Ghost Notes

by Doug Johnstone

A heart attack at a funeral, blackmail, murder, grief bots, affairs, the power of music and ghosts of every kind, who threaten the Skelfs' very existence. The Skelfs are back in another gripping, heartfelt and irresistible mystery.

'The persistence of love in the Skelf household, no matter what fate flings at it, is reassuring and life-affirming' The Times

'The Skelfs feel like family – their joys are my joys, their pains are my pain … Edinburgh's favourite family, bringing darkness and delight' Val McDermid

'AI remain a happily hopeless Skelfaholic' Mark Billingham

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The Skelf women have been keeping their heads down, running the family's funeral directors and private investigation businesses. But when a woman collapses at her husband's funeral and is saved by Dorothy, she finds herself drawn into the murky world of 'grief tech' – a booming new industry that creates digital avatars of the dead.

Jenny's latest case – a simple blackmail job for an old school friend – quickly spirals into chaos as the woman's tangled love life pulls Jenny towards dangerous old habits.

Meanwhile, Hannah and her wife, Indy, are confronted by the unexpected arrival of Indy's ex-boyfriend, claiming to be dying and eager for the Skelfs to arrange his funeral. But his arrival uncovers more ghosts from the past, and threatens to upend everything they've built.

As their cases collide and their personal lives spiral, the Skelfs face danger from all sides. How far will they go to protect one another, and what will it cost to finally silence the ghosts?

Warm, tense and full of heart, Ghost Notes is another masterful instalment in Doug Johnstone's award-winning, addictive Skelfs series, and the stakes are higher than ever…

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Praise for The Skelfs

**SHORTLISTED for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Book of the Year**

**SHORTLISTED for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Novel**

'Some of the best female characters in crime fiction' Sarah Hilary

'If you loved Iain Banks, you'll devour the Skelfs series' Erin Kelly

'An addictive blend of Case Histories and Six Feet Under' Chris Brookmyre

'Wonderful flawed, funny and brave' Sunday Times

'Underlines just how accomplished Johnstone has become' Daily Mail

'Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch' Gytha Lodge

'An engrossing and beautifully written tale' Herald Scotland

'One of the greats of Scottish crime fiction' Luca Veste

'Gripping and blackly humorous' Observer

'A must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists' Publishers Weekly

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 13, 2026

About the author

Doug Johnstone is a writer, musician and journalist based in Edinburgh. His fourth novel, Hit & Run, was published by Faber and Faber in 2012. His previous novel, Smokeheads, was published in March 2011, also by Faber. Before that he published two novels with Penguin, Tombstoning (2006) and The Ossians (2008), which received praise from the likes of Irvine Welsh, Ian Rankin and Christopher Brookmyre. Doug is currently writer in residence at the University of Strathclyde. He has had short stories appear in various publications, and since 1999 he has worked as a freelance arts journalist, primarily covering music and literature. He grew up in Arbroath and lives in Portobello, Edinburgh with his wife and two children. He loves drinking malt whisky and playing football, not necessarily at the same time.