Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Song of the Dead by Douglas Lindsay

First Lines: Friday afternoon. Standing in a queue at the supermarket, staring at the floor, the basket weighing heavily in my right hand.
 
Detective Inspector Ben Westphall needs all of his experience in MI6 and all of his intuition to solve his latest case. Twelve years ago, John Baden was killed in Estonia. His body was identified and buried. Yet he's just walked into a police station, and as strange as his story sounds, it's going to get even stranger.

Westfall travels from the Scottish Highlands to Estonia to investigate, but when the people on his list of suspects begin to die, he realizes that someone is trying to cover up the truth.

~

Each time I discover a new mystery series set in the Highlands of Scotland, I'm all over it like a rash. I've discovered several new authors this way, many of whom are on my favorites list. After forcing my way through Song of the Dead, I can categorically state that Douglas Lindsay did not make that list.

I could not connect with any of the characters, and although I liked being reminded of places like Inverness and the Cromarty Firth, soon the only reason why I continued to read this book was to try to figure out what was going on. However, the plot became more and more convoluted, and without a character I could connect with to guide me through the story, I was reading just to get to the bottom of things and finish the book.

Douglas Lindsay is not an author for me, but that's not to say that he can't be someone whose writing you enjoy-- especially if you like reading about places like Scotland and Estonia.

Song of the Dead by Douglas Lindsay
eISBN: 9781473696921
Hodder & Stoughton © 2019
eBook, 319 pages
 
Police Procedural, #1 DI Westphall mystery
Rating: D
Source: Purchased from Amazon.

8 comments:

  1. I'm really sorry to hear this one didn't work for you, Cathy. I'll be honest, though; I've tried Lindsay's work and couldn't connect with it, either. It just didn't happen for me.

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    1. The whole thing felt completely dispassionate... more of an exercise in writing than an attempt to tell a compelling story.

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  2. Like you, I'm drawn to Scottish crime novels...and several of my favorite authors come from that branch of the genre. Sorry to hear that this one didn't cut it...and sort of relieved, too, to find out the easy way. You took a bullet for the team this time; thanks.

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    1. You're welcome! (And thanks for making me laugh.)

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  3. Well, you read it so I don't have to is my philosophy.

    Too much to read.

    The "Best Mysteries of 2021" lists are starting to come out. So I'm taking notes. But I don't agree with all of the books listed. However, there are many I haven't heard about.

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    1. I never agree with those lists... but I do look at them.

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  4. Lists help me find new reads, which I research. Never take a list on faith.

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    1. Only if a newbie, and if the newbie is burned once, pay heed!

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