More than a simple murder-suicide
Book: Dead Men’s Bones Author: James Oswald Reviewed by: Samantha Keogh Review made possible by: Penguin
Wealthy Scottish businessman turned politician, Andrew Weatherley, shoots his wife and two daughters dead then turns the gun on himself.
On the face of it, it’s a simple murder-suicide and the police are pressured to clear up the case quickly and without uncovering any scandal.
Detective Inspector Tony McLean, known for his unorthodox investigations and a pain in his superiors’ posteriors, is trying to solve the mystery of a naked man discovered dead in a river, whose entire body is covered with recent tattoos.
Somewhat surprisingly, given his reputation, he is saddled with the Weatherly case and he refuses to invest in a cover-up.
Especially so after he receives late-night home visits from the security services and is sent photos and other evidence by them which show that Weatherley enjoyed orgies at his remote cottage and liked filming the participants and blackmailing them even more.
The more McLean delves, the more obvious it is that the Weatherley case and the tattooed man case are connected.
In the rubble of a rapidly-being-demolished lunatic asylum in which Weatherly’s company was a major shareholder, he also finds evidence that the two cases might be related to some sort of underground sect which has been killing homeless people for decades.
This is James Oswald’s fourth Inspector McLean mystery and he has managed to carry forward the detailed plot work which has made the previous three books successful.
The Inspector McLean tales are reminiscent of Ian Rankin’s Rebus narratives but have a lighter touch in the telling.
