Unknown

Cal Lovett Files #4

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.

Paperback

Reviews

[Hayley]

Cal is back and still dealing with the fallout from the trial of his sister’s alleged killer. He is sucked into a long forgotten case of a Jane Doe in the Scottish Highlands. Can he find out who she is and what happened to her? Another great instalment of the series. Seriously addictive and always leaves me wanting more!

[Amanda Reynolds]

This is the fourth instalment of this series, and I think it might be my favourite. I found this one to be a really easy read -which was something that I needed as the dark nights draw in and back to school starts.

I really like Cal’s character and enjoyed the fact that this book focused more on one current case rather than being fuelled mostly by the death of Cal’s sister.

The scenery is described beautifully (even for me who finds it incredibly hard to picture people and places) and the fact that it is based on a real location makes it even more special.

I liked the development of the relationship between Cal and Chrissie and can see how this can lead on to more podcasts for the pair in the future. However, I would have liked to have had a little bit more involvement with Shona who seemed to mostly blend into the background during the latter parts of the book.

The chapters are short and pacy, alternating between the present and Morna‘s story in the 1950s. Unlike some of the other books in the series, Unknown could be read without having read any of the others as it is more of a standalone book. Whilst it does have links to the main storyline which flows through the series, they are explained and recapped making it easy for anyone to read and understand. I really like Heather Critchlow‘s style of writing and this was a first book to kickstart November.

[Nav]

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 💫💫💫💫💫

[Nicola Smith]

Unknown is the fourth in the Cal Lovett series by Heather Critchlow. Cal is a podcaster, focusing on cold crimes. After the events of book three, when the trial of Jason Barr, the man believed to have killed Cal’s sister, didn’t mete out the justice Cal hoped for, he’s not looking for a new crime to investigate but one falls into his lap and he finds himself delving into the case of ‘Hillside Jane’, a woman whose remains were found twenty years earlier in a remote walking area but never identified. Surely somebody must have missed her.

The case itself is intriguing and we get to see some of what happened to Jane and why through flashback chapters. Cal’s got a lot on his mind but it doesn’t stop him giving his all to the case, determined to find out who she was.

This is an excellent addition to the series (which sadly will end with book five). I think Cal is an immensely likeable character and I enjoyed his relationships with Shona, a forensic anthropologist (so used to human remains!) and his daughter, Chrissie. His complex dealings with Jason Barr’s wife add another absorbing element to the complications of Cal’s life.

I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a cold case storyline. It’s dark, tense, emotional and well-plotted and the author does a great job of keeping up the pace and the mystery throughout.

[Sarah Winney]

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?

[Renko Dekker]

Unknown by Heather Critchlow is book 4 in the Cal Lovett Files. Again, this was a gripping thriller with lots of twists, making the story a great book to read. I received a copy from Canelo via Netgalley.

When the remains of a woman, known only as Hillside Jane, are discovered near Loch Tay, crime podcaster Cal Lovett takes on the case, driven by his own unresolved trauma over his sister’s unsolved disappearance. The last bit makes his storyline all the more interesting.

Cal is a compelling lead and is personal life, especially his relationship with partner Shona and daughter Chrissie, adds emotional depth to the investigation. The writing is spot on, the setting vividly atmospheric, and the pacing perfect.

[Mike Banach]

Very entertaining. Plot twists galore. Rich set of characters who continue to become more complex as the series has evolved. Fascinating how a minister taking a interest in a disadvantaged youth, can lead tales of immigration, gold smuggling, airplane crashes, and multiple unconnected deaths. Introducing the minister at the beginning of the book and bringing him back in at the end really brought it full circle. Read it in a few weeks which is fast for me.

[Mummy_book_worm]

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.

[Ruth Matheson]

When a walker goes missing, Cal joins the team with his family to look for her and gets more than he bargained for ! Added to that hie nemesis' wife had disappeared too after bombarding Cal with phone calls. Plenty of action. Beautiful description of the scenery in this part of the world. A great addition to this series. Overall 4.5*

[Jenny Beck]

Another cracking instalment in the Cal Lovett series! The scenery is all so vivid and I definitely feel a visit is on the cards.

[Anne Everest]

not to be missed

This series seems to get better as it goes on. I enjoyed the complexity of the plot and its resolution. Heather’s writing is also becoming more elegant and subtle as she goes on.