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Rhona MacLeod #13
Sins of the Dead
While illegally street racing in the underground tunnels of Glasgow, four Harley-Davidson riders make a horrifying discovery: a dead man left in the darkness, hands together on his chest as if peacefully laid to rest. The cause of death is unclear, the only clues being a half glass of red wine and a partially eaten chunk of bread by his side that echo the ancient religious practice of sin-eating.Called to the scene, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is perplexed by the lack of evidence. But when another body is found near her own flat, laid out in a similar manner, she fears a forensically aware killer stalks the city and is marking the victims with their unique signature. Even more worryingly, the killer appears to be using skills they may have learned while attending her forensic science lectures at Glasgow University.There are signs that Rhona is being targeted, that the killer is playing with her and the police, drawing them into a deadly race against time, before the sin-eater’s next victim is chosen
467 pages, Hardcover
Published August 9, 2018
77 people are currently reading
294 people want to read
About the author
Lin Anderson
73 books384 followersLin 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
November 11, 2018
It's always a joy to read the latest addition to Forensic Examiner Dr Rhona MacLeod series set in Glasgow by Lin Anderson, one of the finest in the Tartan Noir genre. Ellie, DS Michael McNab's girlfriend, participates in illegal Harley Davidson motorbike street racing with 3 other women at the closed up old railway tunnels at night, when they come across what seems like a body of a young man that has committed suicide, a ritualised death with wine and bread close by in a long abandoned car. The terrified women decide to scarper, too afraid to call the police, only to be shocked to find the story appearing on the morning news. Forensic psychologist Professor Magnus Pirie finds the crime scene reminds him of the sin-eaters depicted in an old painting. The police and Rhona struggle to work out whether they are looking at murder or suicide, particularly as the victim suffered from the debilitating condition of sleep paralysis.
Forensic courses have proved to be popular with police and public alike, and online and university MOOC courses are easily available. Rhona, Magnus and other forensic scientists deliver the courses, and Rhona has become the target of a forensically aware student. The dedicated and compassionate Claire Masters works in a funeral parlour, and two of her dead charges have been messed about with, with bread crumbs and wine stains left on them by someone who broke in. Past cases raise their heads, particularly that of the Stone Warrior, which left Rhona with a unrelenting inner anger at McNab, and which left him him demoted. With further murders, Rhona is to find herself in terrifyingly dangerous scenarios of horror that finally provide her with the emotional psychological insights to finally understand Michael's actions in the Stone Warrior case. McNab finds himself gifted with a highly desirable and very expensive Harley Davidson motorbike.
As usual, Lin Anderson writes a complex and well plotted police procedural that takes in Glasgow's underbelly, Harley Davidson Chapters, and the return of a group of beloved characters that include Chrissy, Sean, and a Rhona conflicted by personal dilemmas. McNab's fury at MOOC forensic courses rests on the argument that they are creating forensically aware serial killers that are impossible to catch whilst Rhona feels that the public need to be aware of the science for the purposes of effective jury service and more. If you have never read this series, I strongly urge you to give it a try. A fabulous addition to the series.
Forensic courses have proved to be popular with police and public alike, and online and university MOOC courses are easily available. Rhona, Magnus and other forensic scientists deliver the courses, and Rhona has become the target of a forensically aware student. The dedicated and compassionate Claire Masters works in a funeral parlour, and two of her dead charges have been messed about with, with bread crumbs and wine stains left on them by someone who broke in. Past cases raise their heads, particularly that of the Stone Warrior, which left Rhona with a unrelenting inner anger at McNab, and which left him him demoted. With further murders, Rhona is to find herself in terrifyingly dangerous scenarios of horror that finally provide her with the emotional psychological insights to finally understand Michael's actions in the Stone Warrior case. McNab finds himself gifted with a highly desirable and very expensive Harley Davidson motorbike.
As usual, Lin Anderson writes a complex and well plotted police procedural that takes in Glasgow's underbelly, Harley Davidson Chapters, and the return of a group of beloved characters that include Chrissy, Sean, and a Rhona conflicted by personal dilemmas. McNab's fury at MOOC forensic courses rests on the argument that they are creating forensically aware serial killers that are impossible to catch whilst Rhona feels that the public need to be aware of the science for the purposes of effective jury service and more. If you have never read this series, I strongly urge you to give it a try. A fabulous addition to the series.
March 25, 2019
So today’s post is kind of a doubleheader. First up is my review then I’ll close with a short rant which may stray close to spoilerish territory so just a heads up.
When forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod gets called, it’s rarely good news. This time a body has been found in one of Glasgow’s tunnels. And it’s immediately clear the killer has gone to great lengths to get their message across. The second body turns up near Rhona’s home. Same careful display, same props, same lack of forensics……there’s no doubt it’s related to the first.
Rhona does her best to provide clues for the police but it’s slim pickings. And maybe that’s a clue in itself. Everything points to someone with superior forensic knowledge. When one clue is tied to Rhona they all have to wonder. Is the killer taunting her or stalking her?
The gang is all back including DS Michael McNab. He & Rhona have a complicated history. They fell out after their last case which also resulted in a demotion for McNab. He’s been trying to keep his head down but when this case is assigned to DS Janice Clark, he can’t resist pushing his way into the investigation.
Just to amp up the creep factor, in alternate chapters we listen in as the killer makes their plans. There are also side stories dealing with the personal lives of the MC’s. The author does a great job of keeping you guessing. When it comes to suspects, you’re spoiled for choice. I had it narrowed down to three & kept looking for any hint that would sway me one way or the other.
One little niggle was a lack of information about the killer. Even after they’re revealed, we’re no wiser as to their background, motive or why they became fixated on Rhona. But that wasn’t the issue for me. Warning: mini-rant ahead.
