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Fault Lines
When volcanologist Surtsey finds her married lover dead, she pockets his phone and makes the fatal decision to keep her discovery secret … but someone has been watching…
'A cracking and highly original thriller' Mark Billingham
'You don't read Fault Lines so much as you white-knuckle your way through its twists and turns' Megan Abbott
'A superb, highly original psychological chiller' Steve Cavanagh
____________________
In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, where a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, and where tremors are an everyday occurrence, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery.
On a clandestine trip to new volcanic island The Inch, to meet Tom, her lover and her boss, she finds his lifeless body, and makes the fatal decision to keep their affair, and her discovery, a secret.
Desperate to know how he died, but also terrified she'll be exposed, Surtsey's life quickly spirals into a nightmare when someone makes contact – someone who claims to know what she's done…
____________________
'An explosive thriller' Daily Record
'A cracking-good thriller with some seriously good writing and some beautifully designed characters … Here's a writer pushing the thriller envelope, giving the reader not just a good novel, but also a unique one' David Pitt, Booklist
'Novel and elegant … it is the book's thought-provoking and heart-breaking moments that carry the reader through the story and which resonate most at the end' Scotsman
'Both a meditation on the volatility of human nature and a gripping thriller with plenty of twists and turns … An original and addictive thriller, as intelligent as it is shocking' Foreword Reviews
'Richly characterised, beautifully crafted, this is a book that you truly inhabit' Emma Kavanagh
'Scotland's truest exponent of noir' Chris Brookmyre
'A subtly off-kilter speculative thriller that builds to a truly explosive ending' Eva Dolan
'A pacey, gripping read' Louise Voss
'Sexy, fearless and addictive' Helen FitzGerald
'Johnstone weaves his compelling and original tale with great skill and elegance from the gripping beginning to a tense and explosive ending' Amanda Jennings
'Brilliantly unputdownable' Martyn Waites
'Superb' Luca Veste
'Blending powerful imagination and plotting, this is the work of a writer at the top of his game' Stuart Neville
'Plays with every single emotion' Susi Holliday
'This had me hooked from the first page' Cass Green
'Poignant, gripping and packed with seismic shocks' Paddy Magrane
'Incisive, intelligent and imaginative' Michael J.
'A cracking and highly original thriller' Mark Billingham
'You don't read Fault Lines so much as you white-knuckle your way through its twists and turns' Megan Abbott
'A superb, highly original psychological chiller' Steve Cavanagh
____________________
In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, where a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, and where tremors are an everyday occurrence, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery.
On a clandestine trip to new volcanic island The Inch, to meet Tom, her lover and her boss, she finds his lifeless body, and makes the fatal decision to keep their affair, and her discovery, a secret.
Desperate to know how he died, but also terrified she'll be exposed, Surtsey's life quickly spirals into a nightmare when someone makes contact – someone who claims to know what she's done…
____________________
'An explosive thriller' Daily Record
'A cracking-good thriller with some seriously good writing and some beautifully designed characters … Here's a writer pushing the thriller envelope, giving the reader not just a good novel, but also a unique one' David Pitt, Booklist
'Novel and elegant … it is the book's thought-provoking and heart-breaking moments that carry the reader through the story and which resonate most at the end' Scotsman
'Both a meditation on the volatility of human nature and a gripping thriller with plenty of twists and turns … An original and addictive thriller, as intelligent as it is shocking' Foreword Reviews
'Richly characterised, beautifully crafted, this is a book that you truly inhabit' Emma Kavanagh
'Scotland's truest exponent of noir' Chris Brookmyre
'A subtly off-kilter speculative thriller that builds to a truly explosive ending' Eva Dolan
'A pacey, gripping read' Louise Voss
'Sexy, fearless and addictive' Helen FitzGerald
'Johnstone weaves his compelling and original tale with great skill and elegance from the gripping beginning to a tense and explosive ending' Amanda Jennings
'Brilliantly unputdownable' Martyn Waites
'Superb' Luca Veste
'Blending powerful imagination and plotting, this is the work of a writer at the top of his game' Stuart Neville
'Plays with every single emotion' Susi Holliday
'This had me hooked from the first page' Cass Green
'Poignant, gripping and packed with seismic shocks' Paddy Magrane
'Incisive, intelligent and imaginative' Michael J.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2018
32 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
About the author
Doug Johnstone
31 books257 followersDoug Johnstone is a writer, musician and journalist based in Edinburgh. His fourth novel, Hit & Run, was published by Faber and Faber in 2012. His previous novel, Smokeheads, was published in March 2011, also by Faber. Before that he published two novels with Penguin, Tombstoning (2006) and The Ossians (2008), which received praise from the likes of Irvine Welsh, Ian Rankin and Christopher Brookmyre. Doug is currently writer in residence at the University of Strathclyde. He has had short stories appear in various publications, and since 1999 he has worked as a freelance arts journalist, primarily covering music and literature. He grew up in Arbroath and lives in Portobello, Edinburgh with his wife and two children. He loves drinking malt whisky and playing football, not necessarily at the same time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
May 8, 2018
'In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, in which a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery. On a clandestine trip to The Inch - the new volcanic island - to meet Tom, her lover and her boss, Surtsey finds his lifeless body. Her life quickly spirals into a nightmare when someone makes contact - someone who claims to know what she's done....'
The intensity of the geographical and geological description of the island of Inch and its surrounding area was just stunning and so atmospheric, I actually felt like I was standing on the island in the opening chapter looking through the eyes of Surtsey.
There's a very deep emotional story running behind the dark psychological crime plot that had me quite tearful and I had so much empathy for sisters Surtsey and Iona watching and waiting for their mother to die.
I didn't particularly like any of the characters but I think that's how we as readers are expected to feel these days. We love to dislike characters and although Surtsey was particularly unlikable I couldn't help feeling sorry for her and this made me empathise with her more. Although she was a complete mess and troubled, I fully understood her actions.
There has obviously been a lot of research carried out into volcanos and geology in general and knowing Edinburgh particularly well myself and loving all things Scottish, I adored this book and devoured it over a weekend. I'll be checking that no fault lines have appeared when I visit Edinburgh in the next couple of weeks and hope there's no tremors when crossing the new Forth bridge!
A frighteningly tense and scary scenario concluded this brilliant book. I thought the whole premise for the story unique, original and very clever. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it and I will be definitely reading more by the author Doug Johnstone. I so like his writing style, I find him creative, intelligent and very talented and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him or his book "Fault Lines" published by the well respected Orenda books.
4 stars
The intensity of the geographical and geological description of the island of Inch and its surrounding area was just stunning and so atmospheric, I actually felt like I was standing on the island in the opening chapter looking through the eyes of Surtsey.
There's a very deep emotional story running behind the dark psychological crime plot that had me quite tearful and I had so much empathy for sisters Surtsey and Iona watching and waiting for their mother to die.
I didn't particularly like any of the characters but I think that's how we as readers are expected to feel these days. We love to dislike characters and although Surtsey was particularly unlikable I couldn't help feeling sorry for her and this made me empathise with her more. Although she was a complete mess and troubled, I fully understood her actions.
There has obviously been a lot of research carried out into volcanos and geology in general and knowing Edinburgh particularly well myself and loving all things Scottish, I adored this book and devoured it over a weekend. I'll be checking that no fault lines have appeared when I visit Edinburgh in the next couple of weeks and hope there's no tremors when crossing the new Forth bridge!
A frighteningly tense and scary scenario concluded this brilliant book. I thought the whole premise for the story unique, original and very clever. I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading it and I will be definitely reading more by the author Doug Johnstone. I so like his writing style, I find him creative, intelligent and very talented and wouldn't hesitate to recommend him or his book "Fault Lines" published by the well respected Orenda books.
4 stars
May 16, 2018
So Doug Johnstone is back with his new thriller. What a thriller it is as well!
This is such an atmospheric read. The scenes at the island called the Inch literally took my breath away. I could easily visualise it all in my head and the author transported me from my home to the island.
The story starts off with Surtsey coming across her lovers body on the island, from then on in we are taken on a tense and suspenseful journey waiting for everything to unfold. Surtsey has a lot going on in her life. Not only is her lover now dead, her mother is dying from cancer. I have to admit to finding the story line of her mother very emotional. Having recently lost my mother in law, not to cancer, it is something that really struck a cord and at times I did find it hard reading solely because of how raw my own feelings were.
Fault Lines draws you straight in and keeps you there throughout. The tension builds nicely to a satisfying climax. With a few surprises thrown in for good measure, this is another great read from the author.
My thanks to Anne Cater and Orenda books for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
This is such an atmospheric read. The scenes at the island called the Inch literally took my breath away. I could easily visualise it all in my head and the author transported me from my home to the island.
The story starts off with Surtsey coming across her lovers body on the island, from then on in we are taken on a tense and suspenseful journey waiting for everything to unfold. Surtsey has a lot going on in her life. Not only is her lover now dead, her mother is dying from cancer. I have to admit to finding the story line of her mother very emotional. Having recently lost my mother in law, not to cancer, it is something that really struck a cord and at times I did find it hard reading solely because of how raw my own feelings were.
Fault Lines draws you straight in and keeps you there throughout. The tension builds nicely to a satisfying climax. With a few surprises thrown in for good measure, this is another great read from the author.
My thanks to Anne Cater and Orenda books for a copy of the book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
January 9, 2018
Volcanoes and murder. What could POSSIBLY go wrong?
Nothing that's what in this highly imaginative, hauntingly beautiful and genuinely clever "whodunnit". With added lava.
Doug Johnstone's best novel to date.
Highly Recommended. Full review later possibly during a blog tour.
Nothing that's what in this highly imaginative, hauntingly beautiful and genuinely clever "whodunnit". With added lava.
Doug Johnstone's best novel to date.
Highly Recommended. Full review later possibly during a blog tour.
May 5, 2018
Who knew that volcanos could be so intriguing. In Fault Lines, our protagonist Surtsey Mackenzie, a young volcanologist is having an affair with her older and married boss Tom. When one night she heads across the water to a volcanic island situated in the Forth of Firth named The Inch, she is expecting a passionate tryst. However instead she finds his dead body – and this is where the story darkens and her life implodes.
They thought they had kept their affair a secret but somebody knows and is sending cryptic disturbing texts to Surtsey. If she goes to the police she could implicate herself in his death but if she says nothing she is forever looking over her shoulder, wondering who is threatening her and who she can trust.
Dealing with Tom’s death is not the only trauma in her life. Her mother Louise, also a volcanologist, is dying of cancer in a local hospice. Iona, Surtsey’s sister, seems not to care and is of no support at all and their relationship seems to be at breaking point.
Fault Lines is a slow burner of a thriller and quite short too, at a mere 215 pages. However every page contains a devilishly detailed plot with characters and dialogue that is both realistic and convincing, leading to a tense and dramatic climax. I didn’t find all the characters likeable and there were some that I never trusted however that didn’t matter at all. Surtsey wasn’t always my cup of tea; I don’t have much in common with someone who cheats on her boyfriend, gets stoned smoking pot and drinks themselves into a stupor. I did however like her spunky attitude and found myself rooting for her and cheering her on, particularly in her dealings with one quite obnoxious police inspector.
Set against an re-imagined Edinburgh with earth tremors constantly unsettling its residents, Fault Lines is a very different dark and compelling thriller with past secrets having an impact upon the present. I have to admit that some of the science about volcanic eruptions went over my head but this didn’t stop me enjoying this very accomplished thriller.
Doug Johnstone is an author new to me but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another of his books.
They thought they had kept their affair a secret but somebody knows and is sending cryptic disturbing texts to Surtsey. If she goes to the police she could implicate herself in his death but if she says nothing she is forever looking over her shoulder, wondering who is threatening her and who she can trust.
Dealing with Tom’s death is not the only trauma in her life. Her mother Louise, also a volcanologist, is dying of cancer in a local hospice. Iona, Surtsey’s sister, seems not to care and is of no support at all and their relationship seems to be at breaking point.
Fault Lines is a slow burner of a thriller and quite short too, at a mere 215 pages. However every page contains a devilishly detailed plot with characters and dialogue that is both realistic and convincing, leading to a tense and dramatic climax. I didn’t find all the characters likeable and there were some that I never trusted however that didn’t matter at all. Surtsey wasn’t always my cup of tea; I don’t have much in common with someone who cheats on her boyfriend, gets stoned smoking pot and drinks themselves into a stupor. I did however like her spunky attitude and found myself rooting for her and cheering her on, particularly in her dealings with one quite obnoxious police inspector.
Set against an re-imagined Edinburgh with earth tremors constantly unsettling its residents, Fault Lines is a very different dark and compelling thriller with past secrets having an impact upon the present. I have to admit that some of the science about volcanic eruptions went over my head but this didn’t stop me enjoying this very accomplished thriller.
Doug Johnstone is an author new to me but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up another of his books.
July 1, 2018
The publisher's summary is:
"In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, in which a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, and where tremors are an everyday occurrence, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery. On a clandestine trip to The Inch—the new volcanic island—to meet Tom, her lover and her boss, she finds his lifeless body, and makes the fatal decision to keep their affair, and her discovery of his corpse secret. Desperate to know how he died, but also terrified she'll be exposed, Surtsey's life quickly spirals into a nightmare when someone makes contact—someone who claims to know what she's done."
This led me to imagine I'd be reading a tense thriller in which a brave young vulcanologist in training would be stalked by an evil killer, with the probable involvement of a live volcano.
It's not that kind of book. In many ways, it's much better. Most of the “fault lines” are emotional rather than geophysical. It’s introspective, personal and deeply emotional.
Way back in Chapter One, when I was still living off the publisher's branding rather than the author's text, I found the novel hard to connect to. There I was, at the beginning of a promising thriller which opened with our heroine being where she shouldn't be, discovering a dead body and running away unseen.
Hours later, in the middle of the night our, by now high on grass, heroine receives a text on a phone only she is supposed to know exists and which she retrieved from the dead body.
It's a moment of high drama. I should be tense. But the text message takes my badly wired head to the wrong place. The message reads:
"I know you were there".
And my mind, without hesitation, provided the reply she would make if she were a sassy American Urban Fantasy heroine rather than a Scottish vulcanologist:
"But do you know what I did last summer?"
Sadly, the heroine's response was "Who is this?" and I was unable to continue with the novel until I'd given the voices in my head time to settle down and pretend to be grown-ups.
The chapters that followed didn't pull me into some kind of Clarice Starling versus Hannibal Lecter cat and mouse thing. Instead I learned more about our heroine Surtsey: her relationship with her mother, who is in a hospice dying of cancer in her forties, with her sister who is losing herself in casual sex and alcohol and only really comes alive while serving behind a bar, with her he's-cute-and-convenient classmate/lover and with her she-always-has-great-grass roommate.
It was well written, especially the relationship with the dying mother and with the if-I-ignore-it-it-isn't-really-happening sister. The love, grief, shame, anger and helplessness were delivered with an authentic emotional punch.
That's what carried me to the 65% mark in the book.
I abandoned it after another of Surtsey's paranoid, anger and fear-driven violent outbursts.
I realised I don't really care what happens to this woman. I feel sorry for the pain the deaths of those she loves is causing her but to me, she seems selfish, irresponsible, angry and violent. She uses the people around her to meet her needs without really connecting with them and she hides from her emotions and the consequences of her actions by staying drunk or high or both.
It's nicely drawn but it doesn't make me root for her.
I'll read more of Doug Johnstone's work, but this one isn't for me.
"In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, in which a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, and where tremors are an everyday occurrence, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery. On a clandestine trip to The Inch—the new volcanic island—to meet Tom, her lover and her boss, she finds his lifeless body, and makes the fatal decision to keep their affair, and her discovery of his corpse secret. Desperate to know how he died, but also terrified she'll be exposed, Surtsey's life quickly spirals into a nightmare when someone makes contact—someone who claims to know what she's done."
This led me to imagine I'd be reading a tense thriller in which a brave young vulcanologist in training would be stalked by an evil killer, with the probable involvement of a live volcano.
It's not that kind of book. In many ways, it's much better. Most of the “fault lines” are emotional rather than geophysical. It’s introspective, personal and deeply emotional.
Way back in Chapter One, when I was still living off the publisher's branding rather than the author's text, I found the novel hard to connect to. There I was, at the beginning of a promising thriller which opened with our heroine being where she shouldn't be, discovering a dead body and running away unseen.
Hours later, in the middle of the night our, by now high on grass, heroine receives a text on a phone only she is supposed to know exists and which she retrieved from the dead body.
It's a moment of high drama. I should be tense. But the text message takes my badly wired head to the wrong place. The message reads:
"I know you were there".
And my mind, without hesitation, provided the reply she would make if she were a sassy American Urban Fantasy heroine rather than a Scottish vulcanologist:
"But do you know what I did last summer?"
Sadly, the heroine's response was "Who is this?" and I was unable to continue with the novel until I'd given the voices in my head time to settle down and pretend to be grown-ups.
The chapters that followed didn't pull me into some kind of Clarice Starling versus Hannibal Lecter cat and mouse thing. Instead I learned more about our heroine Surtsey: her relationship with her mother, who is in a hospice dying of cancer in her forties, with her sister who is losing herself in casual sex and alcohol and only really comes alive while serving behind a bar, with her he's-cute-and-convenient classmate/lover and with her she-always-has-great-grass roommate.
It was well written, especially the relationship with the dying mother and with the if-I-ignore-it-it-isn't-really-happening sister. The love, grief, shame, anger and helplessness were delivered with an authentic emotional punch.
That's what carried me to the 65% mark in the book.
I abandoned it after another of Surtsey's paranoid, anger and fear-driven violent outbursts.
