I wouldn't say that this is an appealing book, more an engaging one. The story centres on a group of people who hail from Hobbs Brae originally, some still remain, some are returners. And someone is killing them.
Jack Russell is the DCI who needs to solve the case before anyone else comes to harm. His colleague Colin Clements needs to learn to be less impatient for dead man's shoes!
Jerome regrets the way he brought up his son Scott, and misses his deceased wife, as he struggles to run his farm.
Alice is struggling with fugues and forgetfulness brought on by her dementia. She doesn't know that her son Alistair has gone missing, presumed dead.
Matthew White has his own secrets and is determined to come out on top, being a successful business man, he has no intention of failing.
And others in the village have their own agendas, good, bad and indifferent.
I enjoyed this book, but I don't feel like it is finished, maybe the next book needs to be read straight after, to give that satisfied reader feeling!

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book took me forever to read. It was extremely frustrating trying to figure out who was talking when because the dialogue all seemed to run together. The characters were also difficult to keep track of, I kept getting confused as to what happened to who.
I didn't connect to any of the characters and I found that the 2 police officers who I think were supposed to be the protagonists of the novel, were in fact juvenile and petty. I think I was supposed to feel sorry for both Jack and Collins when in fact, I just wanted them to get over themselves.
The ending was very underwhelming and slightly confusing but at this point, I'm just glad I managed to get through it.
I didn't like it.

“The most violent thunderstorm in living memory occurs above a sleepy village on the West Coast of Scotland. A young couple take shelter in the woods, never to be seen again...”

This is a really good read. DCI Jack Russell is close to retirement so this is his last case before he goes. Tensions are running high between him and one of his colleagues, who is desparate for his job.
Jack doesn’t let this stand in his way and puts his all into trying to find out what happened to the young couple.
A large amount of blood is soon discovered so things don’t look good and soon a murder enquiry is underway.
There are several people in the village with secrets that they want to stay hidden and Jack has to try and work his way to the truth.
This is a gripping read.
Thanks to Unbound Digital and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Really liked “A Murder of Crows”. This is very much a character driven book. Every character has at least some flesh to their bones. Major characters much more so than minor ones. We have Jack Russell, a DCI, on his last case before retirement. His partner of many years Colin Clements. Colin has an odd hatred for Jack. This last case should be a simple missing persons case. It quickly becomes apparent that this is a murder investigation.

Each suspect or interviewee has their own personality. Alice has Dementia and with a part-time caretaker ,Helen. It is Alice’s son Alistaire who is missing. To add a demension her husband also went missing many years earlier. Then we have the disquieting relationship between the farmer Jerome and his son Scott. Jerome is the neighbor of Alice. Add to this mix is Matthew the stalker of Caroline, Alistaire’s pregnant girlfriend. Each adds a bit to the storyline. We also have Jack’s son who is always in the backseat of his car.

The writing is somewhat casual but with no extraneous sentences it tugs at you to move forward.. No real lulls in the plot. Conversations, though minimal, ring true to each personality.

The tone of the book at the start is as dark as the storm brewing off the coast that hits with a never seen ferocity in this small Scottish town. It lightens up as the storm breaks but the storm seems to double back on the town adding another layer of darkness.

The one nitpicky dislike is the book blurb adds an element that I didn’t find in the book.

Ian Skewis is an author to watch. He states at the end that Jack will be back. There are also a few other characters that could become their own story. The ending gives Ian Skewis multiple avenues to explore beyond the standard sequel that follows a specific character through multiple cases.

I wish to thank the publisher Unbound Digital, the author Ian Skewis, and NetGalley for my copy of “A Murder of Crows” in exchange for my honest review.

This book moves extremely slow. I really can't recommend this one.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, I was not able to finish this book which means I will not be able to review it. I truly appreciate the opportunity and apologize for the inconvenience the lack of review may cause you.

A Murder of Crows
by Ian Skewis
Unbound
Unbound Digital
General Fiction (Adult) , Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 27 Mar 2017
I am reviewing a copy of A Murder of Crows through Unbound digital and Netgalley:
In Scotland the most violent Thunderstorm in living memory happens above a sleepy village on the West Coast of the Country. During the storm a young couple takes shelter in the woods never to be seen again!



DCI Jack Russell is called in to investigate the young couples disappearance, though he is nearing retirement, he believes this case will be solved in a matter of routine.


Soon Jack realizes there is nothing routine about this case, that in fact he is on the trail of a psychopath who has just started. Jack finds himself fighting to stop the evolution of a serial killer before there are more victims!


I give A Murder of Crows five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

A good, atmospheric thriller. A bit slow at times but entertaining on the whole.
It has an interesting main characters.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Unbound

This book has some mixed reviews on Goodreads. But I have to say, for me, it was a solid, excellent read that kept me gripped from the beginning.

A dark, stormy atmosphere pervades the book and just adds to the mystery and tense feeling to it. I loved it.

The main mystery of the book is the disappearance of two young people, a newly-pregnant couple, who were returning to town to visit his ailing mother. They were caught in a huge storm and disappeared into the woods. As his last case, DCI Jack Russell looks into the case, but finds its much more complicated than it seemed at first.

