This is quickly becoming my current favourite genre - remote spooky village (in this case a Scottish island) with weird, reclusive inhabitants, a closed community who don't get out much, and a mystery to be solved. This book didn't disappoint, with the tension ratcheting from the first chapter. Good character development and an interesting back story with the detective. I recommend this to all fans of British gothic horror/mystery.

My thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins Australia for an advanced readers copy of this book, available in book shops and libraries now.

What a great debut thriller!! I loved the remote coastal setting, this village community full of secrets that is so cut off from everyday society.

It’s tense and compulsive and I utterly raced through this. I thought the relationship between George and Richie was so well developed, not a perfect working relationship but one built on years of experience.

Will absolutely read more by this author.

After a young man's body is found at the foot of a lighthouse on a remote island off the coast of Scotland, Detective Inspectors Georgina (George) Lennox and Richie Stewart are called in to investigate. This is Lennox's first case after a horrific workplace injury, and on the surface it seems like it will be an easy one - a clear case of self "removal" and paperwork. But when the islanders close ranks against the mainland cops, and things don't seem to add up, Lennox soon feels she herself is being stalked.

This was so wonderfully written - from the descriptive scenery to the skilfully crafted individual characters, McCluskey brought the insular, icy island to vivid life. Between the events on the island, Lennox's flashbacks to her injury, her growing paranoia and the climax - this one was a non-stop page turner. The finale left me gobsmacked - I had previously guessed a couple of the island secrets, but not like THAT, and the end was OH!

I listened to the audiobook (from Audible) alongside reading the NetGalley ebook, and the narration by Kirsty Cox was fantastic.

A brilliant read - loved it!

~This is a NetGalley book. All opinions are my own~

Taking a chance on this locally written thriller definitely paid off!

THE WOLF TREE by Melbourne-based writer Laura McCluskey is an intricately woven and plotty police procedural that takes place on a small isolated and all-but-forgotten island just off Scotland’s mainland.

A young man takes his own life when he jumps from the top of the island’s lighthouse and George and Richie are sent to confirm there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding the man’s death. What follows is a fairly slow and uneasy burn that is nevertheless really addictive as we follow their unraveling of the island’s history through their interactions with the close-knit (and odd) community inhabiting the island.

Despite being a debut (and that admittedly I don’t read a lot of this genre) this was a masterclass in the execution of crime fiction. It’s the mystery that niggles away at you and keeps you wanting to know more. The writing is also so atmospheric, I felt like I was stuck on that harsh and wild island as I read, getting tripped up by the false leads and red herrings, feeling uneasy about certain characters and thinking I had solved it with 100 pages to go (lol I was very wrong).

I also really liked that the main police characters weren’t caricatures and I’m eager to see if there will be more books written with George Lennox solving more mysteries!

It’s a perfect book to snuggle up with under a blanket as the weather starts to get cooler (at least where I am in Melbs!)

EXCERPT: "So . . . could you tell us about that day, Mrs Ferguson? Start from when you woke up."
Catriona's expression is vacant for a moment, then she casts her gaze around until it lands on a cigarette case on a side table. She plucks one out, puts it between her lips, then strikes a match. After a steadying inhalation, Catriona begins.
"I woke up at three am," she says, her voice quiet but clear. "Had a cup of tea, got dressed, and let myself into the bakery at three forty; it was my day to open up. Sally McGill came in at four thirty. I had six loaves in the oven and two dozen rolls rising by then, so she took over while I had a break. Sat on the steps outside. Smoked. Looked at the stars."
George jots down some notes, even though she hears Ritchie scribbling rapidly beside her. "And it was just Sally and yourself for how long?"
"I was still on my break when Andy Fraser came over. He's got a wee baby now, and he'd been up half the night. Then came Linda Campbell, the elder Ross-Nicholson girl, my sister-in-law and her children - and then Kathy popped in. Asked me to come by for tea when I could. I told her I'd be round when Sally could look after customers without worrying about the ovens."
"What time did you get there?"
Catriona shrugs, tapping the ash off her cigarette. "At the same time as our delivery man arrived, just after six. Kathy went out back to make the tea, so I chatted with him for a few minutes. That's when Sally ran in, all pale and shaking like a leaf."
A short silence follows during which Catriona takes two long draws of her cigarette, and George and Richie wait. Father Ross listens with his head bowed.
"It was the last thing I ever expected to hear," she says, pausing to send a mouthful of smoke up to the ceiling. "Who kills themselves on a Wednesday?"