I realised I don't really care what happens to this woman. I feel sorry for the pain the deaths of those she loves is causing her but to me, she seems selfish, irresponsible, angry and violent. She uses the people around her to meet her needs without really connecting with them and she hides from her emotions and the consequences of her actions by staying drunk or high or both.
It's nicely drawn but it doesn't make me root for her.
I'll read more of Doug Johnstone's work, but this one isn't for me.
May 8, 2018
A volcano, an affair, wine, hash and murders... oh my! When you find your married boss who you're having an affair with dead at one of your meeting spots, what else can you do but take his phone and run home? Then lie lie lie lie lie. Then what do you do when someone seems to know your secrets and is exposing them to the world?
Surtsey loves her wine and hash, which doesn't create for very responsible actions or thinking. Becoming suspect number one in the murder of her lover, she's not in the best moment of her life. Her younger sister and her aren't getting along and her mother is in hospice just waiting to die - it can't get any worse for her.... right?
It took me a little bit to get into the nitty gritty of this book, but once I did, I was caught... hook, line and sinker. With a beautiful backdrop of a volcano that Surtsey is studying, Johnstone builds this crime thriller into real life relationship battles, an absolutely flawed protagonist and the struggle it is to keep a lie (or anyone for that matter) alive.
This story builds like the tremors at The Inch, erupting into an obsessive ending that made me a fan of Johnstone. I only guessed the outcome right when he wanted me to and for that I applaud this book and his writing.
Thanks so much to Orenda for this copy! <3
Surtsey loves her wine and hash, which doesn't create for very responsible actions or thinking. Becoming suspect number one in the murder of her lover, she's not in the best moment of her life. Her younger sister and her aren't getting along and her mother is in hospice just waiting to die - it can't get any worse for her.... right?
It took me a little bit to get into the nitty gritty of this book, but once I did, I was caught... hook, line and sinker. With a beautiful backdrop of a volcano that Surtsey is studying, Johnstone builds this crime thriller into real life relationship battles, an absolutely flawed protagonist and the struggle it is to keep a lie (or anyone for that matter) alive.
This story builds like the tremors at The Inch, erupting into an obsessive ending that made me a fan of Johnstone. I only guessed the outcome right when he wanted me to and for that I applaud this book and his writing.
Thanks so much to Orenda for this copy! <3
May 1, 2018
Surtsey is following in the footsteps of her mother in studying to be a volcanologist and she has the perfect object of study on her doorstep. Well, across the sea, to be precise – the volcanic island known as The Inch which erupted out of the Firth of Forth on the day she was born. Being named after another volcanic island (this one in Iceland) proves to be apt because Surtsey’s life is about to erupt in the most dramatic way possible when she discovers the body of her boss and married lover, Tom, on The Inch, the location of their intended tryst. She decides to say nothing for fear of their affair coming to light. However, it turns out to be too late as someone else appears to know her secret – in fact, all her secrets.
I really liked the way the author used geology as a metaphor for the situation Surtsey finds herself in. The frequent earth tremors resulting from the movement of the tectonic plates mirror the upheaval in Surtsey’s life. In addition, it transpires she has more than just the death of her lover creating fissures in a life already made unstable by too much alcohol and other stimulants, infidelity and strained relations with her sister, Iona.
In a way Fault Lines has many of the elements of a classic whodunit as there a number of possible suspects. Two thirds of the way through the book, things get a whole lot more complicated for Surtsey as her secret tormenter closes in and secrets from the past are revealed that change everything. My suspicions did eventually turn towards the actual culprit although what their motive could be eluded me. The book builds to an exciting and dramatic climax in which the forces of Mother Nature, aptly, play a significant part. I'll confess I found some of the final scenes a little over-dramatic.
Fault Lines is an imaginative, dark and accomplished thriller with believable – if not necessarily likeable – characters set in a convincingly described location.
I really liked the way the author used geology as a metaphor for the situation Surtsey finds herself in. The frequent earth tremors resulting from the movement of the tectonic plates mirror the upheaval in Surtsey’s life. In addition, it transpires she has more than just the death of her lover creating fissures in a life already made unstable by too much alcohol and other stimulants, infidelity and strained relations with her sister, Iona.
In a way Fault Lines has many of the elements of a classic whodunit as there a number of possible suspects. Two thirds of the way through the book, things get a whole lot more complicated for Surtsey as her secret tormenter closes in and secrets from the past are revealed that change everything. My suspicions did eventually turn towards the actual culprit although what their motive could be eluded me. The book builds to an exciting and dramatic climax in which the forces of Mother Nature, aptly, play a significant part. I'll confess I found some of the final scenes a little over-dramatic.
Fault Lines is an imaginative, dark and accomplished thriller with believable – if not necessarily likeable – characters set in a convincingly described location.
May 13, 2018
How cool is that cover?! I’ve been drooling over it since I first spotted it on Twitter and after reading the book, I can tell you it fits the story perfectly as cracks start to appear everywhere!
Fault Lines is set in a very different Edinburgh than we are used to. Due to a tectonic fault, a new volcanic island appeared twenty-five years ago. Tremors happen every day and The Inch, as it’s called, is a fascinating research project for scientists and volcanologists. One of those volcanologists is Surtsey, named after an Icelandic volcano, but The Inch also means something different to her. It’s where she meets up with her lover, Tom, who’s also her boss and very married.
On one such illicit rendez-vous, Surtsey discovers Tom’s dead body. Wanting to protect Tom’s family and their reputations, Surtsey doesn’t mention this to anyone. But someone seems to know what has happened and things quickly spiral completely out of Surtsey’s control. Who is taunting her and what do they want?
As “luck” (slightly odd choice of words) would have it, I was reading this when the volcano erupted on Hawaii. This meant I had no problems whatsoever imagining the tremors, fissures and vents that seem to come straight from some blockbuster catastrophe movie. The storyline itself took me a little longer to get into. I didn’t particularly like Surtsey or any of the other characters, to be honest. They all seemed rather miserable, although in Surtsey’s case that is understandable since she has quite a few things going on. And maybe I’d be miserable too if I had to deal with tremors on a daily basis. However, the underlying tension, from both the tremors and the person taunting Surtsey, was intensely gripping and once the story really got going, I was absolutely hooked.
At just 215 pages, this is quite a short book and a bit of a slow-burner. However, it has a brilliantly crafted, dark plot that stands out from the crowd due to its uniqueness and originality. I must admit some of the science-y “it’s just rocks” stuff went completely over my head but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the story at all and there were plenty of other things to sink my teeth into. I had one of those “eureka” moments where I figured out the who, but not the why. From then on, the tension slowly but surely built up and led to an incredibly explosive and satisfying ending that I was really not prepared for.
This is a psychological thriller with a difference that will have you glued to the pages and for me, it was a satisfying first introduction to author Doug Johnstone.
Fault Lines is set in a very different Edinburgh than we are used to. Due to a tectonic fault, a new volcanic island appeared twenty-five years ago. Tremors happen every day and The Inch, as it’s called, is a fascinating research project for scientists and volcanologists. One of those volcanologists is Surtsey, named after an Icelandic volcano, but The Inch also means something different to her. It’s where she meets up with her lover, Tom, who’s also her boss and very married.
On one such illicit rendez-vous, Surtsey discovers Tom’s dead body. Wanting to protect Tom’s family and their reputations, Surtsey doesn’t mention this to anyone. But someone seems to know what has happened and things quickly spiral completely out of Surtsey’s control. Who is taunting her and what do they want?
As “luck” (slightly odd choice of words) would have it, I was reading this when the volcano erupted on Hawaii. This meant I had no problems whatsoever imagining the tremors, fissures and vents that seem to come straight from some blockbuster catastrophe movie. The storyline itself took me a little longer to get into. I didn’t particularly like Surtsey or any of the other characters, to be honest. They all seemed rather miserable, although in Surtsey’s case that is understandable since she has quite a few things going on. And maybe I’d be miserable too if I had to deal with tremors on a daily basis. However, the underlying tension, from both the tremors and the person taunting Surtsey, was intensely gripping and once the story really got going, I was absolutely hooked.
At just 215 pages, this is quite a short book and a bit of a slow-burner. However, it has a brilliantly crafted, dark plot that stands out from the crowd due to its uniqueness and originality. I must admit some of the science-y “it’s just rocks” stuff went completely over my head but that didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the story at all and there were plenty of other things to sink my teeth into. I had one of those “eureka” moments where I figured out the who, but not the why. From then on, the tension slowly but surely built up and led to an incredibly explosive and satisfying ending that I was really not prepared for.
This is a psychological thriller with a difference that will have you glued to the pages and for me, it was a satisfying first introduction to author Doug Johnstone.
June 28, 2018
I love anything to do with volcanoes, and if you add in murder, I am sold. I picked this one up after a run of not so good books, and I ended up reading pretty much the whole thing in one day. Doug Johnstone has a great writing style and Fault Lines is no different. It is a cleverly re-imagined crime thriller, but nature takes centre stage due to the fact there is a volcano in Scotland. I really enjoyed the escapism with Fault Lines. I had suspicions early on, but that in no way took away from my enjoyment of the book. It is a really good read packed with plenty of intrigue and secrets. Recommended for sure!
