by Lin Anderson
SYNOPSIS
A remote shoreline. A lethal killer. As lone visitors disappear from the rural northwest of Scotland, campsites are becoming crime scenes. The Wild Coast is a chilling thriller from Lin Anderson.
When forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod is brought in to analyse a shallow grave on Scotland’s west coast, she is disturbed by a bundle of twigs crafted into a stickman and left in the victim’s mouth.
Then, when a young woman is reported missing from a nearby campsite with another sinister figurine left in her van, it seems that someone is targeting wild campers. An idyllic coastline known for providing peace and serenity, now the area is a hunting ground.
As her investigation proceeds, Rhona is forced to reconsider her closest bonds. Rumours of sexual assault offences by serving police officers are circling in Glasgow, which may include her trusted colleague DS Michael McNab. Could it be true, or is someone looking to put him out of action?
All the while a young woman’s life is on the line and the clock is ticking . . .
REVIEW
The Wild Coast is book number 17 in the Rhona MacLeod series but this was the first book that I had read from author Lin Anderson. Normally I would be wary of jumping into a series at book 17, thinking I would either be lost because I wasn't aware of the history of the characters, or I would be annoyed that I hadn't read them in order because of any spoilers etc. However, The Wild Coast was just fantastic, a really solid police procedural. There was obviously some romantic/relationship history with one or two of the characters that I wasn't aware of, but that didn't have any impact on the investigation so I was completely able to enjoy it as a standalone.
Having the lead character Rhona work as a forensic scientist (but within the wider police team throughout the case), there was an opportunity to see the impact of the various different job roles and how they interact during a murder investigation which I really loved. Each member of the team had different strengths, or authority, to work on different elements of the case. The thing I thought was brilliant here was that the story didn't just focus solely on Rhona like I had imagined it would. The secondary characters were all given a lot of attention, seeing things from their points of view and following their roles in the case. I thought this was a really nice touch because a police procedural normally follows one detective/investigator or partnership. For me this highlighted the true team effort needed to crack a case.
Set in Glasgow and on the north west coast of Scotland, the scene setting was incredibly detailed and created the perfect atmosphere for this particular murder case. It's not an area I have ever been to but I pictured myself right there with Rhona and the team as clearly as I sit here writing this review. The investigation itself was a real surprise to me - considering this is 17 cases into a series, the murder and surrounding investigation was brutal. It was much darker than I was expecting and an incredible amount of tension built throughout the story. I think that this was because it felt so real. The case wasn't far-fetched at all, it could easily have been a real story taken from the news which made it so effective.
I had a feeling that I would enjoy The Wild Coast based on the blurb, but I really wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. Author Lin Anderson has a new fan and the great news is that I have 16 older investigations that I can now go back and enjoy!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lin Anderson is a Scottish author and screenwriter known for her bestselling crime series featuring forensic scientist Dr Rhona MacLeod. Four of her novels have been longlisted for the Scottish Crime Book of the Year, and in 2022 she was shortlisted for the Crime Writers Association Dagger in the Library Award. Lin is the co-founder of the international crime-writing festival Bloody Scotland, which takes place annually in Stirling.
Thanks to Random Things Tours - @RandomTTours, Pan Macmillan - @panmacmillan and Lin Anderson - @Lin_Anderson for the opportunity to read and review.
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Genre: Thriller / Police Procedural
ISBN: 978-1529084566
Pages: 480pp
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