Published September 12th, 2024 by Orenda Books
Mystery, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Noir Ficiton, Crime Series, Women Sleuths
It’s the final week of Skelf Summer and I’m sharing my review for Living is a Problem, the latest brilliant instalment in the series. Thank you to Orenda books for the invitation to take part and for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
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ABOUT THE BOOK:
Drones, gangland vendettas, a missing choir singer, disturbances in the cemetery, PTSD, panpsychism, and secrets from the past … This can ONLY mean one thing! The Skelfs are back, and things are as nail-biting, tense and warmly funny as ever!
‘Hurroo! The Skelfs — Edinburgh funeral directors and part-time private eyes — are back … the persistence of love in the Skelf household, no matter what fate flings at it, is reassuring and life-affirming’ The Times Book of the Month
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The Skelf women are back on an even keel after everything they’ve been through. But when a funeral they’re conducting is attacked by a drone, Jenny fears they’re in the middle of an Edinburgh gangland vendetta.
At the same time, Yana, a Ukrainian member of the refugee choir that plays with Dorothy’s band, has gone missing. Searching for her leads Dorothy into strange and ominous territory.
And Brodie, the newest member of the extended Skelf family, comes to Hannah with a case: Something or someone has been disturbing the grave of his stillborn son.
Everything is changing for the Skelfs … Dorothy’s boyfriend Thomas is suffering PTSD after previous violent trauma, Jenny and Archie are becoming close, and Hannah’s case leads her to consider the curious concept of panpsychism, which brings new danger … while ghosts from the family’s past return to threaten their very lives.
Funny, shocking and profound, Living Is A Problem is the highly anticipated sixth instalment of the unforgettable Skelfs series – shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Novel and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Book of the Year – where life and death become intertwined more than ever before…
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MY REVIEW:
Skelf Summer has come to end so I’m sharing my review for the sixth and latest book in the series, Living is a Problem, which was released last week. As always, it starts with a bang, and this time there’s a drone attack on a funeral that has all the mourners running for cover. And there’s little time to catch your breath as the action keeps going with gangland vendettas, strange disturbances at a grave and a missing mum.
The Skelf women are back for another witty, tense and twisty instalment in what has become one of my favourite series. What’s impressed me so much about reading these back-to-back is how the quality has remained consistently high with its nail-biting tension and dark wit. These books are complex, layered, chaotic, outrageous and entertaining, keeping me hooked from beginning to end then leaving me wanting more when it’s over. Doug Johnstone’s writing is always exquisite, deeply human and insightful, exploring some serious topics in ways that are relatable, moving and uplifting all at the same time. This time around he explores PTSD, panpsychism (the belief that all things have a mind or mind-like quality), refugees and the loss of a child alongside the usual family drama. Johnstone also examines environmental concerns as we see the Skelf women becoming natural undertakers and holding eco-friendly burials. I found these parts really interesting as I’d never thought about the economic impact of a funeral and it was interesting to hear about the more environmentally friendly ways we can bury or cremate our loved ones.
But the best part of these books is the characters, particularly the Skelf women themselves. Compelling, full of depth and relatable, I love these women. They feel like old friends at this point and it’s been a joy to follow them on their highs and lows over the past six books. And I still have a soft spot for Dorothy, the matriarch of her family. If only I could be like her now, let alone in my eighth decade. I also love the community surrounding them who I have got to know really well at this point. I think building that connection and familiarity with the characters is my favourite part about reading a series. But what am I going to do now that I face the long wait for a new Skelf book? I will miss these characters so much.
I can’t recommend this amazing series enough. While you could read this or the others as standalones, I would recommend reading from the beginning. You won’t regret it.
Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Doug Johnstone is the author of Fourteen novels, includingThe Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), was published in 2022, with The Opposite of Lonely (book five) out in 2023. Several of his books have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was a BBC2 Between the Covers pick. He’s taught creative writing, been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.
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BUY THE BOOK:
Orenda Books | Bookshop.org* | Waterstones* | Amazon*
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx
