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The Skelfs #2
The Big Chill
Running private investigator and funeral home businesses means trouble is never far away, and the Skelf women take on their most perplexing, chilling cases yet in book two of this darkly funny, devastatingly tense and addictive new series!
Haunted by their past, the Skelf women are hoping for a quieter life. But running both a funeral directors’ and a private investigation business means trouble is never far away, and when a car crashes into the open grave at a funeral that matriarch Dorothy is conducting, she can’t help looking into the dead driver’s shadowy life.
While Dorothy uncovers a dark truth at the heart of Edinburgh society, her daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah have their own struggles. Jenny’s ex-husband Craig is making plans that could shatter the Skelf women’s lives, and the increasingly obsessive Hannah has formed a friendship with an elderly professor that is fast turning deadly.
But something even more sinister emerges when a drumming student of Dorothy’s disappears and suspicion falls on her parents. The Skelf women find themselves sucked into an unbearable darkness – but could the real threat be to themselves?
Following three women as they deal with the dead, help the living and find out who they are in the process, The Big Chill follows A Dark Matter, book one in the Skelfs series, which reboots the classic PI novel while asking the big existential questions, all with a big dose of pitch-black humour.
Haunted by their past, the Skelf women are hoping for a quieter life. But running both a funeral directors’ and a private investigation business means trouble is never far away, and when a car crashes into the open grave at a funeral that matriarch Dorothy is conducting, she can’t help looking into the dead driver’s shadowy life.
While Dorothy uncovers a dark truth at the heart of Edinburgh society, her daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah have their own struggles. Jenny’s ex-husband Craig is making plans that could shatter the Skelf women’s lives, and the increasingly obsessive Hannah has formed a friendship with an elderly professor that is fast turning deadly.
But something even more sinister emerges when a drumming student of Dorothy’s disappears and suspicion falls on her parents. The Skelf women find themselves sucked into an unbearable darkness – but could the real threat be to themselves?
Following three women as they deal with the dead, help the living and find out who they are in the process, The Big Chill follows A Dark Matter, book one in the Skelfs series, which reboots the classic PI novel while asking the big existential questions, all with a big dose of pitch-black humour.
300 pages, Paperback
First published June 20, 2020
195 people are currently reading
596 people want to read
About the author
Doug Johnstone
31 books253 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 176 reviews
January 9, 2021
3.5 stars
A funeral with a surplus of bodies, a missing father, a questionable suicide & a convicted killer intent on revenge. Add 3 budding romances to the mix & you get an idea what the Skelf women are dealing with these days.
Have you met the Skelfs? They are 3 generations of women who run a family business like no other. Seriously, how many funeral directors do you know who are also private investigators?
Matriarch Dorothy is like a swan. On the surface her calm, quiet manner helps keep business ticking over. But it’s not long before we realize she’s paddling as fast as she can to maintain that facade.
Daughter Jenny never thought her 40’s would find her living & working with her mother. In fact, almost everything about her current situation fuels the anger that gets her out of bed in the morning.
Twenty-something Hannah has no problem living with her grandmother but having mom Jenny around again is just one more challenge added to a long list. In a nutshell, her therapist is an idiot, her relationship status: “complicated” & even her beloved physics books no longer provide refuge from reality.
There’s a lot going on here. It’s been a tough year & we haven’t even touched on the elephant in the room….the fallout from events in the last book. To avoid spoilers, I won’t go into it but the author does a great job of bringing new readers up to speed. Just know it left the women reeling, trying to piece together some semblance of “normal” they can cling to.
Physical scars are healing but the emotional damage lives on. The result is all 3 have retreated from the world (and each other) to some extent. Sure, they carry on with the business of burying loved ones & tracking down the missing. But as we listen in on their private thoughts, we become privy to all the anger, fear & regrets. The problem is they forget to actually talk to each other. They’ve become like Hannah’s beloved neutrons….quietly crossing paths with little interaction.
This is a solid read with an original cast of characters. There is plenty of mystery to keep your grey cells on high alert & the short punchy chapters with alternating POV’s maintain an even pace throughout. I haven’t read book #1 & maybe that would have helped. Not with the main plot line….the author does a great job of explaining the trauma that came before & you feel as if this one starts the very next day. I meant in terms of the characters. They’re all emotionally battered from previous events & living mostly inside their own heads, unable to see any kind of future that includes happiness. I think I would have better understood their personalities & relationships if I’d met them before everything went to hell in a hand basket. As it is, there were times I wanted to reach through the pages & bang their heads together.
By the end, many of the plot lines are resolved with one major exception. It’s clear there are some trials ahead for the Skelf women & fans will be eagerly waiting for the arrival of book #3.
A funeral with a surplus of bodies, a missing father, a questionable suicide & a convicted killer intent on revenge. Add 3 budding romances to the mix & you get an idea what the Skelf women are dealing with these days.
Have you met the Skelfs? They are 3 generations of women who run a family business like no other. Seriously, how many funeral directors do you know who are also private investigators?
Matriarch Dorothy is like a swan. On the surface her calm, quiet manner helps keep business ticking over. But it’s not long before we realize she’s paddling as fast as she can to maintain that facade.
Daughter Jenny never thought her 40’s would find her living & working with her mother. In fact, almost everything about her current situation fuels the anger that gets her out of bed in the morning.
Twenty-something Hannah has no problem living with her grandmother but having mom Jenny around again is just one more challenge added to a long list. In a nutshell, her therapist is an idiot, her relationship status: “complicated” & even her beloved physics books no longer provide refuge from reality.
There’s a lot going on here. It’s been a tough year & we haven’t even touched on the elephant in the room….the fallout from events in the last book. To avoid spoilers, I won’t go into it but the author does a great job of bringing new readers up to speed. Just know it left the women reeling, trying to piece together some semblance of “normal” they can cling to.
Physical scars are healing but the emotional damage lives on. The result is all 3 have retreated from the world (and each other) to some extent. Sure, they carry on with the business of burying loved ones & tracking down the missing. But as we listen in on their private thoughts, we become privy to all the anger, fear & regrets. The problem is they forget to actually talk to each other. They’ve become like Hannah’s beloved neutrons….quietly crossing paths with little interaction.
This is a solid read with an original cast of characters. There is plenty of mystery to keep your grey cells on high alert & the short punchy chapters with alternating POV’s maintain an even pace throughout. I haven’t read book #1 & maybe that would have helped. Not with the main plot line….the author does a great job of explaining the trauma that came before & you feel as if this one starts the very next day. I meant in terms of the characters. They’re all emotionally battered from previous events & living mostly inside their own heads, unable to see any kind of future that includes happiness. I think I would have better understood their personalities & relationships if I’d met them before everything went to hell in a hand basket. As it is, there were times I wanted to reach through the pages & bang their heads together.
By the end, many of the plot lines are resolved with one major exception. It’s clear there are some trials ahead for the Skelf women & fans will be eagerly waiting for the arrival of book #3.
October 16, 2020
THE BIG CHILL (The Skelfs Book 2) by author Doug Johnstone is a dark classis crime mystery featuring the female Skelf family and their funeral and private investigation business. Having not read the first book in the series, I was afraid I would miss out on a lot of the plot, but please note that this reads perfectly as a stand-alone.
The books in the series include:
A Dark Matter (The Skelfs #1)
The Big Chill (The Skelfs #1)
This novel follows three women as they deal with the dead, help the living and find out who they are in the process, with a good dose of black humor.
This Scottish family business is run by seventy-year old Dorothy, after the death of her husband. Dorothy is assisted by her daughter, Jenny and her granddaughter, Hannah attended university.
Three strong women running both a funeral home business and also a private investigator business, which means trouble is never far away. With multiple plot lines running, the Skelf women take on perplexing, chilling cases in this dark and funny addictive new series.
When a car crashes into the open grave at a funeral that matriarch Dorothy is conducting, she can’t help looking into the dead driver’s shadowy life, and in the process comes home with a stray Collie to add to their collection.
Dorothy’s daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah have their own struggles. Jenny’s ex-husband Craig, currently awaiting trial for murder is making plans that could shatter the Skelf women’s lives. Hannah had formed a friendship with an elderly professor at university who committed suicide.
But something even more sinister emerges when a drumming student of Dorothy’s disappears and suspicion falls on her parents.
With multiple subplots told in different POV’s, the reader is fully immersed in the story line, told through a strong and varied cast of women. What serves as the main focal point in the story is the concept of family, and how each generation deals with their conflicts and one another.
Many thanks to the author and The Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
The books in the series include:
A Dark Matter (The Skelfs #1)
The Big Chill (The Skelfs #1)
This novel follows three women as they deal with the dead, help the living and find out who they are in the process, with a good dose of black humor.
This Scottish family business is run by seventy-year old Dorothy, after the death of her husband. Dorothy is assisted by her daughter, Jenny and her granddaughter, Hannah attended university.
Three strong women running both a funeral home business and also a private investigator business, which means trouble is never far away. With multiple plot lines running, the Skelf women take on perplexing, chilling cases in this dark and funny addictive new series.
When a car crashes into the open grave at a funeral that matriarch Dorothy is conducting, she can’t help looking into the dead driver’s shadowy life, and in the process comes home with a stray Collie to add to their collection.
Dorothy’s daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah have their own struggles. Jenny’s ex-husband Craig, currently awaiting trial for murder is making plans that could shatter the Skelf women’s lives. Hannah had formed a friendship with an elderly professor at university who committed suicide.
But something even more sinister emerges when a drumming student of Dorothy’s disappears and suspicion falls on her parents.
With multiple subplots told in different POV’s, the reader is fully immersed in the story line, told through a strong and varied cast of women. What serves as the main focal point in the story is the concept of family, and how each generation deals with their conflicts and one another.
Many thanks to the author and The Book Club Reviewer Request Group (FB) for my digital copy.
January 27, 2021
Six months after the shocking events of book one (A Dark Matter), the three generations of Skelf women are still coming to terms with the secrets they’ve uncovered. But life goes on and they continue running their funeral home / private investigation business.
Family matriarch Dorothy is stunned when a car crashes through the gates of the cemetery where a funeral is being conducted and lands in the open grave she’s standing beside. When the police fail to ID the man who died behind the wheel, Dorothy looks into it herself.
Meanwhile, her daughter Jenny is slowly developing a relationship with a familiar character from book one - but her newfound chance at happiness is dashed when her ex-husband decides to further punish the family and rush to trial.
Jenny’s daughter Hannah develops a friendship with an elderly professor that is cut short when she finds him dead with a bottle of poison lying next to him. She can’t help but dig for answers, especially with the loss of another friend just six months ago still fresh in her heart.
I didn’t think it would be possible to love this sequel as much as A Dark Matter but The Big Chill was just as great (if not better!) for me. The Skelf women pull me in with their ongoing story and I love the multiple mysterious subplots readers are given as they run two businesses together in a most unusual way. They’re dealing with a ton of personal drama (to put it lightly!) while taking care of the living and putting the dead to rest.
Now I’m left to wonder how long we have to wait for book three!
I highly recommend this series (read in order for it to make sense and get to know the characters) to readers who enjoy mystery, dark humor, and family drama.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
Family matriarch Dorothy is stunned when a car crashes through the gates of the cemetery where a funeral is being conducted and lands in the open grave she’s standing beside. When the police fail to ID the man who died behind the wheel, Dorothy looks into it herself.
Meanwhile, her daughter Jenny is slowly developing a relationship with a familiar character from book one - but her newfound chance at happiness is dashed when her ex-husband decides to further punish the family and rush to trial.
Jenny’s daughter Hannah develops a friendship with an elderly professor that is cut short when she finds him dead with a bottle of poison lying next to him. She can’t help but dig for answers, especially with the loss of another friend just six months ago still fresh in her heart.
I didn’t think it would be possible to love this sequel as much as A Dark Matter but The Big Chill was just as great (if not better!) for me. The Skelf women pull me in with their ongoing story and I love the multiple mysterious subplots readers are given as they run two businesses together in a most unusual way. They’re dealing with a ton of personal drama (to put it lightly!) while taking care of the living and putting the dead to rest.
Now I’m left to wonder how long we have to wait for book three!
I highly recommend this series (read in order for it to make sense and get to know the characters) to readers who enjoy mystery, dark humor, and family drama.
For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com
July 30, 2020
When I reviewed A Dark Matter, the first of this trilogy, I knew from the outset that Doug Johnstone had produced something very special indeed. Focusing the book on this triumvirate of utterly compelling female characters, grandmother, mother and granddaughter, running their dual businesses of funeral home and private investigation, the scene was set for an usual and original series, and the second book, The Big Chill, does not disappoint…
The characterisation of the three generations of the Skelf family, Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah is damn near flawless, with Johnstone capturing perfectly the lives, joys, loves, losses and insecurities of the women with an astute touch. His depiction of each is unfailingly perceptive, bringing their individual character traits to the fore, whilst never losing sight of the disparate differences between them that comes with age and experience. Dorothy teetering on the edge of a new attachment, but still in thrall to the memory of her late husband, Jenny trying to put the duplicitous actions of her ex-husband behind them and embarking on a new relationship, and Hannah who carries all the indignance yet insecurity of youth in her relationship with her mother and partner.
All three are still working through the fallout of the previous book, and as much as you want to see them put this behind them, the past has a nasty way of informing their present, as events play out. As all three seemingly operate in a separate space, due to the differing investigations and trouble they find themselves in, but, there is always an unerring feeling of connection between them. As events threaten to overwhelm them individually, and bring further troubles to their door, this bond which waxes and wanes, but never disappears, is the glue that binds them, and bolsters their personal and emotional strength. Johnstone depicts all this with a sure-footedness and efficacy that imprints these characters fully in our minds, and as such draws them into our consciousness resonating with our empathy, and heightening our connection to them.
As much as I enjoyed the story and plotting, with the individual travails and peril the women experience, I always feel with Johnstone’s writing that something deeper dwells at the heart of his books. Somewhere, from the mists of time, I recall the following quote (reportedly from an Irish headstone) which captures for me the essence of these books to date, “death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal” and these themes, intrinsically bound up with the notions of grief and mourning, seems to me at least, the driving force behind this series. Aside from the central setting of the funeral home, which by its very definition is a harbinger of death and loss, every character is experiencing some kind of love, loss or pervading aspect of grief that arrives in the wake of the experiences they have. Grief for loved ones and lost relationships, or personal grief caused by betrayal, deception or the uncovering of unpalatable secrets, and equally how to come to terms with all these different aspects of loss and sadness is handled sensitively throughout. Grief is the surest measure of love there is.
However, far from overpowering our perception of these characters with the darker aspects of their experiences, Johnstone cleverly insinuates touches of dark humour, and moments of pure joy into the narrative too. Again, the author draws on his scientific background too, to introduce some more cosmic ruminations, which are both enlightening and thought-provoking, and seek to highlight our own small space in an ever changing universe. All of these strands in The Big Chill lead to a rounded and ultimately satisfying read, underscored by his affectionate and, at times, raw depiction of the book’s Edinburgh setting. Highly recommended. How could it not be?
The characterisation of the three generations of the Skelf family, Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah is damn near flawless, with Johnstone capturing perfectly the lives, joys, loves, losses and insecurities of the women with an astute touch. His depiction of each is unfailingly perceptive, bringing their individual character traits to the fore, whilst never losing sight of the disparate differences between them that comes with age and experience. Dorothy teetering on the edge of a new attachment, but still in thrall to the memory of her late husband, Jenny trying to put the duplicitous actions of her ex-husband behind them and embarking on a new relationship, and Hannah who carries all the indignance yet insecurity of youth in her relationship with her mother and partner.
All three are still working through the fallout of the previous book, and as much as you want to see them put this behind them, the past has a nasty way of informing their present, as events play out. As all three seemingly operate in a separate space, due to the differing investigations and trouble they find themselves in, but, there is always an unerring feeling of connection between them. As events threaten to overwhelm them individually, and bring further troubles to their door, this bond which waxes and wanes, but never disappears, is the glue that binds them, and bolsters their personal and emotional strength. Johnstone depicts all this with a sure-footedness and efficacy that imprints these characters fully in our minds, and as such draws them into our consciousness resonating with our empathy, and heightening our connection to them.
As much as I enjoyed the story and plotting, with the individual travails and peril the women experience, I always feel with Johnstone’s writing that something deeper dwells at the heart of his books. Somewhere, from the mists of time, I recall the following quote (reportedly from an Irish headstone) which captures for me the essence of these books to date, “death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal” and these themes, intrinsically bound up with the notions of grief and mourning, seems to me at least, the driving force behind this series. Aside from the central setting of the funeral home, which by its very definition is a harbinger of death and loss, every character is experiencing some kind of love, loss or pervading aspect of grief that arrives in the wake of the experiences they have. Grief for loved ones and lost relationships, or personal grief caused by betrayal, deception or the uncovering of unpalatable secrets, and equally how to come to terms with all these different aspects of loss and sadness is handled sensitively throughout. Grief is the surest measure of love there is.
However, far from overpowering our perception of these characters with the darker aspects of their experiences, Johnstone cleverly insinuates touches of dark humour, and moments of pure joy into the narrative too. Again, the author draws on his scientific background too, to introduce some more cosmic ruminations, which are both enlightening and thought-provoking, and seek to highlight our own small space in an ever changing universe. All of these strands in The Big Chill lead to a rounded and ultimately satisfying read, underscored by his affectionate and, at times, raw depiction of the book’s Edinburgh setting. Highly recommended. How could it not be?
November 12, 2020
After reading Doug Johnstone's "A Dark Matter", the first book in the Skelf series, I was very much anticipating this follow-up. If anything, I found it even more enjoyable than the first book, due to the fact that now I'm familiar with the characters, and they have become almost like friends.
With a unique family dynamic, and an even more unique family business, this series had me hooked from the beginning. The Skelf women are memorable, moral, and authentic.
In addition to the family's personal stories, I enjoyed following the cases they were working on throughout the book.
Set in Edinburgh, in early spring, the novel explores loss, revenge, betrayal, selfishness, and guilt. If there is a moral to the story it is that we must all grab happiness where we can - for life is short.
Written with an engaging dark humour, this crime novel displayed a richness in characterization along with unique and clever plotting that made the story stand out from its peers. The book reads as a pleasing cross between crime thriller and literary fiction. I found the three strong female protagonists fascinating, and the I am eager to read more about their lives and exploits in further books. Guess you could say I'm an ardent fan. The ending left one of the story-lines unresolved which makes me desperate to read book three in the Skelf series.
Highly recommended!
With a unique family dynamic, and an even more unique family business, this series had me hooked from the beginning. The Skelf women are memorable, moral, and authentic.
In addition to the family's personal stories, I enjoyed following the cases they were working on throughout the book.
Set in Edinburgh, in early spring, the novel explores loss, revenge, betrayal, selfishness, and guilt. If there is a moral to the story it is that we must all grab happiness where we can - for life is short.
Written with an engaging dark humour, this crime novel displayed a richness in characterization along with unique and clever plotting that made the story stand out from its peers. The book reads as a pleasing cross between crime thriller and literary fiction. I found the three strong female protagonists fascinating, and the I am eager to read more about their lives and exploits in further books. Guess you could say I'm an ardent fan. The ending left one of the story-lines unresolved which makes me desperate to read book three in the Skelf series.
Highly recommended!
October 10, 2020
“The Big Chill” is the second in Doug Johnstone’s trilogy featuring the female Skelf family and their funeral and private investigation business.
Having enjoyed the first book “Dark Matter” I was looking forward to visiting the unique Scottish family again with its strong female characters led by seventy year old matriarch Dorothy.
There’s quite a few plot lines going on throughout the story, each involving one of the characters; Dorothy and her missing drumming student; Jenny and her ex husband currently awaiting trial for murder and Hannah discovering the body of a professor at university who’s committed suicide. All of these stories are told through their own point of view with their individual emotions and feelings, relating to what has recently happened to them as a family.
Although I liked Dorothy’s character, Jenny did irritate me with her mixed feelings for Craig. Hannah and Indy made for an interesting relationship but her fixation on quantum theories and our existential being, became rather overwhelming but that’s just because I personally don’t understand all the intelligent thinking behind quantum physics.
There were many subjects that was also touched on, the plight of the Edinburgh’s homeless, Cotard’s syndrome (something I didn’t even know existed) and of course dealing with death in the funeral business and reflections on life and lost time.
You don’t need to have read the first book, as straight away the author includes the past history of the family and what went on during “Dark Matter”, so although you may want to read for enjoyment, you won’t have missed out on any of the characters previous backgrounds.
The author, Edinburgh based Doug Johnstone, is a writer, musician and journalist and his atmospheric descriptions of Edinburgh are obviously drawn from his passion for the city and knowing a lot of the areas myself I could happily relate to the locations mentioned.