March 16, 2018
A highly imaginative and well-written book, unlike any I've read this year. I was completely swept away by this story with its wonderful setting, short fast-paced chapters and a thoroughly satisfying ending to boot. Recommended.
September 8, 2018
Doug Johnstone is an accomplished man. A bonafide nuclear physicist, musician, teacher, journalist and, of course, an author. Though one I’ve never heard of until finding his latest book on Netgalley. Sounded like a thriller right up my alley and so it kinda was. To be honest the 25 year old protagonist, Surtsey, who constantly drinks, gets high and screws up her personal affairs isn’t exactly my preference and the rest of the main cast is just as young and variously degrees of tedious, but the writing was very good and the setting absolutely terrific. Coastal Scotland and a tiny baby island The Inch (see, some 25 year old things are fun) born out of volcanic activity. The author also did a great job of ratcheting up the claustrophobic net of suspense tightening around Sur as she becomes the main suspect in the death around her. The mystery aspect of it was…I suspected it around 50% and figured it out for sure at 70%, but then again it comes to light at about 81% so it wasn’t like trudging through the entire novel knowing what’s going on. But the motivation was predictable, though, and not very original. A seasoned mystery thriller fan might be left wanting. Great title too, making a clever play on the dual meaning of the words, fault lines reshaping the psychical world around the characters and the inner worlds within them until the appropriately explosive final act. So something of a mixed bag, but generally an enjoyable read (mainly due to the quality of writing), plenty entertaining and a promising introduction to a new author. Thanks Netgalley.
May 22, 2018
A tectonic plate has opened up in the Firth of Forth, outside of Edinburgh. This change has caused daily tremors to be felt throughout the nearby towns and created a volcanic island, known as The Inch. This island is a source of intrigue for the local geologists and volcanologists. Surtsey is one of those volcanologists. She is studying and working towards her PhD with a small group of fellow students under the direction of Tom Lawrie.
One night Surtsey takes a trip out to The Inch to meet Tom, who is not just her boss, but also her lover. When she gets there she finds him lifeless on the beach with his head smashed in. In order to keep her private life private Surtsey lies to the police about their relationship and her whereabouts that night. Things quickly spiral out of control. On top of being unable to stop the police from seeing her as a suspect, Surtsey must also face the reality that her mother is dying. Can Surtsey balance a deteriorating personal life while trying to prove she’s not a murderer? Who really killed Tom?
Doug Johnstone creates a captivating work of crime fiction in FAULT LINES. The reader tags along with suspect number one, Surtsey, as she fumbles through an attempt to cover up her relationship with a now murdered married man. Her lies to the police about her whereabouts the night of Tom’s death quickly sweep her on to the list of possible murderers and leaves the reader begging her to tell the truth. In addition to the murder investigation, Surtsey must also come to terms with her mother’s nearing death and the impact this has on her relationship with her sister. Johnstone is able to weave together these dominating plot lines in Surtsey’s life and create a seamless story. FAULT LINES is filled with edge of your seat moments, heartbreak, and the possibilities that can spiral from telling a lie.
Thank you so much to Orenda Books and Doug Johnstone for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the fabulous Anne Cater for setting up another #teamorenda tour full of fantastic bloggers! Please be sure to check out the rest of the blogs showcasing FAULT LINES on its blog tour!
One night Surtsey takes a trip out to The Inch to meet Tom, who is not just her boss, but also her lover. When she gets there she finds him lifeless on the beach with his head smashed in. In order to keep her private life private Surtsey lies to the police about their relationship and her whereabouts that night. Things quickly spiral out of control. On top of being unable to stop the police from seeing her as a suspect, Surtsey must also face the reality that her mother is dying. Can Surtsey balance a deteriorating personal life while trying to prove she’s not a murderer? Who really killed Tom?
Doug Johnstone creates a captivating work of crime fiction in FAULT LINES. The reader tags along with suspect number one, Surtsey, as she fumbles through an attempt to cover up her relationship with a now murdered married man. Her lies to the police about her whereabouts the night of Tom’s death quickly sweep her on to the list of possible murderers and leaves the reader begging her to tell the truth. In addition to the murder investigation, Surtsey must also come to terms with her mother’s nearing death and the impact this has on her relationship with her sister. Johnstone is able to weave together these dominating plot lines in Surtsey’s life and create a seamless story. FAULT LINES is filled with edge of your seat moments, heartbreak, and the possibilities that can spiral from telling a lie.
Thank you so much to Orenda Books and Doug Johnstone for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the fabulous Anne Cater for setting up another #teamorenda tour full of fantastic bloggers! Please be sure to check out the rest of the blogs showcasing FAULT LINES on its blog tour!
May 11, 2018
A gripping read from start to finish! Atmospheric and filled with attitude!
I found this to be an exhilirating read - a crime fiction whodunnit filled with lies, surprises and big twists to take you by surprise!! I loved the short and snappy chapters which really helped with the flow of the story.
Surtsey is a volcanologist who is having an affair with her married boss and when she finds his body after they arrange to meet, she stays silent and leaves his body there to be discovered. A little lie... a seismic secret!! And that is when the text messages to her begin. 'I know you were there' starts it off and leaves Surtsey struggling to remain in control knowing that there is someone out there who knows about their secret.
It is difficult to feel much sympathy for Surtsey as she is quite a prickly character, lacking emotion and does things her way, but the way every decision she makes seems to be for the worst does take its' toll and you are left doubting all she does and the reasons why! The text messages keep on coming and they soon become more threatening. It is definitely a book that you can see that is perfect for a tv or movie adaptation!! A fabulous thriller!!
I found this to be an exhilirating read - a crime fiction whodunnit filled with lies, surprises and big twists to take you by surprise!! I loved the short and snappy chapters which really helped with the flow of the story.
Surtsey is a volcanologist who is having an affair with her married boss and when she finds his body after they arrange to meet, she stays silent and leaves his body there to be discovered. A little lie... a seismic secret!! And that is when the text messages to her begin. 'I know you were there' starts it off and leaves Surtsey struggling to remain in control knowing that there is someone out there who knows about their secret.
It is difficult to feel much sympathy for Surtsey as she is quite a prickly character, lacking emotion and does things her way, but the way every decision she makes seems to be for the worst does take its' toll and you are left doubting all she does and the reasons why! The text messages keep on coming and they soon become more threatening. It is definitely a book that you can see that is perfect for a tv or movie adaptation!! A fabulous thriller!!
May 25, 2018
This book made for a very fascinating and unusual setting, one that I knew but was at the same time alien to me. Edinburgh, a place that I have visited and read about many times but now it felt more like an alternate version. Volcanic activity in the Firth of Forth had occurred creating The Inch, an island where the dead body of man was to be discovered. Surtsey, his lover, work colleague and volcanologist was use to the tremors that struck the city every day but someone knew about her and her relationship with Tom. To say that the ground she walked on was shaky just doesn’t do it. Something was brewing and going to blow and it wasn’t just the volcano.
Surtsey is quite a character, pretty, and an intelligent young woman but one that is still holding on to a bit of a rebellious side. She, like Edinburgh, has her faults which can’t always be seen at first glance. She parties hard but has to have the release that makes it possible to hold on to her sanity. She is living life on the highs of booze and smoking pot and the lows dealing with her mum’s cancer besides the death of Tom her lover and unknown person that is now taunting her.
I played Jenga with Doug Johnstone’s characters, pulling each one out of the story to try to work out the mystery person that had turned into a killer and still was after more. The story builds gradually with spikes of nearly clues, like almost remembering something then it’s gone sort of thing. The characters are quite a mixed bunch or people who are at times forced together by circumstances rather than want, which brings its own tensions in the story. I loved how the volcano activity and the life of Surtsey reflected each other with a pretty spectacular conclusion. Highly recommended.
Surtsey is quite a character, pretty, and an intelligent young woman but one that is still holding on to a bit of a rebellious side. She, like Edinburgh, has her faults which can’t always be seen at first glance. She parties hard but has to have the release that makes it possible to hold on to her sanity. She is living life on the highs of booze and smoking pot and the lows dealing with her mum’s cancer besides the death of Tom her lover and unknown person that is now taunting her.
I played Jenga with Doug Johnstone’s characters, pulling each one out of the story to try to work out the mystery person that had turned into a killer and still was after more. The story builds gradually with spikes of nearly clues, like almost remembering something then it’s gone sort of thing. The characters are quite a mixed bunch or people who are at times forced together by circumstances rather than want, which brings its own tensions in the story. I loved how the volcano activity and the life of Surtsey reflected each other with a pretty spectacular conclusion. Highly recommended.
