The Girls in the Glen

Detective Shona Oliver #3

by Lynne McEwan

If the dead could speak, what secrets would they tell?

With her daughter on an archaeological dig, the only bodies DI Shona Oliver expects to find are long-dead. But when a corpse from the 1980s is unearthed, Shona quickly realises that it may be one of the missing “Girls in the Glen”, victim of a notorious serial killer.

Shona’s superiors want her to stop looking to the past, and focus on a fresher crime scene. The attempted shooting of a local politician who likes to stoke controversy.

As Shona finds herself pulled between crimes past and present, she soon realises that the secrets buried on Beild Moss are reaching into the present day.

But when even her own officers are keeping things from her, who can she trust? Especially when more lives may be at stake…

Genres: Crime, Mystery, Scotland, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published May 18, 2023

About the author

Glasgow-born Lynne McEwan is a former national newspaper photographer turned crime author. She's covered stories including the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the first Gulf War in addition to many high profile murder cases.
She currently lives in Lincoln and is in the final year of an MA in Crime Fiction at the University of East Anglia.

Reviews

[Pgchuis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

I never really warmed to this story. There was a lot of angst and hostility - between Shona and her husband (sadly she still hasn't ditched him), Shona and the local sergeant, Shona and her DC Kate, Shona and her boss, Shona and a local archaeology professor, the local 'Mafia-style reiver families (we heard a LOT about Border reivers). The cases Shona was investigating weren't that interesting either - an injury during a grouse shoot, and a cold case (the 'Girls in the Glen' of the title).

I think I'm done with this series.

[Mags · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first introduction to the Detective Shona Oliver series, and it certainly was an engaging one. As The Girls in the Glen is filled with detail and a nice amount of mystery.

As DI Oliver and her daughter Becca are out spending time together on an archelogical dig. When Becca helps uncover some human remains. Which are quickly identified as being recently buried.

But before Shona can act. An officer arrives informing her of a shooting at a nearby estate.

Only when Shona arrives, she learns the victim is a rather opinionated Scottish MP. Who has been hit with a bullet from a rifle rather than the shotguns of the shooting party. Which means there is a gunman on the loose and with plenty of places to hide and targets to hit the race begin's to find them.

But who could want an MP dead? And what about the remains? Could they really be one of the missing 'Girls in the Glen' ?

And as DI Oliver investigates she has to deal with a husband on trial and secrets. Not just those buried on Belid Moss but from her team and higher ups who'd rather she concentrate on the present and forget the past.

But Shona is determined to get answers. No matter the cost and with lots detail of the area and some twists and turns. This was an enjoyable mystery, that I'd happily recommend to others.

My thanks to Canelo Crime and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of The Girls in the Glen. 😊

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A police procedural involving historical and recent crimes in the borders between Scotland and Cumbria. Shona is the main detective, supported by her team . She, herself, has some family problems and her husband is in London and her daughter involved with an archeological investigation for much of the book. Although I have read othes in the series, this book reads fine as a stand alone . Perhaps having read previous episodes would give more insight in Shona's family circumstances but it doesn't necessarily add to the investigation or the action in the book.
I like the location and the team of detectives , in this book the main emphasis is on Murdo and others in the team have more of a background role. Some of the book is written in the dialect of the region, which I am never too keen on. I suppose in some ways it does indicate local ties between characters which go back years. Mostly things are resolved in the book, though there are some issues for a new installment , which I look forward to reading.
THanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third outing for DI Shona Oliver. A shooting at a grouse party and a body discovered in the peat are the mysteries under investigation. The story never really got going for me, it was rather slow paced, with too many descriptive passages. There was no sense of excitement and everyone seemed at odds with each other. Following on from the previous two books, I thought that the characters would be developed a lot more than they were. In this book they lacked substance and were rather one dimensional. Reasonably entertaining but definitely lacking some energy.
I received a free review copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for my honest and unedited review.

[Janaya Kabamba · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid story but the writing style wasn't for me. I prefer more action and less description. Certainly this would be a must read for those who do prefer a more descriptive style

[Mrs Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buried bodies, buried secrets Shona digs up uncomfortable truths

You can read this as a standalone, it has all its own power and punch but know that there are three other books featuring Wee Shona and her police work as a detective in the Solway region. We are her face the aristocracy on an estate and so the focus is less on water more on land but Shona still gets a ducking and is saved by gee team and team as well as her training. The past features as strongly as the present and we learn more about how past actions infect taint and can trigger further pain but McEwan, while not shying away from exercising justice where it is deserved tempers it in this novel with forgiveness. We see more of Murdo and less of the frustrating Rob but the focus on Shona both her strengths and her challenges makes this an exciting fast paced read. Throw yourself into the world of this part of Scotlad and hear those who live here and love it enjoy their experiences of it while never losing sight of its wild demanding nature.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

DI Shona Oliver book 3.

When Shona visits her daughter at a local archaeological dig the last thing she expects is for a body dated from the 80s to be discovered. Have they found a victim of the notorious Girls in the Glen murders?

When Shona is ordered off the case to investigate the shooting of a local MP she feels torn. Are the past and the present cases connected?

With plenty of drama in her private life can Shona keep it together and find the shooter while also keeping her investigation into the missing girls from her superiors.

This is a great book that had me hooked from the first page. With plenty of twists to keep you guessing this is a must read for all crime genre fans.

[Anne - Books of My Heart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent installment in the series. I really like Shona. She manages a lot of difficult people with some skill even if it is difficult for her. And so many people lie to her. Murdo and Ravi are rocks. They are excellent team members. There was more about Murdo in this book because of events in his old home town. We learned more about him and his history.

