I found the story rather weak and I am never happy when any elements that could even be remotely described as sci fit are included. It’s just my personal taste though so others may love it.

The fourth book in the wonderul Inspector McLean series by James Oswald and this book doesn't disappoint.

The body of a prominent Scottish MP is discovered outside his home, a remote house in North East Fife. In a horrifying attack, Andrew Weatherly has killed his wife and two young daughters, before turning his gun on himself.

James Oswald has heroically chosen to place his hero, Tony Maclean, a weatherworn DI, in the same space already occupied by Rankin's John Rebus. I guess that it's not impossible for a devotee of the genre to have picked up Oswald without having already had a heavy exposure to Rankin. Not impossible, but unlikely.
Inevitably then Oswald will be compared to Rankin.
On this showing he fares pretty well. The tightness of the writing, the drama and politics of the police, mortuary and press are all there. The character detail across the board is pretty good, with all the key players having depth and scope. The plot development works with the right, fast pace to the exposure of the plot twists and turns. So far so good.
I would say however, that Rankin's running commentary of Edinburgh and Scotland, the things making the local people tick, the general worries that Jock Public faces daily, gives Rankin's books a firmer footing in time and place that enhances the interest level, and will probably lead to the Rankin novels having a greater durability.
That said, a cracking, exciting book. Keep them coming

On the whole, I am still enjoying the exploits of Tony, Grumpy Bob and his willing team, and becoming more accustomed to the supernatural elements that invade these stories, this time in the form of Mrs Saifre, but I am sorry to say that on this occasion , I found the ending to be very weak, not plausible and a great disappointment.
I found the conclusion to be too contrived and was wrapped up so hastily, none of the questions raised throughout this book were answered really well and it was almost as if the author had introduced the Devil as an element and then ran out of steam, not being sure what to do next, was Tony going to defeat the Devil or will that be dealt with in book 5?
I have the next book waiting for my attention, but will take a break from this series. I have only rated it as a 2 star read, the other books have been so much better. I'm afraid this time that the devil really is in the detail, unfortunately!! I have today left this review on Goodreads.

I really enjoy this Author's books
There is always a decent mystery with just a little bit of the supernatural to make it a bit different.
The 'hero' McLean is a good man and he is supported by decent people. In this tale he is helped because of these qualities and tries to find out the reason why people are dying covered in tattoos and with burned mouths. Ancient and true evil is the answer.

Another great book by James Oswald. I love his main character,a very kind but flawed man with a form unable strength in putting pieces of a puzzle together. The characters that surround Mc Lean are also well written. Tight plotting and a twisty, satisfying plot make this unputdownable.

Another great installment of this compelling police drama

Book 4 in what is fast becoming one of my favourite series. Character development, story arcs, humour, the cases, everything is pulled together to become a cohesive whole both in the individual books and the series.

I cannot recommend this series highly enough. Read it!!

Loved this book, they get better with each one. 5 stars. Would highly recommend

Tense, very dark and quite harrowing but I just had to keep on reading.

This is the fourth in the Inspector Tony McLean series set in Edinburgh. Tony is still recovering from what happened to him in the last book and he is to get no respite in this one. The body of a completely tattooed man is discovered in the river. Then there is the high profile case of the powerful SMP Andrew Weatherly who gruesomely shoots his wife, Morag, and murders his two young daughters prior to turning the gun on himself. All of which is captured on video. The thought that runs through your mind is what on earth triggered this ghastly set of events? Elements of the police and other influential figures want to shut down any investigation but there are those who want to see this pursued. However, there is a heavy cost to Tony and the police team, like DS Ritchie, for trying to get to the bottom of the mystery. Then there is the mysterious Mrs Saifre. The two cases turn out to have connections. The trademark supernatural angle to the series emerges only at the end. Thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

I enjoy the characters and getting to know them throughout the series of books but the unexplained and supernatural parts do not ring true for me and the story would do very well,without them and the ending was bizarre.

I found this to be the weakest book in the series so far. Incredibly bizarre from the outset with no real conclusion

'Dead Men's Bones' is the 4th book in the Inspector Mclean series by author James Oswald. I obtained all 7 books in this series and started reading them with the intention to slot them in between the other books I have on my list to read. However having read the first one I wanted to learn more about the characters in this series and so it went on, I have now just started the 6th book with the likelihood that I will then go on to the 7th. I do enjoy these types of series and like all the sub plots, development of characters and the general familiarity of it all. I would highly recommend that these books are read in the order they were intended as there are many sub plots and happenings that may not make sense to a reader starting halfway through.

In this book influential politician Andrew Weatherly shoots his wife and two young daughters before he turned the gun on himself. The question is why a successful politician would suddenly snap with tragic circumstances. Inspector Tony McLean leads the case that threatens the lives of his friends and colleagues.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Penguin UK for supplying a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A body is found in a river in a glen - no identification and covered in strange tattoos. While trying to discover the victim's identity DI Tony McLean is ordered to help the investigation into an awful incident in Fife - an MSP has killed his wife and two daughters before killing himself. No motive can be found for what has happened. The two investigations result in danger for all of McLean's team but who or what is behind it. Another great book from James Oswald.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

My kind of book. A real page turner. I was sorry when I read the last page. Will definitely lookout for this author in future.

Morag Weatherly has been shot and her two young daughters smothered by husband Andrew, an influential MSP, before he went outside & turned the gun on himself.
But what caused a rich, successful man to snap so suddenly & to look at the CCTV cameras whilst on his spree.
For Inspector Tony McLean, this apparently simple but high-profile case leads him into a world of power and privilege. And the deeper he digs, the more he realizes he's being manipulated by shadowy factions. Under pressure to wrap up the case by his bosses but prodded by the security services to continue, McLean seeks to uncover layers of truth - putting the lives of everyone he cares about at risk.
There’s also a body been found of a man completely covered in tattoos & Tony has this case to solve too. The further Tony delves the more he learns of Weatherly’s early life.
Another page turning novel in the series. The relationship between Tony & Dagwood is at last starting to develop. There are themes flowing through the series however the book could be read as a standalone. The supernatural element which I’m not fond of, is present but I found this didn’t detract from the book nor did it stop my enjoyment of the book. I’m so ‘in to’ the series that now about to start book 5

Dead Man's bones by James Oswald is a Mystery and Thriller And General fiction (adult) Read.
Morag Weatherly and her two young daughters have been shot by husband Andrew, an influential politician, before he turned the gun on himself.

But what would cause a rich, successful man to snap so suddenly?

For Inspector Tony McLean, this apparently simple but high-profile case leads him into a world of power and privilege. And the deeper he digs, the more he realises he's being manipulated by shadowy factions.

Under pressure to wrap up the case, McLean instead seeks to uncover layers of truth - putting the lives of everyone he cares about at risk . . .
This was a really enjoyable read with great characters. I love McLean. Can't wait for next part. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.