Andrew James Grieg’s The Bone Clock is a gripping, fast-paced mystery that wastes no time plunging readers into its dark and intricate narrative. From the explosive opening to the steady rise in tension, this novel keeps readers on edge as the body count climbs and detectives race to uncover the chilling thread connecting the murders.

Grieg’s writing is sharp and atmospheric, painting a vivid portrait of both place and psyche. The investigative elements are compelling, driven by a team of detectives whose pursuit of the truth is as relentless as it is fraught with personal and professional obstacles. As the mystery deepens, so too does the emotional weight of the story, touching on themes of trauma, justice, and the long shadows of past sins.

Readers should be aware that the novel tackles some extremely difficult subject matter, including sexual assault. These elements are handled with seriousness and sensitivity, but they are central to the plot and may be distressing for some. Grieg does not shy away from the harsh realities that shape his characters and their world, adding depth and gravity to the narrative.

The Bone Clock is a chilling and thought-provoking read that will appeal to fans of gritty crime fiction and psychological thrillers. It’s a novel that not only entertains but also challenges its audience to confront uncomfortable truths.

Andrew James Greig has just jumped onto my favourite authors list, this story had me gripped from the first page, I have for many years been an avid reader of thriller and mystery books and I can honestly say that I have never come across a concept of a story that remotely resembles this one.
In the beautiful, remote Scottish Highlands DI James Corstorphine is a lonely figure, still grieving for the wife who died five years ago but feeling guilty about wanting to move forward.
Nothing ever happened in the small Highland town, the odd shop lifter, fly tipper, rustler kept the Police Department ticking over until......... A distraught, battered and bruised Margo McDonald walked into the station, she had found her husband hanging from a tree, a tree known locally as "The Hanging Tree", a tree where twenty years earlier a young journalist had taken her life.......or had she ?
The gruesome scene that met the DI and his DC, Frankie McKenzie, was one that would be burned into their memory, made to look like suicide but on closer examination, the death had been planned with military precision and with a macabre mechanism that left them totally perplexed.
As more murders occurred, all with a different MO but all with the same macabre mechanism timing their death, Corstorphine knew that there had to be a common denominator, what or who linked these deaths ?
This story is action packed and fast pa Lamb growing up, it covers some very emotive subjects, it covers corruption in the highest and unexpected places, even though his job is on the line and he is in a David and Goliath situation, DI Corstorphine is determined to bring the perpetrators to justice.
I love how this team is so tight knit and loyal, the characters are all well rounded, likeable and believable, I love how Frankie supports her DI, I could feel Sgt McKee's discomfort, I could see Pc Lamb growing up and I look forward to reading more books by this author.
Thank you Storm Publishing for this ARC, my review is totally voluntary.

Wow this book was so good! This is my first book by this author. The beginning started out a bit slow for me but still kept me intrigued enough to want to keep reading. It really picked up by the 50% mark and man I didn’t want to put it down. Excited to read more from this author.

The Scottish Highlands setting is integral to this dark and intense crime thriller. It features Detective Inspector Corstorphine and his close-knit investigative team. The crimes are disturbing, but the reader soon discovers that the motives behind them are even more terrible. The investigation is authentic and detailed, with many conflicts before its successful resolution. There is a believably complex cast of characters and a measured unravelling of the dark deceit surrounding the crimes. I like the dynamic of the investigation team, the likability of DI Corstorphine and his driven nature, and the uniqueness of the disturbingly clever murder methods.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Bone Clock by author Andrew James Greig is fast-paced, intense, exciting and thrilling, and a good start to the DI Corstorphine Scottish Crime series. Someone has committed a gruesome series of murders and there’s no sign they will stop soon. Detective Inspector James Corstorphine discovers a connection between this first current murder to a journalist who died at the same hanging tree twenty years earlier. It’s not much to go on, records are scarce, everyone he interviews is uncooperative and seems to be hiding something. Each death is different which leads Corstorphine to believe there is some (crazy) method to the murders, but his staff is small and inexperienced at investigating this level of killing. Add in the fact that the instruments of death are made of human remains and clock mechanisms and you’ve got quite the baffling mystery.

Author Greig does an excellent job of maintaining the suspense level throughout the book, and of providing clues and red herrings to keep you guessing again and again. Corstorphine is still grieving the death of his wife and the side story of his efforts to reenter the world of friends and dating and activities is compelling. The ending was just open enough to make you wonder what Corstorphine’s life will look like going forward. I received an advance copy of The Bone Clock from Storm Publishing via NetGalley. It was very entertaining and I am eager for the next book in the series. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own.

The Bone Clock
by Andrew James Greig
Pub Date: Apr 17 2025

The Bone Clock is the first book in the DI Corstorphine Scottish crime series. It takes place in the Scottish Highlands.

It's a unique story about murders with clockwork details. There is some sexual abuse but the author did not get graphic about it which I appreciated. The main characters were very likable, the writing style was excellent, all in all a great mystery read!

Synopsis: The young oak tree with freshly budding leaves seemed unremarkable until his eyes travelled down to the wooden plaque set into the ground. The words sent an icy chill through his They shall remember you. In the Scottish Highlands where secrets settle like mist in the glens, Detective Inspector James Corstorphine is summoned to a macabre scene – a gamekeeper hanging from an ancient oak, ensnared by an intricate trap of wire and bone.

Thank you #TheBoneClock #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me an E-ARC of this fantastic 1st book in a new series!

I loved the book. It is a very, very well-written mystery story. I am sure you would also love to read it.

A promising start to a new series with a compelling lead character. The plot is intriguing and offers plenty of potential, though it took me some time to settle into the setting. At times, the story felt a bit scattered, which made it hard to stay fully focused. However, the pacing and structure improved noticeably toward the end, making the last stretch especially enjoyable. I'm definitely interested to see where the story goes next and will be picking up the next book in the series.

When a man is found hanging from a tree where a woman had hanged herself years ago the police are called in. The death is ruled a murder and police begin to wonder if there's a connect to the woman's suicide, or was it suicide. All the clues are pointing to a group of children who were put in an orphan's group home.
The story is based on dark subjects of abuse and may upset some people. I found the story dark and a little too long for what it needed to be but I was pleased at the outcome.

This was a good book! 1st in the DI Corstorphine series and it felt like a good starter. It was slightly slow to start with but when it picked it up, it really picked up. We get introduced to the characters and hopefully we learn more about them in the next book. Plenty of twists and the chapters were a good length. For me, the ending was such a disappointment (even though it does lead on nicely to the next book) and I had been hoping for more. Will I read the 2nd book? Probably!

This is a re-release of the book originally titled Whirligig and then released in March 2020 - not the best time !! So it has a new name and cover and for me, one which probably suits the book more as most people would associate the previous title with a modern day dryer and not the original 15th century one. AJC introduces us to his detective called Corstorphine who like most modern detectives has his own personal woes to deal with. The rural Highland setting is very atmospheric and adds to the mystery surrounding the deaths. Well worth a read. Overall 4.5*

Thanks to Netgalley/Storm for the ARC to review.

The Bone Clock is an exquisite masterpiece like no other. Murder mystery lovers will rejoice with this intricate, spellbinding story.  How can you catch a killer that is never there? 💫💫💫💫💫

Oscar is found hanging from the old oak, famously known as the Hanging Tree. The tree is famous for a hanging that occured many years ago. It was believed that June Stevens, a reporter, hung herself there. Detective Constable Frankie McKenzie and DI James Corstorphine will head this investigation after Reverand Simon McLean, retired DI Brian Rankin, the sheriff and Lord Lagan are dead or their lives are threatened.
The Bone Clock will have you guessing from the start and you will never see the twists coming!

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing.

A woman is hung from a tree and claimed as a suicide attempt. Decades later another man is hung in the same spot, which sets off a chain of murders and secrets uncovered in a sleepy Scottish town.

*****

This is my first book by this author, and I loved the writing style. His voice is clear, there were twists and turns, strong leads, and corrupted humanity woven into each of them. It was very graphic in terms of morbidity (but thankfully not abuse), which enhanced the book with how detailed the killer is enacting their revenge.

I do wish we had a little bit more secrecy into who the killer is, as the way it was included felt very obvious to me right out of the gates. The red herrings were almost highlighted as they were brought up, and it led me to seeing the lead detectives as a bit slow, when everything was right in front of their faces. Despite this, it was still a great read, and I was up late into the night finishing it to finally get the resolution I was searching for - which was genuinely so good!

I can't wait to be brought back into these detectives lives again for the next book in the series!

*****

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the digital ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

THE BONE CLOCK - An extremely interesting and intriguing read that had me immersed in the pages until the end. It was easy to figure out the killer but the MOs are unique, at least for me. Good characters, interesting story lines and a variety of reactions and hindrances to the investigations. Source: Netgalley. 5*

THE GRAVEYARD BELL - An improvement over Silent Ritual with the wordiness. Interesting story lines, a variety of characters, a steady pace and interesting descriptions of the locale and people. Source: Netgalley. 5*

SILENT RITUAL - An interesting but wordy book with good story lines and good characters. While an interesting story, the wordiness made it hard to keep my focus reading, too easy to set down. Gruesome crimes but not graphically gory. Source: Netgalley. 3*

Great start to a new series. Believable characters with interesting back stories that I am looking forward to seeing the developments in and a brilliant main plot.
Murder by a very clever means executed by a villain who was hiding in plain sight, from both the characters in the book and you the reader too!

What an amazing start to a new Detective Corstorphine series. It was a great unusual premise. Exceptional writing keeping you gripped the whole book through. Enough twists and turns for a rollercoaster ride. I really enjoyed this novel and definitely looking forward to the next offering. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I really enjoyed the first read in a new series featuring DI James Corstorphine. The setting of the Scottish Highlands just added to the allure of the book. The characterisation was excellent, although Margo was very irritating, and the unique plotting had me spellbound. This is such a good read, which I am sure readers will thoroughly enjoy, but beware trigger warnings of sexual abuse and violence. I do hope we won't have too long to wait for a follow up. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

DI James Corstorphine is based in the Scottish Highlands and he commands a small team that deal with routine crimes. However, James is called out to a terrifying scene of a man hanging in a tree snared in a trap. Who is he? How did he come to be here? Why did it happen? What is the connection between this body and the one found of a reporter called June Stevens? All of the questions will be answered as you will need to read this book. It was fast paced, full of grit and twists and turns. The characters were well written and the setting was very descriptive. I stayed up all night to finish the book!

Originally published in 2020 under the title Whirligig, The Bone Clock is a rerelease of book one in Andrew James Grieg’s Detective Corstorphine mystery series, and it was captivating read that left me wanting more. There is a second book in the series, and I’m hopeful that with this new edition, more books are planned.

Set in the highlands of Scotland, The Bone Clock is a dark mystery full of secrets, deception, and intrigue. It opens with a disturbing scene set in 1997, then jumps around twenty years, although the exact year is never specified that I can recall.

Soon the reader is drawn into the mystery of what the locals refer to as The Hanging Tree, and we follow Detective Inspector James Corstorphine as he and his fellow officers try to find a killer before more people die.

This is one of the best mysteries I’ve read lately. It captured my attention and kept it throughout the story. The characters were interesting and felt real, dealing with some of their own personal issues as well as the mystery at hand.

The mystery was quite dark, and there were a couple of scenes that were pretty gruesome in their detail but I think necessary to understand how disturbing the deaths were.

If, like me, you are a lover of mystery series (or shows) like Vera, or Shetland, I think you will really enjoy this book as much as I did. I am looking forward to reading the second book in the series and hope for more.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book is brilliantly written. It is dark, ruthless and a fantastic crime story.

The novel is set in a quiet Scottish town where a gamekeeper is found hanging from a tree. It appears to be a suicide but on closer inspection a mechanism had been setup and cause this death.

I was invested in the characters, the story line and in finding out the truth behind the murders.

~Thank you NetGallery and Storm Publishing for the ARC.