Becca was involved in an archaeology dig which found some modern bodies. At an event, a local politician got shot. Finally, Shona made a case for reviewing the Girls in the Glen case from 30 years ago.

All during these cases, Rob is in London prepping for his case. We don't learn much about it.

[juliettiae · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5🌟 - I was expecting an okay easy detective read, but I was actually very pleasantly surprised by how great this book was. I immediately felt really immersed in the plot, which cleverly balanced past and present as well as insights into regional and class divisions, internal politics, and police procedure. I enjoyed the archaeological element and felt the side characters, particularly murdo, were very well fleshed out. I didn't care about the husband's side plot and felt it was slightly irrelevant, but I could have felt differently had I followed the series instead of reading this book as a standalone. overall, an unexpected gem and I would defo continue with the series !

[Jady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overwhelming

Whilst this book had plots and twists galore , was full of characters, it was hard going and quite sombre. Shona plodded on successfully thank goodness. Give her a break, husband Rob seems selfish and useless. This took me even longer than usual as I kept falling asleep sometimes losing my place. I had to go back a few chapters as it didn’t make sense . I did suspect the culprit early on . I realise the author fully researched her history, it was rather depressing.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

With her daughter on an archaeological dig, the only bodies DI Shona Oliver expects to find are long-dead. But when a corpse from the 1980s is unearthed, Shona quickly realises that it may be one of the missing “Girls in the Glen”, victim of a notorious serial killer.
Shona’s superiors want her to stop looking to the past, and focus on a fresher crime scene. The attempted shooting of a local politician who likes to stoke controversy.
This is ok but is more complicated than it could be - lots of red herrings and side stories that'll keep you guessing.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second Shona Oliver book, and a doozy. Shona’s 16-year-old daughter Becca is on an archeological dig, when the body of a young girl is discovered in the peat. When police realize she was one of a group of women and girls murdered years ago, it causes reawakening of interest in the old serial killer case.

As Shona investigates, clues suggest that the murderer, who died in prison some years before, may have been falsely convicted. Following the trail of the old investigation causes controversy in the community, raising old resentments.

An excellent mystery.

[Lisa Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book by this author that I have picked up. Shona's husband is in trouble over taxes and facing a trial in London, meanwhile Shona is trying to make it as a policewoman with an unsupportive boss and desperately afraid that she will lose her team, then when her daughter makes friends with some girls who's Dad pleads guilty to murder you do start to wonder where it will all end. Enjoyed the bog bodies not so much the human interactions

[Martha Brindley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I do enjoy books by this author. Crime fiction, set in Scotland, well written and plenty interesting characters woven through a clever plot. DI Shona Oliver is becoming one of my favourite characters in book 3 of this series. Shona is investigating the shooting of a politician and a cold case from the 1980's. Another highly recommended read and a very good series. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read more in the series when they are released, I woud like to find out what happens to some of the characters.
An archaeological dig is going on and Shona's daughter Becca is taking part.
However, she finds a body which is only 30 years old.
I wasn't fond of the fact that a Douglas was to blame [can't think why that would be]

[Anne Herbison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A past-meets-the-future book set in reiver country with a mix of aristocracy and their staff, tenants and their families, and an archaeological dig. As in the previous two books, there's tension between DI Shona Oliver and the chain of command, and uncertainties in her personal life, to keep the reader engaged.

[Elaine Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weak storyline, lazy editing and a significant character fault with the lead character earns
only two stars. Volumes one and two earned three stars and I had hoped for an improvement
but I'm done .
Shona has relationship problems with everyone, family, staff, superiors and colleagues.
Demanding respect and giving none is not a style I can endorse.

[David Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly well-researched and well-written thriller, featuring a previously seldom-charted location with an unusual cast of highly interesting characters. The relatively recent Author, Lynne McEwan, has surely set a high bar for herself with her 3 x DI Shona Oliver series … but I can hardly wait for number 4!

[Joanne Fairbrother · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another enjoyable book in this borders of Scotland based series. Well written only spoiled by random paragraphs where the main character talks in broad Scots when she doesn't for the rest of the book. Whilst jarring this hasn't prevented the book being enjoyable or my going straight onto the next in the series.

[Jill Stirling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. The stories in it had the potential to be very interesting but the last the on politics and political issues was annoying and distracted me from the story as did the personal angst of the female detective.

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was an interesting read with interesting characters. Shona and her team worked hard to get the truth. Would recommend.

[Laura Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve read the previous 2 books in the DI Shona Oliver series but this was a disappointment in comparison. It only started getting good about 25 pages towards the end. Having said that, I will read the 4th book.

[nick martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good Scottish mystery

Well developed characters, good plot in an atmospheric land. All the main detective tropes, police officer with domestic problems, reliable old sergeant, political senior officer, suspicious nobility and Machiavellian politician. Just as it should be.

[John Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very slow at times and the storyline dragged. A disappointing ending in some ways but good to catch up with Shona and the team. The next book looks better. I recommend the series but maybe not this book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cracking story.

[Eileen Stubbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book hope there is a follow up as I’d like to no how Shona’s husband gets on, enjoyed the mystery about it and i was completely shocked at the out come

[Bill Pye · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more of her books I read the better they get. Different place to learn about and interesting shifting plots.

[Alan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lynne McEwan just gets better and better. Such a great plot, with great characters, all with their own individual stories. Can't wait for the next installment!

[Linda Jewell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apart from being a little on the over descriptive side, and finding myself skimming some pages, I liked both the story & characters.

[Anne MacLennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, really enjoyed it, well certainly didn't expect the outcome it had of who the killer was. Highly recommend