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DCI Gilchrist #9
Dead Still
St. Andrews, When a man's preserved body is discovered in a whisky ageing cask in the local Gleneden Distillery, DCI Andy Gilchrist and his partner, DS Jessie Janes, are assigned to the investigation. But when the dead man is identified as Hector Dunmore, the once heir-apparent of Gleneden Distillery, their investigation takes a dramatic turn, for Dunmore was reported missing 25 years earlier when his Land Rover was found abandoned on the outskirts of Mallaig, almost two hundred miles away on the Scottish west coast.
Why hide a body in a 25-year ageing cask? And who would want Dunmore dead?
Suspicion falls on Duncan Milne, the distillery manager at the time, but when Gilchrist learns that Milne died under suspicious circumstances the year Dunmore disappeared, he suspects they are looking at a double murderer. Gilchrist's efforts to resolve the murders forces him to dig deep into the Dunmore family's past, only to come up against a frightening killer who will stop at nothing to keep the darkest of family secrets from ever coming to light.
PRAISE FOR T.F.
'Rebus did it for Edinburgh. Laidlaw did it for Glasgow. Gilchrist might just be the bloke to put St Andrews on the crime fiction map.' Daily Record
'A truly gripping read, with all the makings of a classic series.' Mick Herron
'Gripping and grisly, with plenty of twists and turns that race along with black humour.' Craig Robertson
'DCI Gilchrist gets under your skin. Though, determined, and a bit vulnerable, this character will stay with you long after the last page.' Anna Smith
'Gripping!' Peterborough Telegraph
Why hide a body in a 25-year ageing cask? And who would want Dunmore dead?
Suspicion falls on Duncan Milne, the distillery manager at the time, but when Gilchrist learns that Milne died under suspicious circumstances the year Dunmore disappeared, he suspects they are looking at a double murderer. Gilchrist's efforts to resolve the murders forces him to dig deep into the Dunmore family's past, only to come up against a frightening killer who will stop at nothing to keep the darkest of family secrets from ever coming to light.
PRAISE FOR T.F.
'Rebus did it for Edinburgh. Laidlaw did it for Glasgow. Gilchrist might just be the bloke to put St Andrews on the crime fiction map.' Daily Record
'A truly gripping read, with all the makings of a classic series.' Mick Herron
'Gripping and grisly, with plenty of twists and turns that race along with black humour.' Craig Robertson
'DCI Gilchrist gets under your skin. Though, determined, and a bit vulnerable, this character will stay with you long after the last page.' Anna Smith
'Gripping!' Peterborough Telegraph
400 pages, Paperback
Published February 11, 2021
32 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
T.F. Muir
20 books68 followersAka Frank Muir and T. Frank Muir
Born in Glasgow, Frank was plagued from a young age with the urge to see more of the world than the rain sodden slopes of the Campsie Fells. By the time he graduated from University with a degree he hated, he’d already had more jobs than the River Clyde has bends. Short stints as a lumberjack in the Scottish Highlands and a moulder’s labourer in the local foundry convinced Frank that his degree was not such a bad idea after all. Twenty-five years of working overseas helped him appreciate the raw beauty of his home country. Now a dual US/UK citizen, Frank divides his time between Richmond, Virginia, and Glasgow, Scotland, carrying out research in the local pubs and restaurants. Frank is currently doing some serious book research in St Andrews' local pubs, and working on his next novel, another crime story suffused with dark alleyways and cobbled streets and some things gruesome.
Born in Glasgow, Frank was plagued from a young age with the urge to see more of the world than the rain sodden slopes of the Campsie Fells. By the time he graduated from University with a degree he hated, he’d already had more jobs than the River Clyde has bends. Short stints as a lumberjack in the Scottish Highlands and a moulder’s labourer in the local foundry convinced Frank that his degree was not such a bad idea after all. Twenty-five years of working overseas helped him appreciate the raw beauty of his home country. Now a dual US/UK citizen, Frank divides his time between Richmond, Virginia, and Glasgow, Scotland, carrying out research in the local pubs and restaurants. Frank is currently doing some serious book research in St Andrews' local pubs, and working on his next novel, another crime story suffused with dark alleyways and cobbled streets and some things gruesome.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
February 14, 2020
Solid, But Not a Series Highlight
I've really enjoyed this series by TF Muir, at times he has dialed it up to eleven with the elements of gore and action and has always delivered a good mystery. While I think that one or two reviews that I have seen are quite some way over the top with their criticism Muir definitely eases it back to about a four with this one. It does include murder most foul as you would rightly expect but both the pace and Gilchrist himself are considerably less sprightly compared to quite a few books in the series.