ABOUT 'THE WOLF TREE': A remote Scottish island hides shocking secrets. An island lost in time. A cryptic, pagan past. Some secrets should stay buried.

Eilean Eadar is a barren, windswept rock inhabited by a few hundred humans and sheep. Until now, the island was best known for the unsolved mystery of the three lighthouse keepers who vanished back in 1919. But when a young man is found dead at the base of the same lighthouse, two detective inspectors are sent from Glasgow to investigate.

Georgina ‘George’ Lennox is finally back from leave after a devastating accident and happy to be on the case with her partner, Richie Stewart. That is, until she meets the hostile islanders who seem determined to thwart their investigation, and their enigmatic, omnipresent priest who inserts himself into every interview. Then there’s Richie, who just wants to close the case and head home to his family. He doesn’t see that there is something off about the island and its tiny community. He hasn’t heard the wolves howling or seen the dark figures at their window at night. He’s too busy watching George as if waiting for her to break.

With the dark secrets of Eilean Eadar swirling around them, George and Richie must decide who to trust and what to believe as they spin closer to the terrible truth.

MY THOUGHTS: The blessing and the curse of small community living is the need to look out for and after one another. This is even more so on the remote western Hebridean island of Eilean Eadar, a place with no phone, other than the communal one in the post office, no internet, no nothing, really . . . It is a place where everyone knows everything about everyone else, where they rely heavily on one another, so why does no one know why young Alan Ferguson jumped from the lighthouse to his death? Or do they know, but just aren't saying? Mainlanders don't seem to be very well liked on the island.

The Wolf Tree is an atmospheric read, and one filled with suspense. While Richie just wants to sign Alan's death off as a suicide and get home to his family, George can feel the underlying tension in the islanders, can sense there's something they're not saying, and is determined to find out what it is. That determination results in several close calls that also widen the rift between Richie and George as Richie views George's determined efforts as plain reckless.

My interest was captured immediately as the author portrayed the isolated island and its taciturn inhabitants. Scottish folklore, island traditions, and the eerie sound of a wolf howling in the night add to the atmosphere.

It may feel like the story is going nowhere at times, but the author is cleverly building up to a crescendo that had me literally stuffing my knuckles in my mouth. The Wolf Tree is an admirable debut novel from Laura McCluskey that leaves me eagerly awaiting her next book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.3

#TheWolfTree #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Laura McCluskey is a writer, editor and actor. As well as writing novels, she is the co-founder of Three Fates Theatre Company, and has performed across theatre, film, and television. Laura lives in Naarm/Melbourne.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers Australia via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of the Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I really enjoyed this debut novel from screen writer and actor, Laura McCluskey. So much so that gothic thrillers are now firmly on my reading radar.

The Wolf Tree is about two detectives, Georgina (George) and Richie, sent from the mainland of Scotland to a remote island to investigate a young man's death and determine whether or not it was suicide. In a collective effort to convince the visiting detectives that ‘there's nothing to see here’, the small community of islanders remains as tight-lipped as it is tight-knit. But what becomes apparent – to George at least – is that these isolated locals are shielding each other and hiding a secret. In a secondary but equally absorbing storyline, George is hiding a secret of her own.

I couldn't put this down. I felt like I was sitting around a campfire listening to a ghost story. That’s the vibe of this book. The descriptions are vivid, the setting is atmospheric, and the characters are unpredictable. It reminded me of Beautiful Ugly, which I recently read, in that it uses an isolated island as the creative device to build suspense by cutting its characters off from the rest of the world.

This novel may not have the short, punchy chapters with cliff-hanger endings that have become synonymous with thrillers these days, but its compelling protagonist, flawed characters and ticking clock tension yanked me in from the start and didn’t let me go until the end.

If you enjoy a cinematic style of writing and a thriller that sneaks up on you, this deserves your attention.

What a way to make a debut! Full of twists and turns, you're never really sure who to trust. George is such a determined heroine, faults and all. Highly recommended new release.

Glasgow police inspectors Georgina ‘George’ Lennox and Richie Stewart are sent to the remote island of Eilean Eadar to investigate a young man’s suspected suicide. They are stuck in this inhospitable place among mainly hostile islanders who seem to be under the rule of a creepy priest. George is recovering from a traumatic experience and being “tested” with this investigation. She is hiding her opioid addiction, but her partner is concerned that she might crack under the pressure. Pagan rituals, Scottish legend, dark secrets and harsh weather abound in this story. Slowly, George and Richie inch towards the truth and ultimately discover more than they expected when they arrived at this Godforsaken place.
The eerie location and characters in The Wolf Tree are the standout features for me. It is a very slow read (notwithstanding that many slow burn thrillers are awesome) but the pace and interest revved up around the climax and conclusion. 3.0-3.5 stars.

Really enjoyed this one. It’s a slow build up, then impossible to put down. Excellent atmosphere and characters.

The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey is a must-read for mystery and thriller fans! Dark, atmospheric, and utterly gripping—I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. If you love Claire Douglas, Ashley Kalagian Blunt, or Mark Smith, you need to add this debut to your auto-buy list. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

The Wolf Tree ticked all the boxes for me. A wild and remote setting. An isolated community with limited interaction with the outside world, and a law unto themselves. A historical mystery with possible ties to a recent death.

The slow build, and gentle pacing creates a heightened sense of tension as George and Richie try to determine if a crime has been committed. The author does a wonderful job of crafting subtle threatening undertones under the otherwise mundane interactions with locals. I really enjoyed the writing style and the eerie sense of suspense that held my attention right to the end. The ending was wonderfully twisty, shocking and creepy, making this a very satisfying read. Great for fans of authors such as Anne Cleeves.

Thank you HarperCollins Publishers Australia for an advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

This was a rather interesting read and I am still not sure how much I liked it as it was both strange and thrilling. We follow the story of DI George Lennox and DI Richie Stewart as they head to a small island off teh coast of Scotland to investigate the death of a young man.

With Georgie's past problems still somewhat haunting her and strange happenings on this isolated island this book will have you guessing (but I must say I did guess one part of the mystery). It is a bit of a slow read as it real concentrates on setting up the scene. there are quite a few characters to keep straight also and how they all fit into the picture.

A good debut for this author and she really got the atmosphere of the place right. It is somewhat cultish (you will understand this once you get to the end) and a little bit creepy at times but overall a good read. I'd have to give it 3 1/2 stars as I did enjoy most of it.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a very good debut crime fiction story. The author captures the starkness of the cold and isolated Eilean Eadar, an island off the north west of Scotland to deliver a compelling story that keeps the reader guessing. The ending is surprising and a little mind-boggling leaving the reader in as much disbelief as DIs George Lennox and Richie Stewart.

Lennox and Stewart are sent to the remote island to investigate a suspected suicide of a young local man, Alan Thomson. Outsiders from the mainland are rare and not appreciated. Lennox and Stewart learn this very quickly on their arrival. Everyone is suspicious of them and no one wants to tell them anything. What happens on the island stays on the island and it's no one else's business. The 200+ residents effectively self police and don't appreciate having the two asking questions.

This is Lennox's first assignment since returning from an enforced absence due to suffering a serious head injury on the job. Stewart has been her partner for a number of years and is concerned it is too soon for Lennox to be returning to active duty. The tension between the two partners mirrors the tension on the island as they go about their investigation. There is this simmering undercurrent of danger and recklessness to both adding to the suspense.

There are moments during the middle of the story that became a little repetitive especially between Lennox and Stewart but it's not long before something strange occurs that we're drawn back into the intrigue.

I appreciate the complexity of Lennox's character. A little reckless, seeking to prove to herself, Stewart and their boss, that she is ready for active duty, and haunted by that terrible night. To add to her fear are the recurring 'wolf' motifs and the howling nighttime wind that happens to sound like one of those four-legged creatures.

But it's Lennox's courage and intuition that leads her to keep putting herself in danger with no seeming positive outcome. Until the end and what an ending it is.

I thoroughly enjoyed this atmospheric crime drama (gosh it would be great as a streaming series) and look forward to McCluskey's follow up down the track.