I was all in on this story. Loved the Glasgow setting & got swept up in the investigation & the characters’ personal story lines. Then I hit the 90% mark. At this point Rhona makes a decision that can only be described as monumentally boneheaded. It brought to mind those slasher movies where a frisky couple looking for privacy come across an abandoned house. It’s usually isolated, has no electricity & one pipes up with something akin to “Hey, I’m going inside to check out that noise in the cellar by myself. You wait out here all alone in the dark. No worries, I’m sure it’s nothing to do with that serial killer who recently escaped.” Yup, that.
I realize authors take license to create suspense. My problem is when a character who has been portrayed as smart & experienced is dumbed down in order to create that suspense. It’s a personal peeve that yanks me out of the story & leaves me shaking my head. Maybe I lack the ability to suspend my disbelief that far but surely there are other ways to create the desired tension that allow the character to remain consistent. So that’s where my rating took a hit.
There you have it. The bulk of the story is a well paced, twisty tale that will keep you turning the pages. As a bonus, you also get a peek at the hidden history of Glasgow. If the above doesn’t bother you, go for it as there’s a reason this popular series has reached book #13.
When forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod gets called, it’s rarely good news. This time a body has been found in one of Glasgow’s tunnels. And it’s immediately clear the killer has gone to great lengths to get their message across. The second body turns up near Rhona’s home. Same careful display, same props, same lack of forensics……there’s no doubt it’s related to the first.
Rhona does her best to provide clues for the police but it’s slim pickings. And maybe that’s a clue in itself. Everything points to someone with superior forensic knowledge. When one clue is tied to Rhona they all have to wonder. Is the killer taunting her or stalking her?
The gang is all back including DS Michael McNab. He & Rhona have a complicated history. They fell out after their last case which also resulted in a demotion for McNab. He’s been trying to keep his head down but when this case is assigned to DS Janice Clark, he can’t resist pushing his way into the investigation.
Just to amp up the creep factor, in alternate chapters we listen in as the killer makes their plans. There are also side stories dealing with the personal lives of the MC’s. The author does a great job of keeping you guessing. When it comes to suspects, you’re spoiled for choice. I had it narrowed down to three & kept looking for any hint that would sway me one way or the other.
One little niggle was a lack of information about the killer. Even after they’re revealed, we’re no wiser as to their background, motive or why they became fixated on Rhona. But that wasn’t the issue for me. Warning: mini-rant ahead.
I was all in on this story. Loved the Glasgow setting & got swept up in the investigation & the characters’ personal story lines. Then I hit the 90% mark. At this point Rhona makes a decision that can only be described as monumentally boneheaded. It brought to mind those slasher movies where a frisky couple looking for privacy come across an abandoned house. It’s usually isolated, has no electricity & one pipes up with something akin to “Hey, I’m going inside to check out that noise in the cellar by myself. You wait out here all alone in the dark. No worries, I’m sure it’s nothing to do with that serial killer who recently escaped.” Yup, that.
I realize authors take license to create suspense. My problem is when a character who has been portrayed as smart & experienced is dumbed down in order to create that suspense. It’s a personal peeve that yanks me out of the story & leaves me shaking my head. Maybe I lack the ability to suspend my disbelief that far but surely there are other ways to create the desired tension that allow the character to remain consistent. So that’s where my rating took a hit.
There you have it. The bulk of the story is a well paced, twisty tale that will keep you turning the pages. As a bonus, you also get a peek at the hidden history of Glasgow. If the above doesn’t bother you, go for it as there’s a reason this popular series has reached book #13.
September 11, 2018
I have got to the point with Lin Anderson’s Rhona MacLeod series where each one of these books is eagerly anticipated. I think she’s one of the best crime writers out there. Each book comes with its own surprises, and I never fail to learn something about Scotland and often, Glasgow.
Sins of the Dead is no exception. From the outset, my imagination was captured by the idea of waking nightmares. Sleep paralysis which causes physical and mental symptoms of fear and claustrophobia, only, in this case, to continue when the sufferer awakes.
In Sins of the Dead, we get the opportunity to be pretty up close and personal with all the main protagonists, as we focus on Rhona’s relationships when the personal and the professional become inextricably linked as a series of deaths that Rhona and D.S. Michael McNab are investigating lead to the inexorable conclusion that Rhoda herself is being targeted.
We have come to know and love Rhona as a scientist with a healthy respect for the dead and what they can teach us. As a forensic scientist, she excels but her close relationship with death also means that she likes to live life to the max.
In Sins of the Dead, McNab’s girlfriend, Ellie, is one of four women Harley riders who make a gruesome discovery: a dead man left in the darkness, hands together on his chest, beside him the ritual red wine and half eaten bread, symbolic of the ancient practice of sin-eating. The bikers have been illegally street racing in Glasgow’s underground tunnels, a favourite of urban explorers. Ellie is worried that a dangerous killer may be at loose in the tunnels and concerned that McNab won’t take well to her illegal nocturnal activity. So she says nothing and that immediately creates a chasm between them as McNab knows something is wrong, but has no idea what.
McNab and Rhona are both called out to the scene but the absence of any forensic evidence is a real problem. When another body is found near Rhona’s flat, with the same sin-eater characteristics, she begins to think that this killer has forensic knowledge. A funeral parlour nearby has also experienced some strange goings on with bread and wine. Could Rhona be the one who taught the killer what they know?
At Rhona’s suggestion, forensic psychologist Professor Magnus Pirie is called in, and he suggests that the bread and wine could be related to an ancient painting of a medieval sin-eater, a grotesque goblin who eats the sins of the dead to give them absolution.
