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Cal McGill, Sea Detective #1
Sea Detective - Ein Grab in den Wellen
Cal McGill ist Meeresbiologe. Seine Spezialität: per Computer die Route von Gegenständen im Wasser zu verfolgen, um Umweltsünder zur Strecke zu bringen. Doch bei seinem Einsatz für die Natur überschreitet der Sea Detective bisweilen legale Grenzen: Als er in den Gärten hochrangiger Politiker Weißen Silberwurz pflanzt, um auf den Klimawandel hinzuweisen, nimmt man ihn fest. Detective Helen Jamieson von der Polizei Edinburgh kommt der sympathische junge Mann gerade recht. Denn vor der Küste wurden kurz zuvor zwei abgetrennte Füße entdeckt. Bei ihren Recherchen stoßen Cal und Helen auf ein Netz aus Korruption, Ausbeutung und Menschenhandel. Und auf ein indisches Mädchen, das sie vielleicht noch retten können.
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
172 people are currently reading
1359 people want to read
About the author
Mark Douglas-Home
4 books166 followersMark Douglas-Home is a newspaper editor turned author. The Sea Detective, his first novel, introduced a new kind of investigator to crime fiction - the oceanographer Cal McGill who tracks floating objects, including dead bodies. It received critical praise, becoming a Sunday Times 'Crime Book of the Month' and was followed by The Woman Who Walked Into The Sea ('simply intoxicating,’ the Library Journal in America) and The Malice of Waves (‘really good stuff, full of atmosphere,’ Morning Star). The fourth in the series, The Driftwood Girls, will be published in January 2020. Before writing books, Mark was editor of The Herald in Glasgow. His career in journalism began as a student in South Africa where he edited the newspaper at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. After the apartheid government banned a number of editions, he was deported from the country. He is married with two children and lives in Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
June 29, 2019
3.5 stars
Are chairs smaller in Scotland? Discuss.......
In an effort to address the tower of books taking over the spare room, I recently decided that every 5th read would be a random pick from the pile. Here goes.
Cal McGill is an oceanography PhD student living in a half finished condo building in Edinburgh. He currently has a few things on his plate: tracking the alarming number of severed feet that are popping up in waters around Scotland's coast, solving the mystery surrounding his grandfather's death & ticking off local coppers.
Another story line introduces us to Basanti, a young Indian woman who ends up in the hands of human traffickers. Her ordeal is brutal & terrifying as we follow her journey to Scotland
Chapters alternate between the 2 MC's until their paths cross. The result is a book full of action, intrigue & poignant stories that makes for a quick, mostly satisfying read. I particularly enjoyed the tale of Cal's grandfather & his role in WWll.
The book's only weakness is the portrayal of members of Edinburgh's police service. The main DI comes across as a one dimensional bully more interested in bedding his female coworkers than solving crime (his success rate is this novel's real mystery). And they don't fare much better. Apparently Scottish policewomen spend all their time discussing who they should sleep with while making catty comments about each others' appearance. Seriously? It's literally part of every conversation between them.
So naturally the only one actually doing police work is repeatedly described as overweight & unattractive. Makes sense...she has a lot more free time seeing as no one would possibly see her as shaggable. This is reinforced by several scenes where she gets stuck in chairs, apparently due to her being a "massive" size 16. Um....what? Where the hell do the men sit? Going out on a limb here but I'm guessing Police Scotland has a few more pressing requirements for applicants than how they fill out a uniform.
Luckily, Cal & Basanti's characters make up for it. They're well defined & part of compelling mysteries that will keep you reading. And the oceanography angle is an interesting & original twist that adds to the story. Because of them I'll try another book in the series but fair warning.....at the first sign of a female cop fretting about her thighs at a murder scene, I'm done.
Are chairs smaller in Scotland? Discuss.......
In an effort to address the tower of books taking over the spare room, I recently decided that every 5th read would be a random pick from the pile. Here goes.
Cal McGill is an oceanography PhD student living in a half finished condo building in Edinburgh. He currently has a few things on his plate: tracking the alarming number of severed feet that are popping up in waters around Scotland's coast, solving the mystery surrounding his grandfather's death & ticking off local coppers.
Another story line introduces us to Basanti, a young Indian woman who ends up in the hands of human traffickers. Her ordeal is brutal & terrifying as we follow her journey to Scotland
Chapters alternate between the 2 MC's until their paths cross. The result is a book full of action, intrigue & poignant stories that makes for a quick, mostly satisfying read. I particularly enjoyed the tale of Cal's grandfather & his role in WWll.
The book's only weakness is the portrayal of members of Edinburgh's police service. The main DI comes across as a one dimensional bully more interested in bedding his female coworkers than solving crime (his success rate is this novel's real mystery). And they don't fare much better. Apparently Scottish policewomen spend all their time discussing who they should sleep with while making catty comments about each others' appearance. Seriously? It's literally part of every conversation between them.
So naturally the only one actually doing police work is repeatedly described as overweight & unattractive. Makes sense...she has a lot more free time seeing as no one would possibly see her as shaggable. This is reinforced by several scenes where she gets stuck in chairs, apparently due to her being a "massive" size 16. Um....what? Where the hell do the men sit? Going out on a limb here but I'm guessing Police Scotland has a few more pressing requirements for applicants than how they fill out a uniform.
Luckily, Cal & Basanti's characters make up for it. They're well defined & part of compelling mysteries that will keep you reading. And the oceanography angle is an interesting & original twist that adds to the story. Because of them I'll try another book in the series but fair warning.....at the first sign of a female cop fretting about her thighs at a murder scene, I'm done.
September 4, 2016
This is an absolutely riveting mystery set in Scotland. A young Oceanography student, Cal McGill, runs a little business, Flotsam and Jetsam Investigations. He uses his knowledge of the ocean's tides to investigate unusual items turning up on beaches and in the sea. He certainly needs all that for what happens in this book.
He investigates the death of his grandfather on an Island owned trawler during WWII. He looks into severed feet washing up on beaches all over Scotland. And there's the matter of a young Indian girl turning up at his door for help. She had been bought in India and brought to Scotland imprisoned and turned into a prostitute.
It's really quite interesting and had me turning the pages. I recommend it.
He investigates the death of his grandfather on an Island owned trawler during WWII. He looks into severed feet washing up on beaches all over Scotland. And there's the matter of a young Indian girl turning up at his door for help. She had been bought in India and brought to Scotland imprisoned and turned into a prostitute.
It's really quite interesting and had me turning the pages. I recommend it.
December 1, 2015
This debut thriller focuses on Cal McGill, an oceanographer doing a PhD on ocean currents. A loner, he also engages in mildly illegal activities for the good of the world! He is obsessed with finding out the truth about what happened to his grandfather.
The police ask for his help over the discovery of severed feet on the coast, and he finds himself involved with the grim sex trade when a young indian girl asks him to help find out what happened to her friend. Aided by DC Helen Jamieson, the three strands come together at the end.
The author has written a compelling story about serious social issues in a extremely readable style. It is well plotted and suspenseful. Once you get hooked into the book, you want to know what happens. I look forward to reading the next one. I would like to thank Penguin, the publishers, for a ebook copy via netgalley.
The police ask for his help over the discovery of severed feet on the coast, and he finds himself involved with the grim sex trade when a young indian girl asks him to help find out what happened to her friend. Aided by DC Helen Jamieson, the three strands come together at the end.
The author has written a compelling story about serious social issues in a extremely readable style. It is well plotted and suspenseful. Once you get hooked into the book, you want to know what happens. I look forward to reading the next one. I would like to thank Penguin, the publishers, for a ebook copy via netgalley.