April 23, 2019
Fault Lines is set in a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, in which a tectonic fault has opened up and produced a volcanic island, The Inch. Protagonist Surtsey is a volcanologist obsessed with The Inch. Surtsey is also having an affair with her married boss Tom… Until she goes to meet him and finds him dead as a doornail. Oops! Death doesn’t stop there, it seems to follow Surtsey around and in the meantime she keeps getting creepy messages on Tom’s clandestine phone that she’s nicked, she’s trying to make the most of the time she has left with her mum who’s terminally ill and she’s trying to reconnect with her sister.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Caroline Guthrie. She has a lovely Scottish accent that regularly made me smile, but she does quite a simple narration, she doesn’t really tweak her voice all that much to accommodate the various characters, which was most noticeable during conversations. Still, I liked it enough to keep listening (I also have the eBook so I could have switched).
Suspenseful, mysterious, but with a heart, recommended!
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Caroline Guthrie. She has a lovely Scottish accent that regularly made me smile, but she does quite a simple narration, she doesn’t really tweak her voice all that much to accommodate the various characters, which was most noticeable during conversations. Still, I liked it enough to keep listening (I also have the eBook so I could have switched).
Suspenseful, mysterious, but with a heart, recommended!
May 23, 2018
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.I had never read a book by Doug Johnstone before and I can honestly say that I have never read a book quite like Fault Lines before either. I had been a little bit dubious, worrying whether it would be too scientific for me, but they were needless worries. I had no problems at all and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Many people will be familiar with Edinburgh, but the version of Edinburgh in the novel is make-believe, with its addition of a volcanic island in the Firth of Forth. It is here that the body of Tom is discovered by Surtsey.
Surtsey is the main character in the book. She is more flawed than many other characters who feature in other novels with her sometimes heavy drinking, recreational drug taking and her affair with her married boss. But she also was a character who I liked a lot and she was no different to many of the others who featured. As well as her flaws, she also had a conscience. She was devoted to her terminally ill mother and dealt with her situation a lot better than her sister. This side to her softened her a lot and helped me appreciate the depth to her personality.
All of the different characters are believable, not necessarily likeable or innocent but they suited the storyline. I didn’t feel that there was any over exaggeration of any of them. One of the most powerful parts of the novel was the description of the volcano. Combined with real life news events at the time I could picture it all vividly. First class fiction from another Orenda author.
Many people will be familiar with Edinburgh, but the version of Edinburgh in the novel is make-believe, with its addition of a volcanic island in the Firth of Forth. It is here that the body of Tom is discovered by Surtsey.
Surtsey is the main character in the book. She is more flawed than many other characters who feature in other novels with her sometimes heavy drinking, recreational drug taking and her affair with her married boss. But she also was a character who I liked a lot and she was no different to many of the others who featured. As well as her flaws, she also had a conscience. She was devoted to her terminally ill mother and dealt with her situation a lot better than her sister. This side to her softened her a lot and helped me appreciate the depth to her personality.
All of the different characters are believable, not necessarily likeable or innocent but they suited the storyline. I didn’t feel that there was any over exaggeration of any of them. One of the most powerful parts of the novel was the description of the volcano. Combined with real life news events at the time I could picture it all vividly. First class fiction from another Orenda author.
October 25, 2018
Surtsey Mackenzie, a volcanologist studying for her PhD in an imaginatively recreated Edinburgh, is fascinated by an eruption in the Firth of Forth which resulted in a volcanic island. Edinburgh has fairly regular seismic activity but The Inch, as the island is known, was formed twenty five years ago when there was a shift in the tectonic plates on the day Surtsey was born.
Surtsey’s mother had also been a volcanologist but now she was dying from cancer in a hospice. Surtsey and her sister, Iona live in the family house with Surtsey’s friend, Halima. The two girls deal with their mother’s situation in different ways, often clash and don’t help themselves by drinking far too much and getting stoned.
Arriving on the island for a clandestine meeting with her married lover and boss, Tom one evening, instead of the promised picnic Surtsey finds his body.
'Surtsey reached the edge of the outcrop. Thirty yards below, on the sand of the cove, a dozen gulls and crows were gathered on a single low rock, a blur of squawking activity, pecking at each other. Surtsey watched for a few moments trying to make sense of it. Gradually she realised they weren’t pecking each other, they were pecking at the rock beneath them.
Then she got it.
It wasn’t a rock it was a body, and they were feasting on it.’
This is one of those stories where initially none of the characters are particularly likeable. They’re all flawed in some way. I did grow to quite like Surtsey and was sorry for all she was going through with her mother and the lack of support from her sister. Having said that, I can’t imagine how the three of them managed to function at all with the amount of alcohol and hash they went through. Surtsey’s life gets even more complicated following the discovery of Tom’s body. She lies to the police (I really enjoyed their ‘conversations’) about her whereabouts the night of Tom’s death. Someone knows about their relationship and that Surtsey was on the island. She is receiving anonymous threatening texts.
The excellent opening grabbed my attention immediately. Caroline Guthrie’s narration was particularly good, the Scottish accent of course perfect for the story. The descriptions are believable and vivid, even the earthquakes and The Inch, creating an easily imaginable, tangible sense of place.
The very well written narrative simmers slowly as relationships and emotions play out, shocking secrets are revealed and the tension builds into an exciting and suspenseful conclusion. It’s an unusual and quite compelling story, cleverly done. I could almost believe The Inch was real.
Surtsey’s mother had also been a volcanologist but now she was dying from cancer in a hospice. Surtsey and her sister, Iona live in the family house with Surtsey’s friend, Halima. The two girls deal with their mother’s situation in different ways, often clash and don’t help themselves by drinking far too much and getting stoned.
Arriving on the island for a clandestine meeting with her married lover and boss, Tom one evening, instead of the promised picnic Surtsey finds his body.
'Surtsey reached the edge of the outcrop. Thirty yards below, on the sand of the cove, a dozen gulls and crows were gathered on a single low rock, a blur of squawking activity, pecking at each other. Surtsey watched for a few moments trying to make sense of it. Gradually she realised they weren’t pecking each other, they were pecking at the rock beneath them.
Then she got it.
It wasn’t a rock it was a body, and they were feasting on it.’
This is one of those stories where initially none of the characters are particularly likeable. They’re all flawed in some way. I did grow to quite like Surtsey and was sorry for all she was going through with her mother and the lack of support from her sister. Having said that, I can’t imagine how the three of them managed to function at all with the amount of alcohol and hash they went through. Surtsey’s life gets even more complicated following the discovery of Tom’s body. She lies to the police (I really enjoyed their ‘conversations’) about her whereabouts the night of Tom’s death. Someone knows about their relationship and that Surtsey was on the island. She is receiving anonymous threatening texts.
The excellent opening grabbed my attention immediately. Caroline Guthrie’s narration was particularly good, the Scottish accent of course perfect for the story. The descriptions are believable and vivid, even the earthquakes and The Inch, creating an easily imaginable, tangible sense of place.
The very well written narrative simmers slowly as relationships and emotions play out, shocking secrets are revealed and the tension builds into an exciting and suspenseful conclusion. It’s an unusual and quite compelling story, cleverly done. I could almost believe The Inch was real.
November 6, 2023
The Inch, a volcanic island just off the coast of Edinburgh, and Surtsey McKenzie were born on the same day. As Surtsey's mother gave birth, a tectonic fault opened up and a volcano erupted, leaving behind The Inch.
For Surtsey, the Inch has always been a magical place. Following in the footsteps of her own mother, she became a volcanologist and the Inch is the place that she has honed her studies. Just like the Inch, Surtsey's life has been full of shifts and changes. Always unpredictable, they both have an air of mystery, and defiance that defines them.
The novel opens as Surtsey lands on the Inch to meet her lover. Although it's something of a cliche, and Surtsey is well aware of that, her relationship with Tom, her professor on the PhD course at Edinburgh University is an exciting secret. Although she's betraying her boyfriend Brendon and Tom's wife Alice is in the dark, for Surtsey, this is fun and as far as she is concerned, nobody will get hurt.
But, Tom is dead. Laying on the beach with gulls pecking at his face. There's no sign of his boat moored nearby, and just his mobile phone laying beside him. Surtsey panics, takes the phone and rows back to the mainland. However when a text arrives on Tom's secret phone; the one that he used only to communicate with Surtsey, and it says 'I know you where there', it becomes clear to Surtsey that someone, somewhere has been watching her, and knows exactly what she's been doing.
So, that's the blurb, more or less, and what follows is an explosive, well structured and absolutely compelling story. Doug Johnstone's writing is both beautiful and searingly honest. Surtsey is a girl who, as an adult I guess I should dislike, but she creeps her way into the heart of the reader. She makes some dreadful decisions, she drinks like a fish and smokes far too much hash, but there's a vulnerability about her that is so endearing, and I had her back, all the way through.
This is not just a crime story, Tom's death, and that of another character later on, are a mystery to be solved. However, it's the intricate and detailed look at the nature of family relationships and the ever present tremors and aftershocks that ripple out from the Inch and echo what is happening in Surtsey's life that make Fault Lines so brilliant.
Just over 200 pages, but so beguiling, so original and so very gripping. Not a single word is wasted, it is wonderfully atmospheric, often unsettling and always thought provoking. The story and its characters have lingered in my head constantly since I turned the final page. Absolutely exceptional and one of the best books of 2018 so far.