The tangled love interests of Rhona and on/off sometime lover Sean Maguire come up against McNab’s own conflicted interest and Magnus Pirie’s need to be close to Rhona.
To make matters worse, it looks like her cat has been poisoned, which means she’s had a stranger in her flat and then to add insult to injury, her DNA is found in two places at a crime scene, meaning that she is suspended until the contamination can be explained.
Rhona and McNab’s relationship is undergoing a particularly tense and spiky period, though he will of course always have her back, but this tension doesn’t help Rhona in one of the most difficult cases of her career. She’s stressed for other reasons too. She needs to decide what to do about her relationship with Sean, and it seems that she may have another admirer, too….
I loved the focus on Glasgow and its hidden underbelly and the genius idea – entirely factual – of all the people who take MOOC’s in forensic science, all potential serial killers in the making!
The interplay between the central characters is tense and sometimes nail biting as the action intensifies and we realise that it’s not just Rhona whose life may be in jeopardy. D.S. Michael McNab does his now perfected impression of a spiky thistle on the warpath as he tears up and down the country in pursuit of a not wanting to be found Ellie.
By turns warm and personal then intensely terrifying and brutally dangerous, Lin Anderson takes her readers on a roller coaster journey with immaculate forensic research, where you hold your breath until you know for sure that the killer will be brought to justice.
Verdict: This is Lin Anderson at her best. Sins of the Dead has all you expect from a Rhoda MacLeod novel and more. An intense and thrilling journey through Glasgow’s hidden underbelly.
Sins of the Dead is no exception. From the outset, my imagination was captured by the idea of waking nightmares. Sleep paralysis which causes physical and mental symptoms of fear and claustrophobia, only, in this case, to continue when the sufferer awakes.
In Sins of the Dead, we get the opportunity to be pretty up close and personal with all the main protagonists, as we focus on Rhona’s relationships when the personal and the professional become inextricably linked as a series of deaths that Rhona and D.S. Michael McNab are investigating lead to the inexorable conclusion that Rhoda herself is being targeted.
We have come to know and love Rhona as a scientist with a healthy respect for the dead and what they can teach us. As a forensic scientist, she excels but her close relationship with death also means that she likes to live life to the max.
In Sins of the Dead, McNab’s girlfriend, Ellie, is one of four women Harley riders who make a gruesome discovery: a dead man left in the darkness, hands together on his chest, beside him the ritual red wine and half eaten bread, symbolic of the ancient practice of sin-eating. The bikers have been illegally street racing in Glasgow’s underground tunnels, a favourite of urban explorers. Ellie is worried that a dangerous killer may be at loose in the tunnels and concerned that McNab won’t take well to her illegal nocturnal activity. So she says nothing and that immediately creates a chasm between them as McNab knows something is wrong, but has no idea what.
McNab and Rhona are both called out to the scene but the absence of any forensic evidence is a real problem. When another body is found near Rhona’s flat, with the same sin-eater characteristics, she begins to think that this killer has forensic knowledge. A funeral parlour nearby has also experienced some strange goings on with bread and wine. Could Rhona be the one who taught the killer what they know?
At Rhona’s suggestion, forensic psychologist Professor Magnus Pirie is called in, and he suggests that the bread and wine could be related to an ancient painting of a medieval sin-eater, a grotesque goblin who eats the sins of the dead to give them absolution.
The tangled love interests of Rhona and on/off sometime lover Sean Maguire come up against McNab’s own conflicted interest and Magnus Pirie’s need to be close to Rhona.
To make matters worse, it looks like her cat has been poisoned, which means she’s had a stranger in her flat and then to add insult to injury, her DNA is found in two places at a crime scene, meaning that she is suspended until the contamination can be explained.
Rhona and McNab’s relationship is undergoing a particularly tense and spiky period, though he will of course always have her back, but this tension doesn’t help Rhona in one of the most difficult cases of her career. She’s stressed for other reasons too. She needs to decide what to do about her relationship with Sean, and it seems that she may have another admirer, too….
I loved the focus on Glasgow and its hidden underbelly and the genius idea – entirely factual – of all the people who take MOOC’s in forensic science, all potential serial killers in the making!
The interplay between the central characters is tense and sometimes nail biting as the action intensifies and we realise that it’s not just Rhona whose life may be in jeopardy. D.S. Michael McNab does his now perfected impression of a spiky thistle on the warpath as he tears up and down the country in pursuit of a not wanting to be found Ellie.
By turns warm and personal then intensely terrifying and brutally dangerous, Lin Anderson takes her readers on a roller coaster journey with immaculate forensic research, where you hold your breath until you know for sure that the killer will be brought to justice.
Verdict: This is Lin Anderson at her best. Sins of the Dead has all you expect from a Rhoda MacLeod novel and more. An intense and thrilling journey through Glasgow’s hidden underbelly.
August 9, 2018
A spine-tingling prologue once again demonstrates why Lin Anderson is not only Queen of Scottish Noir but also the queen of the #Killerhook openings. Immediately drawn into the story, I wanted to know who the man plagued by sleep paralysis was; whose nightmares are just about to come true and who is the strange student sitting in on Rhona MacLeod’s Forensic classes…The inclusion of sleep paralysis was of particular interest to me as I have lived with this condition for over 20 years and this is the first time I’ve seen it mentioned in a book.
Sins of the Dead kicks off in the underground tunnels of Glasgow, some of the favourite haunts of Urbexers everywhere and something that fascinates me about my hometown, that hidden Glasgow existing underneath our feet every day! A body has been discovered by Harley Davidson riders illegally racing in the underground tunnel. Rhona MacLeod and DS McNab both turn up to the scene of crime with an underlying tension between them obvious to all.