If you like dry, dark humour, this family in turmoil will keep you entertained but it does obviously deal with a lot of death and grief, so as long as you are prepared for some emotional and quite descriptive funeral parlour practices you should enjoy this unique and original family saga.
3.5 stars
Having enjoyed the first book “Dark Matter” I was looking forward to visiting the unique Scottish family again with its strong female characters led by seventy year old matriarch Dorothy.
There’s quite a few plot lines going on throughout the story, each involving one of the characters; Dorothy and her missing drumming student; Jenny and her ex husband currently awaiting trial for murder and Hannah discovering the body of a professor at university who’s committed suicide. All of these stories are told through their own point of view with their individual emotions and feelings, relating to what has recently happened to them as a family.
Although I liked Dorothy’s character, Jenny did irritate me with her mixed feelings for Craig. Hannah and Indy made for an interesting relationship but her fixation on quantum theories and our existential being, became rather overwhelming but that’s just because I personally don’t understand all the intelligent thinking behind quantum physics.
There were many subjects that was also touched on, the plight of the Edinburgh’s homeless, Cotard’s syndrome (something I didn’t even know existed) and of course dealing with death in the funeral business and reflections on life and lost time.
You don’t need to have read the first book, as straight away the author includes the past history of the family and what went on during “Dark Matter”, so although you may want to read for enjoyment, you won’t have missed out on any of the characters previous backgrounds.
The author, Edinburgh based Doug Johnstone, is a writer, musician and journalist and his atmospheric descriptions of Edinburgh are obviously drawn from his passion for the city and knowing a lot of the areas myself I could happily relate to the locations mentioned.
If you like dry, dark humour, this family in turmoil will keep you entertained but it does obviously deal with a lot of death and grief, so as long as you are prepared for some emotional and quite descriptive funeral parlour practices you should enjoy this unique and original family saga.
3.5 stars
July 28, 2020
Finished reading: July 2nd 2020
"Words have meaning, of course, but they're so inadequate, and we each have a lifetime of hang-ups and quirks that feed into how we speak."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
October 12, 2020
The Big Chill catches up with the Skelf women six-months after the dramatic events of A Dark Matter with the three generations still running both their funeral parlour and private investigation businesses alongside each other in the heart of Edinburgh. The fallout from the first book has taken its toll on all three in different ways but the business of death goes on with seventy-year-old matriarch and widow Dorothy at the helm and her divorced adult daughter, Jenny, and twenty-year-old physics student and granddaughter, Hannah, each forced to compartmentalise their own emotions. There is certainly no let up in the workload in this busier and darker sequel with less of the gallows humour and more of Hannah’s incomprehensible musings on quantum physics. Whilst this second encounter with the women works adequately as a stand-alone with all the necessary backstory included it is helpful to have read the first book and know more about the multigenerational family. As in the first novel readers get to see all all three of the women’s individual perspectives on unfolding events (both personal and professional) as their discoveries nudge the cases they are working on forward and Jenny’s ex-husband and Hannah’s father, manipulative Craig, remains intent on causing havoc for the family leading to an explosive denouement followed by a disappointingly quick resolution.
Funeral director, Dorothy, is in the process of overseeing a funeral with the entire proceedings conducted by the graveside when a stolen car careens into the graveyard, narrowly misses both the coffin and her, and winds up in an open grave with the driver dead on impact. Her track record for taking in strays quickly sees her assume responsibility for doing her best to uncover the victim’s identity and her only starting points are a photo, notebook and the accoutrements of a heroin user. Meanwhile the failure of fourteen-year-old student Abi to show up for a drumming lesson sees indefatigable Dorothy determine to get to the bottom of what appears to be a family conspiracy in which she is sure Abi’s mother knows more than she is letting on. Meanwhile anxious Hannah is in a bad place, falling behind at college, seeing a counsellor, taking her girlfriend, Indy, for granted and trying to make sense of the chaos in her world. Discovering the possibly suspicious suicide of an elderly professor senes her become obsessed with looking for a reason behind his actions with both his wife and lover in the dark. Meanwhile the physical scars of Jenny’s run-in with Craig might be healing but with his trial on the horizon and a tentative new romance underway she has plenty to consume her.
In truth I felt that the novel spread itself too thinly with the story a little too busy to do real justice to all the subplots which were quite abruptly tied up. Dorothy was the strongest of the three protagonists to my mind and a character that I empathised with but dissatisfied Jenny and dull Hannah failed once again to make a significant impression on me. The family dynamic also remains vague and Hannah’s thoughts on the physics of matter, obviously intended to illustrate we are all bit part players in a wider scheme of things, felt out of place in an otherwise undemanding read. Whilst I found this second encounter with the Skelf women juggling death and private investigation and managing their own life dramas engaging I was disappointed that it lacked any real tension and their unconventional methods of detection were no more credible! Thankfully this time around it is acknowledged with Dorothy’s recognition that their investigation work equates to persistent nosiness and is underpinned by her close friend, DI Thomas Olsson, utilising police resources in a highly improbable manner. In this sense it still has the feel of a slightly cheesy cosy crime novel with blundering methods of detection but I appreciated Doug Johnstone’s realistic and humane attitude to death and a narrative that encouraged reflection.
Funeral director, Dorothy, is in the process of overseeing a funeral with the entire proceedings conducted by the graveside when a stolen car careens into the graveyard, narrowly misses both the coffin and her, and winds up in an open grave with the driver dead on impact. Her track record for taking in strays quickly sees her assume responsibility for doing her best to uncover the victim’s identity and her only starting points are a photo, notebook and the accoutrements of a heroin user. Meanwhile the failure of fourteen-year-old student Abi to show up for a drumming lesson sees indefatigable Dorothy determine to get to the bottom of what appears to be a family conspiracy in which she is sure Abi’s mother knows more than she is letting on. Meanwhile anxious Hannah is in a bad place, falling behind at college, seeing a counsellor, taking her girlfriend, Indy, for granted and trying to make sense of the chaos in her world. Discovering the possibly suspicious suicide of an elderly professor senes her become obsessed with looking for a reason behind his actions with both his wife and lover in the dark. Meanwhile the physical scars of Jenny’s run-in with Craig might be healing but with his trial on the horizon and a tentative new romance underway she has plenty to consume her.
In truth I felt that the novel spread itself too thinly with the story a little too busy to do real justice to all the subplots which were quite abruptly tied up. Dorothy was the strongest of the three protagonists to my mind and a character that I empathised with but dissatisfied Jenny and dull Hannah failed once again to make a significant impression on me. The family dynamic also remains vague and Hannah’s thoughts on the physics of matter, obviously intended to illustrate we are all bit part players in a wider scheme of things, felt out of place in an otherwise undemanding read. Whilst I found this second encounter with the Skelf women juggling death and private investigation and managing their own life dramas engaging I was disappointed that it lacked any real tension and their unconventional methods of detection were no more credible! Thankfully this time around it is acknowledged with Dorothy’s recognition that their investigation work equates to persistent nosiness and is underpinned by her close friend, DI Thomas Olsson, utilising police resources in a highly improbable manner. In this sense it still has the feel of a slightly cheesy cosy crime novel with blundering methods of detection but I appreciated Doug Johnstone’s realistic and humane attitude to death and a narrative that encouraged reflection.
August 12, 2020
Wowza the ladies were back again and how!! A complexed story with multiple plot lines with the ladies of the Skelf family at the helm. Author Doug Johnstone’s dark humor and almost a laidback way of storytelling brought to light the nuances of the three generations of women.
The characters made the book compelling, every woman was etched in detail, full of depth. Each came across as real, someone with both strengths and flaws. It was to the author’s credit to make them stand out uniquely.
Tension was seen across the scenes, keeping me deliciously motivated to read the book at one go. The family drama seemed real; these were slightly different than the norm. The ladies not only ran a funeral home but also a private investigative firm. So Death was their base, so to say.
Told in different POVs, this was slightly slower paced than book 1. There were many subplots running parallel to keep me intrigued. It was the sheer talent of the author to make them flow seamlessly. I was awed.
The book could be read as a standalone, though it would be preferable to read the earlier one, just to love these ladies a bit more. Overall, the Skelf ladies made the book compelling.
The characters made the book compelling, every woman was etched in detail, full of depth. Each came across as real, someone with both strengths and flaws. It was to the author’s credit to make them stand out uniquely.
Tension was seen across the scenes, keeping me deliciously motivated to read the book at one go. The family drama seemed real; these were slightly different than the norm. The ladies not only ran a funeral home but also a private investigative firm. So Death was their base, so to say.
Told in different POVs, this was slightly slower paced than book 1. There were many subplots running parallel to keep me intrigued. It was the sheer talent of the author to make them flow seamlessly. I was awed.
The book could be read as a standalone, though it would be preferable to read the earlier one, just to love these ladies a bit more. Overall, the Skelf ladies made the book compelling.
July 10, 2020
Having read and loved Dark Matter which is the first book featuring The Skelfs, I would strongly recommend reading that one before embarking on this one. More for the background than anything else, although the author does cover the basics of what you need to know.
Dorothy was the main character that stood out to me in this story. For all that she has been through, she goes above and beyond in her care and concern for others. She is definitely the matriarch of the family and someone to be looked up to and respected. The threads to do with her and her investigation, made for some melancholy reading at times.
The story as with the previous novel, alternates between the three generations of women. Due to this there are a few different threads within the story that run alongside each other. There is definitely plenty going on to hold the readers attention and I particularly enjoyed the growing relationship between Dorothy and a certain policeman. I think this is what draws me to the author’s books more than anything else is his characters. The way he writes them, they come to life in your head. Some definitely worm their way into your heart.
The Big Chill is a dark and enthralling read that kept me on edge. I could never fully relax as throughout I seemed to be waiting with baited breath for what these women were going to come up against next. Am sure I said this in my review for the previous novel but this is crying out to be made into a television series. It’s crime but with a unique take and I am still loving that it’s base is a funeral home. That gives me chills in itself!
My thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to be on the blog tour and to Orenda Books for a readers copy of the book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Dorothy was the main character that stood out to me in this story. For all that she has been through, she goes above and beyond in her care and concern for others. She is definitely the matriarch of the family and someone to be looked up to and respected. The threads to do with her and her investigation, made for some melancholy reading at times.