I felt privileged being able to read an early ebook copy from the publisher using the Net Galley app, however, this has had no bearing on my review.

A quirky and atmospheric police procedural about an isolated fictional Shetland isle and it's 200 inhabitants.

An 18 year old man fell from the lighthouse in an eerie echo of an incident that occurred 100 years prior. Considered an open & shit suicide, DI George Lennox is assigned the case as her first one back following a workplace injury

Read if you enjoyed the Foxtel show Lambs of God with Essie Davis. I absolutely loved both

I haven't been able to read much of this just because the format in which it was sent to me makes it quite difficult to read.

What I did get through I really enjoyed and I intended to get a physical copy to be able to finish at some point but for right now it's going on hold.

I literally devoured this in 24 hours which is going to make my next statement sound slightly ironic...it took me a little time to get into this but when I did, I could not put it down. If you love small town murder mystery, cult style books then you'll like this, added bonus it was based in Scotland. I did not expect the ending at all which I loved as usually I figure things out which ruins it for me, the shock factor was an amazing way to finish! Read this, you won't regret it!

I love a good debut crime novel and Laura McCluskey's - The Wolf Tree did not disappoint! It is a masterful blend of modern crime procedural and ancient folklore (which I especially loved in this book!) which is set against the haunting backdrop of a remote Scottish island. The story follows Detective Inspectors George Lennox and Richie Stewart as they investigate the apparent suicide of 18 year old Alan Ferguson. They enter a tight knit community, not all that willing to help out.

McCluskey's writing is rich and atmospheric and she manages to immerse the reader in the island's eeriness. The narrative deftly intertwines suspenseful slow burns with intense high-stakes action, keeping readers on edge. The characters are intricately developed - particularly DI George Lennox - whose vulnerability and determination make her a compelling protagonist. The island itself, with its insular Catholic community and enigmatic priest adds depth to the story.

I've been looking forward to reading this one, so a huge thank you goes to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC for an honest review.

This book starts off really slowly, but despite this, it keeps you reading to see what happens and how it progresses.

This book is wonderfully written and a definite recommendation to read.

Laura McCluskey's The Wolf Tree is a stunningly atmospheric novel that weaves folklore, mystery, and lyrical prose into an unforgettable story. From the very first page, the writing pulls you in with its haunting beauty, immersing you in a world where the past and present intertwine seamlessly.

The characters are richly drawn, each carrying their own secrets and emotional weight, making them feel both real and compelling. The setting is vividly described, creating an eerie yet mesmerizing backdrop that enhances the novel’s tension and intrigue. McCluskey’s prose is poetic and immersive, drawing readers into the depths of the story with every page.

What truly stands out is the way the novel balances its eerie, almost dreamlike quality with raw, emotional depth. The themes of folklore, grief, and identity are explored with nuance, making this more than just a gripping mystery—it’s an experience.

For fans of gothic fiction, atmospheric thrillers, and folklore-infused storytelling, The Wolf Tree is a must-read. A beautifully written and deeply evocative novel that lingers long after the final page.

The 'locked room mystery' is a trope many of us will be familiar with, and this is another example of sorts. Instead of a room, we have an isolated island off the coast of Scotland, a finite number of potential suspects all of whom seem wary - to the extent of suspicious - of 'mainlanders, and who all appear genuinely shocked by the apparent suicide of a popular young man from the island.

Enter two detectives, Georgina ‘George’ Lennox and her partner, Richie Stewart. There's history between them, the details of which are teased out over the course of the novel. What we are alert to, though, is there is a degree of apprehension (from Richie) about George's mental well-being on her return to work after a prolonged accident-related absence. We are also keenly aware that the islanders are mistrusting of their police presence and more than one (especially the constantly present priest) appear happy to thwart the investigation.

The pacing is slowish, picking up towards the end, but the character development is solid. Stylistically, the novel has a tension throughout, heightened by the relationship between the two police officers, but also the unease between islanders (and islanders and main landers) gnawing away throughout the novel. Dialogue and action are both well-written - plausible and believable.

I understand that The Wolf Tree is the intended start to a series featuring or two police officers. On the basis of this debut - which I thoroughly enjoyed - I look forward to the next episodes.

With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for the advanced book to review read and review.