This time around it looks like someone has got Rhona in their sights. This time the murders seem personal. A host of suspects neatly lined up but impossible to guess. Drip fed clues throughout it really does feel like being part of the investigation. I’ve said this before about this series and I’ll say it again – I’ve come to “know” Rhona MacLeod, I’ve followed her through this series and watch her character develop and grow and it’s hard not to think of her as real and I find myself completely caught up in her life and her work. Beginnings and endings feature highly in this novel as relationships are scrutinised and considered and a few poignant moments brought a lump to my throat throughout my read.
I’m not going to lie, I’m delighted to have Rhona back home in Glasgow, I’ve loved her trips to the islands but was delighted to have her back in my hometown and that gritty Glaswegian underbelly that provides a deliciously dark setting for Scottish crime fiction. The sense of place is spot on as usual and with Lin Anderson’s books whether you are in the wilds of Orkney or the mean streets of Glasgow as soon as you start reading her books you’re transported to that location. Familiar spots and haunts of my hometown welcomed me into the pages like an old friend. Authentic dialogue meant that I was truly engrossed in the book to the point that I almost felt as though I was part of the story. And the short sharp chapters meant that I definitely read way past my bedtime! Taking place in Glasgow with a distinct focus on the hidden parts of the city underground at times I felt claustrophobic, I found myself struggling to breathe and I’m not sure if I was imagining myself being trapped underground or indeed just so tense with the breathtaking intensity of the book.
Rhona and DS Michael McNab are two of my favourite characters in Scottish crime fiction: Rhona, I admire for her tenacity and her respect for the dead; McNab for his straight to the point methods, his conflicted personality and ok then, hell I’ll admit it, I have a major #charactercrush on him! Also featuring is Orcadian Forensic Psychologist Marcus Pirie and Rhona’s on/off love interest, Sean McGuire. The complexity and intensity of the relationships between these four characters is a winning combination and added to the mix this time around is McNab’s latest love interest, biker chick, Ellie, means that the dynamics will absorb you.
Meticulously plotted and researched perfectly paced with short sharp chapters have you doing that “just one more” before bed and before you know it daylight is breaking! Lin Anderson provides an outstanding and compelling reading experience. Easy to read but impossible to forget, this is one series that I’d urge everyone to read.
Sins of the Dead kicks off in the underground tunnels of Glasgow, some of the favourite haunts of Urbexers everywhere and something that fascinates me about my hometown, that hidden Glasgow existing underneath our feet every day! A body has been discovered by Harley Davidson riders illegally racing in the underground tunnel. Rhona MacLeod and DS McNab both turn up to the scene of crime with an underlying tension between them obvious to all.
This time around it looks like someone has got Rhona in their sights. This time the murders seem personal. A host of suspects neatly lined up but impossible to guess. Drip fed clues throughout it really does feel like being part of the investigation. I’ve said this before about this series and I’ll say it again – I’ve come to “know” Rhona MacLeod, I’ve followed her through this series and watch her character develop and grow and it’s hard not to think of her as real and I find myself completely caught up in her life and her work. Beginnings and endings feature highly in this novel as relationships are scrutinised and considered and a few poignant moments brought a lump to my throat throughout my read.
I’m not going to lie, I’m delighted to have Rhona back home in Glasgow, I’ve loved her trips to the islands but was delighted to have her back in my hometown and that gritty Glaswegian underbelly that provides a deliciously dark setting for Scottish crime fiction. The sense of place is spot on as usual and with Lin Anderson’s books whether you are in the wilds of Orkney or the mean streets of Glasgow as soon as you start reading her books you’re transported to that location. Familiar spots and haunts of my hometown welcomed me into the pages like an old friend. Authentic dialogue meant that I was truly engrossed in the book to the point that I almost felt as though I was part of the story. And the short sharp chapters meant that I definitely read way past my bedtime! Taking place in Glasgow with a distinct focus on the hidden parts of the city underground at times I felt claustrophobic, I found myself struggling to breathe and I’m not sure if I was imagining myself being trapped underground or indeed just so tense with the breathtaking intensity of the book.
Rhona and DS Michael McNab are two of my favourite characters in Scottish crime fiction: Rhona, I admire for her tenacity and her respect for the dead; McNab for his straight to the point methods, his conflicted personality and ok then, hell I’ll admit it, I have a major #charactercrush on him! Also featuring is Orcadian Forensic Psychologist Marcus Pirie and Rhona’s on/off love interest, Sean McGuire. The complexity and intensity of the relationships between these four characters is a winning combination and added to the mix this time around is McNab’s latest love interest, biker chick, Ellie, means that the dynamics will absorb you.
Meticulously plotted and researched perfectly paced with short sharp chapters have you doing that “just one more” before bed and before you know it daylight is breaking! Lin Anderson provides an outstanding and compelling reading experience. Easy to read but impossible to forget, this is one series that I’d urge everyone to read.
March 23, 2019
MY THOUGHTS:
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is a bit of a different review for me. There's actually twelve books prior to this one in the Rhona MacLeod Thriller series, twelve that I haven't read. So... why request a book for a series that I haven't read? It's simple actually. I was told how fantastic it is and how it can actually stand as a standalone. I thought, great! And here we are. Sadly, this was not really the case.
There were many references to past investigations and feelings toward some of the characters that I didn't understand because I hadn't read the series. However, with that said, Anderson does a fantastic job with police procedures and analytic investigations. Her story is well-plotted with a strong edginess that keeps the reader turning pages.
What attracted me to the book was the premise. I'm a sucker for anything written like Agatha Christie mysteries. This was quite the read. There was a huge creepy factor that I loved and many twists and turns that had me foiled until the end.
Although there is that police mystery, you discover characters complex and full of conflicts that draws you into their personal struggles. All her characters are layered and flawed and developed perfectly.
