strongly driven!
If you enjoy dark, atmospheric crime thrillers with tons of mysteries, emotional heaviness, morally complex characters, and a Scottish-Highlands setting this is up your street! 🙌🏽

Side note: if there was anything that got me in for Crime thrillers/ fiction! It’s going to be this author! I cannot wait for the 5th one now!!
Rating 5/5 💫💫💫💫💫

[Sarah Winney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth instalment of the Cal Lovett files - Unknown. All the books in this series are so good and this book is no exception. Cal is drawn to Scotland where he becomes involved in the search for a missing podcaster called Lucie, which leads to trying to solve the puzzle of a body found many years ago in the hills which was buried in the local cemetery with no identification called hillside Jane.


This storyline includes Shona and Chrissie along with Rocket once again and follows on with Cal’s continuing search for answers in his personal life re the disappearance and murder of his sister Margo. With the wife of her alleged murderer going missing, could this be the break in the case and justice he has been looking for?

[Mummy_book_worm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was my bookclub pick for the start of 2026 and we have agreed it will be a hard one to follow.

The story had me gripped so quickly. It took no time for the story to develop and have me wondering what would happen next.

Will definitely look to read the other stories in the series.