October 1, 2019
Cal McGill presents us with a new type of investigator, oceanographer & eco-warrior as he charts the ocean currents and tides to identify the culprits of oil spills and flotsam and jetsam thrown up on the beaches of Scotland and its many islands. The book opens with him under police investigation for minor activist acts against a Scottish minster, and reveals his ocean maps on the wall with photos of his great-grandfather lost at sea in WWII and the body of an Indian girl caught up a fishing net. But the discovery of disarticulated feet washed up in trainers brings the police to his door.
This is a tight well-written book with three overlapping stories drawn together by McGill's research. His character is explored through his relationships with his father and former wife, as a grandson trying to unravel his past. The police are shone in a mixed light, from the ambitious but chauvinistic vain DI with his disdain for the plain, plump but skilled female DC handling the investigation of the disarticulated feet, and the parlous state of teenage Indian girl Basanti sold by her uncle and mother to the sex trade to clear her late father's debts.
Petty jealousies and vindictiveness are tempered by unexpected kindness: the bus driver could have stopped the dishevelled Indian girl in soiled clothes from boarding his bus yet allowed her on; and a retired couple from Wiltshire holidaying in the north of Scotland lend moral support to Cal in face of hostility. This is a book that stays with you long after you have read it.
This is a tight well-written book with three overlapping stories drawn together by McGill's research. His character is explored through his relationships with his father and former wife, as a grandson trying to unravel his past. The police are shone in a mixed light, from the ambitious but chauvinistic vain DI with his disdain for the plain, plump but skilled female DC handling the investigation of the disarticulated feet, and the parlous state of teenage Indian girl Basanti sold by her uncle and mother to the sex trade to clear her late father's debts.
Petty jealousies and vindictiveness are tempered by unexpected kindness: the bus driver could have stopped the dishevelled Indian girl in soiled clothes from boarding his bus yet allowed her on; and a retired couple from Wiltshire holidaying in the north of Scotland lend moral support to Cal in face of hostility. This is a book that stays with you long after you have read it.
October 24, 2013
Well, if I hadn't been stuck on a long train journey with no other book, I'd have put this down by the end of chapter two. No one involved with the production of the book seems to have any idea what a comma is for, and question marks also appear in some rather odd places. The use of figures as opposed to names of numbers was inconsistent and irritating. I was irked, too, by a point in his acknowledgements where he seems to imply that almost all research can be done through journalism and it's a rare subject that you might need to read a book or a thesis on. However, he is a journalist - and it has to be said that he does not treat the press particularly sympathetically in the book. The fact that he's a journalist might also explain the rave reviews he received for his debut.
The book itself is not bad: I liked the idea of the detective, though the excessively spare writing made him and the other characters hard to get to or sympathise with. If you didn't know the settings, you wouldn't get much of a mental image of them from this, either. The blurb implies an eco-theme, which I missed - there is a good deal on tides, though, and the other theme mentioned, people-trafficking, is well covered and convincing - interestingly, that's the research he did via a Ph.D. thesis. The plot is certainly the book's strong point, and based on that I might read another one some time.
A point of information to the writer, though: size 18 women are not staggeringly fat and don't normally get stuck in chairs. If they did, most men would, too.
Sorry if this review sounds a bit bitter - it's a rare treat for me to buy a new book from a bookshop and I like to support Scottish writing, and this was a disappointment.
The book itself is not bad: I liked the idea of the detective, though the excessively spare writing made him and the other characters hard to get to or sympathise with. If you didn't know the settings, you wouldn't get much of a mental image of them from this, either. The blurb implies an eco-theme, which I missed - there is a good deal on tides, though, and the other theme mentioned, people-trafficking, is well covered and convincing - interestingly, that's the research he did via a Ph.D. thesis. The plot is certainly the book's strong point, and based on that I might read another one some time.
A point of information to the writer, though: size 18 women are not staggeringly fat and don't normally get stuck in chairs. If they did, most men would, too.
Sorry if this review sounds a bit bitter - it's a rare treat for me to buy a new book from a bookshop and I like to support Scottish writing, and this was a disappointment.
April 12, 2016
This was an interesting book but it was completely ruined for me by the authors treatment one of the principal female characters. The way in which other people treated her because she was 'plain and ugly' was unrealistic, at best it was clumsy and more likely deliberately offensive. This author believes someone who wears size 18 clothes is so grotesquely fat that they can't sit in chairs like 'normal' people can and that they sweat profusely. It really is a shame because other than this I thought the book and the ongoing concept was interesting but I cannot bear to read anymore of this authors misogynistic idiocy when it comes to anyone who doesn't meet his standards of attractiveness.
EDIT: I'm really not interested in discussing or elaborating on this review. I'm especially not interested in hearing about why my opinion of this book is wrong.
EDIT: I'm really not interested in discussing or elaborating on this review. I'm especially not interested in hearing about why my opinion of this book is wrong.
November 16, 2015
I thought this was a very good idea which was reasonably well done. I would like to have given this four stars because there's promise here, but it did have some pretty serious flaws and in the end I couldn't, I'm afraid.
This is a crime novel with both police and private detective elements. Cal McGill is a rather geeky (but apparently rather sexy) marine expert who can track beached objects back to their source at sea. He is slightly clumsily introduced, as is the police officer Helen Jamieson, a bright, capable officer whose colleagues despise her because she is plain and a bit overweight. Three stories intertwine: two criminal and one personal to Cal who is struggling to right an ancient injustice done to his grandfather.
It's not bad. Mark Douglas-Home writes decent prose and I became quite interested in a couple of the characters and in the development of the stories. However, it lacks the discipline and structure to work really well. Plot details don't quite hang together sometimes; for example, a very nasty, painful rib injury and a sprained ankle suddenly vanish and are never heard of again. The book sometimes meanders and lacks focus, with the story flagging badly in places and could have done with some pretty firm tightening up. The stories are told from too many different viewpoints which breaks the narrative up badly, and although they are all decent stories in a way, their respective denouements all seemed very pat and convenient to me, with the sudden, convenient intervention of hitherto unmentioned people or evidence. And the finale, intended to be a nail-biting showdown climax, just became plain silly, I'm afraid.
Douglas-Home tackles important themes here. It's a fine idea to make Helen a bit physically unattractive, for example, and to examine the way in which people respond to her as a result. However, it does need to be done with a little subtlety and realism to be believable, and the creation of a bad-guy boss for her who is vain, libidinous, incompetent and vindictive to the point of being ludicrously pantomimic weakens rather than strengthens the point being made. If he had a moustache, he would unquestionably twirl it, and much the same can be said about other villains in the book. It really is like a children's story in which all the horrid nasty people are eventually thwarted by the ingenuity of the nice, virtuous underdogs, which undermined its credibility for me.
So, this is a decent but flawed first book in what may turn out to be a good series. There's enough promise to encourage me to try the next one but this comes with a rather qualified recommendation.
(I received a free ARC via Netgalley.)
This is a crime novel with both police and private detective elements. Cal McGill is a rather geeky (but apparently rather sexy) marine expert who can track beached objects back to their source at sea. He is slightly clumsily introduced, as is the police officer Helen Jamieson, a bright, capable officer whose colleagues despise her because she is plain and a bit overweight. Three stories intertwine: two criminal and one personal to Cal who is struggling to right an ancient injustice done to his grandfather.
It's not bad. Mark Douglas-Home writes decent prose and I became quite interested in a couple of the characters and in the development of the stories. However, it lacks the discipline and structure to work really well. Plot details don't quite hang together sometimes; for example, a very nasty, painful rib injury and a sprained ankle suddenly vanish and are never heard of again. The book sometimes meanders and lacks focus, with the story flagging badly in places and could have done with some pretty firm tightening up. The stories are told from too many different viewpoints which breaks the narrative up badly, and although they are all decent stories in a way, their respective denouements all seemed very pat and convenient to me, with the sudden, convenient intervention of hitherto unmentioned people or evidence. And the finale, intended to be a nail-biting showdown climax, just became plain silly, I'm afraid.
Douglas-Home tackles important themes here. It's a fine idea to make Helen a bit physically unattractive, for example, and to examine the way in which people respond to her as a result. However, it does need to be done with a little subtlety and realism to be believable, and the creation of a bad-guy boss for her who is vain, libidinous, incompetent and vindictive to the point of being ludicrously pantomimic weakens rather than strengthens the point being made. If he had a moustache, he would unquestionably twirl it, and much the same can be said about other villains in the book. It really is like a children's story in which all the horrid nasty people are eventually thwarted by the ingenuity of the nice, virtuous underdogs, which undermined its credibility for me.
So, this is a decent but flawed first book in what may turn out to be a good series. There's enough promise to encourage me to try the next one but this comes with a rather qualified recommendation.
(I received a free ARC via Netgalley.)
March 22, 2018
This novel is multi-layered and while tackling themes that are addressed in other novels in the crime genre, includes complex sub-themes. Cal McGill is a PhD student studying sea currents in a novel and innovative way. His "obsession" with the theme began in childhood. His maternal grandfather, an islander, died in the Second World War, as part of a crew of a local shipping boat that was converted to war use. His body was lost at sea and for years Cal imagined he would search for his grandfather's remains. Throughout his childhood his mother was reluctant to talk about her past, and never returned to visit the island she had moved to as a young bride.
Cal is also an environmental activist which is how he gets arrested. This leads to contact with the vile Inspector Ryan. Ryan's underling Helen Jamieson becomes Cal's ally. Cal's study of ocean currents leads him to helping Jamieson investigate severed feet found on two different beaches in Scotland. A third subplot is that of trafficked girls from India. These plots are convincingly linked, and satisfactorily worked out.
This is a excellently constructed crime novel. Each subplot is complex and nuanced - the secrets surrounding the death of Cal's grandfather, the trafficked girls, and the source of the severed feet. Too many recent crime novels are unnecessarily inflated, and it is refreshing to read one that is as well written as this one.
Cal is also an environmental activist which is how he gets arrested. This leads to contact with the vile Inspector Ryan. Ryan's underling Helen Jamieson becomes Cal's ally. Cal's study of ocean currents leads him to helping Jamieson investigate severed feet found on two different beaches in Scotland. A third subplot is that of trafficked girls from India. These plots are convincingly linked, and satisfactorily worked out.
This is a excellently constructed crime novel. Each subplot is complex and nuanced - the secrets surrounding the death of Cal's grandfather, the trafficked girls, and the source of the severed feet. Too many recent crime novels are unnecessarily inflated, and it is refreshing to read one that is as well written as this one.
March 24, 2016
Within the space of a week, two of my most trusted sources for book recommendations raved about Mark Douglas-Home's The Sea Detective. When I looked it up online and read the synopsis, I immediately ordered a copy. (Actually I ordered it and the second book in the series because I trusted those recommendations so much.) My friends did not steer me wrong. Now I'm joining my voice with theirs to say that if you enjoy well-written crime fiction with an unusual focus and quirky characters, you need to get your hands on this book, too. The setting of the Scottish Highlands is mere icing on the cake.
Cal McGill is a prickly sort of character who seems much more at home with his oceanography studies than he does with people. As an environmentalist, he's been known to put his reputation on the line to prove a point. Helen Jamieson is a rising star in the local police force. She's overweight and plain-- a fact that her obnoxious superior Detective Inspector David Ryan never misses a chance to point out. But when it comes to investigating crimes, her force of will and creative thinking know no bounds. The Edinburgh police believe Cal McGill is nothing but a nutcase and a scofflaw. Only Helen can see how perfectly suited he is to find out what's going on with these severed feet.
If severed feet wearing shoes washing ashore in various locations sounds vaguely familiar, it should. Douglas-Home's plot is based on fact, and his conclusions are not only plausible, they're downright chilling. As a bonus, we're also brought along on an investigation that McGill has carried close to his heart since he was a small boy: the loss at sea of his grandfather during World War II. Both mysteries are absolutely compelling, with the "cold case" highlighting to perfection how insular tiny villages in the remote areas of Scotland can be.
Two engrossing mysteries, a unique way of solving them, a pitch perfect setting, and vividly drawn characters all combined to create a story that I didn't want to see end. Fortunately, I have the next book in the series, The Woman Who Walked into the Sea, to prevent any symptoms of withdrawal.
Cal McGill is a prickly sort of character who seems much more at home with his oceanography studies than he does with people. As an environmentalist, he's been known to put his reputation on the line to prove a point. Helen Jamieson is a rising star in the local police force. She's overweight and plain-- a fact that her obnoxious superior Detective Inspector David Ryan never misses a chance to point out. But when it comes to investigating crimes, her force of will and creative thinking know no bounds. The Edinburgh police believe Cal McGill is nothing but a nutcase and a scofflaw. Only Helen can see how perfectly suited he is to find out what's going on with these severed feet.
If severed feet wearing shoes washing ashore in various locations sounds vaguely familiar, it should. Douglas-Home's plot is based on fact, and his conclusions are not only plausible, they're downright chilling. As a bonus, we're also brought along on an investigation that McGill has carried close to his heart since he was a small boy: the loss at sea of his grandfather during World War II. Both mysteries are absolutely compelling, with the "cold case" highlighting to perfection how insular tiny villages in the remote areas of Scotland can be.
Two engrossing mysteries, a unique way of solving them, a pitch perfect setting, and vividly drawn characters all combined to create a story that I didn't want to see end. Fortunately, I have the next book in the series, The Woman Who Walked into the Sea, to prevent any symptoms of withdrawal.
February 22, 2013
The Sea Detective is a hugely enjoyable read, told in an engaging and compelling voice. An awful lot happens in its 280 pages, with its three main intersecting plot lines, but at no point does the story feel overcomplicated or underdeveloped or overly contrived. Packing so much in, in terms of historical, social and scientific contextualisation and the back stories of the various characters, whilst keep the story front and centre without the text becoming bloated or preachy is a remarkable feat. The characterisation is excellent, especially the lead characters of Cal McGill, DC Helen Jamieson, Basanti, and DI Ryan, who all are complex and three-dimensional (I especially liked Jamieson as the intelligent but overweight cop who craves recognition and acceptance, but is misjudged and mocked by her colleagues). Douglas-Home is particularly good at framing and playing out a scene and the interactions between characters. There is a strong sense of place throughout, especially with respect to rural, coastal Scotland. The plotting is, in my view is exceptional, creating a story that hooks the story in and incessantly tugs them along on a gripping, emotional journey. Overall, an excellent first novel that I’d thoroughly recommend. I’ll definitely be reading the next in the series.
December 7, 2016
The Sea Detective. By Mark Douglas-Home 3-1/2 Stars
Three stories intertwine in this tale that begins with Indian children being sold into the sex trade. It doesn’t take long before we discover what becomes of them, and where they end up. The second tale involves Cal McGill, a character who is introduced to the reader as a petty criminal intent on placing plants in the gardens of government officials as a form of environmental protest, or call for action.
The story then switches to some detectives who enlist Cal to help them discover something about the origin of sneaker clad feet that wash up on the Scottish shoreline.
Cal has his own agenda, and the story’s third part is his quest to discover the truth behind the Second World War disappearance of a missing relative.
There’s plenty going on, and the writing was excellent, but the pace tended to bog down in places. I would have rated it much higher if not for that. Bottom line: Interesting story that was sufficiently well written that I look forward to reading another by this promising author.
Three stories intertwine in this tale that begins with Indian children being sold into the sex trade. It doesn’t take long before we discover what becomes of them, and where they end up. The second tale involves Cal McGill, a character who is introduced to the reader as a petty criminal intent on placing plants in the gardens of government officials as a form of environmental protest, or call for action.
The story then switches to some detectives who enlist Cal to help them discover something about the origin of sneaker clad feet that wash up on the Scottish shoreline.
Cal has his own agenda, and the story’s third part is his quest to discover the truth behind the Second World War disappearance of a missing relative.
There’s plenty going on, and the writing was excellent, but the pace tended to bog down in places. I would have rated it much higher if not for that. Bottom line: Interesting story that was sufficiently well written that I look forward to reading another by this promising author.
July 11, 2020
About half way through this novel I began to get the feeling that I had at last come across the beginning of a really special series. The rest of this novel just confirmed it, so I shall be eagerly looking out for the other "Sea Detective" novels.
Here we have a decent and likable young main protagonist (which is quite a refreshing change for me): "Cal McGill is an Edinburgh-based oceanographer, environmentalist and one-of-a-kind investigator". He specialises in tracing where things that get washed up on the beach come from - bodies, parts of bodies, shipping crates and so on.
The plot is captivating, original and well-paced, with a mixture of historical mystery and present day crime (no duel timeline though Mo!). The other characters are well depicted and often colourful. In short, this is totally recommendable and I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series.
Here we have a decent and likable young main protagonist (which is quite a refreshing change for me): "Cal McGill is an Edinburgh-based oceanographer, environmentalist and one-of-a-kind investigator". He specialises in tracing where things that get washed up on the beach come from - bodies, parts of bodies, shipping crates and so on.
The plot is captivating, original and well-paced, with a mixture of historical mystery and present day crime (no duel timeline though Mo!). The other characters are well depicted and often colourful. In short, this is totally recommendable and I am looking forward to reading the next novel in the series.
January 11, 2016
Once in a while a book like The Sea Detective comes along that is just so different. The genre of crime fiction is bursting at the seams and it must be very difficult to think of something new to bring to it. Well, for me this is it. This is one of the most unique crime novels I have read in a long time.
"The Sea Detective", first novel in the series featuring Cal McGill, an Edinburgh-based expert oceanographer and marine tracker, courtesy of Flotsam and Jetsam Investigations, is certainly different. All the elements you would expect in a book that deals with, well - with a murder investigation - are just not there. McGill uses shipping records, ocean currents and prevailing winds to track objects, including human bodies - at sea. And this is an intriguing story that grips from the opening page. And it starts in a grisly fashion - a Bedia girl from India is being trafficked by her family in exchange for money and there are some horrific scenes that I won’t go into. In the following pages McGill is being chased by police for something he has done wearing his eco-warrior mantle, but the story really begins when two severed feet wash up at two different locations off the coast of Scotland. Cal McGill’s expertise comes to the fore with his analysis of ocean currents but he soon ends up entangled in something far more sinister.
Cal McGill is an intriguing character, has little respect for the authority. Intelligent and unable to accept injustice in the world that he sees as hurtling towards another cataclysmic climate change. As an eco-investigator he finds himself out of his depth as the story develops. Becomes involved in circumstances beyond his standing. And as such he is a thoroughly likeable character.
The Sea Detective is a refreshing read for those who enjoy crime fiction. Yes, it is certainly different. Well done Mark Douglas-Home.
"The Sea Detective", first novel in the series featuring Cal McGill, an Edinburgh-based expert oceanographer and marine tracker, courtesy of Flotsam and Jetsam Investigations, is certainly different. All the elements you would expect in a book that deals with, well - with a murder investigation - are just not there. McGill uses shipping records, ocean currents and prevailing winds to track objects, including human bodies - at sea. And this is an intriguing story that grips from the opening page. And it starts in a grisly fashion - a Bedia girl from India is being trafficked by her family in exchange for money and there are some horrific scenes that I won’t go into. In the following pages McGill is being chased by police for something he has done wearing his eco-warrior mantle, but the story really begins when two severed feet wash up at two different locations off the coast of Scotland. Cal McGill’s expertise comes to the fore with his analysis of ocean currents but he soon ends up entangled in something far more sinister.
Cal McGill is an intriguing character, has little respect for the authority. Intelligent and unable to accept injustice in the world that he sees as hurtling towards another cataclysmic climate change. As an eco-investigator he finds himself out of his depth as the story develops. Becomes involved in circumstances beyond his standing. And as such he is a thoroughly likeable character.
The Sea Detective is a refreshing read for those who enjoy crime fiction. Yes, it is certainly different. Well done Mark Douglas-Home.
September 1, 2016
I recently read a review of this book from a blog site that I follow and respect. On the site, this book earned one of the best reads for 2016 and these best reads are not given out easily. I found that I enjoyed the book immensely. It is now one of my best crime fiction reads for 2016.
Cal McGill is a part time PHD oceanography student who studies the ocean with its currents to determine when something washes up on shore where it probably entered the ocean originally. He has develop a reputation of being an expert in this field but the police view him as somewhat as a crackpot due to running into him with his environmental escapades.
There are three story lines that interweave in the book. It starts out with two Bedia girls sold into sexual slavery by their families. They are brought to Scotland. The other story line deals with severed feet wearing trainers showing up on shore. This is the police procedural part of the book. A very likeable character DC Helen Jamieson enlists Cal's expertise to solve the mystery. She does this behind her supervisor's back who seems to detest her and being around her. He is a womanizer and Helen is plain and overweight. She is very intelligent and her boss did not want Cal's help.The third story line was Cal learning what happened to his grandfather during the war when he was lost at sea with other crew mates. Cal returns to the island where his family lived. Cal's grandfather who he never met triggered Cal's interest in the ocean. I found that as a reader I wanted the mystery behind what really happened to his grandfather solved and rectified. A added plus to this book was the location of Scotland.
I enjoyed this book very much and it looks like I now have a new favorite author.
Cal McGill is a part time PHD oceanography student who studies the ocean with its currents to determine when something washes up on shore where it probably entered the ocean originally. He has develop a reputation of being an expert in this field but the police view him as somewhat as a crackpot due to running into him with his environmental escapades.
There are three story lines that interweave in the book. It starts out with two Bedia girls sold into sexual slavery by their families. They are brought to Scotland. The other story line deals with severed feet wearing trainers showing up on shore. This is the police procedural part of the book. A very likeable character DC Helen Jamieson enlists Cal's expertise to solve the mystery. She does this behind her supervisor's back who seems to detest her and being around her. He is a womanizer and Helen is plain and overweight. She is very intelligent and her boss did not want Cal's help.The third story line was Cal learning what happened to his grandfather during the war when he was lost at sea with other crew mates. Cal returns to the island where his family lived. Cal's grandfather who he never met triggered Cal's interest in the ocean. I found that as a reader I wanted the mystery behind what really happened to his grandfather solved and rectified. A added plus to this book was the location of Scotland.
I enjoyed this book very much and it looks like I now have a new favorite author.
December 13, 2012
It was okay - that about sums this up and that's sad because the subject matter was facinating, and the idea original. I so wanted the characters to come alive form the page but they just didn't. The whole thing was flat and quite frankly bitty. It jumped hither and thither like the writer couldn't make upi his mind what story he was telling, the many strands came together clumsily and the ending I found unatisfactory. In fact it just stopped.
I wanted so much more meat on the bones of this story. I wanted Cal to care about something, I wanted Helen to find love. I guess I'm saying that this book left me wanting.
I wanted so much more meat on the bones of this story. I wanted Cal to care about something, I wanted Helen to find love. I guess I'm saying that this book left me wanting.
March 17, 2018
The novel interweaves the lives of three people, Cal McGill, a part-time Ph.d student in oceanography, Helen Jamieson, an up-and-coming detective overlooked and mocked because she’s not covergirl pretty, and Bisanti, a teenaged girl sold to a sex trafficking ring. Told from their three points of view, the novel developed each character as multi-dimensional, injured but resilient, and resourceful. The crimes committed overlap and connect with each other, and each one of them emerge as allies and protectors of the other. It wasn’t always an easy read, given the nature of the crimes, but it wasn’t graphic. An overall terrific, suspenseful, fully engrossing read, and I’m happy to see that this is the beginning of a series.
January 1, 2021
Intriguing characters and story. Good to start off the year with a new series - fortunately, my resolution to turn off the light by 1 am had not kicked in yet!
January 18, 2016
If you are looking for an original, intriguing and utterly compelling book to read then you've found it with The Sea Detective. When I received this book and read the press release, I became very excited because when you read over one hundred crime fiction stories every year, you are constantly on the lookout for something that is different from everything else out there. It's also important to say that The Sea Detective goes beyond just being a simple crime story as it is also a thriller centred around a missing persons investigation.
Our main character in The Sea Detective is Cal McGill. The first thing that sets Cal apart from anybody else I've read about is his job as an oceanographer. I had no idea just what that entailed until I read this book. For example I didn't know it was possible to find out where items found in the ocean may have came from, by studying things such as ocean currents, prevailing winds and shipping records. Cal is extremely confident and competent in this area and it's clear that Mark Douglas-Home has carried out some brilliant research to make this story as authentic as possible. I even Googled further about oceanography when I finished this book because I was so fascinated by it.
There are a number of storylines running throughout The Sea Detective that are eventually brought together in a masterful way as Mark Douglas-Home delivers a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to this story. Two severed feet wash up miles apart on two different islands off the coast of Scotland. Forensics reveal that the feet belong to the same body. Cal investigates and soon unravels a web of corruption, exploitation and violence. Meanwhile a young woman by the name of Basanti turns up on Cal's doorstep wanting his help locating her friend Preeti. Basanti has a heartbreaking story to tell and the reader is privy to more information than Cal about what truly happened to Preeti, but still there are plenty of twists as this story begins to play out. As if that wasn't enough Cal is haunted by his grandfather's death at sea. This tragedy led to him becoming an oceanographer and as the book progresses, Cal finally starts to get the answers he has searched for his whole life.
The Sea Detective is a rich, atmospheric read that really pulls you into the heart of the drama and never lets you go until the end. You get a real sense of the setting, and can almost feel the bitter cold winds as you read and follow Cal on his journey. He clearly has a damaged past, and is desperate for answers about his grandfather's death. Cal reminded me of Tim Weaver's missing persons investigator David Raker. Given Cal's personal life and the fact he has few friends and family, he's in a place where he can put other people first, and where he puts his own life in danger because he doesn't have that conventional family life. Basanti's story is hard-hitting and extremely emotional. Mark brings all of the characters we meet to life on the page and it's easy to imagine them as real people and I finished the story knowing that Basanti's story is probably true of many young women across the world and that means that this isn't a story I'll be forgetting in a hurry.
The Sea Detective was a thoroughly enjoyable read and is a book I have no hesitation in recommending. Thankfully I have the second in the series, The Woman Who Walked into the Sea, waiting to be read and there will be a review of that sequel on the blog very soon.
Our main character in The Sea Detective is Cal McGill. The first thing that sets Cal apart from anybody else I've read about is his job as an oceanographer. I had no idea just what that entailed until I read this book. For example I didn't know it was possible to find out where items found in the ocean may have came from, by studying things such as ocean currents, prevailing winds and shipping records. Cal is extremely confident and competent in this area and it's clear that Mark Douglas-Home has carried out some brilliant research to make this story as authentic as possible. I even Googled further about oceanography when I finished this book because I was so fascinated by it.
There are a number of storylines running throughout The Sea Detective that are eventually brought together in a masterful way as Mark Douglas-Home delivers a thrilling and satisfying conclusion to this story. Two severed feet wash up miles apart on two different islands off the coast of Scotland. Forensics reveal that the feet belong to the same body. Cal investigates and soon unravels a web of corruption, exploitation and violence. Meanwhile a young woman by the name of Basanti turns up on Cal's doorstep wanting his help locating her friend Preeti. Basanti has a heartbreaking story to tell and the reader is privy to more information than Cal about what truly happened to Preeti, but still there are plenty of twists as this story begins to play out. As if that wasn't enough Cal is haunted by his grandfather's death at sea. This tragedy led to him becoming an oceanographer and as the book progresses, Cal finally starts to get the answers he has searched for his whole life.
The Sea Detective is a rich, atmospheric read that really pulls you into the heart of the drama and never lets you go until the end. You get a real sense of the setting, and can almost feel the bitter cold winds as you read and follow Cal on his journey. He clearly has a damaged past, and is desperate for answers about his grandfather's death. Cal reminded me of Tim Weaver's missing persons investigator David Raker. Given Cal's personal life and the fact he has few friends and family, he's in a place where he can put other people first, and where he puts his own life in danger because he doesn't have that conventional family life. Basanti's story is hard-hitting and extremely emotional. Mark brings all of the characters we meet to life on the page and it's easy to imagine them as real people and I finished the story knowing that Basanti's story is probably true of many young women across the world and that means that this isn't a story I'll be forgetting in a hurry.
The Sea Detective was a thoroughly enjoyable read and is a book I have no hesitation in recommending. Thankfully I have the second in the series, The Woman Who Walked into the Sea, waiting to be read and there will be a review of that sequel on the blog very soon.
February 23, 2017
Neben Peter May gibt es kaum einen schottischen Krimiautor, der die Fähigkeit hat, Gegenwärtiges und Vergangenes, gepaart mit grandiosen Landschaftsbeschreibungen, stimmig in eine spannende Geschichte zu verpacken, weshalb mich auch eine gewisse Wehmut ergriffen hat, als ich „Moorbruch“, dessen abschließenden Band der Lewis-Trilogie (kürzlich in einer ausgezeichneten Übersetzung bei Zsolnay erschienen), beendet hatte.
Glücklicherweise gibt es auch im Krimibereich ein monatliches Ranking, aus dem ich mir regelmäßig Lesetipps hole. Und in der Bestenliste Februar belegt der schottische Newcomer Mark Douglas-Home den neunten Platz mit seinem ersten Cal McGill-Kriminalroman „Sea Detective: Ein Grab in den Wellen“. Neuer Autor, Schottland und ein ungewöhnlicher Protagonist, mein Interesse war geweckt…und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht!
Die Handlung wird durch verschiedene Stränge bestimmt, die ineinandergreifen und sich teilweise überlappen, wobei sowohl Erzählperspektive als auch Handlungsort wechselt.
