An interesting mystery/procedural that moves between Aberdeen and Estonia. Atmospheric and clever. Thanks for the ARC.

This is the first book in a new series by Douglas Lindsay.

Ive not read any of his other books, however i enjoyed this one..

Lots of characters and a fantastic story to work out until it all falls into place. The writing style may irritate some readers but I highly recommend giving it a go.

***Thank you Netgalley for the E-arc in exchange for an honest review.***

The story was intriguing and when the action happened it was really gripping but in my opinion there was too much description and not enough action particularly in the first part of the book. I also found the "supernatural" element to add nothing to the book and, I felt, it spoiled the whole realism of the story. It seemed weird the way that Dorothy appeared in the book to tell her time travel story and then appear in visions to give Ben clues as to how to solve the crime. I'm still debating if I will continue the series or not.

First book I've read by this author, but I will read some more in future. Book was entertaining, and as it was the first book in a new series, we will have a lot to look forward to. Recommended for anyone who likes good writing!

There were things I liked and things I didn't like about "Song of the Dead."

It's quite atmospheric, i.e. slow paced, which I didn't mind for once because I rather enjoyed gradually getting to know what was going on.

However, I wasn't so keen on the unnecessary 'vaguely psychic policeman' trope. It didn't add anything to the story and only contributed to 'unbelievably stupid policeman' trope. I mean, if it's obvious to me how someone who's dead can turn up alive, then surely an experienced policeman can come up with some theories without jumping to split timelines as an explanation?

While it is slow to get going, the ending was well worth sticking around for. There were some really nice touches which were unexpected and it all came together nicely.

While this wasn't the best police procedural I've read, it's certainly not the worst and I'll be interested in seeing where the series goes next.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

Enjoyed this book and the changes in location between Scotland and Estonia. I was really intrigued by the mystery and wanted to keep reading. I'm definitely interested in the next in the series.

This was a really great read that oozed atmosphere.

Song of the Dead was set in Aberdeen and Estonia. DI Ben Westphall definitely packed a punch as an investigator in this new series. The novel was steeped with melancholy, grief and loss and the complicated plot was great to try and work out. All of the characters were well drawn and interesting and the story had me gripped from the start. I loved that the weather added its effects to the dark content present throughout the story. This was a very intelligent, curious and extraordinary read that I cannot recommend highly enough. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in this series. Well worth five stars!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Hodder & Stoughton/ Mulholland Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I don’t usually go for books revolving around police or the typical police procedurals.... but this book is NOT that!! This book is NOT typical!! Unique, intense & riveting. A roller coaster ride that I didn’t want to get off!! 4 stars!

Great read uncovering crime networks in two continents.

Police detective Ben Westphall now living in North Scotland after surviving an air crash in Africa is asked to take on a cold case. The reappearance of John Baden after being presumed dead for the past twelve years is the reason.

Westphall, terrified of flying makes his way by boat and train to Estonia in Eastern Europe where Baden disappeared and where he is waiting for the arrival of the English detective to participate in the investigation. Using combinations of bizarre historical reconstruction, blurred with current events the investigation leads to organ trafficking crime and networks spanning the two countries.

Characters past, present, dead and alive weave in and out of the escalating plot. Eventually, the pieces fit together. The story is an excellent read combining loss, grief, much sadness and the outstanding investigative skills of Westphall.

There are even very amusing sections of the story when Westphall describes his fear of flying and makes very complicated plans for other means of travel.

BonnieK

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

An interesting twist on a number of plot lines we’ve met before but brought together in an original piece that announces Douglas Lindsay as a talented crime fiction writer.
Of course many will baulk at such a suggestion as Lindsay is the author some twenty novels including two successful series in Hutton/Jericho and Pereira & Bain.
However, I believe Lindsay’s writing reaches a new level with the introduction of DI Westphall and this new Scottish based crime drama.
A mishandled case of some twelve years ago bursts into prominence when the victim of that crime in the Baltic States John Baden, buried by his family walks into a police station very much alive.
Not only does he claim to be Baden, his DNA supports this and his explanation as to where he has been in the intervening years.
Westphall is dispatched from his base overseas to tidy things up and get to the bottom of this mystery.
The writing is clear and arrests the reader as you feel it is a fresh view of the dated police procedural. The characters, location and plot as it comes into focus are not spectres from forgotten novels but new and original variations on the theme.
This floods the book like an inrushing breath of fresh air. The main detective is more than a hobby copper; although it becomes clear he has little concern for career and advancement he is a dedicated officer.
Furthermore his background is unusual; not the usual hang-ups and vices but still a work in progress.
Troubled by demons of a sort and not able to make romantic connections of any lasting worth.
The part of the investigation is quite scary as they explore the forests where Baden alleges he was held against his will.
The organised crime involvement in the case is hard to pin down but the separate killings that mark the reappearance of a dead man also make for an allusive mystery.
My favourite character after the police officers involved is Dorothy and the introduction of another reality. This plays well into Westphall own thoughts and some of the testimony others offer.
As result this add a deeper, richer dimension to the story and reveals to me that Lindsay is at the top of his game with this new crime series.

Song of the Dead isn't my usual read, but I really did want to change things up and whilst my day job usually steers me away from crime fiction there was something that drew me to this book and I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort zone for it.It's a great premise, really quite creepy and more than a little gruesome at times. It's a great mix though of thriller pacing with steady investigation and lots of interconnection between characters and location. The thing that made it really accessible for me though was the slight supernatural edge, for a straight laced plot there were pockets of story that almost felt like tiny interludes. I really enjoyed this extra piece of parallel puzzle and it gave the plot a sometimes needed change of tone.The characters were very by the book and whilst there was nothing particularly outstanding about DI Westphall he was an enjoyable character to read. Just the right amount of jaded combined with an interesting back story which gave him kudos, but he was really the only star of the show. The supporting cast were pretty one dimensional and whilst they served a purpose I just felt that the character development would have been better focused on bringing the most out of one or two others than the extended cast that I struggled to remember at timesThere was a great deal I didn't see coming and I really liked how it kept me on my toes throughout. It was a steady read with a driven plot which thankfully stopped just short of feeling like it was becoming ridiculous which I was very relieved about as I think one more demise would have just pushed it over the edge. Ultimately this is a really enjoyable read, particularly if you want a little oddity in your crime thriller. I'm not sure it's a series I would come back to but this is well worth the read if you're after a change of genre.With thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Staunton for the review copy, whilst I received a copy for free all opinions are my own.

This is a really good read. There is a complicated plot which was great to try and work out. There is a lot to this story. The characters are good and the story had me gripped from the start. I read this book in one sitting. I will definitely be looking out for the next book in this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

John Baden has been dead for twelve years. So when someone purporting to be him walks out of an Estonian forest claiming to be John Baden opens up a dead case which sees Ben Westphall go back to Estonia and then back to Inverness to track the case.

The case becomes stranger and stranger and facts begin to appear as fiction - as it becomes very complicated with overlapping characters and events. Ben Westphall our detective is himself carries an overlay of sadness, loss and desolation. He seems slightly other worldish able to decipher feelings of loss and sadness in others and is able to read an atmosphere of most locations which seems out of place in a supposedly hard boiled detective, dealing with facts and figures.

The story is fantastic but intriguing. Not boring in the least but very complicated and at times I lost the thread of the story but I grasped it again soon enough.

I like the characterizations and the descriptiveness of the physical surroundings of both Estonia and Scotland.

A man walks into a police station claiming that he has been held captive for twelve years. In a house that has a lucrative business of harvesting organs and selling on the black market. There is only thing wrong with this story, this man has been dead for the last twelve years. Oh yes this is my type of book. DI Ben Westphall has been given the case as he has some special talents. He is ex MI6, he also has an Achilles heel but you will just have to read this book to find out. This story is so clever and definitely not what I was expecting, it had me reading late into the night. I could not put it down.
A new author for me and the start of a new series. I can't wait to see what DI Ben Westphall gets upto next. Highly recommended.

I loved the premise of this book and was really excited to get started, but I found it was such a struggle to get through, and purely down to the writing style. It was too choppy for me. Choppy to the point where I thought it was a formatting error... nope. But if you can get past the writing style (i couldn't) the premise was brilliant.

DI Ben Westphall has been sent to Estonia to investigate the curious case of a man (John Baden) , who had been considered dead for 12 years walking into a police station in Estonia.

John Baden's reappearance seems to have triggered multiple killings and Ben with his unique skills seems to have an inkling of things beyond the obvious.

This was a book I struggled with. Struggled to get into, struggled with the characters..Just not the book for me.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the review copy of this book.

Song of the Dead, the first book in the DI Ben Westphall series primarily set in Scotland, is a fantastic read and exactly my cup of tea. Granted, I'm a huge Douglas Lindsay fan, and this is his best novel to date. I read crime fiction mainly to relax, so it's crucial I find the right balance between an easy, non-taxing story and plenty of excitement, and it must have enough going on to keep me interested; this book fulfils the criteria perfectly, and I'm beyond excited that this is a series, as I know there's more to come. Mr Lindsay's books are usually set in Scotland, but, here, Westphall also ventures to Tallinn, Estonia.

It's a wonderfully written, immersive and engaging read, which has a distinctive haunting, ominous atmosphere that underpins everything, and there are copious twists and turns making it very satisfying, so satisfying that I devoured it within a few hours; I loved every single second of it too. Lindsay writes books that are the epitome of tartan noir, and as always his prose is liberally sprinkled with humour, in particular, there is some truly biting sarcasm. The contrast between the dark humour and the brutal killings is superbly done and everything is perfectly balanced, light and dark, good and bad. I look forward to upcoming instalments in the series and seeing Ben and company evolve and grow.

Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.

DI Ben Westphall investigates the strange case of a dead man come back to life, when John Baden walks into a police station in Estonia and announces he has just escaped captivity. The only thing is, Baden's body was identified by his family and buried 12 years ago.

This was an odd book to review. On the one hand, the crime element was interesting and I wanted to know what had happened, but on the other, the paranormal element sometimes slowed the plot down too much. One wonders how long a DI who talked about time travel and doppelgangers would last in the real police force. There was also the fact the author listed a lot of the main character's actions: got up, showered, had egg on toast for breakfast, etc which I found took some getting used to. For all that, I did read it until the end and I feel that actually this is a series I could grow to like, therefore I would definitely read the second book.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Hodder & Stoughton / Mulholland Books, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

Song of the Dead is the first book in a new series by Douglas Lindsay and it is an excellent crime thriller with many twists and turns.

The main character has many interesting & intriguing traits including an aversion to flying which adds to the overall story

I look forward to reading more books in this series

Highly recommended

DI Westphall, ex-MI6, is sent to Tallinn to discover how a man from Dingwall who has been dead for 12 years has just turned up alive...