For Surtsey, the Inch has always been a magical place. Following in the footsteps of her own mother, she became a volcanologist and the Inch is the place that she has honed her studies. Just like the Inch, Surtsey's life has been full of shifts and changes. Always unpredictable, they both have an air of mystery, and defiance that defines them.
The novel opens as Surtsey lands on the Inch to meet her lover. Although it's something of a cliche, and Surtsey is well aware of that, her relationship with Tom, her professor on the PhD course at Edinburgh University is an exciting secret. Although she's betraying her boyfriend Brendon and Tom's wife Alice is in the dark, for Surtsey, this is fun and as far as she is concerned, nobody will get hurt.
But, Tom is dead. Laying on the beach with gulls pecking at his face. There's no sign of his boat moored nearby, and just his mobile phone laying beside him. Surtsey panics, takes the phone and rows back to the mainland. However when a text arrives on Tom's secret phone; the one that he used only to communicate with Surtsey, and it says 'I know you where there', it becomes clear to Surtsey that someone, somewhere has been watching her, and knows exactly what she's been doing.
So, that's the blurb, more or less, and what follows is an explosive, well structured and absolutely compelling story. Doug Johnstone's writing is both beautiful and searingly honest. Surtsey is a girl who, as an adult I guess I should dislike, but she creeps her way into the heart of the reader. She makes some dreadful decisions, she drinks like a fish and smokes far too much hash, but there's a vulnerability about her that is so endearing, and I had her back, all the way through.
This is not just a crime story, Tom's death, and that of another character later on, are a mystery to be solved. However, it's the intricate and detailed look at the nature of family relationships and the ever present tremors and aftershocks that ripple out from the Inch and echo what is happening in Surtsey's life that make Fault Lines so brilliant.
Just over 200 pages, but so beguiling, so original and so very gripping. Not a single word is wasted, it is wonderfully atmospheric, often unsettling and always thought provoking. The story and its characters have lingered in my head constantly since I turned the final page. Absolutely exceptional and one of the best books of 2018 so far.
May 14, 2018
I have read a couple of books by Doug Johnstone before and always enjoyed them so was thrilled when he signed with Orenda Books to bring out Fault Lines.
I was intrigued to say the least about how Doug Johnstone was going to reinvent the landscape for Edinburgh (this city has a HUGE place in my heart!) but it was totally believable from the first time he described The Inch and how it came to be in existence. Surtsey (wonderful name and so appropriate!) is meeting her lover Tom on the volcanic island which has restricted access to the public. But when she finds him dead, she panics and leaves him there. When he is eventually discovered by fellow volcanologists, including Surtsey herself, everything starts pointing to her as the prime suspect. Having taken Tom’s secret mobile phone, Surtsey starts getting messages from an unknown source who appears to know more about Tom’s death than expected. Who is taunting Surtsey and why? Well, you’re going to love following her journey to find out!
I can’t say I was incredibly taken by many characters in Fault Lines, although their flaws seemed a fine parallel to the volcanic island that rumbled on increasingly as the plot developed. I found the relationships between Surtsey and her family and friends to be the amongst the most intriguing moments for me. With Surtsey and her sister Iona reacting very differently to their terminally ill mother but both hiding their emotions, it was difficult to have an awful lot of empathy for Surtsey sometimes. Her lifestyle didn’t particularly endear her to me either I have say but I didn’t want to judge her as harshly as others did here. Just because she was a drug using, hard drinking and adulterous young woman didn’t mean she was a murderer!
But the showpiece of this book is The Inch and the spectacular terrain that had been birthed from the fault line on the same day as Surtsey had been born. The descriptions of the rocky terrain and the parallel difficulties of it’s kindred spirit were outstanding. The aura surrounding this majestic landscape was almost tangible and I found myself believing it was really there in reality!
This is a gripping crime thriller with a difference and I loved the unique feel to its narrative. I did work out quite early on what was going on and why but it didn’t deter from my enjoyment of the darkly gripping and cleverly constructed storyline. It isn’t as fast paced as previous novels but this works in its favour here as the build up slowly reflected the atmosphere surrounding both the murder case and ever increasing earth tremors shaking the beautifully unique city of Edinburgh.
An enjoyable read and a fascinating insight into seismology at the same time! Result!
I was intrigued to say the least about how Doug Johnstone was going to reinvent the landscape for Edinburgh (this city has a HUGE place in my heart!) but it was totally believable from the first time he described The Inch and how it came to be in existence. Surtsey (wonderful name and so appropriate!) is meeting her lover Tom on the volcanic island which has restricted access to the public. But when she finds him dead, she panics and leaves him there. When he is eventually discovered by fellow volcanologists, including Surtsey herself, everything starts pointing to her as the prime suspect. Having taken Tom’s secret mobile phone, Surtsey starts getting messages from an unknown source who appears to know more about Tom’s death than expected. Who is taunting Surtsey and why? Well, you’re going to love following her journey to find out!
I can’t say I was incredibly taken by many characters in Fault Lines, although their flaws seemed a fine parallel to the volcanic island that rumbled on increasingly as the plot developed. I found the relationships between Surtsey and her family and friends to be the amongst the most intriguing moments for me. With Surtsey and her sister Iona reacting very differently to their terminally ill mother but both hiding their emotions, it was difficult to have an awful lot of empathy for Surtsey sometimes. Her lifestyle didn’t particularly endear her to me either I have say but I didn’t want to judge her as harshly as others did here. Just because she was a drug using, hard drinking and adulterous young woman didn’t mean she was a murderer!
But the showpiece of this book is The Inch and the spectacular terrain that had been birthed from the fault line on the same day as Surtsey had been born. The descriptions of the rocky terrain and the parallel difficulties of it’s kindred spirit were outstanding. The aura surrounding this majestic landscape was almost tangible and I found myself believing it was really there in reality!
This is a gripping crime thriller with a difference and I loved the unique feel to its narrative. I did work out quite early on what was going on and why but it didn’t deter from my enjoyment of the darkly gripping and cleverly constructed storyline. It isn’t as fast paced as previous novels but this works in its favour here as the build up slowly reflected the atmosphere surrounding both the murder case and ever increasing earth tremors shaking the beautifully unique city of Edinburgh.
An enjoyable read and a fascinating insight into seismology at the same time! Result!
July 1, 2018
Holy hell or high water – I am determined to do this book justice with my review but I have to admit, I may well fall short! It was an EPIC read in my opinion and I was more than pleasantly surprised!
Set in Firth of Forth, Edinburgh – the reader is taken on a journey of sorts where jealousy, loss, grief, relationships, mistrust, manipulation and obsession hang over the story like a shrouded veil.
The opening of this novel had me intrigued as everything was neatly laid out for the reader to absorb…well, almost everything! The fantastic descriptions really set the scenes and had me right there in the moment! A cleverly woven plot had me wondering who and what to believe, and the characterisation made for relatable and believable characters throughout. The pace was perfect with a slow build up of tension and suspense, exactly where they should be. We see each of the important characters develop seamlessly throughout the story. Although I had figured out the “who”, I had no idea of the “why” and the sense of jeopardy that lead to the explosive finale was just…well…PERFECT!
Novels that bring characters alive will always be amongst my favourites and Mr Johnstone did just that! I could go through each character, but instead, I just want to mention Surtsey and leave the rest to you readers to discover, embrace and adore on your own. I loved Surtsey, but suspect she may be a marmite character as she was someone who I never knew whether to trust. I found her confident yet vulnerable, courageous but with actions/decisions that were certainly questionable and rebellious but somewhat focussed as well. She was a bit all over the place but also quite grounded. Like I said, I simply adored her!
Would I recommend this book? Oh – you bet your sweet arse I would! Fault Lines is an original, emotive, exhilarating and absolutely tantalising read. I have a few of Doug Johnstone’s books on my TBR and although this was the first I have read, it most certainly will NOT be the last!
I urge you to treat yourself to something unique and engaging – grab your copy today!
Set in Firth of Forth, Edinburgh – the reader is taken on a journey of sorts where jealousy, loss, grief, relationships, mistrust, manipulation and obsession hang over the story like a shrouded veil.
The opening of this novel had me intrigued as everything was neatly laid out for the reader to absorb…well, almost everything! The fantastic descriptions really set the scenes and had me right there in the moment! A cleverly woven plot had me wondering who and what to believe, and the characterisation made for relatable and believable characters throughout. The pace was perfect with a slow build up of tension and suspense, exactly where they should be. We see each of the important characters develop seamlessly throughout the story. Although I had figured out the “who”, I had no idea of the “why” and the sense of jeopardy that lead to the explosive finale was just…well…PERFECT!
Novels that bring characters alive will always be amongst my favourites and Mr Johnstone did just that! I could go through each character, but instead, I just want to mention Surtsey and leave the rest to you readers to discover, embrace and adore on your own. I loved Surtsey, but suspect she may be a marmite character as she was someone who I never knew whether to trust. I found her confident yet vulnerable, courageous but with actions/decisions that were certainly questionable and rebellious but somewhat focussed as well. She was a bit all over the place but also quite grounded. Like I said, I simply adored her!
Would I recommend this book? Oh – you bet your sweet arse I would! Fault Lines is an original, emotive, exhilarating and absolutely tantalising read. I have a few of Doug Johnstone’s books on my TBR and although this was the first I have read, it most certainly will NOT be the last!
I urge you to treat yourself to something unique and engaging – grab your copy today!
January 27, 2020
FAULT LINES is a tautly-knotted murder mystery set in a slightly alternate Edinburgh, where 25 years ago a volcanic eruption forced a new island to the surface, on the very day of future volcanologist Surtsey's birth. Daughter of a volcanologist/geologist and named for an Icelandic volcano, Surtsey can't remember a time without the Inch. Now as her mother is dying, so do other loved ones, but not from cancer. Someone offstage is orchestrating murders, taunting Surtsey, condemning her to the police, till she is entangled in a web of someone else's demise, someone possessing an agenda very ugly and dangerous.
June 6, 2018
I was absorbed into this story from the first chapter & literally devoured it in 24 hours! All the intricate geological details made it unique & the characters were all so perfectly normally flawed. The relationship between the sisters & their dying mother added another aspect that touched the heart. I liked the writing style of this & the ending was a race that left me a little breathless.
Thanks to Orenda for this free copy:)
Thanks to Orenda for this free copy:)
May 7, 2024
Three stars for writing style (she felt the earthquake in her womb? Seriously?) but three and a half (maybe four depending on the day) for plot. It kept me interested and I wanted to know what happened next - I ended up finishing it in a day!
May 6, 2018
The first thought I had when I read the blurb was 'Ooo a murder mystery'. And the very next thought was how apt the cover and the title are. The cover, though simple, draws the eye to the woman and the implied secrets behind her serious look. The title perfectly sums up the life of Sur after finding her boss dead on the Inch. Small cracks keep appearing in her life and they slowly grow into the biggest chasm which leads to the ultimate end. So no wonder I was really tempted to read the book.
This is the first book of the author's I have read. So I was a tiny bit anxious, wondering about his writing style. I was surprised to find a map at the start. It was easy to imagine the layout of the Inch with its help. The beginning of the book itself sealed my impression with the aforementioned map and the corresponding mysterious death of Tom - boss and lover to Sur, the protagonist of the book.
I was impressed with the author's crisp writing and the way he described the scenes so as to form images easily in the reader's mind. I especially enjoyed reading about the geology based narration. Though I am not familiar with it, it was easy enough to become engrossed in it. I loved the book being based in an alternative Edinburgh, another surprise which made a favourable impression on me.
I loved every moment the author spent talking about the Inch and the way "she" was increasingly becoming agitated. That's how it felt to me as the story progressed. I felt that it was corresponding to the tense situations in Sur's life. The way she found her dead lover, finding his phone and then hiding the fact from everyone - all contributed to the tense atmosphere and added to the volatility of the story. At times I thought that the Inch was the protagonist instead of Sur. That's how interconnected both were.
Though the story started with the literal bang of a death, I felt it slowed down for a while with the story the author weaved around Sur, Iona and their mother. Yes, it was necessary to delve into the personal details but it overwhelmed the suspense aspect of the book. The messages from the suspected culprit to Sur were were sparse at the start and they sped up towards the end. That felt hurried to me.
But towards the last quarter, the story really went into high gear and the way Sur got into trouble with the police had me anticipating the coming up scenes. At that point, I was suspicious of a particular person and that's who ended up being the killer. It was a bit easy to figure out who but I never understood the reason behind the killer's actions. There didn't seem any solid reason for it. It left me baffled even after the book ended.
So did I enjoy the book? Definitely yes! The slow to gear up story had its moments of gripping scenes which kept me immersed in Sur and the Inch simultaneously culminating into a heart jolting finale.
I received a copy voluntarily for the blog tour through Random Things Tours.
My one line review : A slow to gear up mystery with geology descriptions in tandem with the intense and explosive events.
My rating : 4/5
My reread factor : 3/5
Flo
This is the first book of the author's I have read. So I was a tiny bit anxious, wondering about his writing style. I was surprised to find a map at the start. It was easy to imagine the layout of the Inch with its help. The beginning of the book itself sealed my impression with the aforementioned map and the corresponding mysterious death of Tom - boss and lover to Sur, the protagonist of the book.
I was impressed with the author's crisp writing and the way he described the scenes so as to form images easily in the reader's mind. I especially enjoyed reading about the geology based narration. Though I am not familiar with it, it was easy enough to become engrossed in it. I loved the book being based in an alternative Edinburgh, another surprise which made a favourable impression on me.
I loved every moment the author spent talking about the Inch and the way "she" was increasingly becoming agitated. That's how it felt to me as the story progressed. I felt that it was corresponding to the tense situations in Sur's life. The way she found her dead lover, finding his phone and then hiding the fact from everyone - all contributed to the tense atmosphere and added to the volatility of the story. At times I thought that the Inch was the protagonist instead of Sur. That's how interconnected both were.
Though the story started with the literal bang of a death, I felt it slowed down for a while with the story the author weaved around Sur, Iona and their mother. Yes, it was necessary to delve into the personal details but it overwhelmed the suspense aspect of the book. The messages from the suspected culprit to Sur were were sparse at the start and they sped up towards the end. That felt hurried to me.
But towards the last quarter, the story really went into high gear and the way Sur got into trouble with the police had me anticipating the coming up scenes. At that point, I was suspicious of a particular person and that's who ended up being the killer. It was a bit easy to figure out who but I never understood the reason behind the killer's actions. There didn't seem any solid reason for it. It left me baffled even after the book ended.
So did I enjoy the book? Definitely yes! The slow to gear up story had its moments of gripping scenes which kept me immersed in Sur and the Inch simultaneously culminating into a heart jolting finale.
I received a copy voluntarily for the blog tour through Random Things Tours.
My one line review : A slow to gear up mystery with geology descriptions in tandem with the intense and explosive events.
My rating : 4/5
My reread factor : 3/5
Flo
May 15, 2018
Fault Line had me on the promise of volcanic eruptions, murder mystery, reimagined Edinburgh and university setting. The premise certainly sounds thrilling and exciting, and promises a fast-paced story with twists and turns. Sadly, that's all the excitement and thrill the story had.
The story had unrealistic representation of university students, as everyone was described as having one night stands, drinking extensively and getting stoned almost daily basis in the story. No one seemed to focus on their research and studies, which seems hard to believe when it's PhD level students. Main character Surtsey was an epitome of this type of behaviour: there wasn't a day when she wasn't either drunk or stoned. She also had few morals and even less redeeming qualities, mostly because she didn't seem to care about anyone but herself. Her married lover died? She only worried that their affair would be discovered and she'd lose her boyfriend. And it just went on and on. Her sister, mother, and friends weren't any different, and the police were pretty much bad stereotypes without personality.
Plot was also predictable and I guessed the killer when they were introduced to the story, and that killed the tiny bit of thrill and mystery the story had going. With such unlikable characters who didn't seem to do anything but drink and smoke weed, the story was a bit dull until the last third of the book, when the pace picked up. The best part was the volcanic island Inch and all the geological stuff, which was truly interesting. Short chapters also kept the pace quite fast and the writing was good.
Fault Lines is a fast paced read, but it's not as thrilling as it promises and the extremely unlikable characters makes it hard to connect with anyone. Premise and setting in a reimagined Edinburgh sounded intriguing and captivating, but unfortunately the story didn't live up to it.
(A copy of this book was provided in return for an honest review.)
The story had unrealistic representation of university students, as everyone was described as having one night stands, drinking extensively and getting stoned almost daily basis in the story. No one seemed to focus on their research and studies, which seems hard to believe when it's PhD level students. Main character Surtsey was an epitome of this type of behaviour: there wasn't a day when she wasn't either drunk or stoned. She also had few morals and even less redeeming qualities, mostly because she didn't seem to care about anyone but herself. Her married lover died? She only worried that their affair would be discovered and she'd lose her boyfriend. And it just went on and on. Her sister, mother, and friends weren't any different, and the police were pretty much bad stereotypes without personality.
Plot was also predictable and I guessed the killer when they were introduced to the story, and that killed the tiny bit of thrill and mystery the story had going. With such unlikable characters who didn't seem to do anything but drink and smoke weed, the story was a bit dull until the last third of the book, when the pace picked up. The best part was the volcanic island Inch and all the geological stuff, which was truly interesting. Short chapters also kept the pace quite fast and the writing was good.
Fault Lines is a fast paced read, but it's not as thrilling as it promises and the extremely unlikable characters makes it hard to connect with anyone. Premise and setting in a reimagined Edinburgh sounded intriguing and captivating, but unfortunately the story didn't live up to it.
(A copy of this book was provided in return for an honest review.)