Das verbindende Element ist der unkonventionelle Protagonist Cal McGill, kein klassischer Polizist/Detective, sondern ein Meeresbiologe und Umweltaktivist. Polizeibekannt durch seine aufsehenerregenden Pflanzaktionen in Politikergärten, mit der er die Öffentlichkeit auf den globalen Klimawandel hinweisen möchte. Und ein Experte, wenn es um Meeresströmungen und an Land gespültes Treibgut geht, dessen Weg er mit Hilfe einer Computersimulation nachverfolgen kann. Eine Fähigkeit, die die Polizei von Edinburgh dringend benötigt, da an der Küste abgetrennte Füße angespült worden sind. Da Detective Helen Jamison bei ihrem Vorgesetzten auf taube Ohren stößt, beschließt sie hinter dessen Rücken McGill um Hilfe zu bitten.
Relativ zeitgleich versteckt sich Basanti, eine indische Jugendliche in unmittelbarere Nähe von McGills Wohnung und sieht bei einem Blick durch dessen Fenster ein Bild ihrer spurlos verschwundenen Freundin Preeti. In Rückblenden erfährt man, dass die beiden Bedia-Mädchen von ihren Familien als Kapital genutzt und für ein Leben als Prostituierte (Dhandewali) erzogen wurden. An Menschenhändler verkauft, gelangten sie nach Großbritannien, wurden von Zuhälter an Zuhälter weitergereicht, und später, wenn diese keine Verwendung mehr für die Mädchen hatten, wie Müll entsorgt. Preeti musste dieses Schicksal erleiden, aber Basanti konnte ihren Peinigern entkommen und muss sich nun vor ihnen verstecken.
Die besondere Note erhält dieser Kriminalroman aber durch einen besonderen Aspekt der Familienhistorie des Protagonisten, dessen Großvater unter ungeklärten Umständen im Zweiten Weltkrieg vor der schottischen Küste ums Leben kam. Um Licht ins Dunkel zu bringen, reist McGill nach Eilean Iasgaich, der (fiktiven) kleinen Fischerinsel an der Westküste. Heimat für seine Familie bis zum Tod des Großvaters. Was ist damals geschehen, und warum begegnen ihm fast alle Inselbewohner mit unverhohlener Feindseligkeit?
Der sehr gut durchdachte Plot, die Kompetenz in der Vermittlung der ozeanografischen Themen, die detaillierten Charakterisierungen, die gelungene Verknüpfung von Familiengeschichte und aktuellen Vorkommnissen und schlussendlich die Landschaftsbeschreibungen, die die Vorstellungskraft des Lesers befeuern, machen aus diesem Debüt ein unerwartet eindrückliches Leseerlebnis. Sehr empfehlenswert!
Glücklicherweise gibt es auch im Krimibereich ein monatliches Ranking, aus dem ich mir regelmäßig Lesetipps hole. Und in der Bestenliste Februar belegt der schottische Newcomer Mark Douglas-Home den neunten Platz mit seinem ersten Cal McGill-Kriminalroman „Sea Detective: Ein Grab in den Wellen“. Neuer Autor, Schottland und ein ungewöhnlicher Protagonist, mein Interesse war geweckt…und ich wurde nicht enttäuscht!
Die Handlung wird durch verschiedene Stränge bestimmt, die ineinandergreifen und sich teilweise überlappen, wobei sowohl Erzählperspektive als auch Handlungsort wechselt.
Das verbindende Element ist der unkonventionelle Protagonist Cal McGill, kein klassischer Polizist/Detective, sondern ein Meeresbiologe und Umweltaktivist. Polizeibekannt durch seine aufsehenerregenden Pflanzaktionen in Politikergärten, mit der er die Öffentlichkeit auf den globalen Klimawandel hinweisen möchte. Und ein Experte, wenn es um Meeresströmungen und an Land gespültes Treibgut geht, dessen Weg er mit Hilfe einer Computersimulation nachverfolgen kann. Eine Fähigkeit, die die Polizei von Edinburgh dringend benötigt, da an der Küste abgetrennte Füße angespült worden sind. Da Detective Helen Jamison bei ihrem Vorgesetzten auf taube Ohren stößt, beschließt sie hinter dessen Rücken McGill um Hilfe zu bitten.
Relativ zeitgleich versteckt sich Basanti, eine indische Jugendliche in unmittelbarere Nähe von McGills Wohnung und sieht bei einem Blick durch dessen Fenster ein Bild ihrer spurlos verschwundenen Freundin Preeti. In Rückblenden erfährt man, dass die beiden Bedia-Mädchen von ihren Familien als Kapital genutzt und für ein Leben als Prostituierte (Dhandewali) erzogen wurden. An Menschenhändler verkauft, gelangten sie nach Großbritannien, wurden von Zuhälter an Zuhälter weitergereicht, und später, wenn diese keine Verwendung mehr für die Mädchen hatten, wie Müll entsorgt. Preeti musste dieses Schicksal erleiden, aber Basanti konnte ihren Peinigern entkommen und muss sich nun vor ihnen verstecken.
Die besondere Note erhält dieser Kriminalroman aber durch einen besonderen Aspekt der Familienhistorie des Protagonisten, dessen Großvater unter ungeklärten Umständen im Zweiten Weltkrieg vor der schottischen Küste ums Leben kam. Um Licht ins Dunkel zu bringen, reist McGill nach Eilean Iasgaich, der (fiktiven) kleinen Fischerinsel an der Westküste. Heimat für seine Familie bis zum Tod des Großvaters. Was ist damals geschehen, und warum begegnen ihm fast alle Inselbewohner mit unverhohlener Feindseligkeit?
Der sehr gut durchdachte Plot, die Kompetenz in der Vermittlung der ozeanografischen Themen, die detaillierten Charakterisierungen, die gelungene Verknüpfung von Familiengeschichte und aktuellen Vorkommnissen und schlussendlich die Landschaftsbeschreibungen, die die Vorstellungskraft des Lesers befeuern, machen aus diesem Debüt ein unerwartet eindrückliches Leseerlebnis. Sehr empfehlenswert!
May 2, 2020
I picked up this book and it’s sequel in Scotland years ago as it is advertised as “raising the bar on Scottish crime fiction.” The book has sat for a couple of years in my unread pile. I am determined to get through this pile eventually. :)
The story begins with an oceanographer, environmentalist and part-time flotsam and jetsam investigator, Cal who studies the oceans waves and currents. Cal is haunted by his grandfather’s death in the ocean and has led him into investigations.
Severed feet arrive on Scotland’s shoreline and Cal is trying to find the origin of their location. The story is full of drama which eventually includes the sex trafficking of young girls from India being held in Glasgow. Overall, I thought the plot was original and it held my interest.
I would rate it 3.5 rounded up to a 4. Only downside is they use a bully male supervisor in the police force against an overweight woman detective. A little too stereotypical and it could use a little more imagination since the storyline itself was quite original.
I will read the sequel sooner rather than later.
The story begins with an oceanographer, environmentalist and part-time flotsam and jetsam investigator, Cal who studies the oceans waves and currents. Cal is haunted by his grandfather’s death in the ocean and has led him into investigations.
Severed feet arrive on Scotland’s shoreline and Cal is trying to find the origin of their location. The story is full of drama which eventually includes the sex trafficking of young girls from India being held in Glasgow. Overall, I thought the plot was original and it held my interest.
I would rate it 3.5 rounded up to a 4. Only downside is they use a bully male supervisor in the police force against an overweight woman detective. A little too stereotypical and it could use a little more imagination since the storyline itself was quite original.
