What do you think?
Rate this book
Alistair Duncan Thriller #3
The Scaffold
A search for the truth is about to begin…
When the body of a foreman turns up on a building site, the insurers call in solicitor Alistair Duncan to investigate and protect their interests. The official line is he was accidentally electrocuted – so why do Duncan’s investigations suggest otherwise? And why had witnesses lied at the inquest? What was the guilty secret of the beautiful and seductive young widow, June Hillyer, a girl with tastes beyond her means? Why, too, was Dwight Riley the victim of brutal intimidation?
As the sinister nature of the investigations unfold, the story rushes to a menacing climax when some unexpected answers are revealed. The third book in the Alistair Duncan Series sees enquiry agent Charlie Wilkinson returning, as well as Lucy, Duncan’s saucy and taunting secretary.
The Scaffold is the second of three novels involving Bristol solicitor, Alistair Duncan.
When the body of a foreman turns up on a building site, the insurers call in solicitor Alistair Duncan to investigate and protect their interests. The official line is he was accidentally electrocuted – so why do Duncan’s investigations suggest otherwise? And why had witnesses lied at the inquest? What was the guilty secret of the beautiful and seductive young widow, June Hillyer, a girl with tastes beyond her means? Why, too, was Dwight Riley the victim of brutal intimidation?
As the sinister nature of the investigations unfold, the story rushes to a menacing climax when some unexpected answers are revealed. The third book in the Alistair Duncan Series sees enquiry agent Charlie Wilkinson returning, as well as Lucy, Duncan’s saucy and taunting secretary.
The Scaffold is the second of three novels involving Bristol solicitor, Alistair Duncan.
114 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 22, 2015
37 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Stewart
19 books55 followersBorn in Scotland, Douglas was brought up in England and became a London based international lawyer, later living in Las Vegas. In tandem, he developed a successful career as a widely read author of mystery thrillers and non-fiction with a chart-topper and a W H Smith Paperback of the Week to his credit.
He has written 4 books in a series of international mystery thrillers based on Det. Insp. Todd "Ratso" Holtom, a London detective. Ratso also featured in a short story contributed to Capital Crimes, an anthology, which became a number one bestseller. They are available individually or as a box set of 4.
HARD PLACE, The first in that series was hailed as the best British crime thriller the reviewer had read in 2024.
His 18th book released on 18th November 2025 is DEADLY DESCENT is the second in the series involving Finlay "Dex" Dexter. The first was the acclaimed DEADLINE VEGAS.
Douglas is a member of International Thriller Writers (ITW) of the USA. His true crime book Terror at Sea was regarded as the benchmark on modern day piracy and crime at sea.
His series of three mystery books originally published under the pen-name of Cameron Ross are now available under his own name.
When not travelling,Douglas now lives on the Isle of Man - very different from Las Vegas!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 26, 2017
Having now read all three Alistair Duncan mysteries, I enjoyed stepping back to the 1980s – a different era with smoking prevalent and no internet or cellphones. All three stories are fast-moving and excitingly different with ingenious twists. I was disappointed to find that the author only wrote three. Time for Douglas to return to the nostalgic 1980s with another story of this inventive Bristol lawyer? Of the three, this was slightly less compelling but still a worthy read
December 31, 2022
Is a scaffold worth an entire book?
I found this to be a book that I did not think was worth its shelf space. The writing was straightforward and easy to follow in spite of a variety of language idiosyncrasies. However, the story was just not that exciting. Guy dies, case probed, case solved. End of story.
Sorry to say it was not much of a thriller.
I found this to be a book that I did not think was worth its shelf space. The writing was straightforward and easy to follow in spite of a variety of language idiosyncrasies. However, the story was just not that exciting. Guy dies, case probed, case solved. End of story.
Sorry to say it was not much of a thriller.
May 7, 2025
Lively mystery
This lively mystery featuring solicitor/investigator Alistair Duncan is just right for an afternoon’s read. Unguessable ending, not the whodunnit so much as the howdunnit.
This lively mystery featuring solicitor/investigator Alistair Duncan is just right for an afternoon’s read. Unguessable ending, not the whodunnit so much as the howdunnit.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews