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DI Alec McKay #1
Candles and Roses
Who will live and who will die?
DI Alec McKay is a man haunted by the loss of his daughter. As he obsesses over a missing person case that is going nowhere, McKay’s investigation is interrupted when bodies start appearing on the Scottish Black Isle. Soon McKay and his team start to identify a disturbing pattern behind the killings.
Why are candles and roses placed around the bodies?
What is this twisted murderer trying to achieve?
While the police follow their own leads, a young woman who discovered the first victim begins an investigation of her own.
As the case unfolds McKay will be forced to face his own demons.
To catch the killer McKay must discover the true motive and untangle the web of truth and lies.
Candles and Roses is the first book in the explosive new DI McKay Series.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2016
464 people are currently reading
610 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
October 8, 2021
3.5 stars. Scribd.com's English text, and translation for Portuguese + audio in English from Google Translate. Continuing the Project Learning English by myself. I was loving this book, but I didn't understand the end. That's why I gave only 3.5 stars.
November 12, 2016
This is a new series that introduces the reader to DI Alex McKay. And the opening chapter is one you won't want to miss.
McKay has some issues ... he lost his own daughter and his relationship with his wife is deteriorating at a rapid pace. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about a missing young woman ..one who reminds him so much of his daughter.
It's not long before McKay and his team have their hands full .... the body of a young woman is found. She's surrounded by candles and roses.
And almost before they identify this victim, another body is found ... surrounded by candles and roses. And then there's a third body ....
To catch this killer, he needs to find the thread that ties all these victims together. He must delve into the lives of these women and sort out the lies and secrets.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. McKay is a multi-layered character. Despite the loss of his child and the ongoing problems of a crumbling marriage, he doesn't let either interfere with his search for a vicious killer. He's got a great team to work with and there is mutual respect among them all.
This was a riveting crime thriller and I look forward to seeing more from this author.
McKay has some issues ... he lost his own daughter and his relationship with his wife is deteriorating at a rapid pace. He hasn't been able to stop thinking about a missing young woman ..one who reminds him so much of his daughter.
It's not long before McKay and his team have their hands full .... the body of a young woman is found. She's surrounded by candles and roses.
And almost before they identify this victim, another body is found ... surrounded by candles and roses. And then there's a third body ....
To catch this killer, he needs to find the thread that ties all these victims together. He must delve into the lives of these women and sort out the lies and secrets.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. McKay is a multi-layered character. Despite the loss of his child and the ongoing problems of a crumbling marriage, he doesn't let either interfere with his search for a vicious killer. He's got a great team to work with and there is mutual respect among them all.
This was a riveting crime thriller and I look forward to seeing more from this author.
September 27, 2016
Candles And Roses is the first novel in the DI McKay Series and as first novels to a new crime series goes, it’s a pretty darn good one.
McKay I took to straight away. I’m not sure if he is supposed to a bit of a tyrant or not, but I loved his character. Like a lot of crime detectives, his personal life is not the easiest of ones yet he doesn’t let it interfere with his work. He has great rapport with other members in the team and I for one think he would be great to work alongside.
When young women’s bodies turn up surrounded by candles and roses, it is obvious that McKay and his team have a serial killer on their hands. Why these particular women though is what the team are asking themselves as well as was I.
I had absolutely no clue as to who was behind the murders until it was there in front of me. There are quite a few possible suspects that I was constantly second guessing as to who it could be and totally got it wrong. It actually came as quite a shock when it was finally revealed. The author certainly knows how to play with his readers.
Candles And Roses is a gripping crime thriller that certainly kept me on my toes. With a likeable protagonist you can’t help but get drawn into his life and work and can’t wait to read more about McKay and his team.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
McKay I took to straight away. I’m not sure if he is supposed to a bit of a tyrant or not, but I loved his character. Like a lot of crime detectives, his personal life is not the easiest of ones yet he doesn’t let it interfere with his work. He has great rapport with other members in the team and I for one think he would be great to work alongside.
When young women’s bodies turn up surrounded by candles and roses, it is obvious that McKay and his team have a serial killer on their hands. Why these particular women though is what the team are asking themselves as well as was I.
I had absolutely no clue as to who was behind the murders until it was there in front of me. There are quite a few possible suspects that I was constantly second guessing as to who it could be and totally got it wrong. It actually came as quite a shock when it was finally revealed. The author certainly knows how to play with his readers.
Candles And Roses is a gripping crime thriller that certainly kept me on my toes. With a likeable protagonist you can’t help but get drawn into his life and work and can’t wait to read more about McKay and his team.
My thanks to Bloodhound Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2016

Candles and Roses by Alex Walters #BlogTour #BookReview @MikeWalters60 @Bloodhoundbook @baatyabtbooks
jorobertson20151h ago Crime thriller
About this book…
Who will live and who will die?
DI Alec McKay is a man haunted by the loss of his daughter. As he obsesses over a missing person case that is going nowhere, McKay’s investigation is interrupted when bodies start appearing on the Scottish Black Isle. Soon McKay and his team start to identify a disturbing pattern behind the killings.
Why are candles and roses placed around the bodies?
My review… About the author…
VisitShareComment7Likes
MetLineReader
metlinereader.wordpress.com
**BLOG TOUR** Only Daughter
metlinereader1h ago
#OnlyDaughter @HQstories @annasnoekstra
I’m delighted to be the next stop on the blog tour for this very cleverly crafted story.
About this book
View Gallery2 images
VisitShareComment2Likes

portobellobookblog
portobellobookblog.com
The English Daughter by Maggie Wadey #review @sandstonepress @RKbookpublicist
Joanne1h ago
I don’t read a lot of non-fiction but I couldn’t resist this book. I have carried out a lot of research on my own family’s history and also some for friends. There are always interesting stories which come up as you dig into a family’s past and I find it quite fascinating. It is especially interesting to find things which have been kept secret in a family for reasons which now seem hard to understand. In this book, the author weaves her own family history into a wonderful story which is part memoir and part social history.
As happens in many families, Maggie Wadey did not know a lot about her mother’s background and it was only in later years that she began to talk about her life. Agnes was from Ireland but beyond that the author knew very little. Through the stories Agnes told, and from her own memories of childhood, Maggie Wadey began to piece together what she could about her mother’s early life. Following her mother’s death, she wanted to know more, to feel a real connection with the Irish side of her family. Travelling to Ireland gave rise to many more questions as she began to uncover secrets within the family.
I thought that the author told her story in an immensely enjoyable and compelling way. Woven into the narrative are her own memories, her mother’s memories, discoveries about her ancestors, a fascinating insight into Irish history and the unravelling of a mystery she didn’t even know was waiting to be solved. Above all, it’s a moving story of an ordinary family which shows that every family’s story can be intriguing and that there are always interesting tales waiting to be discovered.
VisitShare2Comments6Likes