I will read the sequel sooner rather than later.
January 30, 2021
Well, this isn't your run of the mill crime story. Mark Douglas-Home's debut novel is highly original and very enjoyable.
Set in Edinburgh and the fictional island of Eilean Iasgaich, off the north coast of Scotland, the story has three plotlines, Cal McGill, a Phd oceanography student, is trying to uncover the full story of his grandfather's death at sea in WW2; Basanti, a young Indian girl, has been sold by her family into the sex trade and trafficked to Scotland; and a (lesser) mystery involving three trainer-clad feet which have been washed ashore.
The three storylines are deftly woven together and it all builds to a tense climax.
My main gripe about the book is that the characters felt a bit 'flat' to me, and Cal McGill himself isn't exactly sympathetic as a main character, he's a loner who isn't good at social interaction and is prone to extreme rudeness.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book - so much so that I've added the next in the series to my to buy list - I just hope we see some rounding out in Cal.
Set in Edinburgh and the fictional island of Eilean Iasgaich, off the north coast of Scotland, the story has three plotlines, Cal McGill, a Phd oceanography student, is trying to uncover the full story of his grandfather's death at sea in WW2; Basanti, a young Indian girl, has been sold by her family into the sex trade and trafficked to Scotland; and a (lesser) mystery involving three trainer-clad feet which have been washed ashore.
The three storylines are deftly woven together and it all builds to a tense climax.
My main gripe about the book is that the characters felt a bit 'flat' to me, and Cal McGill himself isn't exactly sympathetic as a main character, he's a loner who isn't good at social interaction and is prone to extreme rudeness.
Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book - so much so that I've added the next in the series to my to buy list - I just hope we see some rounding out in Cal.
October 4, 2018
I enjoyed this one - Cal McGill is a an unusual main character, an oceanograther and eco-activist tracing buried secrets about his grandfather, when he gets drawn into a child sex trafficking ring
August 21, 2016
It’s always a great feeling when you thoroughly enjoy a book, it is even better when you discover that the said book is the first in a series. The Sea Detective by Mark Douglas–Home is a Scotland set, crime based mystery novel. The novel features a not so average detective, Cal McGill who is an oceanographer. Cal’s interest and expertise lies in tracing the origins in debris discovered in the ocean. He solves cases based on his understanding of the patterns of the ocean’s tides and wind currents. This first novel takes on a number of subplots for Cal to tackle, but in no means was it confusing. Integrated within The Sea Detective is an interesting thread on murder of a young Bengali girl and a paedophile ring linked to this case. For this case, Cal is joined by an enigmatic female DC named Helen Jamieson. In addition, there is a thread involving Cal’s own personal investigation into a genealogical mystery surrounding his Grandfather’s death in World War II. The Sea Detective is a highly original crime based novel, defined by a strong style of writing, that reflects the author’s decorated background in journalism. This is a book that had me captivated from cover to cover and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, The Woman Who Walked Into the Sea.
*4.5 stars
This review also appears on my blog: https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com...
*4.5 stars
This review also appears on my blog: https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com...
July 29, 2014
This contemporary Scotland-set mystery novel is complex and rich storytelling. In it's wide-ranging plot, the classic themes of loss, the quest for truth, and the desire for revenge are driving forces. There are three main characters: all are damaged in one way or another but in the end all display great strength. Cal McGill, the titular "Sea Detective", is a remote person who studies ocean currents mostly in hopes of solving the where and how of his grandfather's death. For compelling but different reasons, McGill's oceanographic expertise comes to the attention of the other two main characters: Helen Jamieson, a highly competent but unappreciated (to say the least) DC, and Basanti, a young Indian girl sold into prostitution by her family. This book is an excellent read with strong, sympathetic characters and some very satisfying revenge. I look forward to the second volume in the series.
May 23, 2014
I've been looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint me! There are three story threads and they intersect beautifully. I especially enjoyed the personal family mystery Cal was working through. The storyline about the two young girls brought the spotlight to the sex trafficking trade and was quite shocking and very well woven into the tale. I found myself quite attached to Basanti. Then there is the excellent police procedural line concerning the severed feet and the difficult working relationship between DI Ryan and his DC Helen Jamison. I liked how the author let us in on Helen's internal life as she interacted with Ryan, an arrogant womanizer. I'm hoping Helen will be back in the second book in this series, 'The Woman Who Walked Into the Water'.
December 11, 2022
There was a point about half way through The Sea Detective that I decided I was only giving it 2 stars, but it pulled itself up from that (a little!) by the end. I enjoyed the setting - Edinburgh and wild Scottish coastal areas - and the plot was good, just could have been executed a better. Too long section of exposition about the Grandfather plot line. Not enough action on the sex trafficking strand. And then there’s the fat- issue that many reviewers have mentioned. Our police woman is competent but fat! Really?! She runs rings around her dinosaur of a boss, but she gets stuck in chairs?! Unnecessary and a misjudgement by the author. Did he think it would add comedy?
March 25, 2016
There was enough going on here for two books. Unputdownable.
October 1, 2017
Herr der Strömungen
Erwischt! Cal McGill wurde geschnappt und überführt, er hat eine Pflanze im Garten eines Politikers eingepflanzt. Die Detective Ryan möchte ihn am Liebsten als Terroristen verhaften, doch der Politiker nimmt es sportlich und erstattet keine Anzeige. Ryans Partnerin Helen Jamieson hat ein besseres Auge für Menschen als Ihr Chef. Sie behält im Hinterkopf, dass Cal vieles über die Meeresströmungen weiß. Als an den schottischen Küsten Leichenteile angespült werden, deren Auffinden Rätsel aufgibt, bittet sie Cal um Hilfe. Dieser ist zwar sehr mit der Vergangenheit seiner eigenen Familie beschäftigt, beginnt aber dennoch für die Polizistin zu ermitteln.
Ein wenig speziell ist er schon dieser Cal McGill, Ozeanograph, Umweltaktivist, hoch gebildet, doch schwierig im Zwischenmenschlichen. Sein Großvater, den er nie kennengelernt hat, ist sein Vorbild. Dessen Verschwinden auf See hat Cal dazu gebracht, sich mit den Meeren, den Wellen, den Strömungen zu beschäftigen. Als Umweltaktivist ist er nicht gerade der Liebling der Polizei, umso ungewöhnlicher ist es, dass er ihnen hilft. Sein Kontakt mit der Polizistin Helen bringt beide voran. Gegenseitig helfen sich in unterschiedlichen schwierigen Situationen. Nur seiner Ex-Frau Rachel kann sich Cal nicht öffnen.
Verschiedene Handlungsstränge, die nicht direkt ineinander greifen, sich aber doch gegenseitig befördern und vorantreiben. Die raue schottische Landschaft, die Inselwelt vor der Küste, das Stadtleben in Edinburgh bilden einen intensiven Rahmen für Cals Geschichte, die seines Großvaters, die eine ganz andere ist als Cal immer gedacht hat. Packend welche innovativen Schritte Cal unternimmt, um der Polizei zu helfen. Und nicht zu vergessen eine Zeichnung, deren Entsprechung in der Realität es zu finden gilt. Cal sieht auch hier einen Ansatz, wie er an diese Frage herangehen kann. Das alles fügt sich zu einer wohlgeformten Gesamtheit. Mit jeder Seite, die man umblättert, mit jeder Frage, die sich stellt, mit jeder Antwort, die man findet, packt einen einen die Geschichte mehr.
Ein toller Start einer neuen Reihe um einen außergewöhnlichen Ermittler und gleichzeitig sympathischen und vielschichtigen Menschen.