The story as with the previous novel, alternates between the three generations of women. Due to this there are a few different threads within the story that run alongside each other. There is definitely plenty going on to hold the readers attention and I particularly enjoyed the growing relationship between Dorothy and a certain policeman. I think this is what draws me to the author’s books more than anything else is his characters. The way he writes them, they come to life in your head. Some definitely worm their way into your heart.
The Big Chill is a dark and enthralling read that kept me on edge. I could never fully relax as throughout I seemed to be waiting with baited breath for what these women were going to come up against next. Am sure I said this in my review for the previous novel but this is crying out to be made into a television series. It’s crime but with a unique take and I am still loving that it’s base is a funeral home. That gives me chills in itself!
My thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me to be on the blog tour and to Orenda Books for a readers copy of the book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
August 5, 2021
This is the 2nd in the series about the Skelf women - grandmother Dorothy, her daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah - who together run a funeral business and also act as private investigators.
Dorothy is attending a funeral when a stolen car careers into the graveyard, killing the driver, and she sets out to discover the dead man's identity. Meanwhile, Jenny's murderous ex-husband Craig escapes from a prison van and Hannah becomes involved with a physics professor who commits suicide by swallowing poison. As the three women deal with their problems, danger is never too far away. This is a dark mystery thriller with the subject of death ever-present. As a follow up to "A Dark Matter" this is a gripping read but would-be readers should note this cannot be read as a stand-alone.
Dorothy is attending a funeral when a stolen car careers into the graveyard, killing the driver, and she sets out to discover the dead man's identity. Meanwhile, Jenny's murderous ex-husband Craig escapes from a prison van and Hannah becomes involved with a physics professor who commits suicide by swallowing poison. As the three women deal with their problems, danger is never too far away. This is a dark mystery thriller with the subject of death ever-present. As a follow up to "A Dark Matter" this is a gripping read but would-be readers should note this cannot be read as a stand-alone.
June 30, 2023
He did it again! What a great series! Johnstone not only creates interesting and powerful women characters but also enigmatic mystery after mystery and engaging subplot after subplot. We turned pages and find out that nothing is what it seems. Surprise after surprise to every mystery.
I have all the books in the series and will read the next installment very soon. If you like a well written book that will surprise you, full of dark humor and interesting characters then start the series as soon as you can…you will not be disappointed
I have all the books in the series and will read the next installment very soon. If you like a well written book that will surprise you, full of dark humor and interesting characters then start the series as soon as you can…you will not be disappointed
February 10, 2024
Beim letzten Mal sind sie noch gerade davongekommen, die Skelfs. Dorothy, die Großmutter, Jenny, die Mutter und Hannah, die Enkelin. Bestattungsunternehmerinnen in Edinburgh und gleichzeitig – interessante Kombination – Inhaberinnen einer Detektei. Im ersten Band „Eingeäschert“ (Vorsicht: Spoiler) werden die drei Frauen von Craig, Jennys Ex und Hannahs Vater und ein Mörder und Psychopath, attackiert und teilweise schwer verletzt. Jetzt, ein halbes Jahr später ist zumindest oberflächlich etwas Ruhe eingekehrt, doch sie haben noch ganz schön dran zu knapsen. Doch die Ruhe ist nicht von langer Dauer, denn auch aus dem Gefängnis heraus, kann Craig das Seelenleben der Frauen attackieren.
Daneben belastet sich dieses Frauen-Trio aber auch noch mit anderen Dingen. Direkt der Beginn ist spektakulär, als während einer Bestattung sich ein Auto auf dem Friedhof mit der Polizei eine Verfolgungsjagd liefert, Dorothy beinahe überfährt und schließlich in ein offenes Grab stürzt. Der Fahrer, ein Autodieb, überlebt nicht, allerdings sein Hund auf der Rückbank. Dorothy nimmt sich des Tieres an und recherchiert nach dessen verstorbenen Herrchen, den niemand identifizieren kann und den scheinbar niemand vermisst. Gleichzeitig macht sie sich Sorgen um eine ihrer Schülerinnen beim Schlagzeug-Unterricht, die offenbar von zuhause ausgerissen ist. Hannah hingegen ist noch stark von den Ereignissen aus „Eingeäschert“ angegriffen und gerät erneut aus dem Tritt, als sich ein Professor an der Uni das Leben nimmt und sich keiner das so recht erklären kann. Somit will Hannah überdingt die Hintergründe aufklären.
„Ich muss es einfach verstehen.“
Edward gestikulierte über den leeren Hörsaal. „Es gibt so vieles, was wir nicht verstehen.“
„Was das Universum betrifft. Aber was ist mit hier?“ Hannah klopfte auf ihre Brust. „Sicher müssen wir uns doch verstehen, oder nicht?“ (Auszug S.188)
Die verschiedenen Handlungsstränge werden parallel erzählt und immer wieder mischt sich Craig ein, der die Frauen in der Familie immer noch nicht in Ruhe lassen will. Dieser Strang bedient die vertikale Erzählweise in dieser Serie und dient immer wieder als Bindeglied zwischen den anderen kleinen Dramen, die die Skelfs umgeben. Doug Johnstone wechselt von Kapitel zu Kapitel die Perspektiven zu Dorothy, Jenny und Hannah und nimmt uns mit in ihr Seelenleben. Drei starke Frauen, vom Leben angeknockt, aber nicht gebrochen, sondern eine warme Menschlichkeit aussendend. Johnstone versteht es, seinen Figuren eine enorme Tiefe und Authentizität zu geben, auch den Nebenfiguren, wie etwa Hannahs Partnerin Indy, die sich bei den Skelfs zur Bestatterin ausbilden lässt, der Polizist Thomas, der zu der verwitweten Dorothy eine enge Beziehung aufzubauen scheint, oder Archie, Angestellter mit großem Talent, versehrte Leichen wieder zur Bestattung ansehnlich herzurichten und dabei unter dem Cotard-Syndrom leidend, d.h. dass er nicht an die eigene Existenz glaubt.
Auch Anspielungen auf die moderne Physik kommen hier nicht zu kurz, schließlich ist der Autor von normalem Beruf Atomphysiker. Der Originaltitel „The Big Chill“ verweist dann auch auf eine Theorie zum Ende des Universums. Jetzt steht natürlich die Frage im Raum, ob das hier überhaupt noch ein Krimi ist. Es ist auch ein Krimi, schon allein mit der Story um Craig, die hier in diesem Roman weiter eskaliert. Aber es ist vor allem auch ein starkes Buch über komplexe Familiensituationen, um den Umgang mit dem Tod und über drei starke Frauen. Und das lässt mich auf den nächsten Band mit den Skelfs freuen.
Daneben belastet sich dieses Frauen-Trio aber auch noch mit anderen Dingen. Direkt der Beginn ist spektakulär, als während einer Bestattung sich ein Auto auf dem Friedhof mit der Polizei eine Verfolgungsjagd liefert, Dorothy beinahe überfährt und schließlich in ein offenes Grab stürzt. Der Fahrer, ein Autodieb, überlebt nicht, allerdings sein Hund auf der Rückbank. Dorothy nimmt sich des Tieres an und recherchiert nach dessen verstorbenen Herrchen, den niemand identifizieren kann und den scheinbar niemand vermisst. Gleichzeitig macht sie sich Sorgen um eine ihrer Schülerinnen beim Schlagzeug-Unterricht, die offenbar von zuhause ausgerissen ist. Hannah hingegen ist noch stark von den Ereignissen aus „Eingeäschert“ angegriffen und gerät erneut aus dem Tritt, als sich ein Professor an der Uni das Leben nimmt und sich keiner das so recht erklären kann. Somit will Hannah überdingt die Hintergründe aufklären.
„Ich muss es einfach verstehen.“
Edward gestikulierte über den leeren Hörsaal. „Es gibt so vieles, was wir nicht verstehen.“
„Was das Universum betrifft. Aber was ist mit hier?“ Hannah klopfte auf ihre Brust. „Sicher müssen wir uns doch verstehen, oder nicht?“ (Auszug S.188)
Die verschiedenen Handlungsstränge werden parallel erzählt und immer wieder mischt sich Craig ein, der die Frauen in der Familie immer noch nicht in Ruhe lassen will. Dieser Strang bedient die vertikale Erzählweise in dieser Serie und dient immer wieder als Bindeglied zwischen den anderen kleinen Dramen, die die Skelfs umgeben. Doug Johnstone wechselt von Kapitel zu Kapitel die Perspektiven zu Dorothy, Jenny und Hannah und nimmt uns mit in ihr Seelenleben. Drei starke Frauen, vom Leben angeknockt, aber nicht gebrochen, sondern eine warme Menschlichkeit aussendend. Johnstone versteht es, seinen Figuren eine enorme Tiefe und Authentizität zu geben, auch den Nebenfiguren, wie etwa Hannahs Partnerin Indy, die sich bei den Skelfs zur Bestatterin ausbilden lässt, der Polizist Thomas, der zu der verwitweten Dorothy eine enge Beziehung aufzubauen scheint, oder Archie, Angestellter mit großem Talent, versehrte Leichen wieder zur Bestattung ansehnlich herzurichten und dabei unter dem Cotard-Syndrom leidend, d.h. dass er nicht an die eigene Existenz glaubt.
Auch Anspielungen auf die moderne Physik kommen hier nicht zu kurz, schließlich ist der Autor von normalem Beruf Atomphysiker. Der Originaltitel „The Big Chill“ verweist dann auch auf eine Theorie zum Ende des Universums. Jetzt steht natürlich die Frage im Raum, ob das hier überhaupt noch ein Krimi ist. Es ist auch ein Krimi, schon allein mit der Story um Craig, die hier in diesem Roman weiter eskaliert. Aber es ist vor allem auch ein starkes Buch über komplexe Familiensituationen, um den Umgang mit dem Tod und über drei starke Frauen. Und das lässt mich auf den nächsten Band mit den Skelfs freuen.
July 22, 2020
Loved it.
October 8, 2020
I read the first book in this series, A Dark Matter, at the beginning of the year and is still one of my top reads in 2020 so far, so I was very excited for The Big Chill! I can safely say it lived up to my expectations.
I will say before I get too far into this review, that you should definitely read the first book before reading this one as events from the first have a knock on effect in this one.
This story starts off six months after the first book. The Skelf women are still struggling with what happened at the end of the last book but they’re trying to push through it and carry on as normal, or as normal as their lives are as funeral directing private investigators.
Dorothy is pulled into an investigation after a car chase ends in tragedy in the midst of a funeral she’s conducting. Jenny is still trying to put the pieces of her life together. Hannah seems to be suffering the most, shutting out her girlfriend Indy and becoming obsessed with the suicide of one of her professors.
