Atmospheric page-turner set in and around Glencoe
Set in and around the brooding landscape of Glencoe, DSI William Lorimer and his friend, Zimbabwean ex-cop Daniel Kohi, investigate an accidental (?) death, two brutal murders and the disappearance of a vulnerable witness. It is a testament to the author's skill that I read this nineteenth book in the series as a satisfying standalone novel. It has tempted me catch up on the rest of the series and characters' back stories. The plotting was deft and the writing brought the landscapes and history to life. Descriptions of the rural communities stayed just the right side of cliche.
The book was well-paced and absorbing with some appealing characters. I’m looking forward to finding out more about their background by reading earlier books.
Thank you to the LoveReading for introducing me to Alex Gray.
This is a gripping mystery that has many possible suspects.
This is a gripping mystery that has many possible suspects. The setting is in the Scottish Highlands. The community is close knit and everyone knows what is happening with everyone in the village. When DSI William Lorimer and his friend Daniel Kohi, who is from the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe, found a body on their walk, they became part of the team that helped solve the murders and kidnapping. There are a lot of clues to lead you to a couple of suspects, until right near the end of the book you find out what has really been happening.
DSI William Lorimer and his team are drafted in to support the local police when two bodies are found near Glencoe. A further unexplained death and the disappearance of a local teenager add to the team’s challenges. Is a serial killer at work? What secrets lie at the heart of these murders? A gripping novel full of tension and challenge.
I had not met this author - Alex Gray - or detective, DSI William Lorimer before. However I will be looking to read more by this author and hear more from the DSI. I liked his supporting colleagues as well and hope to hear more about Daniel Kohi.
The novel is set around Glencoe and the wildness and harshness of the scenery adds to the atmosphere. The close knit community of characters brings the place alive.
Two bodies are discovered close to the village and a third unexplained death bring DSI Lorimer and his MIT team to the village. Add the disappearance of a local teenage girl to the mix and the team have much to unravel.
Dark secrets lie at the heart of this novel. Preconceptions are challenged and the reader is gripped to the end.
An enjoyable tale of murder in the Scottish Highlands
This is the 19th in the Detective Lorimer series, although I had not read any of the previous books in the series so was coming to the regular characters fresh. This did not create any problems as it could be read as a standalone, although you would probably gain more if you read the series from the beginning. The story is set in the Scottish Highlands around Glencoe which provides a stunning and atmospheric location. DSI Lorimer is taking a break from his usual Glasgow to unwind in the Highlands but he soon becomes involved in a murder investigation when he and a friend discover a body on one of their hikes. This sets the scene for an interesting police procedural, with a few twists to keep your interest. The characters, particularly Lorimer's colleagues who are called in to investigate, are well developed and I felt as if I was alongside them in the investigation. Overall, entertaining enough to make me seek out the previous books in the series.
Alex Gray’s writing is so descriptive you will easily imagine you are right there in the Scottish Highlands with the characters.
Echo of the Dead is Alex Gray’s 19th novel about DSI William Lorimer. However, this is my first time reading a Lorimer novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were so many plot twists and murders I was kept guessing throughout the book.
In this novel Lorimer and his friend Daniel Kohi have travelled to the Scottish Highlands to climb a mountain. All is going well until they spot a dead body on a ledge. At first it looks like the unfortunate climber has met an early death. Daniel is convinced the climber is grasping something in his hand but when the rescue crew retrieve his body nothing is found. What makes this discovery even more puzzling is that one of the rescue crew were seen descending the mountain at the same time of the death but he denies witnessing anything.
Lorimer did remind me a bit of of Rebus so Alex Gray’s novels are perfect for fans of Rebus. However, Echo of the Dead is not your average novel as another two bodies are discovered. It wasn’t until the end of the novel that I finally figured out who the killer was.
A brilliant read.
Atmospheric and eerie, with the bodies are piling up and a teenage girl going missing can DSI Lorimer catch the killer before it’s too late
The Echo of the Dead is my first book by Alex Gray and is a thrilling murder mystery set in the beautiful but treacherous landscape of the Scottish Highlands. What starts out as a simple climbing trip in Glencoe for DSI William Lorimer and his friend Daniel, ends with the search for a serial killer. DSI Lorimer leads the investigation as he tries to uncover the truth behind the brutal killings. The book is full of twists and turns as Lorimer and his team try to unravel the clues and track down the killer. The writing is engaging and the characters are well-developed, making it easy to get lost in the story. The setting of the highlands adds an eerie and atmospheric quality to the book, and the descriptions of the landscape are vivid and immersive. Overall, The Echo of the Dead is a captivating and suspenseful read that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Fast paced, well written and a cracking read, Echo of the Dead will keep you turning the pages until the end.
This novel tips you into the story full pelt and keeps you there. The atmosphere and scenery of the Scottish Highlands is perfectly described and it's clear that climbers respect the mountains and are cautious, making sure they're safe when scaling the heights. So how was it that an expert climber fell to his death and how is this related to yet more deaths? Enter DCI Lorimer and his crew. Thoughtful, resourceful and respectful about stepping on the locals' toes, they set out to discover who and why these deaths occurred. The characters are well-drawn, believable and although I haven't read any Alex Gray books before this (number 19 of 20 in the series) it doesn't matter. The story stands alone and is fast paced. I guessed who the killer was but it didn't matter, the novel was well written and very enjoyable.