October 11, 2018
Thank you NetGalley, Doug Johnstone and Trafalgar Square Publishing for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.
In a new Edinburgh, a tetonic plate opens up and creates a new volcano in the middle of the Firth of Forth and cause tremors every day. This new island and names the Inch and volcanologist Surtsey has been studying it for years. One trip to the Inch to meet her secret lover, also her boss, she finds him there murdered. She runs away and her worst nightmare comes true when someone begins contacting her saying they saw what she has done.
This book starts off with a bang and drops you right into the murder on the Inch. I was afraid from the first few chapters that the book would be more about the Inch and volcano’s than about the characters and the murder, but luckily for me it wasn’t at all like that! I really enjoyed Surtsey’s character and how her and her sister, Iona are just trying to get through this life. They seemed so real and full of grief that I could imagine befriending one of them. I really enjoyed how fast paced this novel was and how you suspect almost everyone except the one who is committing the murders.
I really enjoyed how this was a totally newly imagined Edinburgh and how the author created this new island out of a volcano and made it important to people. I actually surprised myself but how quickly I flew through this novel, it is a quick and addicting read. The only part that really bothered me about this novel was the amount of drinking and drugs that goes on, I want to say it wasn’t necessary, but then again it was a part of their lives and their grieving process. I was surprised at the ending and really enjoyed the few twists that happened and how it gives you a bit of closure. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this one and how different it was from most of the other novels I read just because of the fantasy type feel you get from the Inch.
Out November 1st!
In a new Edinburgh, a tetonic plate opens up and creates a new volcano in the middle of the Firth of Forth and cause tremors every day. This new island and names the Inch and volcanologist Surtsey has been studying it for years. One trip to the Inch to meet her secret lover, also her boss, she finds him there murdered. She runs away and her worst nightmare comes true when someone begins contacting her saying they saw what she has done.
This book starts off with a bang and drops you right into the murder on the Inch. I was afraid from the first few chapters that the book would be more about the Inch and volcano’s than about the characters and the murder, but luckily for me it wasn’t at all like that! I really enjoyed Surtsey’s character and how her and her sister, Iona are just trying to get through this life. They seemed so real and full of grief that I could imagine befriending one of them. I really enjoyed how fast paced this novel was and how you suspect almost everyone except the one who is committing the murders.
I really enjoyed how this was a totally newly imagined Edinburgh and how the author created this new island out of a volcano and made it important to people. I actually surprised myself but how quickly I flew through this novel, it is a quick and addicting read. The only part that really bothered me about this novel was the amount of drinking and drugs that goes on, I want to say it wasn’t necessary, but then again it was a part of their lives and their grieving process. I was surprised at the ending and really enjoyed the few twists that happened and how it gives you a bit of closure. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this one and how different it was from most of the other novels I read just because of the fantasy type feel you get from the Inch.
Out November 1st!
February 12, 2020
Never re-read a book before this one. I read this two years ago... But got another copy for my Orenda collection and just had to read it again. It was just as good as the first time reading it. A brilliant story. I won't review it again as I've already reviewed it once. But a cracking read. Glad I re-read it and it made me want to re-read more. 📚❤
June 28, 2018
Murder, volcanoes, explosive and toxic relationships – Fault Lines contains all of this and so much more. This book is set in a reimagined Edinburgh where a volcanic island (The Inch) has been produced in the Firth of Forth and volcanologist Surtsey navigates her tumultuous life while studying the island. Along the way she has become embroiled in a relationship with her married boss Tom, is visiting her dying mother in the hospice and trying to control her sister.
Her life is turned upside down when she arranges to meet Tom on The Inch but instead finds him dead; he has obviously been murdered and rather than face the shame of their affair being made public she leaves his body and returns home without informing the police. From this point she really is on shaky ground morally and mentally and then begins to receive texts from someone who claims to have seen her and knows about the affair.
Surtsey’s life appears to be spiralling out of control and it’s no surprise she turns to drink and drugs to get through it all. I have to say she wasn’t necessarily a likeable character but she was intriguing. I admired her strength which became apparent and her dedication to make her mum’s last moments perfect. I loved how her life mirrored The Inch – simmering away, unstable and getting ready to POP!! This is the first book I have read by Doug Johnstone and would definitely read more from him.
Her life is turned upside down when she arranges to meet Tom on The Inch but instead finds him dead; he has obviously been murdered and rather than face the shame of their affair being made public she leaves his body and returns home without informing the police. From this point she really is on shaky ground morally and mentally and then begins to receive texts from someone who claims to have seen her and knows about the affair.
Surtsey’s life appears to be spiralling out of control and it’s no surprise she turns to drink and drugs to get through it all. I have to say she wasn’t necessarily a likeable character but she was intriguing. I admired her strength which became apparent and her dedication to make her mum’s last moments perfect. I loved how her life mirrored The Inch – simmering away, unstable and getting ready to POP!! This is the first book I have read by Doug Johnstone and would definitely read more from him.
May 27, 2018
In an Edinburgh, slightly different to the one we know today, a volcano sits in the Firth of Forth and earth tremors are a part of daily life. Volcanologist, Surtsey, named after an Icelandic volcanic island, is among the team of scientists who study and make regular trips out to The Inch. It’s a place of escape and comfort for her, but a horrifying discovery turns her world completely upside down. And so begins a fantastic tale of dark obsession.
At just over 200 pages this was a quick read for me, it’s also completely and utterly gripping so I didn’t want to put it down and managed to read it in pretty much one sitting. The opening pages set up the story as one that will leave you feeling as unsteady as a city sitting on a faultline! We are thrown head first into the drama and Doug Johnstone keeps you enthralled right until the earth shattering conclusion.
Whilst I didn’t particularly like Surtsey, I felt she was a victim of her own making. I still felt an enormous amount of sympathy for her at times. There is an emotional sub-plot to the book with her mother, it’s touching and adds a lot of heart to the overall story. Lots of twists are thrown our way and I must admit that I did guess most of them. However, despite that and despite not overly liking our main character, I did still enjoy the book.
This is an intense, clever and beautifully written crime thriller. Some of the lines are like poetry which added to my enjoyment. I loved the almost dystopian setting, it gave a very thought-provoking, intriguing element to the book. I will be interested to see what Doug Johnstone gives us next.
At just over 200 pages this was a quick read for me, it’s also completely and utterly gripping so I didn’t want to put it down and managed to read it in pretty much one sitting. The opening pages set up the story as one that will leave you feeling as unsteady as a city sitting on a faultline! We are thrown head first into the drama and Doug Johnstone keeps you enthralled right until the earth shattering conclusion.
Whilst I didn’t particularly like Surtsey, I felt she was a victim of her own making. I still felt an enormous amount of sympathy for her at times. There is an emotional sub-plot to the book with her mother, it’s touching and adds a lot of heart to the overall story. Lots of twists are thrown our way and I must admit that I did guess most of them. However, despite that and despite not overly liking our main character, I did still enjoy the book.
This is an intense, clever and beautifully written crime thriller. Some of the lines are like poetry which added to my enjoyment. I loved the almost dystopian setting, it gave a very thought-provoking, intriguing element to the book. I will be interested to see what Doug Johnstone gives us next.
September 11, 2019
Fault Lines by Doug Johnstone - Good
This is set in an alternative Edinburgh, one that is set on an active fault line, where earthquakes and tremors frequently occur and where a volcanic eruption has created an Island in the Firth of Forth just off Portobello.
Our heroine Surtsey was born as the island was created and it became inevitable that she would become a geologist researching on the island whilst studying at Edinburgh University.
Unfortunately she is also following the well worn path of student having an affair with her professor. Fine, no one's getting hurt...are they? Well maybe they are, as when she goes to meet him for a tryst on the island she finds him there with his head caved in. Knowing that their affair will be exposed, she runs away, leaving him to be found days later by a geology expedition from the Uni.
So, I'm not sure whether the author was wanting a 'whodonit' or a 'when will she realise whodunit' but it was the latter for me as I realised who the murderer was pretty much as soon as the character was introduced. That didn't stop me racing through the book and really enjoying it.
A good page turner that wasn't too demanding.
This is set in an alternative Edinburgh, one that is set on an active fault line, where earthquakes and tremors frequently occur and where a volcanic eruption has created an Island in the Firth of Forth just off Portobello.
Our heroine Surtsey was born as the island was created and it became inevitable that she would become a geologist researching on the island whilst studying at Edinburgh University.
Unfortunately she is also following the well worn path of student having an affair with her professor. Fine, no one's getting hurt...are they? Well maybe they are, as when she goes to meet him for a tryst on the island she finds him there with his head caved in. Knowing that their affair will be exposed, she runs away, leaving him to be found days later by a geology expedition from the Uni.
So, I'm not sure whether the author was wanting a 'whodonit' or a 'when will she realise whodunit' but it was the latter for me as I realised who the murderer was pretty much as soon as the character was introduced. That didn't stop me racing through the book and really enjoying it.
A good page turner that wasn't too demanding.
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