What I love about this series is the way there’s several different storylines/cases that are woven together expertly, so they’re easy to follow without confusion and not one overshadows the other too much. Honestly, like the first there’s never a dull moment in this book.
The story is also strengthened by the relationships between the three generations of the Skelf family, Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah. They’re complex and just so compelling, I genuinely love these characters!
The Big Chill is a fantastic piece of fiction that kept me glued to those pages. I can’t wait for more!
I will say before I get too far into this review, that you should definitely read the first book before reading this one as events from the first have a knock on effect in this one.
This story starts off six months after the first book. The Skelf women are still struggling with what happened at the end of the last book but they’re trying to push through it and carry on as normal, or as normal as their lives are as funeral directing private investigators.
Dorothy is pulled into an investigation after a car chase ends in tragedy in the midst of a funeral she’s conducting. Jenny is still trying to put the pieces of her life together. Hannah seems to be suffering the most, shutting out her girlfriend Indy and becoming obsessed with the suicide of one of her professors.
What I love about this series is the way there’s several different storylines/cases that are woven together expertly, so they’re easy to follow without confusion and not one overshadows the other too much. Honestly, like the first there’s never a dull moment in this book.
The story is also strengthened by the relationships between the three generations of the Skelf family, Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah. They’re complex and just so compelling, I genuinely love these characters!
The Big Chill is a fantastic piece of fiction that kept me glued to those pages. I can’t wait for more!
July 7, 2022
This was more of a continuation of the first Skelf novel than a sequel, and the plot of the first was repeated in its entirety here. None of the characters seemed to have moved on in any way since the end of the first novel, despite Hannah seeing surely the world's most useless therapist. The 'cases' the Skelf women investigated as PIs were (with the exception of Abi's story) not that interesting and I skimmed all the physics/astronomy stuff.
I think I'm done with this series.
I think I'm done with this series.
July 27, 2020
The Big Chill picks up 6 months or so after the events of book 1 in “The Skelf” series (A Dark Matter). A large part of the story is built on major events of book one so…. read that first (it’s brilliant, trust me) and then come back here…. I’ll wait….
You’re done… oh you had already read book one, GREAT. So, let’s continue.
The Skelf family are still reeling after the events of book one. Craig is of course in jail but Hannah has still not (unsurprisingly) recovered from the discovery that her father had killed one of her friends after having gotten her pregnant (the ***** *******). Hannah throws herself into work, but is also dealing with her demons. She starts an unlikely friendship, but all may not be what it is cracked up to be. Typically, the sections featuring Hannah are very science heavy. Luckily as a fan of the band “Eels” I am quite familiar with some of the theory they speak about. (If you want to learn more about parallel universes the I highly recommend Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives starring Mark Oliver Everett of the band where he talks about how his father and his role in the theory). The author does a great job of explaining the theory surrounding these sections so I wouldn’t expect it to turn anyone off.
A large part of Jenny’s story is taken up with Craig being in prison, and the consequences of his actions. I feel it would be too much of a spoiler to go too far down this track so I will just say that these sections were by far my favourite parts of the book. Jenny is taking part in a job for the detective agency which involves finding out the identity of a homeless man, again, this is very interesting.
As the blurb describes, the matriarch of the family, is taken with a mystery of why one of her students has disappeared, and just why her mother doesn’t seem to want to tell the police about it.
The author has somehow (again) taken a bunch of different stories and brought them together into one excellent book. Somehow our attention is both divided into different sections, and yet fully given to the overall arc of “Just what did the Skelf family do to deserve all this madness”.
I found that this time the overall arc in the story was much darker. I didn’t find it as humorous in places this time, but maybe the dark humour just didn’t hit like it did first time around. I’m sure that some will find sections brilliantly funny.
I felt the main characters themselves have grown somewhat, and it was great to revisit them and see how they were getting on. I continue to love the idea of seeing life through the eyes of three generations of women, none of whom would have dreamt that they would end up working as both Funeral Directors and Private Investigators. The serious continues to surprise this time round, and this novel is chock full of WTF moments. I think it’s a stomper of a novel, and I take no hesitation in recommending it.
You’re done… oh you had already read book one, GREAT. So, let’s continue.
The Skelf family are still reeling after the events of book one. Craig is of course in jail but Hannah has still not (unsurprisingly) recovered from the discovery that her father had killed one of her friends after having gotten her pregnant (the ***** *******). Hannah throws herself into work, but is also dealing with her demons. She starts an unlikely friendship, but all may not be what it is cracked up to be. Typically, the sections featuring Hannah are very science heavy. Luckily as a fan of the band “Eels” I am quite familiar with some of the theory they speak about. (If you want to learn more about parallel universes the I highly recommend Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives starring Mark Oliver Everett of the band where he talks about how his father and his role in the theory). The author does a great job of explaining the theory surrounding these sections so I wouldn’t expect it to turn anyone off.
A large part of Jenny’s story is taken up with Craig being in prison, and the consequences of his actions. I feel it would be too much of a spoiler to go too far down this track so I will just say that these sections were by far my favourite parts of the book. Jenny is taking part in a job for the detective agency which involves finding out the identity of a homeless man, again, this is very interesting.
As the blurb describes, the matriarch of the family, is taken with a mystery of why one of her students has disappeared, and just why her mother doesn’t seem to want to tell the police about it.
The author has somehow (again) taken a bunch of different stories and brought them together into one excellent book. Somehow our attention is both divided into different sections, and yet fully given to the overall arc of “Just what did the Skelf family do to deserve all this madness”.
I found that this time the overall arc in the story was much darker. I didn’t find it as humorous in places this time, but maybe the dark humour just didn’t hit like it did first time around. I’m sure that some will find sections brilliantly funny.
I felt the main characters themselves have grown somewhat, and it was great to revisit them and see how they were getting on. I continue to love the idea of seeing life through the eyes of three generations of women, none of whom would have dreamt that they would end up working as both Funeral Directors and Private Investigators. The serious continues to surprise this time round, and this novel is chock full of WTF moments. I think it’s a stomper of a novel, and I take no hesitation in recommending it.
August 6, 2021
The second of the series, this was as enjoyable as the first with the Skelf women doing their best to manage their PI and funeral businesses which intersect in odd ways. There is the personal element too with all three of them still coping with the aftermath of everything that happened over the previous six months.
It manages to be a light read and entertaining too because of the way in which it is written.
Looking forward to the third book of the series.
It manages to be a light read and entertaining too because of the way in which it is written.
Looking forward to the third book of the series.
August 26, 2022
This book follows on from A Dark Matter and whilst you probably could read this series in any order, I would strongly recommend starting with book 1 so you can get to know Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah properly.
Once again Doug Johnstone has brought these formidable and fantastic female characters to life, each with their own unique personalities, funny, strong, flawed and fabulous.
The story opens with a bang (literally) when Matriarch Dorothy is conducting a funeral and a police car chase through the cemetary results in a near miss for Dorothy, but a fatal accident for the young driver. This results in Dorothy determined to find out who this young man is at the same time as investigating one of her pupils sudden disappearance.
Meanwhile Jenny and Hannah are having to deal with the aftermath of Craig’s crimes and the devastation his actions have caused which is affecting their own personal relationships.
With several ongoing private investigations and funerals The Skelfs are tested professionally, personally and emotionally during The Big Chill but throughout the story the dark humour brings a much needed light relief which makes the reader fall even more deeply in love with these amazing women.
5 chilly stars from me and I’ve already bought book 3 to read next.
Once again Doug Johnstone has brought these formidable and fantastic female characters to life, each with their own unique personalities, funny, strong, flawed and fabulous.
The story opens with a bang (literally) when Matriarch Dorothy is conducting a funeral and a police car chase through the cemetary results in a near miss for Dorothy, but a fatal accident for the young driver. This results in Dorothy determined to find out who this young man is at the same time as investigating one of her pupils sudden disappearance.
Meanwhile Jenny and Hannah are having to deal with the aftermath of Craig’s crimes and the devastation his actions have caused which is affecting their own personal relationships.
With several ongoing private investigations and funerals The Skelfs are tested professionally, personally and emotionally during The Big Chill but throughout the story the dark humour brings a much needed light relief which makes the reader fall even more deeply in love with these amazing women.
5 chilly stars from me and I’ve already bought book 3 to read next.
July 31, 2020
The Skelf women are back woo hoo! Nothing makes me happier than strong women in books. However, as strong as they are, their lives are messier than a toddler let loose with paint.
This is book two and carries on six months later from A Dark Matter. It can be read as a stand alone, as the author cleverly explains for those who haven’t read it, but do yourself a favour and start at the beginning as the first book really introduces the family and goes into more detail with their background and relationships. This also gives spoilers for the first book too.
Everything I loved about the first book is back with a vengeance and the characters are dealing with more than ever. Three generations of Skelf Women, Dorothy the matriarch , Jenny and granddaughter Hannah who is struggling with her father being in prison for killing one of her friends after getting her pregnant.
There are multiple plots running through the book as all the women have different strands weaving through. One of Dorothy’s drumming students is missing, Jenny is working for the agency to try and find the identity of a homeless man and Hannah is not only dealing with the aftermath of her father but has also started a friendship with a professor that is not as it seems.
I personally thought this was darker than book one and didn’t have as much humour but that is in no way a criticism. There’s a time and a place people. The characters who I loved before are really evolving and taking shape and like all friends the more time you spend with them the more you discover. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next.
This is dark, gritty and grabs you by the short and curlies. It boldly covers homelessness in Edinburgh with tact and understanding and the author’s love of the city despite its flaws is obvious on every page.
This is book two and carries on six months later from A Dark Matter. It can be read as a stand alone, as the author cleverly explains for those who haven’t read it, but do yourself a favour and start at the beginning as the first book really introduces the family and goes into more detail with their background and relationships. This also gives spoilers for the first book too.
Everything I loved about the first book is back with a vengeance and the characters are dealing with more than ever. Three generations of Skelf Women, Dorothy the matriarch , Jenny and granddaughter Hannah who is struggling with her father being in prison for killing one of her friends after getting her pregnant.
There are multiple plots running through the book as all the women have different strands weaving through. One of Dorothy’s drumming students is missing, Jenny is working for the agency to try and find the identity of a homeless man and Hannah is not only dealing with the aftermath of her father but has also started a friendship with a professor that is not as it seems.
