I decided to have another visit with the remarkable Skelf women who operate a funeral home and private investigations business in Edinburgh.

The events described occur a year after The Big Chill. Dorothy is now in a relationship with Thomas and still housing Abi, a teenager with a turbulent family life. Jenny has parted from Liam but is still anxious about the whereabouts of her ex-husband Craig who is still a fugitive. Hannah, in a strong and positive relationship with Indy, graduates and is embarking on a PhD in astrophysics.

Each of the three becomes involved in investigations. Dorothy’s dog finds a human foot and, as expected, sets out to find the owner. Jenny is hired by two adult children to investigate their mother’s caregiver whom they think is scamming her. A postgraduate student asks Hannah to investigate the authenticity of messages that appear to come from outer space.

And these are just the beginning. There is so much going on; for example, there’s a kidnapping, a suicide, unexpected family reunions, a panther attack, and a disinterment. The pace is perfect, with several surprises. Suspense ramps up, as more than one of the women ends up in danger.

For me, much of the interest lies in the women. They are such authentic personalities, flawed and fragile but with strong, admirable traits. They are loving, determined, and unstintingly loyal and supportive: “the Skelfs were the support network, the comfort through all this shit.” Their compassion is also outstanding; I love how they reach out to help others. Yet they all possess distinct identities with passions of their own. Dorothy loves her drums and Hannah is fascinated by science, especially physics.

The theme could be summarized as connection - the interconnectedness of all things and the human need to connect: “We are all joined to each other in millions of ways, from the subatomic level to the size of the cosmos” and “’We all need connection in our lives.’” Near the end, Hannah thinks “about all the other people out there in the universe looking for a connection.” Even the title, another name for the Fermi paradox, emphasizes this theme.

Anyone looking for a crime fiction that offers more than just a mystery and detective work should certainly pick up this series. There is family drama, action and suspense, humour, insightful reflections on life, and truly memorable characters.

I encourage readers to connect with the Skelfs!

Note: Please check out my reader's blog (https://schatjesshelves.blogspot.com/) and follow me on Twitter (@DCYakabuski). ( )

The Great Silence – The Skelfs are back

Doug Johnstone returns with his Edinburgh based mystery series, which continues to go from strength to strength. Featuring three generations of Skelf females who run a family funeral directors and private investigations business, which is no easy task and keeps them all on their toes.

Dorothy discovers a severed human foot under a bush while out walking her feisty little dog. A perplexing case into which she dives head-first, which brings her face to face with death. It also spurs her on to find out what is happening across the more suburban greener parts of Edinburgh. Dead feet do not just appear.

Dorothy’s daughter Jenny and grand-daughter Hannah also have their hands rather full. Both in fear of Craig, husband and father, an escaped criminal, who the police cannot find. Jenny puts in more than an investigation to try and find her husband, as the police are not exactly rushing around to find him. While he is on the run he is a danger to both Jenny and Hannah. Jenny is putting herself in danger.

Hannah has to move back in with the Skelf women as her dad has left her a graduation message at the home she shares with her girlfriend. She is about to embark on a PhD in the Physics department at Edinburgh, when she is engaged to investigate the messages that one of her colleagues keeps receiving.

Also thrown into the chaos of the Skelf home, is their teenage lodger, who has rather a large shock, when she finds out her father is also her grand-father. Confused and angry, things could get out of control for her, especially when her biological father commits suicide outside the Skelf household.

What this adds up to is a number of challenging investigations, which will lead them to come face to face with danger. Whether they survive is a different matter. What the reader gets is a tense and emotional rollercoaster of a ride. There are ups and downs.

It is fantastic to have strong female protagonists, who are enjoyable to read about. While being a touching and often funny portrayal of grief. Doug Johnstone is a fine Scottish writer, who has crafted an excellent story. ( )