I enjoyed the reference to the ancient practice of "sin-eating." The setting was very realistic and well-researched and I feel like I've learned something about Glasgow. Although my friend was off about the standalone issue, she was bang on about the enjoyment of this read. I found it well-paced and detailed enough to make you feel like you were there experiencing everything right beside the MC. Loved it. Now, I'll have to find book #1 to read and play catch up.
I received this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is a bit of a different review for me. There's actually twelve books prior to this one in the Rhona MacLeod Thriller series, twelve that I haven't read. So... why request a book for a series that I haven't read? It's simple actually. I was told how fantastic it is and how it can actually stand as a standalone. I thought, great! And here we are. Sadly, this was not really the case.
There were many references to past investigations and feelings toward some of the characters that I didn't understand because I hadn't read the series. However, with that said, Anderson does a fantastic job with police procedures and analytic investigations. Her story is well-plotted with a strong edginess that keeps the reader turning pages.
What attracted me to the book was the premise. I'm a sucker for anything written like Agatha Christie mysteries. This was quite the read. There was a huge creepy factor that I loved and many twists and turns that had me foiled until the end.
Although there is that police mystery, you discover characters complex and full of conflicts that draws you into their personal struggles. All her characters are layered and flawed and developed perfectly.
I enjoyed the reference to the ancient practice of "sin-eating." The setting was very realistic and well-researched and I feel like I've learned something about Glasgow. Although my friend was off about the standalone issue, she was bang on about the enjoyment of this read. I found it well-paced and detailed enough to make you feel like you were there experiencing everything right beside the MC. Loved it. Now, I'll have to find book #1 to read and play catch up.
January 11, 2019
On the whole I thought the book was well researched with very believable protagonists but after a great build up I couldn't fathom out a motive for the crimes and it left me feeling a bit flat. It probably would have been better if I had read other books in the series as I loved the characters of Rhona McLeod and DI McNab and would have liked to have known their back story. I will definitely give book no 1 a go.
August 3, 2021
Another solid forensic crime novel. I wish that the mortuary assistant Claire had gotten to stay alive tho
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2023
This probably deserves more than 3 stars but because I haven't read the previous 11 books in the series (I have read the first one) I felt out of the loop and didn't understand a lot of the history between the characters. Lesson learnt you really do need to read a series of detective fiction in order.
April 4, 2020
I liked Rhona McLeod as chief investigator of a series of crimes in Glasgow. Not too gruesome, not too soapy. Have words to say about the ending but I’ll leave that here.
Ebook from BorrowBox
Ebook from BorrowBox
March 25, 2019
I joined this series 13 books in, and it took a minute for me to adjust to the vast array of characters, but once I was plugged into the story it was smooth sailing. I’ve long been a fan of the British police procedural, as I think it’s the modern equivalent of a Poirot novel, with careful detective work and deductive reasoning usually being a huge part of the plot. The contemporary elements of suspense and forensics are an added bonus.
This is a wonderful procedural, I’m happy to report, While the main character is Glasgow based forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod, a no-nonsense and fearless person, there are other characters putting their hands up to be considered as the main event. In this novel, that’s DS McNab, demoted during a previous case that’s referenced throughout the novel. Apparently McNab and MacLeod had a major disagreement and it’s still simmering, so when both are called in to the same case its awkward to say the least.
The story opens with four female bikers racing in one of Glasgow’s underground tunnels – they’ve sweet-talked a key from one of the women’s friends – and while they’re enjoying their ride, it’s abruptly halted when they discover a body. One of the riders, Ellie, feels for a pulse and, not finding one, the bikers flee from the scene without calling it in.
The body is discovered shortly after they leave but Ellie is wracked with guilt over not telling her present boyfriend, McNab. The missed signals and misunderstandings between the two create physical danger for several of the characters, as well as danger for their relationship.
The careful and clever plotting encompasses a great many specialties, including a woman who studies soil samples and a sleep disorder specialist. The unfolding of the plot resembles nothing more closely than an excellent episode of Law & Order, and I mean that in the best possible way. The story is well told and the plot well assembled. I had a slight caveat with Rhona’s apparent cluelessness when it came to her own safety but the triumph of her personality made this almost a moot point.
I recommend this for any fan of writers like Deborah Crombie, Elizabeth George, Val McDermid, Peter Robinson and Ian Rankin with the bonus of a really vivid Glasgow setting. I definitely want to find the earlier books in this series.
This is a wonderful procedural, I’m happy to report, While the main character is Glasgow based forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod, a no-nonsense and fearless person, there are other characters putting their hands up to be considered as the main event. In this novel, that’s DS McNab, demoted during a previous case that’s referenced throughout the novel. Apparently McNab and MacLeod had a major disagreement and it’s still simmering, so when both are called in to the same case its awkward to say the least.
The story opens with four female bikers racing in one of Glasgow’s underground tunnels – they’ve sweet-talked a key from one of the women’s friends – and while they’re enjoying their ride, it’s abruptly halted when they discover a body. One of the riders, Ellie, feels for a pulse and, not finding one, the bikers flee from the scene without calling it in.
The body is discovered shortly after they leave but Ellie is wracked with guilt over not telling her present boyfriend, McNab. The missed signals and misunderstandings between the two create physical danger for several of the characters, as well as danger for their relationship.
The careful and clever plotting encompasses a great many specialties, including a woman who studies soil samples and a sleep disorder specialist. The unfolding of the plot resembles nothing more closely than an excellent episode of Law & Order, and I mean that in the best possible way. The story is well told and the plot well assembled. I had a slight caveat with Rhona’s apparent cluelessness when it came to her own safety but the triumph of her personality made this almost a moot point.
I recommend this for any fan of writers like Deborah Crombie, Elizabeth George, Val McDermid, Peter Robinson and Ian Rankin with the bonus of a really vivid Glasgow setting. I definitely want to find the earlier books in this series.
August 20, 2018
Sins of the Dead – Keeps you on edge.
Rhona MacLeod is back and gives us a thrilling ride that keeps the reader on edge all the way to the end. The blurb calls this the best Scottish Crime series since Rebus, personally I think it is better. For a start we do not have to put up with a drink addled defective detective, and it is not in Edinburgh. So, win, win in my book!
Lin Anderson knows how to hook a reader, from the opening sentence, through every chapter there is something to keep you reading. One of the great things about this writing, is that it is not male heavy, they are there, but not in your face. Again, with the leading females again they are in your face, so there is a perfect blend of characters.
Opening in a closed up old railways tunnel under Glasgow, four female Harley Davidson riders are having an illegal street race. What they discover a dead body they split, scared to say or do anything. Especially as one of the riders Ellie is dating DS McNab, who would not be very happy.
Rhona who had examined the body and cannot understand her findings or the reasons for the death, she does not realise she will be placing herself in danger. As other are drawn into the mystery, the danger to Rhona gets great, little does she realise this. She carries on regardless.
When another body is found, this time in the grounds of Glasgow University, and worse in view of her lab, do they think they are dealing with a forensically aware killer. It is when he turns his sights to Rhona then her life is in danger, but she just wants to get on with her work. With Rhona being targeted it becomes a race against time before she could become a victim.
Once again Lin Anderson has written a thriller that ticks all the right boxes. Her writing, her characters and her descriptive narrative are beautifully constructed. This book proves why Lin Anderson is not only the best female Scottish writer, but one of the best in Britain. I hope Lin does not mind but she is as great as Val McDermid
Rhona MacLeod is back and gives us a thrilling ride that keeps the reader on edge all the way to the end. The blurb calls this the best Scottish Crime series since Rebus, personally I think it is better. For a start we do not have to put up with a drink addled defective detective, and it is not in Edinburgh. So, win, win in my book!
Lin Anderson knows how to hook a reader, from the opening sentence, through every chapter there is something to keep you reading. One of the great things about this writing, is that it is not male heavy, they are there, but not in your face. Again, with the leading females again they are in your face, so there is a perfect blend of characters.
Opening in a closed up old railways tunnel under Glasgow, four female Harley Davidson riders are having an illegal street race. What they discover a dead body they split, scared to say or do anything. Especially as one of the riders Ellie is dating DS McNab, who would not be very happy.
Rhona who had examined the body and cannot understand her findings or the reasons for the death, she does not realise she will be placing herself in danger. As other are drawn into the mystery, the danger to Rhona gets great, little does she realise this. She carries on regardless.
When another body is found, this time in the grounds of Glasgow University, and worse in view of her lab, do they think they are dealing with a forensically aware killer. It is when he turns his sights to Rhona then her life is in danger, but she just wants to get on with her work. With Rhona being targeted it becomes a race against time before she could become a victim.
Once again Lin Anderson has written a thriller that ticks all the right boxes. Her writing, her characters and her descriptive narrative are beautifully constructed. This book proves why Lin Anderson is not only the best female Scottish writer, but one of the best in Britain. I hope Lin does not mind but she is as great as Val McDermid
January 15, 2023
This fantastic book is the 132th volume of the fascinating "Rhona MacLeod" thriller series.
Storytelling is superb, all characters very believable, lifelike and human, and the places and surroundings in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland are wonderfully pictured by the author.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a well-drawn map of the Gilmorehill & Park District of Glasgow as well a tribute to the Dunedin Chapter Scotland (9083).
This thriller is an astounding novel, in so far that its fast-paced and action-packed, filled with great scenes and nail-biting moments, from police, bikers and the vicious culprit alike.
It starts off with four Harley Davidson bikers who go illegally racing in the underground tunnels of Glasgow, when they will be confronted with a dead body of a young man, posed in a very particular fashion.
Soon there's to follow a second murder, namely of a Claire Masters, a young woman and employee and a funeral centre, and she's murdered because of her knowledge of the man who visited this centre, before she can identify him to the police.
What is to follow is an exciting and gripping book, in which Dr Rhona Macleod, Ds McNab, Ds Clark, Dr Magnus Pirie and several others will be tested and manipulated to their limits, physically as well as mentally, by the vicious culprit, before in a combined effort they will be able to catch this monster in the end, and bring him to justice.
Highly recommended, for this is another excellent addition to this sublime series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Top-Class Rhona MacLeod Thriller"!
Storytelling is superb, all characters very believable, lifelike and human, and the places and surroundings in Glasgow and other parts of Scotland are wonderfully pictured by the author.
At the beginning of the book you'll find a well-drawn map of the Gilmorehill & Park District of Glasgow as well a tribute to the Dunedin Chapter Scotland (9083).
This thriller is an astounding novel, in so far that its fast-paced and action-packed, filled with great scenes and nail-biting moments, from police, bikers and the vicious culprit alike.
It starts off with four Harley Davidson bikers who go illegally racing in the underground tunnels of Glasgow, when they will be confronted with a dead body of a young man, posed in a very particular fashion.
Soon there's to follow a second murder, namely of a Claire Masters, a young woman and employee and a funeral centre, and she's murdered because of her knowledge of the man who visited this centre, before she can identify him to the police.
What is to follow is an exciting and gripping book, in which Dr Rhona Macleod, Ds McNab, Ds Clark, Dr Magnus Pirie and several others will be tested and manipulated to their limits, physically as well as mentally, by the vicious culprit, before in a combined effort they will be able to catch this monster in the end, and bring him to justice.