bytheletterbookreviews
bytheletterbookreviews.com
Medea’s Curse by Anne Buist
Sarah Hardy1h ago
Book Description:
Forensic psychiatrist Natalie King works with victims and perpetrators of violent crime. Women with a history of abuse, mainly. She rides a Ducati a size too big and wears a tank top a size too small. Likes men but doesn’t want to keep one. And really needs to stay on her medication.
Now she’s being stalked. Anonymous notes, threats, strangers loitering outside her house.
View Gallery2 images
VisitShareComment9Likes

findingtimetowrite
findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com

Friday (Thursday) Fun: Writers’ Retreats
MarinaSofia1h ago Friday Fun
Some of them belong(ed) to writers, some of them are being used for writing workshops and retreats. All of them will predispose you to a bookish reverie…
Finally, the Michalski Foundation in Switzerland has been busy building different versions of treehouses by renowned Swiss architects. You can apply for a writing residency programme in one of those treehouses, very close to where I used to live (talk about bad timing for leaving the area!). Here are more details on how to apply (deadline is Sept. 30th, hence a Thursday rather than Friday Fun posting, to give you time to apply).
View Gallery8 images
VisitShare1Comment6Likes
Stevie Turner, Indie Author.
steviet3.wordpress.com
Thursday Cite & Insight Invite -29th September
Stevie Turner1h ago
This week’s quote is from Lewis Howes:
‘Your life will never improve unless you start making daily improvements’.
Lewis Howes is a New York Times Bestselling author of the hit book, The School of Greatness. He is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, he is a current USA Men’s National Handball Team athlete.
VisitShareComment3Likes
BOOKS FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
booksfromdusktilldawn.wordpress.com
THE MEDDLER by DONNA MARIA McCARTHY #Gothicfiction#dragons#newrelease@roast914_k
booksfromdusktilldawn1h ago
THIS BOOK IS DUE TO BE PUBLISHED 1st OCTOBER 2016
THE BOOK DESCRIPTION
Witches laid bare
And Dragons that fight
For a Meddler to care
He must lose sight
For the greatest adventure will only begin
When the purest of souls is tempted by sin
VisitShareComment8Likes
onceuponalittlefield.wordpress.com
onceuponalittlefield.wordpress.com
Why Did You Lie? by Ysra Sigurdardottir
Emma1h ago women writers
A journalist on the track of an old case attempts suicide. An ordinary couple return from a house swap in the states to find their home in disarray and their guests seemingly missing. Four strangers struggle to find shelter on a windswept spike of rock in the middle of a raging sea. They have one thing in common: they all lied. And someone is determined to punish them…
So I think I have found one of my favourite books of the year. A complete surprise, as it’s not an author I’ve read before and I didn’t know what to expect, but I think it’s fair to say I have been completely blown away.
It starts with the characters, all of whom are so well drawn I felt I knew them by the end of the book. Each of them felt different and real. They had complex personalities, habits and quirks (good and bad), something I think it’s hard to do when there are multiple narrations going on at the same time. And each was dealing with curveballs unexpectedly thrown at them by life (or nature in the case of those trapped on the spike of rock), making their stories interesting outside of the murder plot.
VisitShareComment2Likes
Steph's Book Blog
stephsbookblog.com
Bone by Bone by Sanjida Kay – Guest Review.
Steph1h ago guest post
Today, it is my pleasure to welcome to my blog Liz from lizlovesbooks reviewing the brilliant novel Bone by Bone.
About the Book
Laura loves her daughter more than anything in the world.
But nine-year-old Autumn is being bullied. Laura feels helpless.
Review
VisitShareComment4Likes

EmmaTheLittleBookWorm
emmathelittlebookworm.wordpress.com
**Blog Tour** Time To Play by KA Richardson ( @karichardson77 @bloodhoundbook #bloghound)
emmathelittlebookworm1h ago
Bloodhound Books (22 Sept. 2016)
I am delighted to welcome you to my stop on the Time To Play blog tour. Having never read a KA Richardson book before I was delighted to be involved in this, so without further ado …
The blurb . . .
VisitShareComment6Likes

The Writes of Woman
thewritesofwoman.wordpress.com

Jersey Legends – Erren Michaels
naomifrisby1h ago Jersey Festival of Words
By the time you’re reading this post, I’ll be on my way to the airport to catch a flight to Jersey, so I thought it would be fitting to review a book which includes some of the legends told about the island.
In Jersey Legends, Erren Michaels includes eleven tales. Some are rewrites of stories, others incorporate two legends into one new story. In the introduction, Michaels writes:
The island of Jersey is a singular place of great natural beauty which lends itself well to fairy tales. The dramatic cliffs of the north coast are as beautiful in their rugged majesty as the sand dunes of the western shores and the golden beaches that surround the island. Jersey’s patchwork of green farmland is interspersed with rich woodland, and medieval castles are juxtaposed with the bustling hub of the town.
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mychestnutreadingtree
mychestnutreadingtree.wordpress.com
Candles and Roses by Alex Walters #BlogTour #BookReview @MikeWalters60 @Bloodhoundbook @baatyabtbooks
jorobertson20151h ago Crime thriller

About this book…
Who will live and who will die?
DI Alec McKay is a man haunted by the loss of his daughter. As he obsesses over a missing person case that is going nowhere, McKay’s investigation is interrupted when bodies start appearing on the Scottish Black Isle. Soon McKay and his team start to identify a disturbing pattern behind the killings.
Why are candles and roses placed around the bodies?
What is this twisted murderer trying to achieve?
While the police follow their own leads, a young woman who discovered the first victim begins an investigation of her own.
As the case unfolds McKay will be forced to face his own demons.
To catch the killer McKay must discover the true motive and untangle the web of truth and lies.
Candles and Roses is the first book in the explosive new DI McKay Series.
My review…
I haven’t read any of this authors books before so really didn’t have any expectations at all when I picked it up to read. So it was a very pleasant surprise to find a crime novel set in a lovely part of Scotland that I know quite well and with a detective that I found very likeable and convincing.
DI Alec McKay was very easy to visualize from the authors description and I was surprised how easily I took to him. There’s a good balance here between his work life, where he is out to catch a possible serial killer and his home life where problems are hinted at very early on. The other characters I liked were Ginny Horton whom I would love to have more of the action in future books, and Kelly, who bravely decided she wanted to take part in a little investigating of her own. After taking a little while to work out who they and the rest of the characters were and how they fitted in with the plot, I couldn’t put this book down. The descriptions of how each girl goes missing were really disturbing with a creepy atmosphere and sense of foreboding leading back to the wonderfully dark and gloomy setting of the Black Isle.
I did work out where the plot was going but found the end to be conducted without too much sentimentality and with a few ends left dangling for good measure! I really enjoyed this new crime series and will definitely be looking to read the next book when it comes along.
Many thanks to Helen at Bloodhound books for my review copy.
Candles and Roses by Alex Walters #BlogTour #BookReview @MikeWalters60 @Bloodhoundbook @baatyabtbooks
jorobertson20151h ago Crime thriller
About this book…
Who will live and who will die?
DI Alec McKay is a man haunted by the loss of his daughter. As he obsesses over a missing person case that is going nowhere, McKay’s investigation is interrupted when bodies start appearing on the Scottish Black Isle. Soon McKay and his team start to identify a disturbing pattern behind the killings.
Why are candles and roses placed around the bodies?
My review… About the author…
VisitShareComment7Likes
MetLineReader
metlinereader.wordpress.com
**BLOG TOUR** Only Daughter
metlinereader1h ago
#OnlyDaughter @HQstories @annasnoekstra
I’m delighted to be the next stop on the blog tour for this very cleverly crafted story.
About this book
View Gallery2 images
VisitShareComment2Likes

portobellobookblog
portobellobookblog.com
The English Daughter by Maggie Wadey #review @sandstonepress @RKbookpublicist
Joanne1h ago
I don’t read a lot of non-fiction but I couldn’t resist this book. I have carried out a lot of research on my own family’s history and also some for friends. There are always interesting stories which come up as you dig into a family’s past and I find it quite fascinating. It is especially interesting to find things which have been kept secret in a family for reasons which now seem hard to understand. In this book, the author weaves her own family history into a wonderful story which is part memoir and part social history.
As happens in many families, Maggie Wadey did not know a lot about her mother’s background and it was only in later years that she began to talk about her life. Agnes was from Ireland but beyond that the author knew very little. Through the stories Agnes told, and from her own memories of childhood, Maggie Wadey began to piece together what she could about her mother’s early life. Following her mother’s death, she wanted to know more, to feel a real connection with the Irish side of her family. Travelling to Ireland gave rise to many more questions as she began to uncover secrets within the family.
I thought that the author told her story in an immensely enjoyable and compelling way. Woven into the narrative are her own memories, her mother’s memories, discoveries about her ancestors, a fascinating insight into Irish history and the unravelling of a mystery she didn’t even know was waiting to be solved. Above all, it’s a moving story of an ordinary family which shows that every family’s story can be intriguing and that there are always interesting tales waiting to be discovered.
VisitShare2Comments6Likes

bytheletterbookreviews
bytheletterbookreviews.com
Medea’s Curse by Anne Buist
Sarah Hardy1h ago
Book Description:
Forensic psychiatrist Natalie King works with victims and perpetrators of violent crime. Women with a history of abuse, mainly. She rides a Ducati a size too big and wears a tank top a size too small. Likes men but doesn’t want to keep one. And really needs to stay on her medication.
Now she’s being stalked. Anonymous notes, threats, strangers loitering outside her house.
View Gallery2 images
VisitShareComment9Likes

findingtimetowrite
findingtimetowrite.wordpress.com

Friday (Thursday) Fun: Writers’ Retreats
MarinaSofia1h ago Friday Fun
Some of them belong(ed) to writers, some of them are being used for writing workshops and retreats. All of them will predispose you to a bookish reverie…
Finally, the Michalski Foundation in Switzerland has been busy building different versions of treehouses by renowned Swiss architects. You can apply for a writing residency programme in one of those treehouses, very close to where I used to live (talk about bad timing for leaving the area!). Here are more details on how to apply (deadline is Sept. 30th, hence a Thursday rather than Friday Fun posting, to give you time to apply).
View Gallery8 images
VisitShare1Comment6Likes
Stevie Turner, Indie Author.
steviet3.wordpress.com
Thursday Cite & Insight Invite -29th September
Stevie Turner1h ago
This week’s quote is from Lewis Howes:
‘Your life will never improve unless you start making daily improvements’.
Lewis Howes is a New York Times Bestselling author of the hit book, The School of Greatness. He is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, he is a current USA Men’s National Handball Team athlete.
VisitShareComment3Likes
BOOKS FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
booksfromdusktilldawn.wordpress.com
THE MEDDLER by DONNA MARIA McCARTHY #Gothicfiction#dragons#newrelease@roast914_k
booksfromdusktilldawn1h ago
THIS BOOK IS DUE TO BE PUBLISHED 1st OCTOBER 2016
THE BOOK DESCRIPTION
Witches laid bare
And Dragons that fight
For a Meddler to care
He must lose sight
For the greatest adventure will only begin
When the purest of souls is tempted by sin
VisitShareComment8Likes
onceuponalittlefield.wordpress.com
onceuponalittlefield.wordpress.com
Why Did You Lie? by Ysra Sigurdardottir
Emma1h ago women writers
A journalist on the track of an old case attempts suicide. An ordinary couple return from a house swap in the states to find their home in disarray and their guests seemingly missing. Four strangers struggle to find shelter on a windswept spike of rock in the middle of a raging sea. They have one thing in common: they all lied. And someone is determined to punish them…
So I think I have found one of my favourite books of the year. A complete surprise, as it’s not an author I’ve read before and I didn’t know what to expect, but I think it’s fair to say I have been completely blown away.
It starts with the characters, all of whom are so well drawn I felt I knew them by the end of the book. Each of them felt different and real. They had complex personalities, habits and quirks (good and bad), something I think it’s hard to do when there are multiple narrations going on at the same time. And each was dealing with curveballs unexpectedly thrown at them by life (or nature in the case of those trapped on the spike of rock), making their stories interesting outside of the murder plot.
VisitShareComment2Likes
Steph's Book Blog
stephsbookblog.com
Bone by Bone by Sanjida Kay – Guest Review.
Steph1h ago guest post
Today, it is my pleasure to welcome to my blog Liz from lizlovesbooks reviewing the brilliant novel Bone by Bone.
About the Book
Laura loves her daughter more than anything in the world.
But nine-year-old Autumn is being bullied. Laura feels helpless.
Review
VisitShareComment4Likes

EmmaTheLittleBookWorm
emmathelittlebookworm.wordpress.com
**Blog Tour** Time To Play by KA Richardson ( @karichardson77 @bloodhoundbook #bloghound)
emmathelittlebookworm1h ago
Bloodhound Books (22 Sept. 2016)
I am delighted to welcome you to my stop on the Time To Play blog tour. Having never read a KA Richardson book before I was delighted to be involved in this, so without further ado …
The blurb . . .
VisitShareComment6Likes