I personally thought this was darker than book one and didn’t have as much humour but that is in no way a criticism. There’s a time and a place people. The characters who I loved before are really evolving and taking shape and like all friends the more time you spend with them the more you discover. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next.
This is dark, gritty and grabs you by the short and curlies. It boldly covers homelessness in Edinburgh with tact and understanding and the author’s love of the city despite its flaws is obvious on every page.
August 27, 2020
The Big Chill centers around three women of the Skelf family who not only run a funeral home but are also private investigators. It does seem the two seem to go hand in hand more often than not and it seems these woman can never get a moment of real peace. I love the family dymanics and the fact that the book shows us three generations of one family.
I do wish I had read the first book in this series but Orenda is definitely increasing my TBR of back titles. While this book is rather dark at times, there are also some times of humor and I feel the author did a spectacular job of weaving the two together. The Big Chilll also showcases science and some thoughts on parallel universes which surprisingly, was explained well and didn't confuse me.
If you love character driven books the The Big Chill will not disappoint. This book is screaming for a series people can fall in love with and binge watch time and time again. I can't wait for the next installment and more urgently, I can't wait for my copy of A Dark Matter to arrive!
I do wish I had read the first book in this series but Orenda is definitely increasing my TBR of back titles. While this book is rather dark at times, there are also some times of humor and I feel the author did a spectacular job of weaving the two together. The Big Chilll also showcases science and some thoughts on parallel universes which surprisingly, was explained well and didn't confuse me.
If you love character driven books the The Big Chill will not disappoint. This book is screaming for a series people can fall in love with and binge watch time and time again. I can't wait for the next installment and more urgently, I can't wait for my copy of A Dark Matter to arrive!
August 21, 2021
I am now acquainted with the canny Skelf family, based in a funeral home in Edinburgh, so was pleased to launch myself into number 2 of the series after finishing the first. Professional nosiness works for me.
Funeral directors, private eye/s, murderous ex-husbands, police car chase in a graveyard... Three generations of women caring for the dead and trying to help the living by unearthing identities and secrets. What could possibly go wrong...or right?
Funeral directors, private eye/s, murderous ex-husbands, police car chase in a graveyard... Three generations of women caring for the dead and trying to help the living by unearthing identities and secrets. What could possibly go wrong...or right?
June 10, 2021
I really, really wanted to like this so much more than I actually did. I loved the premise and plot, but the execution left so much to be desired and just did not hold my attention enough to make it enjoyable. I just could not connect.
June 20, 2020
A Private Investigation firm that is also a Funeral Directors? What's not to love about this series? Book two in The Skelfs series by Doug Johnstone sees us return to the fabulous Skelf women a short time after the events of books one. It would be nice to say that the dust has settled on that part of their lives and that they are all carving a new path for themselves, but life is seldom that simple and certainly for Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah moving on and letting go of the past is far from easy.
This time around there are three cases on the go, none of them exactly official. For Jenny it is the search for the family of a young man who dies after dropping in unexpectedly on a funeral that Dorothy is responsible for. And by dropping in I do really mean literally. Let's just say that his parking skills leave a lot to be desired. Dorothy meanwhile is trying to track down one of her teenage drumming students who fails to show up for her lesson and whose own mother seems reluctant to engage in the search for reasons that are slowly revealed. And Hannah, struggling with her own demons, is now faced with trying to find out what would lead to the death of a University Professor.
In a story full of secrets and deception, Doug Johnstone finds a pace of story telling that is compelling and yet matches the feeling of melancholy that is infecting this family. None of the women are operating at full throttle this time around. Even Hannah's former enthusiasm for investigation is tempered, her love of science affected by the constant feeling that the uncertainty of life is at complete odds with her once clearly defined understanding of the universe. There is a sense of fear and regret that seems to subdue the characters a little and, given what happened in book one, that is full understandable. The author has captured the mood perfectly and rather than turning me off, it actually drew me in, waiting for the three of them to find the resolve that I know they possessed to allow them to solve their respective cases.
This is a book full of reflection, not only of the women's lives, but also of the key theme that runs throughout the narrative - that of family and acceptance. The way in which those who are meant to love you unconditionally can either make or break your future. A look at how far some families are willing to go to ensure the happiness of one another, and the devastating impact on lives where understanding and acceptance is not forthcoming for others. From missing fathers and secret relationships, to a reflection of the growing population of homeless people on the streets of Edinburgh, all themes are handled in a thoughtful and perceptive way that will challenge you and make you think long and hard about your own prejudices and actions.
What I have loved about this series is that Doug Johnstone has created such a strong and diverse cast of women to lead us through the stories, with the male characters really only playing a supportive, or in some cases antagonistic, role. Dorothy is a brilliant matriarchal figure, although somewhat tired and jaded in this book, struggling to find the pleasure in the everyday, reminiscing over times when life was simple, but happy. Jenny is full of insecurities and badly damaged by her past, certain that she is destined to know only sorrow. She's stronger than she understands, but she is written perfectly, resulting in a mix of empathy and frustration when I read passages from her point of view. It is Hannah's passages that are the hardest to read, seeing the once vibrant young woman reduced to a ball of anger, hurt and almost resignation. Understandable, and yet sad to watch, especially as it starts to have an impact on her once solid relationship with Indy. Archie and Thomas are back. Archie, quiet in nature, is struggling with his own grief, providing some of the books quiet and more emotional moments. And the chemistry between Thomas and Dorothy is ever present, as are the frequent trips to Soderberg, increasing my need for pastry dishes tenfold.
In the end, everything we read can be linked back to the concept of family, even the story arc involving the Skelfs themselves which carries over from book one in rather dramatic and tense fashion. For that reason, I would recommend that if you haven't already done so I would read A Dark Matter first. You will get the essence of the way in which the women's lives have changed as a result of what happens, but there are elements of this book that are better served by knowing the full story. There is an underlying threat that carries throughout, right to the rather intense showdown at the end of the book. This is a conflict that is far from resolved, the promise of more to come tantalising for me as a reader. How it will impact our three heroic women, Jenny and Hannah especially, remains to be seen.
If you like to read a series that is a blend of the unusual, a combination of science, emotion and mystery, then this is the series for you. This book is a heady mix of emotion, reflection and tension, full of brilliant characters and compelling storylines that really get to the heart of society and family life. With added science - brought to you in a far more interesting way than your average GSCE Physics teacher of course.
This time around there are three cases on the go, none of them exactly official. For Jenny it is the search for the family of a young man who dies after dropping in unexpectedly on a funeral that Dorothy is responsible for. And by dropping in I do really mean literally. Let's just say that his parking skills leave a lot to be desired. Dorothy meanwhile is trying to track down one of her teenage drumming students who fails to show up for her lesson and whose own mother seems reluctant to engage in the search for reasons that are slowly revealed. And Hannah, struggling with her own demons, is now faced with trying to find out what would lead to the death of a University Professor.
In a story full of secrets and deception, Doug Johnstone finds a pace of story telling that is compelling and yet matches the feeling of melancholy that is infecting this family. None of the women are operating at full throttle this time around. Even Hannah's former enthusiasm for investigation is tempered, her love of science affected by the constant feeling that the uncertainty of life is at complete odds with her once clearly defined understanding of the universe. There is a sense of fear and regret that seems to subdue the characters a little and, given what happened in book one, that is full understandable. The author has captured the mood perfectly and rather than turning me off, it actually drew me in, waiting for the three of them to find the resolve that I know they possessed to allow them to solve their respective cases.
This is a book full of reflection, not only of the women's lives, but also of the key theme that runs throughout the narrative - that of family and acceptance. The way in which those who are meant to love you unconditionally can either make or break your future. A look at how far some families are willing to go to ensure the happiness of one another, and the devastating impact on lives where understanding and acceptance is not forthcoming for others. From missing fathers and secret relationships, to a reflection of the growing population of homeless people on the streets of Edinburgh, all themes are handled in a thoughtful and perceptive way that will challenge you and make you think long and hard about your own prejudices and actions.
What I have loved about this series is that Doug Johnstone has created such a strong and diverse cast of women to lead us through the stories, with the male characters really only playing a supportive, or in some cases antagonistic, role. Dorothy is a brilliant matriarchal figure, although somewhat tired and jaded in this book, struggling to find the pleasure in the everyday, reminiscing over times when life was simple, but happy. Jenny is full of insecurities and badly damaged by her past, certain that she is destined to know only sorrow. She's stronger than she understands, but she is written perfectly, resulting in a mix of empathy and frustration when I read passages from her point of view. It is Hannah's passages that are the hardest to read, seeing the once vibrant young woman reduced to a ball of anger, hurt and almost resignation. Understandable, and yet sad to watch, especially as it starts to have an impact on her once solid relationship with Indy. Archie and Thomas are back. Archie, quiet in nature, is struggling with his own grief, providing some of the books quiet and more emotional moments. And the chemistry between Thomas and Dorothy is ever present, as are the frequent trips to Soderberg, increasing my need for pastry dishes tenfold.
In the end, everything we read can be linked back to the concept of family, even the story arc involving the Skelfs themselves which carries over from book one in rather dramatic and tense fashion. For that reason, I would recommend that if you haven't already done so I would read A Dark Matter first. You will get the essence of the way in which the women's lives have changed as a result of what happens, but there are elements of this book that are better served by knowing the full story. There is an underlying threat that carries throughout, right to the rather intense showdown at the end of the book. This is a conflict that is far from resolved, the promise of more to come tantalising for me as a reader. How it will impact our three heroic women, Jenny and Hannah especially, remains to be seen.
If you like to read a series that is a blend of the unusual, a combination of science, emotion and mystery, then this is the series for you. This book is a heady mix of emotion, reflection and tension, full of brilliant characters and compelling storylines that really get to the heart of society and family life. With added science - brought to you in a far more interesting way than your average GSCE Physics teacher of course.
July 30, 2020
I was so excited to read A Big Chill as the previous book, A Dark Matter, was one of my favourite reads of last year. And I wasn't disappointed.
The Big Chill takes place shortly after the events which in A Dark Matter and the Skelf women - matriarch and grandmother Dorothy, her daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah - are still reeling from what happened then. They're each hurting in their own way. If you haven't read A Dark Matter you can still enjoy this - there is a storyline arc continuing from that book but this is outlined here so it works great as a standalone. But I feel you would have a richer experience if you read A Dark Matter first.