I loved that it switched between all the various viewpoints because it gives the reader a chance to understand the motivations and mindsets of each of the characters, which were each complicated and intense. The writing is incredible, really allowing you to feel what the characters were feeling - like Alice, who has dementia. You could feel her confusion and frustration very clearly.

There are also several surprises throughout the book - a couple times I actually gasped out loud. They were pretty juicy.

I hope the author is working on a follow-up because there were some loose ends that I hope to see through. I would absolutely read that!

This debut novel was hard going I found it waved of the story for my liking.

A great setting which was incredibly atmospheric but to be completely honest I was a bit bored...and I guessed pretty early on who the killer was which was disappointing.

I appreciate that this book will be loved by people who really like descriptive scenes but for me I prefer a more plot driven story. I did like that the characters were well fleshed out and that they were portrayed as real people and were far from perfect...even the "good guys" had their faults which was refreshing.

A well written book that unfortunately just wasn't for me.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A Murder Of Crows

This was an interesting read and I definitely struggled to immerse myself in the story. Mainly because I found the characters irritating but I am glad I stuck with it! It turned out to be a challenging but fascinating read.
The themes centre strongly around the weather and it has almost Brönte feel to it in that respect. The characters and the weather seem to be one and the same, the tension between the key people is made all that more palpable by the raging, terrifying storm that keeps rearing around them.
Upon finishing I still didn’t like the characters but the fact that I enjoyed the book I believe is a sign of good writing. It had dark almost unbelievable twists and turns and it was very cleverly done.

Ian Skewis sets an eerie tone in this interesting mystery that involves a missing couple, a retiring DCI, and a slew of dark characters trying to keep their secrets hidden. This story grabbed my attention from the very beginning and I enjoyed it all the way through. Well worth the read!

Excellent police procedural with excellent characterisation and a suitably dark atmosphere throughput. A young couple go missing in a storm and the ensuing search finds one seemingly dead and the other still lost. From battling detectives to battling families with history this tale keeps one on edge until the shock endings! Look forward to more of the same!

This book did not impress me much. The main story promises to be a crime mystery cum police procedural, the setting is well chosen and evocative and the main character - an old policeman has to solve his last crime before he retires - has a lot of potential. Why, then, does this novel not work (for me, anyway)? Well, my main gripes are these: I found the prose stilted and even amateurish at times. The plot itself is convoluted and after about the first half, the author seems to have lost his plot - or his enthusiasm. Some imagery is clichéd. I could not relate to the main character. In some passages, I found the narrator's tone too naive for the subject. It did not grip me at all, in fact, it was a real slog to finish it. I cannot recommend this novel.

Despite issues I had with this book, the story itself is intriguing and well-spun, enough to keep me interested.

The character Alice is magnificent: the authors description of the experience of alzheimer's is absolutely heart-wrenching. We can truly feel the character's panic and désespoir at her worsening condition.

There are many passages that clearly illustrate Skewis' writing skill: "As the ground rushed up to meet him, he was struck by the unfairness of it all – he didn’t stand a chance. He lay there on broken bracken and saw the debris of the gale flying over him, and he imagined Caroline’s beautiful face, and the unreal way her long, blonde hair seemed to writhe in the wind. Lost her again, he thought sadly. My story is ending. And then he saw her guide his hand to her belly and he was overwhelmed with desolation. I’ll never see my own child. As his synapses closed down and the river disappeared into darkness, he was inundated by once-forgotten memories: his father closing the garden gate behind him; his mother staring wistfully at the sea."

However, it almost feels like assembling brilliant parts into a whole story was an issue. Chapter (scene) changes feel too abrupt and unfinished. Too frequent. I assume this is intended to give the novel a fast pace, but it's too much. It makes it hard to concentrate on the story and feels like channel surfing. The relationship between the two main detectives feels like it's missing something, as if the reader has begun a series in the middle. Too much unexplained animosity, which is then tied too neatly, too easily.

The final part of the book feels rushed, like a mad dash to tie up all the loose ends, while at the same time leaving many questions.
All in all, I do recommend reading this book. As stated, the story is very intriguing, though oddly paced and put-together. I look forward to reading future books from this author.

I really enjoyed this mystery. The author has done a great job for a debut novel! I hope there are more to come.

This book was well written, kept me reading with the twists and turns as to who the killer was. This is one I would recommend to those liking a good thriller of a mystery!

* I was provided an ARC to read from the publisher and NetGalley. It was my decision to read and review this book.

I loved this book, it's multi-layered with a good cast and an excellent storyline. It's one of the better books I've read this year and I'd recommend it. NetGalley kindly let me read and review the book.

A thriller novel. A story premise of a couple disappearance while they are traveling to visit his mother in a stormy night but never make it to the village . Detective Jack Russell and his partner called in to investigate the mystery. Their tension added a nice dimension to the story and so did the victims mother who was suffering from dementia . The author has really pulled the characters off with great narrative. The story starts off well although it did have some loose ends but overall is a good read.

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