The Cursed Road

We first met DI Georgina (George) Lennox and DI Richard (Ritchie) Stewart in the crime novel, The Wolf Tree, by Laura McCluskey. The Cursed Road is the sequel to that novel. 

When the body of a young unidentified woman is discovered in the highlands of Scotland and a possible link between the victim and a cold case from ten years previously, George and Ritchie are assigned the case. The young woman's body was found at the side of a road known to the locals as 'the cursed road'. For hundreds of years there has been a feud between two families living near the road.

The Cursed Road takes the reader into a world of mystery, intrigue and horror as the two detectives try to discover the identity of the murdered woman and who killed her as well as links that might help them solve the cold case that Ritchie first worked on ten years previously. George and Ritchie are still coming to terms with health issues resulting from their previous case. Journalist, Hendry Shaw, is also back on the scene looking for an interview with George for a story he is working on.

The Cursed Road by Laura McCluskey is a gripping police procedural set in, at times, an almost gothic atmosphere. A new addition to the genre of Tartin Noir.

The Wolf Tree

Eilean Eadar is a small island off the Scottish coast that does not welcome outsiders. When news of a suspicious death reaches the mainland, DI Georgina Lennox and DI Richard Stewart travel to the island to investigate. The body of eighteen year old Alan Ferguson had been found at the bottom of a lighthouse. The locals said it was suicide. The police are not so sure.

Initially the police receive a friendly reception from some of the locals but when it is realised that the police will be on the island for five days, attitudes change dramatically. Gradually the police learn how this small fishing community is run by a council and the local priest. Although on the surface a Christian community, the police soon discover the strong belief in local superstition held by the local inhabitants. This will definitely not be an easy case to solve.

The relationship between the two police officers also becomes strained as Richard appears to be over protective of the younger officer who is returning to the service after receiving severe injuries when solving another crime. 

The oppressive weather does not assist in the investigation as the police officers carry out their investigations.