Following the death of Dorothy's husband Jim, the three women have taken over the running of not only his undertaking firm but also his private investigation business. From their kitchen table. They are assisted by employees Archie and Indy, who also happens to be Hannah's girlfriend. The cases in the book cover both business areas but none are exactly 'official' - they are people and stories that the women find themselves drawn to. And all feature the themes of family, acceptance and belonging, as does the main overarching storyline about the women themselves.
Dorothy is a fabulous character. An American in her 70s, she is spirited, spritely and active, although this book finds her a little more tired and jaded than in the last one. She has an unusual hobby for a woman her age - a nod to the author's love of music - which gives her an added dimension. She is calm, kind, understanding and accepting - the most level headed of the three. Science student Hannah is trying to deal with events in the previous book but struggling and taking it out on girlfriend Indy. And she is questioning what she thought she knew about physics, questioning her own place in the universe. Jenny is the woman I connect with the least but, gosh, I felt for her in this book - Johnstone certainly puts her through the wringer! All three women are beautifully crafted and there are so many moments when I just thought 'Oh, this is perfect.' Hannah's guilt at hurting Indy, Jenny wanting to be a better daughter and mother, Dorothy's observations, her realisation that words are inadequate.
There is a lot of death in this book, it is a funeral parlour after all. And each death tells a story, often heartbreaking. But there is beauty here too - in fact some of the most beautifully written passages take place in the embalming room, where both Archie and author Johnstone treat the dead with care and respect.
The cases the women get involved with are all different, but all heartbreaking in their own way. I had tears in my eyes more than once. All the stories have family and belonging at their core. And all the while the women are working on them, events in their own lives threaten to overwhelm them.
I love that in this series all the central characters are female. Strong women. Damaged, yes, but still strong and resilient. Even if they don't always realise it. Men play more peripheral roles with maybe one exception. I love to loathe a character, and Craig was that man for me. That I feel so strongly about him is entirely down to Johnstone's skill as a writer, his ability to make me care even about the nastier characters.
I have maybe made this book sound morbid and bleak. In fact, it is just the opposite. It's warm, touching and beautiful, and exquisitely written. Johnstone is a lean writer, there is not a single wasted word here. I love how he sums up the purpose of a funeral in a single sentence, that he talks about quantum physics and I could follow at least some of it and his, probably sadly accurate, take on Scottish men's mental health. I want to share so many moments from this fabulous book, but I've limited myself to just this one little gem:
'Hannah had never felt more out of step with the universe than right now, talking with an existential widow and drinking probably poisoned tea in a dead man's parlour.'
The Big Chill is an intimate portrait of life and death told with a very human touch and a splash of humour. It's dark in places, sad in others, beautiful throughout. And I can't think of another crime novel which could feature My Chemical Romance, quantum physics, drumming, the Bangkok Lady Boys and Inuit throat singers! Do yourself a favour and get this (and A Dark Matter) - I promise you won't be disappointed!
The Big Chill takes place shortly after the events which in A Dark Matter and the Skelf women - matriarch and grandmother Dorothy, her daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah - are still reeling from what happened then. They're each hurting in their own way. If you haven't read A Dark Matter you can still enjoy this - there is a storyline arc continuing from that book but this is outlined here so it works great as a standalone. But I feel you would have a richer experience if you read A Dark Matter first.
Following the death of Dorothy's husband Jim, the three women have taken over the running of not only his undertaking firm but also his private investigation business. From their kitchen table. They are assisted by employees Archie and Indy, who also happens to be Hannah's girlfriend. The cases in the book cover both business areas but none are exactly 'official' - they are people and stories that the women find themselves drawn to. And all feature the themes of family, acceptance and belonging, as does the main overarching storyline about the women themselves.
Dorothy is a fabulous character. An American in her 70s, she is spirited, spritely and active, although this book finds her a little more tired and jaded than in the last one. She has an unusual hobby for a woman her age - a nod to the author's love of music - which gives her an added dimension. She is calm, kind, understanding and accepting - the most level headed of the three. Science student Hannah is trying to deal with events in the previous book but struggling and taking it out on girlfriend Indy. And she is questioning what she thought she knew about physics, questioning her own place in the universe. Jenny is the woman I connect with the least but, gosh, I felt for her in this book - Johnstone certainly puts her through the wringer! All three women are beautifully crafted and there are so many moments when I just thought 'Oh, this is perfect.' Hannah's guilt at hurting Indy, Jenny wanting to be a better daughter and mother, Dorothy's observations, her realisation that words are inadequate.
There is a lot of death in this book, it is a funeral parlour after all. And each death tells a story, often heartbreaking. But there is beauty here too - in fact some of the most beautifully written passages take place in the embalming room, where both Archie and author Johnstone treat the dead with care and respect.
The cases the women get involved with are all different, but all heartbreaking in their own way. I had tears in my eyes more than once. All the stories have family and belonging at their core. And all the while the women are working on them, events in their own lives threaten to overwhelm them.
I love that in this series all the central characters are female. Strong women. Damaged, yes, but still strong and resilient. Even if they don't always realise it. Men play more peripheral roles with maybe one exception. I love to loathe a character, and Craig was that man for me. That I feel so strongly about him is entirely down to Johnstone's skill as a writer, his ability to make me care even about the nastier characters.
I have maybe made this book sound morbid and bleak. In fact, it is just the opposite. It's warm, touching and beautiful, and exquisitely written. Johnstone is a lean writer, there is not a single wasted word here. I love how he sums up the purpose of a funeral in a single sentence, that he talks about quantum physics and I could follow at least some of it and his, probably sadly accurate, take on Scottish men's mental health. I want to share so many moments from this fabulous book, but I've limited myself to just this one little gem:
'Hannah had never felt more out of step with the universe than right now, talking with an existential widow and drinking probably poisoned tea in a dead man's parlour.'
The Big Chill is an intimate portrait of life and death told with a very human touch and a splash of humour. It's dark in places, sad in others, beautiful throughout. And I can't think of another crime novel which could feature My Chemical Romance, quantum physics, drumming, the Bangkok Lady Boys and Inuit throat singers! Do yourself a favour and get this (and A Dark Matter) - I promise you won't be disappointed!
September 16, 2020
I read and reviewed book one; A Dark Matter back in November last year and I absolutely loved it. This is a crime series quite unlike any other. A team of female private investigators, all from different generations of the same family who also happen to run an undertaker business. All set in the city of Edinburgh, and usually taking in the areas unseen by tourists.
Whilst The Big Chill can be read as a standalone, I'd suggest that anyone who hasn't yet read A Dark Matter should do so. You'll have the advantage of knowing more about this intriguing family, although the author does cleverly add in the important stages of the backstory within this novel too.
Dorothy is the head of the family now that her husband of fifty years is dead. She grew up in the US but has been in Scotland for many many years. Her divorced daughter Jenny is now living with her after some traumatic and life-changing events concerning her ex-husband Craig. Jenny's own daughter, Hannah also works in the business, as does her partner Indy, who is training to be an undertaker.
The Skelf women are strong minded and strong willed, they have overcome things that would slay many of us and are determined that they will become even stronger.
However, the memories of what Craig did to them are never far from their thoughts. Both Jenny and Hannah are dealing with guilt-laden grief at the death of an innocent young woman.
Johnstone tells his story through the individual voices of the three women and he really does excel in creating a relatable and genuine female voice, it's quite incredible at time how utterly realistic these voices are.
The story begins as Dorothy is carrying out her undertaking duties at a fairly run of the mill funeral. Everything changes when a speeding car hurtles across the burial ground and ends up embedded in the open grave. The driver is killed outright. After the shock has worn off, Dorothy becomes obsessed with finding out just who is the driver that she nicknames Jimmy X. Using her private investigator skills she begins to delve deeper into this mystery and uncovers some shocking truths that feature the rich and elite of Edinburgh. Meanwhile, both Jenny and Hannah are dealing with their own mysteries; the suspicious demise of an elderly professor and the aftermath of Craig's previous murderous spree. Add into the mix the disappearance of one of Dorothy's drumming students and the reader is thrust into the heart of a multi-layered, complex and incredibly clever plot.
Doug Johnstone does not shy away from the dark and the uncomfortable, yet he does with with an ease and compassion and fabulous sprinkle of dry Scottish humour too. Despite the serious issues uncovered by the Skelfs as the story progresses, there is a tenderness that runs all the way through it too.
The Big Chill is a fabulous follow up to what was one of my favourite books last year. This talented author can do no wrong in my eyes. His depiction of the complexities of a the female family relationship is wonderfully done, with empathy, warmth and some deliciously dark humour. Roll on book three, I cannot wait!
Whilst The Big Chill can be read as a standalone, I'd suggest that anyone who hasn't yet read A Dark Matter should do so. You'll have the advantage of knowing more about this intriguing family, although the author does cleverly add in the important stages of the backstory within this novel too.
Dorothy is the head of the family now that her husband of fifty years is dead. She grew up in the US but has been in Scotland for many many years. Her divorced daughter Jenny is now living with her after some traumatic and life-changing events concerning her ex-husband Craig. Jenny's own daughter, Hannah also works in the business, as does her partner Indy, who is training to be an undertaker.
The Skelf women are strong minded and strong willed, they have overcome things that would slay many of us and are determined that they will become even stronger.
However, the memories of what Craig did to them are never far from their thoughts. Both Jenny and Hannah are dealing with guilt-laden grief at the death of an innocent young woman.
Johnstone tells his story through the individual voices of the three women and he really does excel in creating a relatable and genuine female voice, it's quite incredible at time how utterly realistic these voices are.
The story begins as Dorothy is carrying out her undertaking duties at a fairly run of the mill funeral. Everything changes when a speeding car hurtles across the burial ground and ends up embedded in the open grave. The driver is killed outright. After the shock has worn off, Dorothy becomes obsessed with finding out just who is the driver that she nicknames Jimmy X. Using her private investigator skills she begins to delve deeper into this mystery and uncovers some shocking truths that feature the rich and elite of Edinburgh. Meanwhile, both Jenny and Hannah are dealing with their own mysteries; the suspicious demise of an elderly professor and the aftermath of Craig's previous murderous spree. Add into the mix the disappearance of one of Dorothy's drumming students and the reader is thrust into the heart of a multi-layered, complex and incredibly clever plot.
Doug Johnstone does not shy away from the dark and the uncomfortable, yet he does with with an ease and compassion and fabulous sprinkle of dry Scottish humour too. Despite the serious issues uncovered by the Skelfs as the story progresses, there is a tenderness that runs all the way through it too.