The Writes of Woman
thewritesofwoman.wordpress.com

Jersey Legends – Erren Michaels
naomifrisby1h ago Jersey Festival of Words
By the time you’re reading this post, I’ll be on my way to the airport to catch a flight to Jersey, so I thought it would be fitting to review a book which includes some of the legends told about the island.
In Jersey Legends, Erren Michaels includes eleven tales. Some are rewrites of stories, others incorporate two legends into one new story. In the introduction, Michaels writes:
The island of Jersey is a singular place of great natural beauty which lends itself well to fairy tales. The dramatic cliffs of the north coast are as beautiful in their rugged majesty as the sand dunes of the western shores and the golden beaches that surround the island. Jersey’s patchwork of green farmland is interspersed with rich woodland, and medieval castles are juxtaposed with the bustling hub of the town.
View Gallery2 images
VisitShare1Comment5Likes
Streams
Followed SitesManage
DiscoverSearchRecommendationsMy Likes
Lists0
Add
Tags1
Add
HELP

mychestnutreadingtree
mychestnutreadingtree.wordpress.com
Candles and Roses by Alex Walters #BlogTour #BookReview @MikeWalters60 @Bloodhoundbook @baatyabtbooks
jorobertson20151h ago Crime thriller

About this book…
Who will live and who will die?
DI Alec McKay is a man haunted by the loss of his daughter. As he obsesses over a missing person case that is going nowhere, McKay’s investigation is interrupted when bodies start appearing on the Scottish Black Isle. Soon McKay and his team start to identify a disturbing pattern behind the killings.
Why are candles and roses placed around the bodies?
What is this twisted murderer trying to achieve?
While the police follow their own leads, a young woman who discovered the first victim begins an investigation of her own.
As the case unfolds McKay will be forced to face his own demons.
To catch the killer McKay must discover the true motive and untangle the web of truth and lies.
Candles and Roses is the first book in the explosive new DI McKay Series.
My review…
I haven’t read any of this authors books before so really didn’t have any expectations at all when I picked it up to read. So it was a very pleasant surprise to find a crime novel set in a lovely part of Scotland that I know quite well and with a detective that I found very likeable and convincing.
DI Alec McKay was very easy to visualize from the authors description and I was surprised how easily I took to him. There’s a good balance here between his work life, where he is out to catch a possible serial killer and his home life where problems are hinted at very early on. The other characters I liked were Ginny Horton whom I would love to have more of the action in future books, and Kelly, who bravely decided she wanted to take part in a little investigating of her own. After taking a little while to work out who they and the rest of the characters were and how they fitted in with the plot, I couldn’t put this book down. The descriptions of how each girl goes missing were really disturbing with a creepy atmosphere and sense of foreboding leading back to the wonderfully dark and gloomy setting of the Black Isle.
I did work out where the plot was going but found the end to be conducted without too much sentimentality and with a few ends left dangling for good measure! I really enjoyed this new crime series and will definitely be looking to read the next book when it comes along.
Many thanks to Helen at Bloodhound books for my review copy.
September 27, 2016
DI McKay Series Book #1
It’s raining and you’re soaking wet – dying to get away from the street. You’re so glad to be out of the cold that you ignore the disturbing flash of foreboding just before you are drawn in and realise it’s too late. You are never to be seen alive again, your body will be laid out between candles and roses. You have become another lost soul.
Alex Walters’ crime debut is an intriguing detective novel, set in the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands. We meet DI Alec McKay who wants to keep up his appearance of being a force to be reckoned with, a grumpy Scot, “a streetwise metropolitan” from Glasgow than the “turnip-eating provincial” from Dundee he in fact is. His DS is Ginny Horton, as English as can be and as deceiving in her appearance as McKay because she “looked as if butter wouldn’t melt in her arse” contrary to her strength and confidence.
When young couple Greg and Kelly make out in the woods, they stumble upon the naked body of a girl laid out amidst candles and roses. McKay, with upon his desk the open case of Lizzie Hamilton, a girl gone missing the summer before, takes this murder personal. The young woman is a lost soul, another Lizzy like McKay’s own daughter.
Kelly, the girl who found the body, is convinced that something also happened to Lizzie Hamilton whom she knew vaguely. She wants to investigate and starts taking a midday waitress job at the Caledonian, with the creepy landlord Denny Gorman, where Lizzie Hamilton was last seen.
Meanwhile McKay has difficulty identifying the young woman in the woods. When he does have a name, it leads nowhere: she was a runaway from home, from a controlling and dominating father and a docile mother. When another young woman is found murdered, in a cave near the sea, with candles and roses around her body, McKay and Horton fear that a serial killer could be at work.
Both the young women are runaways from home, have estranged parents and somehow end up dead back home. They are not connected and were, yes, lost souls, drifting through life. Will their murderer be found? Can McKay put aside his personal emotions about his own daughter Lizzy, about the open case from last summer?
Is Kelly endangering herself by being close to Denny Gorman, owner of the Caledonian? Does working for the creep help in any way finding out something that will lead to the whereabouts of Lizzie Hamilton? McKay's second in command, Horton, fears that McKay is way too personal involved. Horton knows that McKay needs closure, will do anything to somehow amend for what happened with his daughter. Finding the girls' murderer may prove to be very difficult and time is limited, because if it is a serial killer, chances are he will strike again.
With every new lead, McKay gets more stuck in the case and cannot help thinking of his own daughter. Is he losing his perspective? Will he be able to properly investigate and not let his feelings get in the way?
Alex Walters’ crime debut is a great read, it is exciting and intriguing and I simply loved this detective novel. What makes the book so enjoyable is the perfect mix of police work and personal events. The reader is as involved with the investigation as the police and has the same clues to puzzle with and find the killer. And then there is the ending… I can’t wait to read the next book in the DCI McKay series!
Read the full review on my website: http://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/candles...
It’s raining and you’re soaking wet – dying to get away from the street. You’re so glad to be out of the cold that you ignore the disturbing flash of foreboding just before you are drawn in and realise it’s too late. You are never to be seen alive again, your body will be laid out between candles and roses. You have become another lost soul.
Alex Walters’ crime debut is an intriguing detective novel, set in the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands. We meet DI Alec McKay who wants to keep up his appearance of being a force to be reckoned with, a grumpy Scot, “a streetwise metropolitan” from Glasgow than the “turnip-eating provincial” from Dundee he in fact is. His DS is Ginny Horton, as English as can be and as deceiving in her appearance as McKay because she “looked as if butter wouldn’t melt in her arse” contrary to her strength and confidence.
When young couple Greg and Kelly make out in the woods, they stumble upon the naked body of a girl laid out amidst candles and roses. McKay, with upon his desk the open case of Lizzie Hamilton, a girl gone missing the summer before, takes this murder personal. The young woman is a lost soul, another Lizzy like McKay’s own daughter.
Kelly, the girl who found the body, is convinced that something also happened to Lizzie Hamilton whom she knew vaguely. She wants to investigate and starts taking a midday waitress job at the Caledonian, with the creepy landlord Denny Gorman, where Lizzie Hamilton was last seen.
Meanwhile McKay has difficulty identifying the young woman in the woods. When he does have a name, it leads nowhere: she was a runaway from home, from a controlling and dominating father and a docile mother. When another young woman is found murdered, in a cave near the sea, with candles and roses around her body, McKay and Horton fear that a serial killer could be at work.
Both the young women are runaways from home, have estranged parents and somehow end up dead back home. They are not connected and were, yes, lost souls, drifting through life. Will their murderer be found? Can McKay put aside his personal emotions about his own daughter Lizzy, about the open case from last summer?
Is Kelly endangering herself by being close to Denny Gorman, owner of the Caledonian? Does working for the creep help in any way finding out something that will lead to the whereabouts of Lizzie Hamilton? McKay's second in command, Horton, fears that McKay is way too personal involved. Horton knows that McKay needs closure, will do anything to somehow amend for what happened with his daughter. Finding the girls' murderer may prove to be very difficult and time is limited, because if it is a serial killer, chances are he will strike again.
With every new lead, McKay gets more stuck in the case and cannot help thinking of his own daughter. Is he losing his perspective? Will he be able to properly investigate and not let his feelings get in the way?
Alex Walters’ crime debut is a great read, it is exciting and intriguing and I simply loved this detective novel. What makes the book so enjoyable is the perfect mix of police work and personal events. The reader is as involved with the investigation as the police and has the same clues to puzzle with and find the killer. And then there is the ending… I can’t wait to read the next book in the DCI McKay series!
Read the full review on my website: http://www.bitsaboutbooks.net/candles...
April 23, 2025
Alex Walters' new book, "Candles and Roses," delves into the eerie setting of the Black Isle peninsula near the Moray, Beauly, and Cromarty Firths. The tale starts in Manchester, where Katy Scott, a bar worker, gets a ride from a driver but is soon knocked out with chloroform. Meanwhile, DI Alec McKay is worried about Lizzie Hamilton, a young woman who vanished from a pub in Rosemarkie. Her father is unhelpful, and the case is closed, assuming she left town. Two teens, Greg and Kelly, about to start university, find a body at Clootie Well, a site linked to ancient Celtic beliefs. They discover a makeshift grave with candles and flowers, suspecting the person died from asphyxiation. In Manchester, Jo, a young woman, escapes from a builder named Dave and decides to take a lift from someone in a van instead of the train. Thus the series begins!
Candles and Roses is a straightforward police procedural by Alex Walters. It centers on Detective McKay, who is affected by his daughter's death and its effect on his marriage. He suspects that the missing women might have been victims of abuse, which connects them. Meanwhile, a teenager named Kelly investigates and connects Lizzie Hamilton's disappearance to a body found at Clootie Well. She is employed by Denny Gorman, the pub's sleazy landlord, who drinks excessively.
The meaning behind the candles and roses at the crime scenes is not fully explored. Although the book is interesting, it could have been creepier with more details about the burial rituals. Candles and Roses is suitable for readers who prefer less graphic content.
Candles and Roses is a straightforward police procedural by Alex Walters. It centers on Detective McKay, who is affected by his daughter's death and its effect on his marriage. He suspects that the missing women might have been victims of abuse, which connects them. Meanwhile, a teenager named Kelly investigates and connects Lizzie Hamilton's disappearance to a body found at Clootie Well. She is employed by Denny Gorman, the pub's sleazy landlord, who drinks excessively.
The meaning behind the candles and roses at the crime scenes is not fully explored. Although the book is interesting, it could have been creepier with more details about the burial rituals. Candles and Roses is suitable for readers who prefer less graphic content.
September 16, 2016
This is a tremendous start to a new series by Alex Walters, set in and around the Moray Firth. The lead detective is having problems in his marriage and his partner has moved to Scotland to escape troubles in her past which are hinted at and which will, hopefully, be explained further in future novels. The writing is excellent, the description of the locale is vivid and the central story is compelling. The candles and roses of the title are placed by the bodies whose deaths Alec is investigating but why, and who is responsible? Superb!
September 21, 2016
Young girls are going missing. DI Alex McKay has his own problems to deal with at home- demons of the past and a tumultuous relationship. A pattern is starting to emerge of the girls and their backgrounds. Their final resting places are surrounded by the candles and roses of the title- so who cares enough to do this? A fast paced crime book set in the north of Scotland with a very likeable detective- humour, sincerity (and lack of!) and dogged determination make him come to life. Excellent descriptions leave you seeing the scene and people involved (all but one) as you turn the pages. What is the missing link and why these particular young women? I thought that I had worked this out around 75% of the way through, then came that unexpected twist, beautifully presented.
An enjoyable gripping read.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review
An enjoyable gripping read.
I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an open and honest review
September 26, 2016
In this brilliant Scottish crime thriller young women go missing – and then turn up dead, ritualistically surrounded by candles and roses. The women share something in common – estranged from their families, leading somewhat chaotic lifestyles, drifters, almost. McKay is the detective tasked with discovering who killed them – a man with his own demons – a man who lost his own daughter to suicide– a loss that haunts him and his wife Chrissie and is having on-going repercussions on their marriage. He is also still troubled by the disappearance of another young woman whose body was never discovered. This thriller was multi-layered, McKay was a detective easy to identify with and multi-dimensional. The setting was wonderfully evocative, its beauty demonstrated through the runs McKay’s colleague takes across the Firth, and contrasts wonderfully with the horror of two of the bodies found amongst it’s beauty.
The novel builds to a satisfying denouement, with some questions still unanswered – but in a good way!
The novel builds to a satisfying denouement, with some questions still unanswered – but in a good way!
February 2, 2024
I liked it til the end. What the heck kind of ending is that? I suppose they're setting you up for the next book. But geez 🙄
February 9, 2018
A real hold fast!
In the begining, it has you thinking that these murders are happening too fast and too close together. Then the author catches you in a mind grip.
DI Alex Mckay has more to worry about than just his career. It seems that he is projecting his emotions from his personal life onto this current case.
When Lizzie Hamilton became a misper, there was no doubt in DI Mckay's mind that she fell victim to something sinister. One year later the demise of three women who share similar backgrounds as Lizzie Hamilton, have been discovered in compromising and disturbing ways. Their deaths strike up a flurry of investigations and bring them to the most likely suspects.
With the case coming to a close, so many irregularities come to the surface. There's no doubt that there is more to this story then meets the eye.
Maybe answers will come to light in the next book of the series and we can be at peace knowing that the Black Isle Killer is brought to justice once and for all.
In the begining, it has you thinking that these murders are happening too fast and too close together. Then the author catches you in a mind grip.
DI Alex Mckay has more to worry about than just his career. It seems that he is projecting his emotions from his personal life onto this current case.
When Lizzie Hamilton became a misper, there was no doubt in DI Mckay's mind that she fell victim to something sinister. One year later the demise of three women who share similar backgrounds as Lizzie Hamilton, have been discovered in compromising and disturbing ways. Their deaths strike up a flurry of investigations and bring them to the most likely suspects.
With the case coming to a close, so many irregularities come to the surface. There's no doubt that there is more to this story then meets the eye.
Maybe answers will come to light in the next book of the series and we can be at peace knowing that the Black Isle Killer is brought to justice once and for all.
February 22, 2018
