The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey

BOOK REVIEW

The Wolf Tree is a debut crime thriller, set on the isolated Scottish island of Eilean Eadar.

Detective Inspectors Georgina Lennox and Richie Stewart are dispatched from Glasgow to investigate the apparent suicide of 18-year-old Alan Ferguson, who was found dead at the base of the island’s decommissioned lighthouse.

The novel has garnered praise for its atmospheric setting and suspenseful narrative and the author’s skill in building suspense around the island’s desolate, bleak, eerie environment.

I usually devour books of this genre and I would describe this as a novel blending modern crime procedures with slow-burning suspense; it is not a twist-heavy thriller.

If you enjoy mysteries and police practices that take place in an isolated setting with great world-building, then look no further than this debut.

It is more psychological, more about the undercurrents of community and memory, about what we bury, what resurfaces, and how trauma weaves itself into a place.

Its super power is the setting; you are pulled into a foggy, windswept place where the landscape itself is a character.

It is moody, watchful, holding its breath, it lingers around the edges like a shadow just out of reach.

I loved the cultish vibes of these people who are seemingly stuck in a time warp.

The community is self-contained, rooted in tradition and not open to outsiders.

These islanders are hostile, the priest is too nosy, and strange events seem to occur.

The main characters are layered, flawed and deeply human.

Georgina, the principal detective, is especially prickly, vulnerable and a completely engaging heroine; she shows unexpected moments of softness while carrying her own wounds and trying to make sense of the island’s secrets.

The writing is sharp.

While the middle slows a bit, it feels intentional with characters who feel as unsettled as the land they walk on.

I did not see the ending coming – the last quarter of the book definitely picks up in pace.

For a debut it is sensational but I would have to agree with the 3.86 on Goodreads.

Julie Chessman