The Big Chill is a fabulous follow up to what was one of my favourite books last year. This talented author can do no wrong in my eyes. His depiction of the complexities of a the female family relationship is wonderfully done, with empathy, warmth and some deliciously dark humour. Roll on book three, I cannot wait!
July 18, 2020
This book is the follow up to A Dark Matter set in Edinburgh where we first meet the Skelf family of grandmother Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah, three generations of women working together since Dorothy's husband Jim died. They run an odd combination of funeral parlour which has been in the family for generations and also a private detective business from their home. An awful lot happened in the first story which has had huge repercussions for the family but most of this is explained here, so I would say read book one first if you don't want any spoilers but equally you'll have no problem picking up the story here straightaway. Since Jenny's ex-husband and Hannah's father Craig has been placed in prison on remand, things should be a little quieter for the women. They have solid reliable employee Archie, a man coming to terms with suffering from Cotard's syndrome where he believes he is already dead (spooky that, for an undertaker) and Hannah's girlfriend Indy is also working there and supporting Hannah through her recent trauma. Unfortunately at a graveside burial a stolen car, pursued by the police, crashes into an open grave, killing the driver. With no identification, Dorothy makes it her business to find out who the young man is. Jenny is embarking on a new relationship when Craig throws them all into turmoil by changing his plea to not guilty and setting the cat among the pigeons. Hannah is trying to settle back into university (don't even attempt to understand all the quantum physics she talks about!!) after the loss of her flatmate and makes an unlikely friend in the form of an elderly professor. The calm the women were hoping for is quickly shattered when a teenage drumming student of Dorothy's goes missing with a distinct lack of concern from her parents, there is a suspicious death at the university and then an even bigger threat to all their lives emerges. I greatly enjoyed this story which is as much about family and the ties which bind as it is about the investigations. The main characters are well described, no nonsense in some aspects and wracked with self doubts in others, making them very real people. I particularly liked Thomas, the black Swedish DI who helps out Dorothy with cases and also Archie who is a very unique person. They are not hard hitting gumshoes, more used to running down errant husbands, and I liked their gentler approach to the PI work which still yielded positive results, although not always what they hoped for. There is a build up of tension throughout the story that explodes into the final chapters and still the books leaves us with a couple of cliff hangers. I hope there will be another story featuring this very human and likeable set of women. In case anyone is wondering, the big chill is a possible end point of the universe, at which the average temperature of the universe approaches absolute zero because the expansion of the universe initiated at the Big Bang has decelerated almost to stopping not a freezer at the funeral home! 4.5*
July 26, 2020
4.5/5 stars!
The Skelf family runs a private investigation company and a funeral home business, which means that their lives are filled with death and dark concerns. Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah are also constantly meeting trouble and deception with the cases they take on. The Skelf women are haunted by their past, but trying to move forward with their lives. Unexpectedly a car crashes straight into one of the funerals they are putting on, which throws the family into a complicated and perplexing quest to find the identity of the driver. A professor’s death, a missing teen, and a murderous ex-husband also meddle with the Skelf women in this darkly funny and tense story!
THE BIG CHILL is the second installment in Doug Johnstone’s series about the Skelf family and picks up immediately where book one, A DARK MATTER, left off. I absolutely love the Skelf women and felt myself quickly reconnecting with Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah as I followed them on their latest adventures.
Johnstone gifts the reader with alternating narratives told by Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah. While their lives naturally overlap consistently with the cases they are working on and their day to day actions, we are still able to get to know them on an individual level through each of their narratives. I love the individual quirks and emotions that the reader feels for each of the women. Watching each of their struggles and successes as an individual and as a family are intoxicating and comforting. I truly felt myself cheering for Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah to overcome their hardships.
The pacing of THE BIG CHILL drives the narratives at a rapid pace throughout the story. The chapters are kept on the shorter side to propel the story as a whole, as well as the cases the Skelfs are working on forward. I loved the momentum and clever cliffhangers that we found throughout the chapters that motivated me to read large chunks of the book at a time. I was thoroughly entertained and committed to finding out the answers to the many cases the Skelfs were working on. Despite the cases being so different, I felt that they were all equally important. Johnstone does a fantastic job of weaving the investigations together to give the reader a classic detective aspect to this book.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of THE BIG CHILL and this series in general is Johnstone’s ability to make these books feel like a comfort read despite covering some dark topics. Johnstone’s use of humor gives these books something unique that allows them to stand out in the crime fiction genre. This is a series I am fully committed to and each book leaves me wanting more! I can’t wait to see where the Skelfs find themselves next!
A huge thank you to Orenda Books for my gifted copy!
The Skelf family runs a private investigation company and a funeral home business, which means that their lives are filled with death and dark concerns. Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah are also constantly meeting trouble and deception with the cases they take on. The Skelf women are haunted by their past, but trying to move forward with their lives. Unexpectedly a car crashes straight into one of the funerals they are putting on, which throws the family into a complicated and perplexing quest to find the identity of the driver. A professor’s death, a missing teen, and a murderous ex-husband also meddle with the Skelf women in this darkly funny and tense story!
THE BIG CHILL is the second installment in Doug Johnstone’s series about the Skelf family and picks up immediately where book one, A DARK MATTER, left off. I absolutely love the Skelf women and felt myself quickly reconnecting with Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah as I followed them on their latest adventures.
Johnstone gifts the reader with alternating narratives told by Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah. While their lives naturally overlap consistently with the cases they are working on and their day to day actions, we are still able to get to know them on an individual level through each of their narratives. I love the individual quirks and emotions that the reader feels for each of the women. Watching each of their struggles and successes as an individual and as a family are intoxicating and comforting. I truly felt myself cheering for Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah to overcome their hardships.
The pacing of THE BIG CHILL drives the narratives at a rapid pace throughout the story. The chapters are kept on the shorter side to propel the story as a whole, as well as the cases the Skelfs are working on forward. I loved the momentum and clever cliffhangers that we found throughout the chapters that motivated me to read large chunks of the book at a time. I was thoroughly entertained and committed to finding out the answers to the many cases the Skelfs were working on. Despite the cases being so different, I felt that they were all equally important. Johnstone does a fantastic job of weaving the investigations together to give the reader a classic detective aspect to this book.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of THE BIG CHILL and this series in general is Johnstone’s ability to make these books feel like a comfort read despite covering some dark topics. Johnstone’s use of humor gives these books something unique that allows them to stand out in the crime fiction genre. This is a series I am fully committed to and each book leaves me wanting more! I can’t wait to see where the Skelfs find themselves next!
A huge thank you to Orenda Books for my gifted copy!
July 26, 2020
#2 in the Skelf series…..it can be read as a stand-alone as events from book #1 A Dark Matter are mentioned as background to this story.
Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah are still trying to come to terms with events in A Dark Matter, as they try to carry on their lives as funeral directors and private investigators.
Dorothy is attending a funeral when a car crashes into an open grave, narrowly missing her.
Jenny visits her ex-husband, Craig in prison and ends up on a charge of assault.
Hannah is seeing a therapist, due to the murder of her friend (by her dad) and is struggling, shutting out her partner, Indy.
But, they are still working and they try to find more about the unidentified driver killed in the car crash, there’s a missing drummer and a suspicious death to investigate.
This is the tale of the lives of the three Skelf women, their chaotic, troubled and sometimes dangerous lives. It deals with death, grief and fear, but also with love, acceptance and the importance of family. All told with a clear love of Edinburgh and a marvellous dark humour,
Full of realistic and relatable characters with all their quirks, a few mysteries and a compelling plot make this an emotion packed thriller. I was hooked from the very start and loved every minute.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and an eARC of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah are still trying to come to terms with events in A Dark Matter, as they try to carry on their lives as funeral directors and private investigators.
Dorothy is attending a funeral when a car crashes into an open grave, narrowly missing her.
Jenny visits her ex-husband, Craig in prison and ends up on a charge of assault.
Hannah is seeing a therapist, due to the murder of her friend (by her dad) and is struggling, shutting out her partner, Indy.
But, they are still working and they try to find more about the unidentified driver killed in the car crash, there’s a missing drummer and a suspicious death to investigate.
This is the tale of the lives of the three Skelf women, their chaotic, troubled and sometimes dangerous lives. It deals with death, grief and fear, but also with love, acceptance and the importance of family. All told with a clear love of Edinburgh and a marvellous dark humour,
Full of realistic and relatable characters with all their quirks, a few mysteries and a compelling plot make this an emotion packed thriller. I was hooked from the very start and loved every minute.
Thank you to Anne Cater and Random Things Tours for the opportunity to participate in this blog tour, for the promotional materials and an eARC of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.
August 20, 2024
This is the second instalment in the Skelf series. It can be read as a standalone novel, but it’s best if you read the first book, as events from ‘A Dark Matter’ are linked to what happens in ‘The Big Chill’.
The Skelf women are reeling from what happened recently. Life (and death) goes on and there are many funerals to arrange.
A funeral that Dorothy is conducting is interrupted when a man drives a stolen car into an open grave, and subsequently dies. Dorothy discovers that the man was homeless, which makes her even more desperate to know his identity to inform his family.
Jenny is now seeing Liam, but will he bring her the happiness that she desperately craves?
Hannah is seeing a counsellor, as recent events have revealed to be too much for her.
When Hannah visits an elderly professor in his office, she finds him dead with a vial of poison next to his body. Was it suicide or murder?
Meanwhile, Craig is anticipating his next move…
Ooh, I really enjoyed the second book in the Skelf series.
You can really tell that events from A Dark Matter have really taken their toll on the women. The physical wounds have healed, but the psychological ones remain.
Nasty Craig seems to be getting his way the whole time. I cannot wait for him to meet his comeuppance!
The Skelf women are reeling from what happened recently. Life (and death) goes on and there are many funerals to arrange.
A funeral that Dorothy is conducting is interrupted when a man drives a stolen car into an open grave, and subsequently dies. Dorothy discovers that the man was homeless, which makes her even more desperate to know his identity to inform his family.
Jenny is now seeing Liam, but will he bring her the happiness that she desperately craves?
Hannah is seeing a counsellor, as recent events have revealed to be too much for her.
When Hannah visits an elderly professor in his office, she finds him dead with a vial of poison next to his body. Was it suicide or murder?
Meanwhile, Craig is anticipating his next move…
Ooh, I really enjoyed the second book in the Skelf series.
You can really tell that events from A Dark Matter have really taken their toll on the women. The physical wounds have healed, but the psychological ones remain.
Nasty Craig seems to be getting his way the whole time. I cannot wait for him to meet his comeuppance!
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