4,5 Sterne
Erwischt! Cal McGill wurde geschnappt und überführt, er hat eine Pflanze im Garten eines Politikers eingepflanzt. Die Detective Ryan möchte ihn am Liebsten als Terroristen verhaften, doch der Politiker nimmt es sportlich und erstattet keine Anzeige. Ryans Partnerin Helen Jamieson hat ein besseres Auge für Menschen als Ihr Chef. Sie behält im Hinterkopf, dass Cal vieles über die Meeresströmungen weiß. Als an den schottischen Küsten Leichenteile angespült werden, deren Auffinden Rätsel aufgibt, bittet sie Cal um Hilfe. Dieser ist zwar sehr mit der Vergangenheit seiner eigenen Familie beschäftigt, beginnt aber dennoch für die Polizistin zu ermitteln.
Ein wenig speziell ist er schon dieser Cal McGill, Ozeanograph, Umweltaktivist, hoch gebildet, doch schwierig im Zwischenmenschlichen. Sein Großvater, den er nie kennengelernt hat, ist sein Vorbild. Dessen Verschwinden auf See hat Cal dazu gebracht, sich mit den Meeren, den Wellen, den Strömungen zu beschäftigen. Als Umweltaktivist ist er nicht gerade der Liebling der Polizei, umso ungewöhnlicher ist es, dass er ihnen hilft. Sein Kontakt mit der Polizistin Helen bringt beide voran. Gegenseitig helfen sich in unterschiedlichen schwierigen Situationen. Nur seiner Ex-Frau Rachel kann sich Cal nicht öffnen.
Verschiedene Handlungsstränge, die nicht direkt ineinander greifen, sich aber doch gegenseitig befördern und vorantreiben. Die raue schottische Landschaft, die Inselwelt vor der Küste, das Stadtleben in Edinburgh bilden einen intensiven Rahmen für Cals Geschichte, die seines Großvaters, die eine ganz andere ist als Cal immer gedacht hat. Packend welche innovativen Schritte Cal unternimmt, um der Polizei zu helfen. Und nicht zu vergessen eine Zeichnung, deren Entsprechung in der Realität es zu finden gilt. Cal sieht auch hier einen Ansatz, wie er an diese Frage herangehen kann. Das alles fügt sich zu einer wohlgeformten Gesamtheit. Mit jeder Seite, die man umblättert, mit jeder Frage, die sich stellt, mit jeder Antwort, die man findet, packt einen einen die Geschichte mehr.
Ein toller Start einer neuen Reihe um einen außergewöhnlichen Ermittler und gleichzeitig sympathischen und vielschichtigen Menschen.
4,5 Sterne
February 10, 2017
Ein außergewöhnliches Ermittlerteam, welches sich in diesem Krimi zusammenfindet. Obwohl die Zusammenarbeit eher Nebensache ist, nur auf verhältnismäßig wenigen Seiten findet man Cal und Helen zusammen, hatte ich ein ausgesprochen gutes Leseerlebnis. Die Kombination aus Krimi und Thriller ist dem Autor sehr gut gelungen.
Der Großteil der Handlung spielt sich rund um Cal McGill ab, obwohl der Roman eigentlich aus drei unterschiedlichen Handlungen besteht. Das Schicksal seines Großvaters, den er nie kennen gelernt hat und der im zweiten Weltkrieg im Meer verschollen ist, lässt ihn nicht los. Seine Ex-Frau Rachel bringt ihn mit einer Frau zusammen, welche seinen Großvater kannte. Allmählich deckt Cal die Wahrheit über das Verschwinden seinen Großvaters auf. Zur selben Zeit bittet ihn Detective Helen Jamieson ihr bei ihrem aktuellen Fall mit den abgetrennten Füßen zu helfen. Und auch ein verschrecktes Indisches Mädchen taucht in seiner Wohnung unter und bittet Cal ihr zu helfen die Mörder ihrer Freundin zu finden.
Die Spannung baut sich nur recht langsam auf. Das liegt wohl daran, dass Cals Familiengeschichte viel Platz in diesem Kriminalroman einnimmt. Auch wenn das sehr gut zu lesen war, hat es der Handlung einiges an Nervenkitzel genommen. Erst zum Ende hin wurde es richtig temporeich. Fast zu schnell löste sich dann alles auf.
Mein Fazit:
Ein gelungenes Debüt mit einem interessanten Hauptcharakter. Schade fand ich, dass den spannenden Nebenhandlungen zu wenig Raum blieb um sich auf den 400 Seiten krimimäßig gut zu entfalten. Allerdings ist der Roman der Auftakt einer Reihe, vielleicht sollte man auf diese Art Cal McGill kennenlernen?
Der Großteil der Handlung spielt sich rund um Cal McGill ab, obwohl der Roman eigentlich aus drei unterschiedlichen Handlungen besteht. Das Schicksal seines Großvaters, den er nie kennen gelernt hat und der im zweiten Weltkrieg im Meer verschollen ist, lässt ihn nicht los. Seine Ex-Frau Rachel bringt ihn mit einer Frau zusammen, welche seinen Großvater kannte. Allmählich deckt Cal die Wahrheit über das Verschwinden seinen Großvaters auf. Zur selben Zeit bittet ihn Detective Helen Jamieson ihr bei ihrem aktuellen Fall mit den abgetrennten Füßen zu helfen. Und auch ein verschrecktes Indisches Mädchen taucht in seiner Wohnung unter und bittet Cal ihr zu helfen die Mörder ihrer Freundin zu finden.
Die Spannung baut sich nur recht langsam auf. Das liegt wohl daran, dass Cals Familiengeschichte viel Platz in diesem Kriminalroman einnimmt. Auch wenn das sehr gut zu lesen war, hat es der Handlung einiges an Nervenkitzel genommen. Erst zum Ende hin wurde es richtig temporeich. Fast zu schnell löste sich dann alles auf.
Mein Fazit:
Ein gelungenes Debüt mit einem interessanten Hauptcharakter. Schade fand ich, dass den spannenden Nebenhandlungen zu wenig Raum blieb um sich auf den 400 Seiten krimimäßig gut zu entfalten. Allerdings ist der Roman der Auftakt einer Reihe, vielleicht sollte man auf diese Art Cal McGill kennenlernen?
November 28, 2017
A new author to me - another great Scottish crime writer! Did they put something in the water up there?!!
Here we have a young misfit type who is having troubles with his love-life, is a bit of an activist and likes to study currents, tides, flows etc across the Atlantic and North Sea. Meanwhile we meet a couple of cops who don't get on with each other and then body parts start washing up on different beaches. There are 3 --4 threads of the story and I wouldn't want to spoil it but this is a very good start to a new series. The back story was definitely worth adding and gives room for future growth. I liked Cal and his anti-hero type life and Helen Jameson is one to watch as a detective.
I will be reading anything more that Mr Douglas-Home writes!
Not sure who did the narration but if you like audio this one is good to listen to!
Here we have a young misfit type who is having troubles with his love-life, is a bit of an activist and likes to study currents, tides, flows etc across the Atlantic and North Sea. Meanwhile we meet a couple of cops who don't get on with each other and then body parts start washing up on different beaches. There are 3 --4 threads of the story and I wouldn't want to spoil it but this is a very good start to a new series. The back story was definitely worth adding and gives room for future growth. I liked Cal and his anti-hero type life and Helen Jameson is one to watch as a detective.
I will be reading anything more that Mr Douglas-Home writes!
Not sure who did the narration but if you like audio this one is good to listen to!
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