Overdone! I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Written by Ian Skewis, and published by Unbound, London in 2017, the story is ostensibly about the disappearance of a young couple during a fierce storm near the village of Hobbs Brae, Scotland, and, to a lesser extent, about the police who search for them. Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) Jack Russell is about to retire. This will be his very last case as a police officer. His partner, Detective Constable (DC) Colin Clements hates Jack, and even though this will be the very last case the two will work together on, Colin is determined to sabotage Jack’s investigation. The two missing young people are named Alistair Smith and Caroline Baker. Alistair grew up in the village, and his mother, Alice, still lives there. She has dementia.

The story begins with Jack driving down the road to pick up Colin. He has his son (?) in the back seat. A crow approaches the vehicle and dives on it, striking the windshield. Why, one wonders, did the crow do that? Such behavior would be quite abnormal for a crow, wouldn’t it? The story then begins shifting its perspective back and forth between the various characters, including Alice Smith, mother of Alistair Smith, the young man who, along with his pregnant girlfriend, has disappeared during a violent storm, and members of Smith’s neighboring farm family. The farmer’s name is Jerome, his late wife is Elspeth, and their son is Scott. Jerome is a mean drunk who has a hostile and often violent relationship with his son.

The police focus on Jerome as their chief suspect, but are not able to prove anything. We learn that a large pool of blood is found by police, but where did it come from? Perhaps Alice knows. But Alice can’t remember. The plot is extremely convoluted. The story contains a number of inconsistencies. Much of the writing seemed stilted to me, with odd adjectives and adverbs used such as: “He smiled witheringly . . . “ How does one smile “witheringly”?

Jack Russell apparently runs a very “flat” organization. He has three constables reporting to him, but no sergeants or inspectors. At 35% into the book, DCI Jack Russell tells Constable Colin Clements “. . . you are next in line for my job . . .” Actually, that would be really odd if it was true because a Detective Constable is a British police rank that is three levels below that of a Detective Chief Inspector. In fact, it is the very lowest of the police ranks. It seems far-fetched that a promotion could skip two levels of rank and elevate a Constable past the ranks of Sergeant and Inspector and directly to the rank of Chief Inspector, yet that is exactly what the author wants us to believe. He tells us this throughout the book. Another incongruity I noticed was that Detective Constable Clements was clearly the superior of Detective Constables Driscoll and Campbell. In fact, Driscoll calls him “boss” at location #3083 in the Kindle edition of the book. But by location #3567 “Jack named him a DCI.” What? Since when can an officer of any rank promote any other officer to the same rank? Not in any organization I ever heard of. Late in the book, however, we learn that Colin receives confirmation of his promotion to DCI from the Chief Superintendent. Go figure.

At location #2560, the author tells us that Jack moves out of Scott’s “point of view.” Hmm. Perhaps he meant “field” of view, because that is not the same thing as a “point” of view, which is a common literary device and not the scope of one’s vision. He also tells us about Matthew’s “change of tact,” instead of “change of tack.” These kinds of errors should have been caught by good editing.

Even though DCI Jack Russell is supposed to be the protagonist in this novel, by 20% into the book, we know almost nothing at all about him. In fact, it isn’t clear that there is a single protagonist in this story. The perspective shifts from character to character such that it seems that there is no single central character in the story at all. Certainly, it is not Jack Russell.

Late in the story, Jack is in the woods searching for clues at night when he stumbles upon an “abandoned railway station.” But it has a “still-functioning signal head.” It does? Why, if it has been abandoned? Then Jack sees a stag deer that is followed by a doe. Experienced deer hunters will tell you that stags (bucks) and does are not usually seen together except during the rutting season, and when they are, the stag almost never leads, but follows, his does.

At location #2753, we are told that Jack’s vehicle suddenly broke down. We are never told why or how it broke down, or how and when it was repaired (if it ever was), but soon Jack is driving his vehicle again. Only now it’s a car. It’s a bit like the matter of the crows. Their behavior is not normal for such animals. Is this just an a couple of examples of Deus ex machina? We know that crows and Jack’s vehicle are connected somehow because later in the book another crow flies up and lands on the bonnet (hood) of Jack’s car (it is now a car, not a vehicle): “. . . it spread its wings and flapped towards him, landing with a soft clack of its claws on the bonnet of his car. Jack peered at it menacingly through the windscreen, his distrust of the animal kingdom growing at an unprecedented rate.” Really? Unprecedented? Wow!

