None but the Dead

Rhona MacLeod #11

by Lin Anderson

Sanday, one of Britain's northernmost islands, inaccessible when the wind prevents the ferry from the mainland crossing, or fog grounds the tiny island hopping plane.

When human remains are discovered to the rear of an old primary school, forensic expert Dr Rhona MacLeod and her assistant arrive to excavate the grave. Approaching mid winter, they find daylight in short supply, the weather inhospitable and some of the island's inhabitants less than co-operative. When the suspicious death of an old man in Glasgow appears to have links with the island, DS Michael McNab is dispatched to investigate. Desperately uncomfortable in such surroundings, he finds that none of the tools of detective work are there. No internet, no CCTV, and no police station.

As the weather closes in, the team, which includes criminal profiler and Orcadian Professor Magnus Pirie, are presented with a series of unexplained incidents, apparently linked to the discovery of thirteen magic flowers representing the souls of dead children who had attended the island school where the body was discovered. But how and in what circumstance did they die, and why are their long forgotten deaths significant to the current investigation?

As a major storm approaches, bringing gale force winds and high seas, the islanders turn on one another, as past and present evil deeds collide, and long buried secrets break surface, along with the exposed bones.

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Audiobook, Fiction, Thriller, Scotland, British Literature

433 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Lin Anderson was born in Greenock of Scottish and Irish parents. A graduate of both Glasgow and Edinburgh Universities, she has lived in many different parts of Scotland and also spent five years working in the African bush. A teacher of Mathematics and Computing, she began her writing career four years ago. Her first film, Small Love, which was broadcast on STV, was nominated for TAPS writer of the year award 2001. Her African short stories have been published in the 10th Anniversary Macallan collection and broadcast on BBC Radio Four.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favourite series featuring the forensic examiner, Dr Rhona MacLeod. We are at the eleventh, and Lin Anderson's writing and plotting seems only to improve. They are usually set in Glasgow, but this is set on the remote and often inaccessible northerly Orkney Island of Sanday, amidst the howling gales, cold rain, and high seas. Mike, an incomer on the island finds thirteen muslin flowers in his dank and dingy loft. He takes one flower to Sam Flett at the Heritage Centre who tells him each flower represents the soul of a dead child and urges him to return it to its original resting place. Sam is deeply disturbed and has prescient feelings that harrowing events are about to occur and upset the equilibrium on Sanday. He is not wrong. Human remains are discovered behind the schoolhouse that Mike is renovating and Rhona is sent to examine them.

In Glasgow, the dead body of the elderly Jock is found in suspicious circumstances in his flat. It appears Jock has links to Sanday and DS Michael McNab goes there to investigate. Rhona discovers that the skull has gone missing, which at first is assumed to be the act of local children. When this turns out not to be the case, it is apparent that someone has no intention of the remains being identified. McNab is not welcomed. There is no police on the island and the locals are used to dealing with matters and meting out their own brand of justice without outside interference. As long buried secrets begin to emerge, further murders occur and a young girl, Inga Sinclair, goes missing in mysterious circumstances. The far past, the distant past and the present are about to come colliding together.

This is an atmospheric, compelling and well written story that cannot fail to engage the reader. Lin Anderson's descriptions are so vivid that you feel that you are right there on the island. Rhona is now such a well established character, that she feels like someone I have known for some time and a source of comfort. You feel that there are strong frissons to her and McNab's relationship that just might go somewhere in the future. This is a brilliant addition to the series and have no hesitation in recommending this novel. Can't wait to read the next book!

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fed my desire for cold northerly places and was also an excellent mystery.
Intetesting characters but not cosy, but also not horrific or gory either.
I was very intetested in the dynamic between Rhona Macloud (the forensic scientist) and Michael McNab the Glasgow police man.
The mystery was complex but not so convoluted that it made no sense.
I'll definately be looking for more by this author.

[audrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just kept hoping McNab would get shot again. It was that kind of book.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 11th in the Rhona MacLeod series by Lin Anderson and once again I was blown away! This book takes us to the remote Northern island of Sanday where human remains have been discovered and forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod and her assistant Chrissie are brought in to evacuate the grave; meanwhile back in Glasgow McNab is investigating the suspicious death of an elderly man in his flat. When a link between the Glasgow death and the body on Sanday is suspected, McNab volunteers to head off to the island to investigate. With the unpredictable weather turning it is clear that Rhona and McNab will not be leaving the island any time soon and it seems that the longer they are there then the worse the situation becomes, islanders secrets are unearthed, the "outsiders" are heralded with suspicion and at times anger; the plot gives us twists and turns galore! There are plently of "gasp" moments throughout the book and you cannot help but being drawn in hook line and sinker! The research that goes into Lin's books ensures that they are as realistic as they possibly can be and the reader is treated to an exceptional read.

The defining moment for me in an authors work is when they create a character(s) that you want to invest in and give you a backdrop that you can step right into as soon as you open the pages and Lin does this with everybook she has written, whether on the harsh city streets of Glasgow or the wilderness and isolation of the northernmost Scottish Island of Sanday, as soon as I delve into the pages of Lin's books I am lost to wherever she has placed me. I have never been to Sanday yet reading None but the Dead, I could feel the squall of the wind and the rain across my face, I tasted the salty seawater on my lips and I shivered as I pulled my blankets around me as the story unfolded.
Dr Rhona MacLeod has become a character I feel that I know, her relationship with Sean in her personal life and the emotional tension between her and DS McNab matter to me - I care about where it is going and how it develops, I want to invest my time in finding out about what makes them tick, their personal and their private lives. Lin has, for me created a winning combination and this is worthy of way more than the 5 stars I can give on this review.
If you haven't read any of Lin's Rhona MacLeod's series then I'd recommend you start now and I'm extremely jealous of anyone still to discover them!

[Colette Connors · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wouldn’t read anymore in this series,no real depth to the characters.

[Adelyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars.

I loved this next adventure with Rhona MacLeod and team, this time taking us up to the Orkney Island of Sanday where human remains are discovered on the grounds of an old primary school. It took me awhile to get to grips with the who's who of all the different characters on the island, but once I'd settled in, we were right back where we left off with the last book in the series. Initially too, it seems like McNab is off investigating a different case (which I thought was unlike the others in this series), until the cases converge, in a truly brilliant manner!

I do like the books in this series that take the team away from Glasgow and the claustrophobic setting of the island was very well depicted and narrated in the audiobook version.

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

'None but the Dead' is Lin Anderson's 11th Rhona MacLeod novel but only number 2 for me. I must say I enjoyed this more than the first, and particularly enjoyed the location on the Orkney Island of Sanday. The descriptions were rich and evocative and the island provided an excellent location and backdrop for the story which involved murder and missing people across a number of years. The cast of investigators - Dr Rhona MacLeod a forensic scientist, Detective Sergeant Michael McNab and Prof Magnus Pirie are persuasive and fit well together.
I'm beginning to warm to this series and will, I think, read more.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read and part of a brilliant series. My favourite one so far.
Fast paced and gripping

[Angelique Simonsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good mix of crime and archaeology. Lin is a great author! This series is always intriguing and not always obvious

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

None but the Dead – Another Great MacLeod Mystery

None but the Dead is the eleventh of the wonderful Rhona MacLeod series from the brilliant Scottish author Lin Anderson. Always well researched, well written and totally gripping but for once she has been allowed to break out from Glasgow, this is set on the Isle of Sanday part of the Orkney Islands archipelago in the far north of Scotland.

A body is found on what had been the play area of the old schoolhouse on Sanday and they send for forensic expert Dr Rhona MacLeod to investigate the scene and find if these are modern remains or one of the many Neolithic finds on the Sanday. Approaching midwinter, daylight is short and the weather is bad and hospitality of the locals seems to be that of curious towards an outsider.

Back in Glasgow DS Michael McNab is called out to a suspicious death in the East End of Glasgow and it seems that the dead man Jock also has links to the island of Sanday. Sent to gather more information he is uncomfortable at being out on a remote island even if Rhona MacLeod is there, he has no CCTV, internet or police station to work from.

As a series of unexplained incidents start to take place, MacLeod and McNab are drawn further in to the working of the local community. When one of the Island’s young children goes missing all the community comes out to search for her in vain. As two more bodies turn up, suspicion is that they have been murdered but they are now racing against time to find the young child, before she could be murdered also.

As a major storm approaches, which will mean nobody will be able to get on or off Sanday the locals begin to turn on themselves. This brings to the fore the dealings of the past and somethings they wish could be forgotten, and the secrets will be exposed all in the hope of finding the truth.

Rhona MacLeod is a complex and yet compelling character, who in every outing in the series has got even better. Setting the thriller on Sanday it ramps up the atmospheric, claustrophobic and complex atmosphere of the island community up to scrutiny. Anderson’s research is second to none, and she really brings the island community to life, shining a light on its hidden depths.

This really is another great MacLeod mystery!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the eleventh book in the hugely popular and successful series featuring Dr. Rhona MacLeod, a forensic scientist.

I read and reviewed ‘The Special Dead’ last year and really enjoyed it. I met Lin Anderson at an event held at our local library at the beginning of this year and found her fascinating to talk to and to listen to. I am in the process of reading the rest of the series in order but when I was offered the chance to read and review ‘None But The Dead’, well it was an offer that I simply couldn’t refuse.

There is a wide ranging assortment of different characters in ‘None But The Dead’. I immediately took to Rhona and by the end of the book I viewed her as a friend. Rhona is a hard working woman, who is respected and admired by all of her colleagues. She is also at the top of her field. Rhona is determined to carry out her work to the best of her ability and she isn’t one to take the easy option, in that she won’t accept an explanation if the evidence doesn’t back it up. Rhona has a wide ranging life experience but she has an air of vulnerability about her and it is obvious that she has experienced some trauma in her life. In a way I also had a bit of a soft spot for DS Michael McNab and found that he was a loveable rogue so to speak. He did remind me of DI Robbie Ross from Taggart too, as both love a tipple (often too much of a tipple) and they have an eye for the ladies. They also get themselves into scrapes at work, which quite often have consequences for others as well as for themselves. That said, I think that McNab’s heart is in the right place as he also wants to get to the truth but sometimes his methods are questionable. It is no secret that he has more than a soft spot for Rhona and it obvious that there is a certain amount of chemistry between McNab and Rhona. The islanders in the book had a small village sort of mentality in that they are naturally suspicious of newcomers and close ranks to deal with things how they see fit and not leave it to the authorities. There was one character that particularly got my back up for reasons which you will understand when uou read the book. I don’t want to say anything more than that as I don’t want to spoil the reading enjoyment for everybody.

This book is extremely well written. Lin is a very talented author and reading her descriptions of Sanday, made me feel as though I was there in that when it was cold, I was cold and when it was windy I felt as though I was being blown about. I also got a feeling for Sanday and would love to visit the island at some point. I thought that ‘None But The Dead’ was a real ‘CPID’ (can’t put it down) book and it was almost as if the pages were turning themselves I was reading so quickly. Reading this book became addictive in that I just had to read one more page, one more chapter etc and several chapters later I was still reading. ‘None But The Dead’ is full of twists, turns, stomach churning and heart stopping moments. At times I almost had to read the book through my fingers and hold my breath as I feared for the safety of McNab and Rhona.

In short I really LOVED this book. It was easily 5* for me. I would definitely recommend ‘None But The Dead’ to others and I can’t wait to read more books in the Dr. Rhona MacLeod series.

[Craig Sisterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an atmospheric and very enjoyable mystery set on the remote island of Sanday in the outer Orkney Islands off the northern coast of Scotland. The eleventh in Anderson's series starring Rhona MacLeod, None But the Dead flows really well, and ticks plenty of boxes for crime-loving readers as it takes us on a fascinating, twisting journey alongside the Glaswegian forensic examiner.

The story kickstarts with two bodies: one in Glasgow and one in Sanday. In the city, an elderly man is found dead in his flat in suspicious circumstances. A few hundred miles to the north, a skeleton is uncovered when a new arrival in the Orkney Islands is converting an historic school into a house. Sanday is an island steeped in history, but this skeleton is neither recent nor ancient, instead it's from a time decades ago but within living memory for some residents. And what does the grisly find have to do with the thirteen dust-covered flowers discovered in the old school's attic? Flowers that the new owner was warned to leave alone or risk disturbing the souls of long-dead children.

Dr Rhona MacLeod is sent to the Orkneys to deal with and find answers about the skeletal remains. When DS Michael McNab stumbles over a link to Sanday with the Glasgow body, he heads out to the islands to investigate as well. There's an interesting tension between MacLeod and McNab.

In None But the Dead, Anderson does a terrific job creating a vivid sense of Orkney atmosphere; its challenging weather, unusual geography, and rich history. The wildness of the place seeps from the pages, as the winds howl and rains lash the island. MacLeod and McNab are tested on several fronts as they try to extricate the truth behind two deaths. The islanders are an unusual community with plenty of secrets, and are none to keen to share them with officials from across the sea. The uncovered skull vanishes, McNab is attacked, and a young islander goes missing. The bones that brought Dr MacLeod to Sanday may be decades old, but there is plenty of danger in the present too.