Highly recommended, for this is another excellent addition to this sublime series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Top-Class Rhona MacLeod Thriller"!
August 18, 2018
SINS OF THE DEAD by Lin Anderson is the 13th title in her Rhona MacLeod series.
Ms. Anderson is a brilliant author of crime thrillers and founded the annual ‘Bloody Scotland’ crime writing festival. She has been called ‘Queen of the Tartan Noir’. (I love that title!)
Rhona MacLeod is a very respected forensic scientist working in Glasgow. Her current case revolves around a young man (dead) found in an underground tunnel with the only clues being a half-filled glass of wine and a chunk of bread. These clues seem “to echo the ancient religious practice of sin-eating”.
To further complicate the crime scene, Ellie (McNab’s current partner and motorcycle enthusiast) finds the body while motorcycle racing with friends in the tunnels.
SINS OF THE DEAD is a suspenseful thriller, a police procedural, a lesson in forensic science. The plot is very interesting and the location offers a tremendous sense of place. The familiar characters - Sean, Michael McNab, Chrissy, Rhona - add intense personality to the story. Rhona, especially, is faced with very troubling personal problems and case issues.
The book is dedicated to the “many Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners who together form the H.O.G. Dunedin Chapter Scotland.”
There are very interesting references to the ancient concept and role of a sin-eater.
I particularly liked McNab’s musings on city vs. countryside.
There are 109 chapters, a map (love the map) and an epilogue.
Not to be missed. I thoroughly enjoyed this latest title featuring Rhona MacLeod.
Ms. Anderson is a brilliant author of crime thrillers and founded the annual ‘Bloody Scotland’ crime writing festival. She has been called ‘Queen of the Tartan Noir’. (I love that title!)
Rhona MacLeod is a very respected forensic scientist working in Glasgow. Her current case revolves around a young man (dead) found in an underground tunnel with the only clues being a half-filled glass of wine and a chunk of bread. These clues seem “to echo the ancient religious practice of sin-eating”.
To further complicate the crime scene, Ellie (McNab’s current partner and motorcycle enthusiast) finds the body while motorcycle racing with friends in the tunnels.
SINS OF THE DEAD is a suspenseful thriller, a police procedural, a lesson in forensic science. The plot is very interesting and the location offers a tremendous sense of place. The familiar characters - Sean, Michael McNab, Chrissy, Rhona - add intense personality to the story. Rhona, especially, is faced with very troubling personal problems and case issues.
The book is dedicated to the “many Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners who together form the H.O.G. Dunedin Chapter Scotland.”
There are very interesting references to the ancient concept and role of a sin-eater.
I particularly liked McNab’s musings on city vs. countryside.
There are 109 chapters, a map (love the map) and an epilogue.
Not to be missed. I thoroughly enjoyed this latest title featuring Rhona MacLeod.
January 7, 2023
Motorbikes, tunnels, Glasgow and at the centre of Sins of the Dead, Rhona Macleod forensic pathologist and a murderer who leaves no clues and is always many steps ahead of her. The writing and plot are all quite adequate and keep one interested enough to keep reading but there are so many points in the narrative when it all gets a bit pantomime. As a reader you find yourself screaming at Rhona not to be so stupid/gullible as we all know something dire is about to happen even when not sure who is doing it. There are plenty of the usual false pointers and to be fair I was utterly hoodwinked by one of them which really doesn’t usually happen. By the time the murderer is finally revealed by the somewhat hapless keystone cops, however, one is beginning not to care and the number of near misses in the last pages is frankly ludicrous. It’s engaging enough in places but by the end a massive damp squib. Okay-ish to pass a damp day.
May 31, 2019
This is a great story featuring Harley-Davidsons with their riders, Glasgow and the Highlands, racing bikes in tunnels and, of course, a few murders! The book is the latest in the series about the forensic scientist Rhona Macleod and, although it can be helpful to read the series in order, each book can easily be read as a stand alone. The tension between Rhona and the demoted DS McNab is palpable which gives an interesting dimension to the tale as does the tangled love lives of some of the other characters. The murderer, who leaves a signature of wine and bread with his victims following in the old tradition of a 'sin eater', is also targeting Rhona herself. This makes for a gripping tale with many twists, turns and heart stopping moments which keeps the reader enthralled right to the thrilling end!
August 19, 2018
If you love a good crime thriller, this book is for you.
Rhona MacLeod, forensic scientist, works in Glasgow and lectures at Glasgow University. While working with the police on a case, suspicions are pointing to the murderer being one of Rhona's students attending her classes. Is Rhona safe ?
I really liked the fact that this story was set in Glasgow, where I know and have visited most of the landmarks mentioned - Glasgow University, Sauchiehall St, Park Circus, Kelvingrove Park, Byres Rd, Ashton Lane and the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
This was a gripping read, a real page turner and I would highly recommend this book.
Rhona MacLeod, forensic scientist, works in Glasgow and lectures at Glasgow University. While working with the police on a case, suspicions are pointing to the murderer being one of Rhona's students attending her classes. Is Rhona safe ?
I really liked the fact that this story was set in Glasgow, where I know and have visited most of the landmarks mentioned - Glasgow University, Sauchiehall St, Park Circus, Kelvingrove Park, Byres Rd, Ashton Lane and the new Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
This was a gripping read, a real page turner and I would highly recommend this book.
July 27, 2019
I picked this up on a whim, so jumped right in at instalment 13. There were references to the previous 12 books throughout, but not in too intrusive a way. I enjoyed this for the most part, although the main female characters, Ellie and Rhona, often behaved in bafflingly foolish ways. (If Rhona had gone on drinking and eating things that magically appeared in her kitchen and then feeling very ill afterwards without making the connection for one more day I might have had to stop reading!) It was perhaps a little slow and a little too long, and the identity of the murderer, while logical, was not particularly emotionally satisfying. I'm going to try the first instalment and see how that is.
November 19, 2020
I think I have read all the books (and the novella) in this series so far and I like Rhona MacLeod and the fact that the series is set in Scotland. Unfortunately this is not one of the better books in the series. Set mainly in Glasgow this story involves a killer who not only has an interest in forensic science but also has an interest in Dr Rhona MacLeod. It's not a bad read and some parts of the book are really exciting but for me the final part of the book did not quite work. I suppose the author wanted to build up the tension around the mystery of the identity of the killer but for me the book went on for longer than it needed to.
September 3, 2018
She does it again: Lin Anderson has written another well put-together rollercoaster ride of a novel, which makes it very inconvenient to have to go to work. and eat. and all those other things getting in the way of reading it! Especially when she leaves our heroine Rhona drugged and captured by the bad guy for several chapters, with no news! As always it's about grit, forensics and friends who will stick their neck out to find & save you even when you don't necessarily deserve it. And true to style everybody's private lifes are a bit of a mess - this is not midsummer murders ;)
July 14, 2022
Not entirely what I expected . The book proved to be as much a romance as a crime novel . I've read none of the writer's other books , but several of the characters appear to have romantic pasts with one another . The story is set in Glasgow near Celtic's football ground - now known as Paradise ! When I lived in the city , it was called Parkhead and had little of paradise about it for visiting supporters . Although I enjoyed the book , I found nothing new in the storyline and I had no clear idea of why the killer was committing the murders in the first place .
April 21, 2024
Someone with lots of forensic knowledge is taunting the police & Rhona with deaths that are forensically clean. Rhona has to make a very personal decision. This book was good but not my fav. I do not want Rhona with Sean. I want her with Magnus. McNabb needs to find a life he deserves a good relationship. But where this story almost goes I totally did NOT like. I also didn't feel the ending was that great. I've loved them all, glad I read this one but newp didn't really like but that's just me!
February 1, 2025
Lin Anderson is a brilliant writer. Her Rhona MacLeod series is one of the most readable crime fiction serials I have ever encountered. The characters are people you instinctively warm to and want to know what happens to. That’s one of the secrets of this series - you’re following the cast of ‘supporting’ characters as much as Rhona herself. I also love the way that Anderson highlights Scotland in her books too. This latest one makes me want to visit the Highlands and also Skye. And I will. This is a fantastic read and I’m so glad I have the next in the series ready to start.
April 24, 2019
Always a four star, for the sense of safety Lin Anderson's writing always gives - which cannot, not ever, be said for the story, of which this is a tense, dislocating, informative and well scene-placed example as all her novels, although ... ah, but no spoilers.
What shifted it into a five star was Rhona's observation towards the end: "You are what you do in any given circumstances. Not what you think you might do."
So true.
What shifted it into a five star was Rhona's observation towards the end: "You are what you do in any given circumstances. Not what you think you might do."
So true.
July 3, 2020
I have paid the penalty of not starting on this series early enough, and I'll certainly be reading some more. I spent quite a bit of my reading time working out who the main characters are and what the relationships between them are.
The plot was intriguing and full of red herrings, and it wasn't until the final chapters that the identity of the killer becomes clear. Before that there were plenty of suspects.
The plot was intriguing and full of red herrings, and it wasn't until the final chapters that the identity of the killer becomes clear. Before that there were plenty of suspects.
March 25, 2023
Rhona and Magnus run a course at Glasgow university about forensics and it's use in catching killers and criminals. It is open to people in the police and associated services, may they be forensics or morgue assistants or members of the public. The course is run online.
McNab and Ellie are involved at the very start when Ellie and three of her Harley rider friends discover a body on one of their secret races.
Rhona is set up as a fall guy by the planting of DNA evidence at the crime scene.
McNab and Ellie are involved at the very start when Ellie and three of her Harley rider friends discover a body on one of their secret races.
Rhona is set up as a fall guy by the planting of DNA evidence at the crime scene.
May 27, 2025
There was a lot going on here. I liked the set up of the open university course she was giving. But I felt like Rhona’s behaviour at the end, after having been very impressive, was so wild! Frustrating.
Also, I don’t remember her being described as a fox but Rhona constantly seems to be attracting men. Every book there are several new prospects it seems. In addition to men already in love with her. Forensics is very alluring, apparently??
Also, I don’t remember her being described as a fox but Rhona constantly seems to be attracting men. Every book there are several new prospects it seems. In addition to men already in love with her. Forensics is very alluring, apparently??
September 12, 2018
One of the best yet. I love to follow the stories of Dr Rhona Mcleod. This one is very close to home. Whya re these very creepy murders happening? Who is the real intended target? Really got too close for comfort and I was screaming at my book! I think these would be a brilliant TV series. Fingers crossed someone realises this!
May 13, 2019
Very complex and ingeniously plotted. My first encounter with this author, and am very impressed. Hope to read more by her. However, in the case of Rhona, it is difficult to believe that such an intelligent person failed to recognise the warning signs that she was being set up until late in the narrative.
December 4, 2020
good book. I thought Rhona behaved a bit stupid at times. A bit like sitting in my chair shouting at the TV not to go into that room. At times I found the book a bit hacked off. Like someone told the author to cut out a few paragraphs at the end of each chapter to save on paper. But it didn't harm the book much.
April 23, 2019
Fantastic. Was hooked in from the very first few pages. It really circles around the killer who wants to harm Rhonda MacLeod through leaving various clues of different associated murders. Rhona’s relationship with DS McNab features strongly throughout the book. Definitely well worth the read.
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