1A

Any thoughts what is happening in the first chapter? Are there any clues as to where the action in this chapter is taking place?

The opening narrative of the frightened young girl huddled in hiding set me thinking that the story would be about a serial killer targeting young immigrant girls and it also a theme of the occult.

A little immigrant girl is escaping a Syrian city being blown apart from bombs as the wind whistles through an old building rubble soaked in blood of her friends and family.

I figured that it might be Syria, but it could have been anywhere. I agree with >2 JohnDBurke: that it's probably about a serial killer since all of his books have been thus far.

I couldn’t see any specific clues, but allusion to freezing air and snow might mean McLean’s home territory of Scotland. I’m guessing this girl/woman is a refugee from desert climes, maybe even an illegal immigrant.

Given the references to the country and other clues I assumed it would either be Iraq or Syria.
As others have said it is always likely to be a serial killer targeting those who had emigrated to Scotland. Already we had reference to the occult.