And as a storm closes in, MacLeod and McNab are marooned on Sanday, cut off from outside help.

None But the Dead is a cracking page-turner that's likely to have new readers immediately adding Anderson's backlist to their TBR piles. Authentic, atmospheric, and a bloody good read.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the previous Rhona MacLeod novel was the best but Lin Anderson has come up with another absolutely superb, tense and atmospheric novel. Set on the island of Sanday, one of the Orkney Islands, its sheer remoteness serves to heighten the tension throughout. The islanders have their own traditions and superstitions which are very cleverly woven into the plot. An incomer to the island, Mike Jones is renovating his cottage and in the loft he discovers thirteen intricately tied muslin flowers. He takes one to the curator at the local Heritage Centre who advises him it is a ‘magic flower’ which represents a child’s soul and to put it back. A local man working for Mike is clearing the land behind the cottage and unearths a skull. Mike reluctantly reports his find to the police in Kirkwall. D.I. Erling Flett asks Rhona to check on the bones. Meanwhile in Glasgow the body of an elderly man is found in his flat in rather suspicious circumstances. Rhona and Chrissy travel to Sanday to excavate the bones but are bewildered to find that the skull has vanished preventing identification of the remains. They also come to realise that the body in Glasgow has links to Sanday adding to the mystery. Another two deaths occur and a child goes missing. The tension is almost unbearable. The islanders down the years have protected their own and are used to keeping secrets which doesn’t help the investigation. I could hardly put this book down as the twists and turns in the plot had me gripped from the beginning. Danger is ever present and there are even hints of the Wicker Man! I love the way the characters have developed over time and enjoy their interactions. Is there a bit of a cliffhanger? Highly recommended. If you love crime thrillers this book is for you.

[Annette Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed in the lack of plot.

[Rennie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The opening scene was effective and the sense of place in the Orkney Islands was well done but the rest of the book just seemed to be a bit flat.

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay. I struggled to get into it and it was confusing at times but eventually it got better

[Clemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This captivating book is the 11th volume of the marvellous "Rhona MacLeod" thriller series.

Storytelling is excellent, the story is accompanied with an amazing storyline, and the plots are superbly executed and revealed by the author, making this such overall such a pleasant read.

At the beginning of this thriller, you'll find well-drawn maps of the Orkney Islands, and one especially of Sanday, where this tale is mainly situated, while at the end you'll notice some explained Notes and Acknowledgements.

This thriller mystery is set mainly in Sanday, one of the Orkney Islands with its own kind of Island people, and it's there that Dr Rhona MacLeod, her assistant Chrissy McInsh and DS Michael McNab will set out and do their investigations and will greatly excel in their endeavours to find the truth.

It all starts off when a human body of a woman is discovered in the ground at an old school, a school now in possession of a certain, Mike Jones, a man with a certain past, and forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod and her assistant Chrissy McInsh will do the excavation of this body.

Around the same time a death occurs in Glasgow of a man named, James "Jock" Drever, former resident of Sanday, Orkney, and this death is somehow connected to the events that are taking place at Sanday itself.

What is to follow as a whole is a tremendous and gripping thriller, in which a variety of threads will lead to certain perpetrators on various occasions, and in these dangerous circumstances Dr Rhona MacLeod and DS Michael McNab, Chrissy is already back in Glasgow, with the assistance of DI Flett, his kinsman Sam Flett, PC Tulloch and Ranger Derek Muir, and each will do everything within their own power and abilities to solve these mysteries and deal with them respectively in their own personal way.

Highly recommended, for this is a top addition to this magnificent series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Brilliant Deadly Thriller"!

[Squid McFinnigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had the fortune of visiting northern Scotland, and I do mean fortune. It's hard to describe the isolation to anyone who has yet to visit. Coming from Ireland, I expected it to be like parts of Kerry I love best, but I was wrong. Scotland is a world apart from what I know. Over here, no matter where you go there is a house over the next rise, a telephone signal, the sound of a car in the distance and a town no more than a twenty minute drive.

Scotland, the highlands...that's wild.

This book sparked that feeling in me once more and it was like having an old friend over to visit. I could see in my mind the slick gray rock, stripped to the root by a relentless wind. I could feel the eyes of the locals on the backs of strangers. I smelt the sea-salt riding on ocean air. The cold, the biting cold...the hardness it takes to survive in such a place. This was the best thing about this book.

As for the story? Well, this was my first read of this series and I did enjoy it. I quiet liked Rhona, and I really liked Chrissy, but McNab left me a bit flat. The story itself was well woven, perhaps too well woven. Some story threads, which I will not name, seemed to fall into the high-grass as the story charged toward a conclusion. This was a little disappointing. I know they may have been necessary to bring the story cast together but they should not have been simply forgotten.

As for the final climax, it was completely satisfying. I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed it as a stand alone book and this is despite the clear hook left in the end for the next installment. Wink Wink Ms Anderson.

[John Marsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible Library (A story reminder)
Two bodies are discovered near the beginning of this saga. The first one is an old man who dies from dehydration with tie marks on his legs but found untied. Inquires and various bits of information lead ultimately to a Sandry Island connection and the Island "go to" ranger type guy who wanted family information concerning the past, he was regrettably heavy handed in his desperation to get the information but nothing else untoward than the tying up and then the untying of the old guy who looks like he himself was overcome with the past and stayed in the shair and died. The past included goings on of relationships mainly in and around a major world II base on the island at the time. The second body was discovered by the ex school teacher of a girl. He had unconsciouly painted also a likeness to a girl now living on the island who visited him making enquiries. But he had seen a photo of a girl of the same likeness ( a family connection). But for him he was a victim of his own emotions and got caught up in the usual teacher trap and had a relationship with a 15 year old school. and general Island secrecy about embrassing family matters there are hidden items, cover ups and so on.
When human remains are discovered to the rear of an old primary school, forensic expert Dr Rhona MacLeod and her assistant arrive to excavate the grave. Approaching midwinter, they find daylight in short supply, the weather inhospitable and some of the island's inhabitants less than co-operative. When the suspicious death of an old man in Glasgow appears to have links with the island, DS Michael McNab is dispatched to investigate. Desperately uncomfortable in such surroundings, he finds that none of the tools of detective work are there. No internet, no CCTV, and no police station.

As the weather closes in, the team - including criminal profiler and Orkney native Professor Magnus Pirie - are presented with a series of unexplained incidents, apparently linked to the discovery of thirteen magic flowers representing the souls of dead children who had attended the island school where the body was discovered. But how and in what circumstance did they die? And why are their long forgotten deaths significant to the current investigation?

As a major storm approaches, bringing gale-force winds and high seas, the islanders turn on one another, as past and present evil deeds collide, and long buried secrets break the surface, along with the exposed bones.
(less)
Sanday, one of Britain's northernmost islands, inaccessible when the wind prevents the ferry crossing from the mainland, or fog grounds the tiny, island-hopping plane.

[Alfred Nobile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, wow is all I can say. What a brilliant book! The writing, research and atmosphere draws you in and wont let go.Set in the Shetland island of Sanday, where human remains have been uncovered, sees Dr Rhona Macleod and her assistant Chrissy called in to investigate.
Meanwhile in Glasgow, DS. McNab is investigating the death of an elderly man who has links to the island.
This sees McNab volunteering to go to Sanday. To further his investigation or see Rhona, who knows? As the investigation continues they find the inhabitants closing ranks and treating the incomers with suspicion.
One of these incomers Mike, who has secrets of his own, finds a muslin flower in his loft and takes it to Sam Flett at the Heritage Centre. He is told that it represents the soul of a dead child and he is told to return it to where he found it.
If you have never been to Shetland this book will make you want to go, if only to sample the atmosphere that Lin has created.
This book has you turning the pages and gasping in fear when Lin throws you another curveball.
All characters are well drawn and have you rooting for them.
A finely carved tale which will have you cheering, cringing and wondering what will happen next.
If you haven#t read any of Lin's books, I would say grab one and dive in,
A superb read and 5 stars from me

[DrJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Rhona and McNab but the rest of the book I have no particularly strong feelings about. I had no idea this was number 11 in the series, I thought it was only number 3 as there are two pictures of front covers on the inside flap. That might help explain my inability to fully warm to this novel.
I am sure the scenery and weather descriptions would have appealed to some but I found the constant storms monotonous.
In essence, the plot was clever in concept, weaving the events of past and present together, but, I don't know, there's something I can't quite put my finger on, that meant I didn't get fully absorbed into it. Too many characters coming and going maybe, or the element of supernatural? Really not sure what to make of this overall.

[Jovdb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read other Rhonda MacLeod books and enjoyed them. I am reading them out of order but it doesn't seem to matter.

The setting, on that rather dismal Orkney island, was very atmospheric and added to the story. Lin Anderson did quite well meshing the historical elements with the current intrigue. Also, being without the usual access to technology befitted the origins of the crime.

I think that both main characters, MacLeod and McNabb, are both rather sad individuals.

I shuddered to think of being immersed in that freezing water! Even for the sake of evidence, but to do it for fun? No way you'd catch me taking the plunge!

A good book.

[Geraldine Presley · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the reasons that I enjoyed this book is because it takes place on Sanday, one of Britain's northern most islands, unable to get to when the wind prevents the ferry crossing from the mainland or fog grounds the tiny, island-hopping plane.
I enjoy stories that take place in places that I have never been as well as places that I have been.
Rhona Macleod, the main character, is a forensic scientist.
It is quite an involved story with happenings on and off the island. The people who live on the island, of course, know each other well, as well as their histories
This is more a typical mystery.

[Val Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lin Anderson is, without doubt, the queen of Tartan Noir. None but the Dead is the 11th crime novel she has written featuring the forensic expert, Rhona Macleod. The story is set on Sanday, one of Britain's northerly islands in the Orkney archepelego. It is inaccessible when the wind prevents the ferry from the mainland crossing, or fog grounds the tiny island hopping plane. A place with its own customs and where everybody knows everybody else, even the incomers.

Human remains have been discovered by an incomer, during the renovation of the old school house, so forensic scientist Dr Rhona Macleod and her assistant Chrissie are brought in to evacuate the grave. They are presented with a series of unexplained incidents, apparently linked to the discovery of 13 magic flowers representing the souls of dead children who had attended the island school where the body was discovered. Of course, they call on the help of Professor Magnus Pirie.

In Glasgow McNab is investigating the suspicious death of an elderly man in his flat. It is when a link between the Glasgow death and the body on Sanday is suspected, that McNab volunteers to head North to investigate. However, he is esperately uncomfortable in such surroundings, he finds that none of the tools of detective work are there. No internet, no CCTV, and no police station.

Maclaod and McNab unearth secrets of various islanders and incomers are viewed with suspicion and anger. The plot of None But The Dead gives the reader many twists and turns. There are plently of surprising moments throughout the book and you cannot help but being drawn in by the compelling story. Lin Anderson researches her crime novels thoroughly: this ensures that they are as realistic as they possibly can be and the reader is treated to an exceptional read. I highly recommend None But The Dead.

Valerie Penny

[Sally Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another of Lin Anderson's excellent books set in the beautiful Orkney Islands. In this story, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod investigates the discovery of a long-buried body in the old playground of a former school on the island of Sanday. Simultaneously the body of an elderly man is found in his home in Glasgow, and soon it appears that the two deaths are linked in some obscure way. DS Michael McNab joins Rhona on the island and gradually they manage to piece together this complicated puzzle.

[Lora King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rhona is out on the Orkney islands again this time Sanday and she's found an even more isolated place used in WWII. Bones are found and she's on the case. Of course McNab will find a way to insert himself into wherever Rhona is. But lets bring in Magnus too! (I want Rhona and Magnus together but my wish is not being fulfilled 😂... more people will die...some secrets will be revealed and others will not. Very good read!! Love the series.

[Tilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me want to go to the Orkneys SO much, obviously not to be involved in a gristly murder but sound so beautiful and wild. Again I enjoyed the mystery but I feel like these books are a style where half way through the murder appears, vs them being there right from the start. Enjoying the relationship between McNab and Rhona, but also think there will be the classic prolonging of a will they/ won’t they for many books to come

[Vasilis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest Rhona Macleod series book I have read. It has a compelling story, well-rounded characters etc, very much like all the previous books of the series. I am only giving it a 3/5 stars, though, as I found the ending a bit odd, in the sense that not all questions were answered. I'd have thought that would be because the next book of the series will follow on, but after checking the synopsis of the next book, it does not seem to be the case.

[Allison Henle · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a decent mystery; there are some interesting red herrings that kept me strung along. I didn't like the strong hint of the supernatural (is it a police procedural or not? Do make up your mind, Author) and I also didn't realize how much I needed to read the previous novels first. Make no mistake: this is NOT a stand-alone and you will be vastly puzzled at various points.

[Michael Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel by Lin Anderson in the Rhona MacLeod series that I have read. I enjoyed it. The story and characters were well constructed. I particularly liked and found interesting the descriptions of Orkney, its landscape, buildings. seascape and culture. Knowing Glasgow, the small part of the book set there was a personal bonus. I gave it a 4 star rating.