At another part of the book, a storm knocks out the electric power in the local hotel. Landlady (innkeeper?) Margaret knows this because when “she reached over to switch the bedside lamp on, it wouldn’t work.” The doorbell, however, still works. It rings at least twice before Margaret is able to answer it. When she gets to the front door to answer it, the lights suddenly come back on. Maybe it’s magic.

A passage about Colin’s drunken reverie at the end of Chapter Forty-Six is written in the style of a high-school student: “Just then there was a knock at the door. Startled, he hid his whisky bottle and the glass under the desk and said gruffly, ‘Come in.’ The door opened. It was Jack.” OMG! Never mind that a constable would hardly be assigned to an office with a door that closed. He would either be sitting in an open “bull pen” type area, or in a cubicle. That’s bad enough, but this writing style struck me as being amateurish.

To me, the book seemed overdone and pretentious. It contains information that seems extraneous and irrelevant to the overall plot (e.g., an abandoned railway station). Much of the writing is stilted. The plot is convoluted to the point of being chaotic. The editing is not very good. The story is not a police procedural. It is not a murder mystery. It is not thriller, even though it claims to be. What is it? That’s a tough one. I have no idea. Perhaps it is a fantasy crossed with a psychological mystery. At any rate, in spite of some surprises at the end of the book (in the Epilogue), I found it unsatisfying. Loose ends were left untied. (Whatever happens, ultimately, to Jack Russell, for example?) I didn’t like this book and can’t really recommend it much. I will, however, award two stars.

How do you end a long, but positive career? When what appears to be a simple case comes up, DI Russell thinks it will be an easy way out, not the defining moment of his career that it turns out to be. At first you're not sure you like Russell really, but gradually you realize how really flawed, but likable he is. His coworkers? Meh, they you can do without. But they help to showcase what a brilliant career Russell has had, despite them.While the book is a police procedural, it's really more of a character study. if you think of it that way from the beginning, then the book is more interesting and you'll be rapidly turning the pages by midway, waiting to see how the case evolves and ends. If you're looking for a great weekend read, this is it!

Set in Scotland, Jack Russel is a detective determined to figure out what happened to a young couple who went missing during a powerful storm. With a cast of well-developed characters, a Murder of Crows takes us on a series of twists and turns as the search to determine what really happened to Alistair Smith and Caroline Baker.

Taking us on a journey of intrigue, exploring the topics of loss and grief, and leading us to a conclusion that feels like a deep breath after a long day, Ian Skewis’s debut novel definitely puts him on my radar for the future!

What made it a 3 Star book rather than a 4 Star book was the switching of differing points of view which made a book that could have been better executed feel choppy.

THANKS to Net Galley, Ian Skewis, and the publisher for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Excellent book. Brilliant story and I loved the main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

This was a gritty Thriller that I reda very quickly as did become engrossed in the atmosphere, Characters and plot as a whole

I'm not going to lie I could not finish this book. Mid-way through I was left confused and thought it was a great idea to stop while I'm ahead. I was fully intrigued in the beginning but I'm not sure what happened, either I was starting to get bored or the writing style just bored me.

Thanks to NetGalley and everyone involved but this one did not do it for me.

Thanks to #netgalley for this book! This atmospheric mystery led me on a wild ride trying to figure out whodunit. I was not crazy about the constant changes of voices every chapter, a little confusing, but the story itself had lots if twists and turns. I foresee book two, thanks to the prologue!

This is a stunning debut thriller. The plot is complex but not overly so. I can imagine it as a tv series with constant cliffhangers. I liked the layers of relationships, from the protagonist, and his colleague to the lady with dementia and her carer and ultimately those who have disappeared and those left behind!!. Once you start reading it, you'll find it difficult to put down.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Unbound for a review copy of A Murder of Crows, an atmospheric thriller set in the Scottish Highlands.

Caroline and Alistair set off for Hogg's Brae to visit Alistair's mother but they never quite get there. When a storm breaks and damages their car they take refuge in the woods and promptly disappear. DCI Jack Russell and his insubordinate and undermine partner DS Clements are tasked with finding the couple.

I was really looking forward to reading this novel - Scottish detectives are always a draw - but I was disappointed in the execution and found it a difficult read. Firstly I should say that the brooding atmosphere, both meteorological and characterisation, is excellent. The storm never seems far off and the heat is oppressive and every last one of the characters is an oddball in some shape or form so it is difficult to discern motivation, intent or even relevance. It's a stunning creation.

I really didn't enjoy the format of the novel as it's extremely choppy and some of it irrelevant to the main thrust of the plot. Each chapter is a third person narrative from a different point of view which I find distracting and prevents me from getting fully involved, just as I get settled into one character the viewpoint changes and I have to adjust. The plot which can get hidden in all this swapping is interesting and well thought out but the clever ending is extremely unsatisfactory with nothing tied up in a nice bow. I think that this novel is a bit literary for me. I like a nice straightforward police procedural and this is anything but.

As I said the characters are all oddballs. Most of them are well drawn and as the novel progresses explanations for their behaviour are slowly revealed but it's all a bit OTT in the one novel.

A Murder of Crows is a solid, interesting debut, especially for the atmosphere created, which many readers will enjoy, unfortunately it's just not the type of novel I enjoy.

Not the gripping thriller that I had hoped for. The pacing was slow and as with many detective novels there tends to be that 'necessary' back story, however DCI Jack Russell's (don't get me started on that name) need for a diet was of no interest to me. Admittedly, I am impatient with pacing and irrelevant filler information means I lose interest. I don't think I'll join Russell on another case. I did like the chapter layout though, I liked how it went between POVs using dates, which is great for following timelines.

A MURDER OF CROWS by Ian Skewis takes place in Hobbs Brae in Scotland with DCI Jack Russell picking up DC Colin Clementson on the way to Hobbs Brae Police Station, and it’s clear that Clements is a thorn in the side of Jack for more reasons than his aspiration to take over as DCI when Jack leaves.

Jack reports to the Chief Superintendent who informs him that a young couple has gone missing in the wake of a severe storm, and Jack is assigned to the case.

Alistair Smith and Caroline Baker are the missing couple, and after a search takes place it becomes clear that foul play has taken place.

Several others are interwoven into the unfolding of the series of events that lead up to the disappearance and continue throughout the investigation; often making a path leading to the killer seem out of reach, yet Jack determinedly continues to follow his instincts in spite of second guessing and ridicule by Colin and others.

Mysterious circumstances add intrigue and excitement along the way, meanwhile focus on the case at hand is often difficult with some of the personalities involved.

I found this to be an enjoyable read somewhat different from the books I’m usually drawn to, and admittedly the great title caught my eye; I did find this to be a good mystery novel with my only complaint being that several of the chapters in the book switch from character to character making it difficult early on to keep track of who’s-who and what’s taken place; yet with patience it all works eventually as things unfold to reveal that almost everyone involved has secrets, and most are not exactly who they seem to be initially. Enjoyable read nonetheless, and I’d give it 3-1/2 stars if I could.

This murder mystery seems to be about more than the murder. It takes the approach of a character study, where we are privy to the inner workings of the characters caught up in the hunt to find a murderer. Each is an unreliable narrator, blind to their own faults, or suffering from dementia, and it is up to the reader to sort out the truth. The scenes dealing with dementia were well done. We learn a bit too much about the characters, likely to throw red herrings out, and it can be difficult to remember who is who if you leave too much time between reading. It won't be for every one, but if you enjoy sifting through the personas people put up to find the truth, this may appeal to you.

A Murder Of Crows is a literary crime novel with a beautifully dark and sinister tone to it, within a small claustrophobic setting which is descriptively immersive – I fell into it and didn’t really look up until I was done.

A young couple take shelter in the woods during a harsh storm and then disappear – Jack Russell (brilliantly named!) takes on the case – but this is one that is in no way straightforward, with it’s roots in the past and a village full of secrets. The characters pop – I was especially taken with the way the author tackled Alice, who has dementia – and all of them have an intricately woven history that evolves during the telling. The writing style is classically good with all the elements coming together in a truly unsettling finale.

The plotting was cleverly character and timeline driven to maximum effect, there are twists and turns in the narrative but they are more of character than mystery – the final moments resonate unexpectedly and leave you with a deeply discombobulated feeling of unease. I loved it.

I believe there is a follow up in the works for which I am truly grateful. Detailed, lyrical and imaginatively done, A Murder of Crows was a huge hit for me.

Highly Recommended.

As a couple approach the village of Hobbs Brae, a violent thunderstorm erupts, making them flee from their battered car into the woods. Now they are missing.
DCI Jack Russell is brought in to investigate but is every thing as it seems.
An interesting mystery that kept me interested.

It’s DC Jack Russell’s last case before he retires, and it’s a doozy. A couple has disappeared from the forest in a small Scottish town and at first Russell and the mouthy DC assisting him think it’s a routine case that will be wrapped up quickly, but nothing could be further from the truth. As Russell will soon learn, there is a killer loose, one who has an agenda and will not be stopped until he completes it. I liked the way Skewis developed his characters, their little quirks and flaws made them more relatable