This is the first book in the D.I McKay series and it’s a great start. I very much liked the character of McKay whose home life is rather troubled. However he manages to keep his personal troubles from affecting his work. It’s also good to have him as part of a team that work together well. I liked the setting in the Black Isle in North East Scotland. It definitely adds to the atmosphere. A number of bodies of young women are discovered laid out surrounded by candles and roses. It seems that there is a serial killer in this remote area. However at first there is no obvious link between them. It’s a clever plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader gripped. The ending was rather surprising and wasn’t quite what I had expected. I must say I’m looking forward to reading more of DI MacKay
December 26, 2024
I would say this book is alright. It’s more so on Detective McKaye’s perspective. He and his team hunts down the killer who kills and places young ladies bodies all over The Highland. The team grows very tired as the hunt down this killer as the try to gather the identities of the victims. Everyone is trying to help in finding out as to what is happening to the missing woman. Some people are getting to close and putting themselves in harm’s way. That’s when the book is getting really good. I like the book. I only wish that the killer had a more in depth scene with the woman. Yes his first contact is brilliant and mysterious. It’s great, but I want to see what happens after the invite for coffee.
April 28, 2019
A very readable book and definitely potential for me to give 5* to the next one in the series which I have on my TBR.
June 25, 2022
O livro de estreia numa série policial passado nas terras altas Escocesas.
Bem escrito e com um bom "Plot twist"
Bem escrito e com um bom "Plot twist"
January 4, 2022
My first read on this author. It was ok not great. Some of that is my issue due to the fact I am getting used to the Scottish vocabulary. The plot was good and character development well done. Cliff hanger ending on the protagonist's situation compels me to read the next in the series. My lower rating (other than the language issue) is that there is a lot of repetition on the weather and the area. No need to repeat multiple time within the same chapter and sometimes within a couple of pages. Otherwise a good read, going on to #2 due to the overall rating this series has received. Hopefully it will be a more engaging read.
June 3, 2024
I listened to this book on audible, story would have got 4 stars, narration was awful. Don’t get on audible!!
September 28, 2016
What a belter of an opening chapter, don't think for a minute that this is going to be a get to know the characters kind of opening because it isn't, it's a let me just show you what you are letting yourself in for kind of opening and boy this doesn't disappoint! I felt like one of Alex Walters victims as before I knew what was happening he had taken my breath away. I was the silent witness in this story where I had a tremendous feeling of sadness to the killings, more than normal somehow. It was the innocence of his victims that he captures so very perfectly in his writing. As a reader you know what is going to happen, there are moments similar to the situations where you cringe and want to shout no. You can see it but you keep reading wanting them to hesitate, to realise. You slow your reading you want to give them that chance. They feel real like you could make a difference. I liked the pace of this story where there was the chance of danger on every page.
Set in Scotland D.I. Alex McKay spends far to many hours trying to solve the worst of criminal cases instead of facing his wife and the problems that they haven't learnt to face together in their lives. I really took straight away to this D.I. that Alex Walters gave an unforgettable realism to, where what affects him in his home life also affects how he deals with problems at work to the point of obsession and not knowing how to let go.
This is the first book in a new series for Alex Walters which I am positive will gather quite a following very quickly, myself being one of them. I wish to thank Bloodhound Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Set in Scotland D.I. Alex McKay spends far to many hours trying to solve the worst of criminal cases instead of facing his wife and the problems that they haven't learnt to face together in their lives. I really took straight away to this D.I. that Alex Walters gave an unforgettable realism to, where what affects him in his home life also affects how he deals with problems at work to the point of obsession and not knowing how to let go.
This is the first book in a new series for Alex Walters which I am positive will gather quite a following very quickly, myself being one of them. I wish to thank Bloodhound Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 17, 2021
Alex Walters is one of my favourite authors and I enjoy reading all his books. I had previously read this one several years ago but never got around to buying the rest of the series. Finally, upon purchasing the next 3 books in the series, I decided to re-read this one to remind myself of DI Alec McKay and his team. I have to admit that I enjoyed this even more the second time around and it is leading me very nicely into the second book, which I have already started.
DI McKay is a wiley detective who is determined to get results, no matter what the cost is to either himself of his suspects. Having already lost his daughter, he is haunted by a young woman who has gone missing a year ago and has never been found. The case is still open but there are no leads, and it has been put firmly on-hold. Alec can’t stop himself wondering what had happened to her and when a body of another young woman is found on his patch, he starts to wonder if there may be a link. The circumstances of the find are strange and sinister and, as the investigation digs deeper and another body is found, things start to take a very worrying turn.
I found McKay and his DS, Ginny Horton, very engaging and intense. They work together well and are both not afraid to take risks in order to get results. The book is very well written and moves at an exciting pace. The ending is interesting because it leaves a lot of unanswered questions for both McKay and the reader. This is a series I will enjoy reading and I am looking forward to the 5th in the series being released soon.
DI McKay is a wiley detective who is determined to get results, no matter what the cost is to either himself of his suspects. Having already lost his daughter, he is haunted by a young woman who has gone missing a year ago and has never been found. The case is still open but there are no leads, and it has been put firmly on-hold. Alec can’t stop himself wondering what had happened to her and when a body of another young woman is found on his patch, he starts to wonder if there may be a link. The circumstances of the find are strange and sinister and, as the investigation digs deeper and another body is found, things start to take a very worrying turn.
I found McKay and his DS, Ginny Horton, very engaging and intense. They work together well and are both not afraid to take risks in order to get results. The book is very well written and moves at an exciting pace. The ending is interesting because it leaves a lot of unanswered questions for both McKay and the reader. This is a series I will enjoy reading and I am looking forward to the 5th in the series being released soon.
May 19, 2024
DI (Detective Inspector) Alec McKay is haunted by the death of his daughter when he is given a cold case of a missing young girl. The case is put to one side when a killer strikes and he needs to work fast in hopes to stop them. Or is it?
The story line of this one is actually pretty good. The issue I found was that it was quite hard to follow. Each chapter was like a whole new story of each character with little snips of the actual plot. To be honest, and i will note I have not read the 2nd in the series, this would have made an amazing single book plot instead of a series. If the next book is more of this story.
My review is just my opinion. You may find you love this book and read all 5 in the series.
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
.
.
.
Also the ending doesn't end well and I don't mean a happy ending I mean in the middle of the peak of the story it just says THE END. I know its one way to get you to read the next one but for me adding that to the long way round story telling I dont think I will be reading the next one. Mind you if you look at the summary of the next book it looks to be a new story altogether and may not actually finish this story at all.
The story line of this one is actually pretty good. The issue I found was that it was quite hard to follow. Each chapter was like a whole new story of each character with little snips of the actual plot. To be honest, and i will note I have not read the 2nd in the series, this would have made an amazing single book plot instead of a series. If the next book is more of this story.
My review is just my opinion. You may find you love this book and read all 5 in the series.
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
.
.
.
Also the ending doesn't end well and I don't mean a happy ending I mean in the middle of the peak of the story it just says THE END. I know its one way to get you to read the next one but for me adding that to the long way round story telling I dont think I will be reading the next one. Mind you if you look at the summary of the next book it looks to be a new story altogether and may not actually finish this story at all.
July 19, 2024
Not a bad premise or execution. I liked the characters and especially “hearing” their thoughts. But WAY too much profanity to be completely enjoyable - I was afraid I might spontaneously start using foul language with every sentence when I finished the book. (But thankfully, no.) Maybe this is realistic…not sure. But I have read many police procedurals without it so think I will stick to another author and series.
September 25, 2016
This book gets straight into the action with the first murder on a rainy night in Manchester and the grim discovery of the body soon after by a young couple. The body is buried with candles and roses laid out around it and DI Alec McKay is sent to investigate who could have done this and the bit I enjoyed the best, why.
From the characters of the victims and those who knew them, to the settings where the murderer displayed them, to the young girl and her boyfriend who discovered the body and the those involved in the investigation, this book was fast-paced and ever increasing in intensity. DI Alec McKay might be trying to discover the person behind the killings but he’s also coping with his own heartache and I was delighted to discover that this is the first book in a series and look forward to reading the rest.
Dark, powerful and utterly absorbing with a satisfying ending I didn’t see coming. Loved it.
From the characters of the victims and those who knew them, to the settings where the murderer displayed them, to the young girl and her boyfriend who discovered the body and the those involved in the investigation, this book was fast-paced and ever increasing in intensity. DI Alec McKay might be trying to discover the person behind the killings but he’s also coping with his own heartache and I was delighted to discover that this is the first book in a series and look forward to reading the rest.
Dark, powerful and utterly absorbing with a satisfying ending I didn’t see coming. Loved it.
October 2, 2016
A good rolling police thriller. Tough mix of police officers and guessing game of who did it.
Bodies turn up, suspicions arise.
DI McKay has missing person case that is going nowhere, when bodies start appearing on the Scottish Black Isle.
Candles and roses placed around the bodies. A shrine but DI Mckay has to work out why and who. All the while his personal life is confusing around him.
Candles and Roses is the first book in a new DI McKay Series.
Bodies turn up, suspicions arise.
DI McKay has missing person case that is going nowhere, when bodies start appearing on the Scottish Black Isle.
Candles and roses placed around the bodies. A shrine but DI Mckay has to work out why and who. All the while his personal life is confusing around him.
Candles and Roses is the first book in a new DI McKay Series.
September 28, 2016
An interesting book that draws you in and keeps you spellbound until the final word.A book of many threads that are skillfully drawn out and all solved by the novels end - a definite,must read
October 30, 2016
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Bloodhound Books. I enjoyed this read and look forward to reading more in this series.
June 29, 2023
Quite liked this book and detective MacKay who managed to discover who was killing young girls.
September 28, 2017
I downloaded a free Kindle copy of
Candles and Roses
from Amazon, not knowing what to expect since I've never read anything by Mr. Walters before but, hey, its free, so no harm, no foul.
DI Alex McKay is a competent, deadpan, almost grouchy detective; he is in the throes of mourning the loss of his only child, a daughter, and his marriage is on the skids. When he and his team are called to investigate a series of bizarre ritualistic murders in which the bodies are laid out with candles and roses, McKay and his team eventually find a link among the female victims; all of them estranged from their families with troubling histories with their fathers, and his investigation will force him to confront his own guilt over his daughter's inexplicable death.
I liked McKay; I liked his gruff, no-nosense demeanor, his straight forward way of talking, even his almost judgmental observations. It was honest, he didn't hide the fact that he didn't like the potential suspects he spoke to, listening to his gut and the vibes they gave off.
I also liked his partner, Horton, the stereotypical foil to McKay's hardworking, almost trying to be unlikeable persona. She was competent and kind and the slights shifts of POV from McKay and Norton offered insight into both their personal lives, not too much, but just enough to know about them and develop a fondness for their different personalities.
What I didn't like was the mystery and the final maybe not quite a twist of a twist.
First, and foremost, seriously, how many pedophiliac fathers live in this small town?
What are the odds of all these pervs, including the barkeeper rapist, living in such close quarters?
Second, McKay is left with a lingering doubt about who may have really killed those women when he discovers two male bodies. I know the doubt is to cause tension in the readers' minds but its hard for me to suspend disbelief since we know very little about the suspect to begin with and what he or she may have been capable of.
Third, I would have liked to know more about McKay's daughter and his relationship with her. There are hints that he and his wife may have been contributed, passively, to her death but readers are left wondering more about McKay's personal life and less about the serial murders.
Not a gripping or fascinating read, but not a bad start to a new series. I'd read the next one.
DI Alex McKay is a competent, deadpan, almost grouchy detective; he is in the throes of mourning the loss of his only child, a daughter, and his marriage is on the skids. When he and his team are called to investigate a series of bizarre ritualistic murders in which the bodies are laid out with candles and roses, McKay and his team eventually find a link among the female victims; all of them estranged from their families with troubling histories with their fathers, and his investigation will force him to confront his own guilt over his daughter's inexplicable death.
I liked McKay; I liked his gruff, no-nosense demeanor, his straight forward way of talking, even his almost judgmental observations. It was honest, he didn't hide the fact that he didn't like the potential suspects he spoke to, listening to his gut and the vibes they gave off.
I also liked his partner, Horton, the stereotypical foil to McKay's hardworking, almost trying to be unlikeable persona. She was competent and kind and the slights shifts of POV from McKay and Norton offered insight into both their personal lives, not too much, but just enough to know about them and develop a fondness for their different personalities.
What I didn't like was the mystery and the final maybe not quite a twist of a twist.
First, and foremost, seriously, how many pedophiliac fathers live in this small town?
What are the odds of all these pervs, including the barkeeper rapist, living in such close quarters?
Second, McKay is left with a lingering doubt about who may have really killed those women when he discovers two male bodies. I know the doubt is to cause tension in the readers' minds but its hard for me to suspend disbelief since we know very little about the suspect to begin with and what he or she may have been capable of.
Third, I would have liked to know more about McKay's daughter and his relationship with her. There are hints that he and his wife may have been contributed, passively, to her death but readers are left wondering more about McKay's personal life and less about the serial murders.
Not a gripping or fascinating read, but not a bad start to a new series. I'd read the next one.
September 30, 2018
Whereas I found the book to have a good plot, I also found it to be a difficult read. I am an avid reader and pretty much inhale books, but not this one. I found myself putting it down and having to force myself to pick it back up and continue reading. That is generally not like me. But I struggled to the end, which I found extremely disappointing. It gives you a killer, maybe, because it then goes on to point out how it could be someone else and leaves you to your own conclusion. And that is what I disliked. If I want to play detective and come up with the solution, as least I would like to know if I am right or wrong. The solution given kind of leaves you hanging.
But, in my opinion, the author's alternate solution is flawed, in that I cannot see Lizzie, purportedly a wee thing, carrying bodies up 3 flights of stairs, digging a grave by carefully first removing the sod, digging and carefully replacing it, or carrying a body down a hill and into a cave. My logic sounds feasible, doesn't it? Then, she purportedly carries the bodies of her father and Gorman, lifts them into the van and carries them down to the beach. Was she an Olympic weightlifter? These men are described as being of considerable bulk, one muscular, one obese. To me, it certainly does not sound plausible, but the author offers that up as a possible alternative solution rather than that of her father, who was a gym rat with a powerful body and more capable of these physical feats. Sounds more logical, doesn't it? But then why does the author offer that alternate solution? Just to leave the reader in a quandary and wanting a solution not of his/her own making? Sorry, that turns me right off and guarantees that I will never read another DI McKay book.
And, another thing I absolutely must point out, is not only the absence of necessary prepositions here and there, but the biggest faux pas - interchanging character names; i.e. "Norris announced she was heading home...." when, in fact, it was Cameron who was the one heading home, Norris was going off with her little man friend.
All in all, it doesn't make for a good read, although the plot was really great. What a shame,. With a little more thought, insight and work, it could have been a really great book.
But, in my opinion, the author's alternate solution is flawed, in that I cannot see Lizzie, purportedly a wee thing, carrying bodies up 3 flights of stairs, digging a grave by carefully first removing the sod, digging and carefully replacing it, or carrying a body down a hill and into a cave. My logic sounds feasible, doesn't it? Then, she purportedly carries the bodies of her father and Gorman, lifts them into the van and carries them down to the beach. Was she an Olympic weightlifter? These men are described as being of considerable bulk, one muscular, one obese. To me, it certainly does not sound plausible, but the author offers that up as a possible alternative solution rather than that of her father, who was a gym rat with a powerful body and more capable of these physical feats. Sounds more logical, doesn't it? But then why does the author offer that alternate solution? Just to leave the reader in a quandary and wanting a solution not of his/her own making? Sorry, that turns me right off and guarantees that I will never read another DI McKay book.
And, another thing I absolutely must point out, is not only the absence of necessary prepositions here and there, but the biggest faux pas - interchanging character names; i.e. "Norris announced she was heading home...." when, in fact, it was Cameron who was the one heading home, Norris was going off with her little man friend.
All in all, it doesn't make for a good read, although the plot was really great. What a shame,. With a little more thought, insight and work, it could have been a really great book.
August 26, 2018
Another author today who is new to me. Alex Walters writes about DI Alex McKay and this is the first book in the series.
The story is set in the Highlands of Scotland. On a bright sunny, relatively warm day a young couple is walking in a Celtic place of pilgrimage that lore has it had health-giving properties. They were looking for some place of privacy where they could be alone. But instead, they discovered a makeshift grave and a body surrounded by candles and roses.
This was only the first of such finds. DI McKay is in charge of the case, and he quickly reverts to thoughts of a young girl of a similar age who went missing a year before. Almost before they can identify the victim, another body is found and then another, Each body was placed in a different place but each with the candles and roses. Why did the killer choose these locations?
DI McKay also has his own issues. His daughter died in London as the result of an accident at a train station and his relationship with his wife is rapidly falling into a downward spiral, but in spite of all this, McKay works his hardest to solve the case and bring the killer to justice. With his team, he tries to find what ties these young women to each other and who could have reason or reasons to kill them.
There were several likely suspects dotted through the book but I didn't really know who was the killer until it was spelt out for me and put there in front of me. It actually came as quite a shock when it was finally revealed.
But, having said that, we are left with a question at the end of the book. Perhaps it will be revealed in the next one in the series.
This is a well-written book and if serial killers are your thing, I certainly recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book to read by the publishers Bloodhound Books and I choose to write this review.
The story is set in the Highlands of Scotland. On a bright sunny, relatively warm day a young couple is walking in a Celtic place of pilgrimage that lore has it had health-giving properties. They were looking for some place of privacy where they could be alone. But instead, they discovered a makeshift grave and a body surrounded by candles and roses.
This was only the first of such finds. DI McKay is in charge of the case, and he quickly reverts to thoughts of a young girl of a similar age who went missing a year before. Almost before they can identify the victim, another body is found and then another, Each body was placed in a different place but each with the candles and roses. Why did the killer choose these locations?
DI McKay also has his own issues. His daughter died in London as the result of an accident at a train station and his relationship with his wife is rapidly falling into a downward spiral, but in spite of all this, McKay works his hardest to solve the case and bring the killer to justice. With his team, he tries to find what ties these young women to each other and who could have reason or reasons to kill them.
There were several likely suspects dotted through the book but I didn't really know who was the killer until it was spelt out for me and put there in front of me. It actually came as quite a shock when it was finally revealed.
But, having said that, we are left with a question at the end of the book. Perhaps it will be revealed in the next one in the series.
This is a well-written book and if serial killers are your thing, I certainly recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book to read by the publishers Bloodhound Books and I choose to write this review.
November 7, 2016
I was kindly sent this book to read and review.
McKay is a crime detective but somehow he manages to keep his personal and work lives seperate. But his work life is about to become busy - very busy.
Young women are being found murdered and their bodies are found surrounded by (cue the title) candles and roses. It soon becomes obvious there is a serial killer on the loose and McKay has to find out who it is.
i loved how the novel kept you gripped throughout. I had no idea who the killer could be. The author plays around with different characters eading you up the preverbial garden path.
I found this book to be a chilling escapism , an insight into the life of a murderer, those who are killed and the detective sent to set it all to rights.
I couldn't help but to be drawn into it's pages although I do wish I hadn't chosen to read this book so late at night. Although short this book is fast paced but I didn't think it lost any of it's integrity due to it's lack of pages.
McKay is a crime detective but somehow he manages to keep his personal and work lives seperate. But his work life is about to become busy - very busy.
Young women are being found murdered and their bodies are found surrounded by (cue the title) candles and roses. It soon becomes obvious there is a serial killer on the loose and McKay has to find out who it is.
i loved how the novel kept you gripped throughout. I had no idea who the killer could be. The author plays around with different characters eading you up the preverbial garden path.
I found this book to be a chilling escapism , an insight into the life of a murderer, those who are killed and the detective sent to set it all to rights.
I couldn't help but to be drawn into it's pages although I do wish I hadn't chosen to read this book so late at night. Although short this book is fast paced but I didn't think it lost any of it's integrity due to it's lack of pages.
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