The cliff-hanger ending will have me persist with the series, I've invested too much in Gilchrist to be left hanging and to be fair I actually enjoyed the central mystery and some of the interview scenes but it really doesn't have the zip of some of the previous books.
Where I do agree with some of the criticism is the Jessie character. She has become very one-dimensional and her constant spikiness is just overdone. It is becoming increasingly irritating now that the shock value has worn off and the law of diminishing returns is now set firmly against her.
David Monteath though remains as smooth as the vintage whiskies that are central to the plot, he has a lovely voice to listen to and this is definitely a case of the narrator outperforming the author.
All in all this is a bit of a mixed bag, it certainly won't go down as a series highlight, at least not in my book, but it's decent enough and the long established quality of the series so far means that I'm not ready to give up on Gilchrist just yet.
I've really enjoyed this series by TF Muir, at times he has dialed it up to eleven with the elements of gore and action and has always delivered a good mystery. While I think that one or two reviews that I have seen are quite some way over the top with their criticism Muir definitely eases it back to about a four with this one. It does include murder most foul as you would rightly expect but both the pace and Gilchrist himself are considerably less sprightly compared to quite a few books in the series.
The cliff-hanger ending will have me persist with the series, I've invested too much in Gilchrist to be left hanging and to be fair I actually enjoyed the central mystery and some of the interview scenes but it really doesn't have the zip of some of the previous books.
Where I do agree with some of the criticism is the Jessie character. She has become very one-dimensional and her constant spikiness is just overdone. It is becoming increasingly irritating now that the shock value has worn off and the law of diminishing returns is now set firmly against her.
David Monteath though remains as smooth as the vintage whiskies that are central to the plot, he has a lovely voice to listen to and this is definitely a case of the narrator outperforming the author.
All in all this is a bit of a mixed bag, it certainly won't go down as a series highlight, at least not in my book, but it's decent enough and the long established quality of the series so far means that I'm not ready to give up on Gilchrist just yet.
July 16, 2023
Well written plot with twists and turns.
March 1, 2024
"Cruelty to animals is one of the three traits that define psychopathy."
"‘How about verbal abuse?’
‘Old man Dunmore was always shouting at someone.
‘How about physical abuse?’
‘Didn’t need to. When old man Dunmore shouted, that was enough.’"
"It seemed the world had become so PC in its consciousness now, that he often worried it would reach the stage when you couldn’t say good morning to someone without being accused of some kind of -ism."
"‘How about verbal abuse?’
‘Old man Dunmore was always shouting at someone.
‘How about physical abuse?’
‘Didn’t need to. When old man Dunmore shouted, that was enough.’"
"It seemed the world had become so PC in its consciousness now, that he often worried it would reach the stage when you couldn’t say good morning to someone without being accused of some kind of -ism."
October 20, 2020
Interesting beginning - but implausible end and 'Jessie' needs severe disciplinary action taken. Any subordinate with such a combative, not to say unwontedly aggressive, manner can be no asset to an investigation. Also not sure how a St Andrews team can go willy-nilly into Perthshire without some communication with the local 'plod' but perhaps this is the reality of Police Scotland. Not one to re-read.
January 9, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of Dead Still, the ninth novel to feature DCI Andy Gilchrist of the St Andrews Police.
When Gleneden distillery opens a cask of malt whisky they find a dead body, who is quickly identified as Hector Dunmore the distillery owner who disappeared 25 years ago, his empty car found on the other coast of Scotland. Gilchrist quickly comes to suspect the then distillery manager, Dennis Milne but he died in an alleged accident one year after Hector. Could he be looking for a serial killer and, if so, will the answer lie in the Dunmore family history?
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Still which is a different kind of police procedural. Gilchrist has his eye on a suspect almost from the start so the novel is more about piecing together a logical and credible scenario and then proving it. Of course, proving it is the nub of the problem as there is little tangible evidence available in a 25 year old case. The novel is told entirely from Gilchrist’s point of view so the reader gets a full picture of his thinking and decision making. I found this fascinating as he gets involved in a cat and mouse game with the suspect, pushes the investigation in what appears to be tangential directions in an effort to build a better understanding of both his suspect and motives and takes certain investigative leaps of faith based on nothing more than instinct and what makes sense to him.
In the cold light of day there are certain developments that strain credulity a bit, notably a dead body pickled in whisky for 25 years, but during the read they don’t seem so out of place and I didn’t notice them until it came time to review the novel and had to think harder. At the end of the day the novel is entertaining so I got really involved and read the novel in one sitting.
The novel ends with a bang. The denouement scene is action packed and reveals some shocking secrets, shocking as in I didn’t see them coming. Kudos to the author for managing to keep them under wraps and saving the best for last. He even manages an even more shocking cliffhanger in his final few words.
Dead Still is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
When Gleneden distillery opens a cask of malt whisky they find a dead body, who is quickly identified as Hector Dunmore the distillery owner who disappeared 25 years ago, his empty car found on the other coast of Scotland. Gilchrist quickly comes to suspect the then distillery manager, Dennis Milne but he died in an alleged accident one year after Hector. Could he be looking for a serial killer and, if so, will the answer lie in the Dunmore family history?
I thoroughly enjoyed Dead Still which is a different kind of police procedural. Gilchrist has his eye on a suspect almost from the start so the novel is more about piecing together a logical and credible scenario and then proving it. Of course, proving it is the nub of the problem as there is little tangible evidence available in a 25 year old case. The novel is told entirely from Gilchrist’s point of view so the reader gets a full picture of his thinking and decision making. I found this fascinating as he gets involved in a cat and mouse game with the suspect, pushes the investigation in what appears to be tangential directions in an effort to build a better understanding of both his suspect and motives and takes certain investigative leaps of faith based on nothing more than instinct and what makes sense to him.
In the cold light of day there are certain developments that strain credulity a bit, notably a dead body pickled in whisky for 25 years, but during the read they don’t seem so out of place and I didn’t notice them until it came time to review the novel and had to think harder. At the end of the day the novel is entertaining so I got really involved and read the novel in one sitting.
The novel ends with a bang. The denouement scene is action packed and reveals some shocking secrets, shocking as in I didn’t see them coming. Kudos to the author for managing to keep them under wraps and saving the best for last. He even manages an even more shocking cliffhanger in his final few words.
Dead Still is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
October 25, 2022
I picked this book out of a "mystery-thriller" display because of its setting in Scotland.
Well. I was drawn right in when a body is discovered in a whiskey barrel. The details are very interesting and clever, and the characters are irritating, bossy, sarcastic, and are perfect to go along with the plot. I learned a lot about barrels, and I didn't even know that I needed to know about wooden barrels. And the whiskey industry.
Very well put-together whodunit with a great twist and surprise.
How have I not heard of this series until I read #9?
I will be requesting more from the library!
Well. I was drawn right in when a body is discovered in a whiskey barrel. The details are very interesting and clever, and the characters are irritating, bossy, sarcastic, and are perfect to go along with the plot. I learned a lot about barrels, and I didn't even know that I needed to know about wooden barrels. And the whiskey industry.
Very well put-together whodunit with a great twist and surprise.
How have I not heard of this series until I read #9?
I will be requesting more from the library!
January 20, 2021
DCI Andy Gilchrist and DS Jessie Jane’s make a great partnership ideal police show for television. Both great characters that you can really get your teeth into. When we have an investigation of a body found in a Whiskey barrel a 25 year old murder will lead to a family worthy of Shakespeare. You will follow with great interest if Andy and Jessie really can take all the twists and turns this mystery will take on their lives personally. This is part of a series which will have you wanting more.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 21, 2021
This is a new writer to me.
I found this, at best generic. (The three stars are generous as I found it a good bed time read.) I didn't like the secondary characters, the female sergeant came across like George Carter, which is not good in a contemporary setting. All dumb action, but without the street smarts of Carter.
The plot turned in to a what dunnit, rather than who dunnit as this was never in question & I don't think that it was ever meant as such. I had worked out much of the plot, well before the end (no spoilers! There is not enough in the book to spoil.)
I believe that this was wanted to be known, as the initial incident that names the book could have been concealed & this is discussed in the prose.
I found the 'climax' very staged and old fashioned, from the time of Poirot & others who liked to show how clever they are at working out the puzzle.
Also, for all the billing of St Andrews as a location I did not feel the place as a part of the book. It could just as effectively be set anywhere there are distilleries.
A final point that annoyed me massively as I read the book was the assumption that a missing person cannot travel without their main car, or phone! I have known a goodly number of middle aged men with a Sunday driver car, and a second mobile. If not a third too...
I found this, at best generic. (The three stars are generous as I found it a good bed time read.) I didn't like the secondary characters, the female sergeant came across like George Carter, which is not good in a contemporary setting. All dumb action, but without the street smarts of Carter.
The plot turned in to a what dunnit, rather than who dunnit as this was never in question & I don't think that it was ever meant as such. I had worked out much of the plot, well before the end (no spoilers! There is not enough in the book to spoil.)
I believe that this was wanted to be known, as the initial incident that names the book could have been concealed & this is discussed in the prose.
I found the 'climax' very staged and old fashioned, from the time of Poirot & others who liked to show how clever they are at working out the puzzle.
Also, for all the billing of St Andrews as a location I did not feel the place as a part of the book. It could just as effectively be set anywhere there are distilleries.
A final point that annoyed me massively as I read the book was the assumption that a missing person cannot travel without their main car, or phone! I have known a goodly number of middle aged men with a Sunday driver car, and a second mobile. If not a third too...
July 1, 2021
Although this started well enough, for me it quite quickly felt one dimensional and tedious, with too much time spent with Gilchrist driving fast along dark roads and Jessie sniping and treating suspects in a manner which fell far short of PACE guidelines. And the ending was a long, long time coming.
March 10, 2023
In der Gleneden Distillery wird ein Fass mit einem besonderen Inhalt gefunden: der Leiche des verschwundenen Erben Hector Dunmore. Der wurde vor seinem Verschwinden das letzte Mal in Mallaigh an der schottischen Westküste gesehen, deshalb nahm man an, dass er dort ums Leben gekommen ist. Ein Irrtum, wie sich jetzt herausstellt.
Der Fall hat von an etwas Seltsames an sich. Die Aussagen des Arbeiters, der die Leiche fand und der Besitzerin widersprechen sich. Der Mann der Besitzerin macht sich auf eine geheimnisvolle Geschäftsreise und die Familie scheint mehr Leichen im Keller zu haben, als nur den Toten im Whiskyfass.
Die Ermittlungen sind nicht einfach. Die Familie behindert aufgrund ihrer Kontakte zu den höchsten Rängen bei der Polizei so sehr, dass schnell klar wird: hier wird etwas verborgen. Aber was?
Dead Still (ich mag das englische Wortspiel sehr ) ist eine seltsame Mischung. Der Fall ist eigentlich interessant, aber die Ermittlungen ziehen sich sehr in die Länge. Es gibt immer wieder Andeutungen, denen nicht gefolgt wird oder werden kann. Ich hatte früh einen Verdacht, der sich letztendlich auch bestätigt hat. Die Erklärung dazu war zwar stimmig, gleichzeitig auch übertrieben. Alleine der fiese Cliffhanger am Ende hat mich dazu gebracht, direkt zum nächsten Teil zu greifen.
Der Fall hat von an etwas Seltsames an sich. Die Aussagen des Arbeiters, der die Leiche fand und der Besitzerin widersprechen sich. Der Mann der Besitzerin macht sich auf eine geheimnisvolle Geschäftsreise und die Familie scheint mehr Leichen im Keller zu haben, als nur den Toten im Whiskyfass.
Die Ermittlungen sind nicht einfach. Die Familie behindert aufgrund ihrer Kontakte zu den höchsten Rängen bei der Polizei so sehr, dass schnell klar wird: hier wird etwas verborgen. Aber was?
Dead Still (ich mag das englische Wortspiel sehr ) ist eine seltsame Mischung. Der Fall ist eigentlich interessant, aber die Ermittlungen ziehen sich sehr in die Länge. Es gibt immer wieder Andeutungen, denen nicht gefolgt wird oder werden kann. Ich hatte früh einen Verdacht, der sich letztendlich auch bestätigt hat. Die Erklärung dazu war zwar stimmig, gleichzeitig auch übertrieben. Alleine der fiese Cliffhanger am Ende hat mich dazu gebracht, direkt zum nächsten Teil zu greifen.
August 19, 2025
An unusual murder investigation begins when a man's body is found in a 25 year old ageing cask at Gleneden Distillery. The body is quickly identified as Hector Dunmore, joint distillery owner who disappeared 25 years ago. His sister Katherine, owner of the distillery is a difficult person, only prepared to help the police as much as strictly necessary. Inspector Gilchrist and Sergeant Janes know that Hector's killer must have been someone closely connected with the distillery, and as their investigation proceeds they discover that the Dunmore family have many dark secrets.
A good original plot which I enjoyed reading.
A good original plot which I enjoyed reading.
January 5, 2022
I listened to the audiobook version with excellent narration, as usual, by David Monteath
Probably more of a 4 star but an extra star for the caustic wit of Jessie Janes who is becoming a formidable character.
When a body is found in a whisky cask at a distillery Andy Gilchrist is faced with an investigation of a wealthy, influential and historically dysfunctional family. Continuously hampered, with each new discovery Andy and Jessie uncover a dark and sordid past.
A tight story involving few characters but with a darkness and depth to it.
Probably more of a 4 star but an extra star for the caustic wit of Jessie Janes who is becoming a formidable character.
When a body is found in a whisky cask at a distillery Andy Gilchrist is faced with an investigation of a wealthy, influential and historically dysfunctional family. Continuously hampered, with each new discovery Andy and Jessie uncover a dark and sordid past.
A tight story involving few characters but with a darkness and depth to it.
December 8, 2022
T.F. Muir, like several other Scottish crime novelists, writes well. In fact, he writes exceedingly well with this ninth installment in his DCI Gilchrist series being a particular favourite of mine.
The author has a great skill for painting Scotland in winter in emotive tones of grey where the darkness inevitably seeps into his plots.
The plot gripped me from the very beginning with intricate details of a more and more complex plot engaging me and constantly surprising me. This is crime fiction at its very best and I can't wait to read the next in the series.
The author has a great skill for painting Scotland in winter in emotive tones of grey where the darkness inevitably seeps into his plots.
The plot gripped me from the very beginning with intricate details of a more and more complex plot engaging me and constantly surprising me. This is crime fiction at its very best and I can't wait to read the next in the series.
February 4, 2021
This is another very good read in the DCI Gilchrist series. A dead body in a whisky cask sets the scene for this one, with plenty twists and a rising body count. DS Jessie is really beginning to annoy me though with her combative and aggressive techniques! I love the setting and the insights into the personal lives of the officers and would highly recommend the series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.
March 26, 2021
Another great read
If you're looking for a great detective who done it I'd certainly recommend this book . Plenty to keep your mind occupied as you try to figure out who done it. You get to know the characters and get involved with their personal lives as they continue on in each book, but each book has a different problem to be solved Looking forward to the next one.
If you're looking for a great detective who done it I'd certainly recommend this book . Plenty to keep your mind occupied as you try to figure out who done it. You get to know the characters and get involved with their personal lives as they continue on in each book, but each book has a different problem to be solved Looking forward to the next one.
June 5, 2021
This is the first book i read in this series and I liked it as it's gripping and entertaining.
The plot is fast paced and it kept me hooked till the end.
Good character development, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
The plot is fast paced and it kept me hooked till the end.
Good character development, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
August 23, 2021
Dead Still by TF Muir
Dead Still by TF Muir is a gritty Scottish police saga with DCI Logan being the main character. The police team are investigating a death in a whisky distillery and one death leads to another.
Who, what and why? An interesting and compelling storyline and another excellent read by TF Muir.
Highly recommended
Dead Still by TF Muir is a gritty Scottish police saga with DCI Logan being the main character. The police team are investigating a death in a whisky distillery and one death leads to another.
Who, what and why? An interesting and compelling storyline and another excellent read by TF Muir.
Highly recommended
May 17, 2025
A complex case, centered around a distillery owner found dead in a whisky cask after being missing for 25 years. Unraveling this mystery will take all of Gilchrist's gut instincts. He does spend a lot of time questioning himself but his hunches are always spot on. Once again, I do not like his children and I do not like when he interacts with them. His daughter especially is so annoying.
December 18, 2022
I have loved this series of book up until now . Although it was an ok story which begins with a body being found in a whisky barrel it kind of gets a bit boring after that. I lost interest in it and just wanted to finish it. Not greatly impressed by this on.
November 20, 2023
An enjoyable read as the wonderful Gilchrist plays cat and mouse with the formidable Katherine Dunmore. Twists and turns aplenty and fast paced making this a compelling page turner. And if that wasn’t enough the author leaves us with a cliff hanger. Looking forward to the next instalment
March 18, 2020
This book was interesting, captivating and pretty easy to read. An interesting finish, i sure hope it's not the last one from this series.
March 18, 2020
Another excellent story. A 25 year old murder case and no clues. Can they solve it? yes they can!
February 21, 2021
A really enjoyable book, written with style and expertise that is well constructed and thrilling!.
I thoroughly recommend this book as it offers an interesting tale set in the heart of Scotland.
I thoroughly recommend this book as it offers an interesting tale set in the heart of Scotland.
April 21, 2022
Really enjoyed this book now going to see if I can buy the next one in this series
May 31, 2022
A book that you can't wait to turn the next page.
June 19, 2022
A gripping read. If you like Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels, you’ll like Muir’s Gilchrist.
March 27, 2023
Good read with lots of twists and turns.
December 10, 2023
Good read
May 21, 2023
Set in a distillery in St Andrews.
Enjoyed it
Enjoyed it
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews