Scottish crime author Caro Ramsay comes off her thirteen book Anderson and Costello crime series with the unrelated The Devil Stone. Ramsay introduces a new main character DCI Christine Caplan who starts this book in a world of professional and personal trouble, definitely enough to carry her through more than one book as those connections are untangled and second – In her Blood – on the way. In doing so, Caplan follows a well worn path of a group of fictional detectives.
In disgrace, DCI Christine Caplan is temporarily demoted and sent to the small Scottish village of Cronchie to support an investigation into the death of a family of five, seemingly during a satanic ritual. Ramsay is needed as the DCI on the case went missing the night the bodies were found. But she is also glad to get away from her troubled family, including a depressed husband and a video-game obsessed teenager. It is not long before Caplan begins to suspect that the murders had nothing to do with satanism and that there is a corrupt officer on her new team.
Sending a highly competent but troubled detective to a small town has become a staple trope of the genre. In Australia, for example we have Garry Disher’s Paul Hirschhausen, relegated to country South Australia, and Chris Hammer’s Ivan Lucic, who has been banished from Sydney to work in rural areas. The ironic thing about the Scottish equivalent is that Ramsay only ever seems to be a couple of hours drive from her Glasgow home base. Still, there is plenty of play made about the differences between country and city policing and it allows Ramsay to bring Caplan in as an outsider, distrustful of everyone and distrusted in return due to her checkered past.
Overall The Devil’s Stone is a solid Scottish-noir procedural that also delves into Line of Duty territory with potentially corrupt officers leaving Caplan isolated and not knowing who to trust. So that it can all build to a fairly intense finale. Caplan’s family dramas are played as a bit of a mystery, which makes it difficult to care too much in the early going of the story but come good towards the end. And Caplan has a range of relationships in the Force which she both draws on and makes her vulnerable but those connections are likely to be critical to giving some breadth to the individual investigations as this series goes forward. And given Ramsay’s previous works, it is likely that Caplan is here for the long haul.

Really enjoyable and gripping Scottish police procedural with great characters, fantastic location, and a gritty plot that works. I look forward to more in this series.

Christine Caplan is the lead character in this new series from Caro Ramsay and joins the action from the get go. As she is leaving a ballet performance, she is drawn to help apprehend a young man who it appears has robbed an elderly lady but before she can stop him him he falls from his bicycle and dies. This is the start of the story which twists and turns over the course of a murder investigation and at times leads Caplan to fear for her life.

Fresh from a disciplinary hearing where Christine has been demoted to DI, she is sent to help investigate a mysterious murder of five of the members of the aristocratic McGregor family in the small community of Cronchie. Two young criminals entered the house with a view to stealing the infamous devil stone but stumble across the macabre murder scene. The killing appears to be linked to the theft of the devil stone which legend suggests augurs death and destruction, as the scene has been staged to imply a satanic ritual. The officer leading the inquiry DCI Oswald has disappeared mysteriously and has been replaced by DI KInsella who clearly doesn't want Caplan to assist and puts barriers in her way. The youngest member of the McGregor family, Adam, is also missing and may be a key witness. Despite all the obstacles, Christine presses on to discover who has committed this crime.

Christine is a strong female protagonist balancing the demands of her family as her husband Aklen is unable to leave the house and son Kenny is dropping out of university and stealing her money with leading a difficult investigation whilst worried that someone is trying to end her police career as she digs deeper in to the investigation. Caro Ramsay has created a highland series which shows that crimes such as drug smuggling are still prevalent in small communities. I look forward to the next instalment. With thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

A DCI Christine Caplan thriller.
When a wealthy family in a small highland village are found murdered by a couple of local teenagers,the only thing that appears to be missing is the devil stone.
Caplan is sent from Glasgow to assist with the investigation.
Which of the local police can she trust? Is there anything satanical about this case or not?
I really enjoyed this book .The first Caro Ramsay novel I had read but will now look for her other books.

A really bizarre, messed up story that keeps you hooked in trying to work out what on earth happened!

There are some great plot twists along the way.

DCI Christine Caplan is under a cloud in Glasgow after a misdemeanour at work so it suits the powers that be to have her out of the way for a while.

In Cronchie, a Highland place on the West Coast, a wealthy family have been found murdered in their house. The grisly scene discovered by a couple of lads who has broken into the house with intent to rob it. It looks as if their murder may be part of a ritual as the only thing missing is the infamous Devil Stone. The grisly scene discovered by a couple of lads who has broken into the house with intent to rob it & there is some connection to them being involved with Satanic rituals. But then the investigating officer goes missing. Christine travels North thinking this might be sorted quickly & she can get back to her family.

It isn't that simple. The only member of the family still alive (now the heir) is missing. The local police are not a very cohesive team. Some are very ambitious & resent her being there, others seem to be the butt of jokes & these are the people she is steered towards. However, these are the people with local knowledge & underestimated.

This was a fast paced story full of interesting characters & interesting byways. I loved it & look forward to meeting Christine again. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

This is a great police murder case tale that makes your brain work quite hard with twists and turns all added to make this story really absorbing!.
It starts with the discovery of five dead bodies, one family wiped out except for one member that cannot be found. The main lead on the case disappears that night and cannot be found so a disgraced DCI hoping to get her rank back officially, travels up to Cronchie from Glasgow to oversee the investigation into the family deaths until Oswald, the missing police officer,returns to carry on. The thought is that as he was considering retirement, he's taken some time out from the shock of witnessing the dead bodies with signs of the occult being in use. One item is missing from the home and that is a stone which is very rare and valuable called The Deilstane. Rumoured that if the stone left the home of it's owner, death would follow....
There's a lot to take in and follow and I think it's a book I'll read again to see the clues that I missed!..Other than that, it's based in an imaginarily beautiful part of the country in Scotland, on the coast. It sounded lovely..
I received this free arc book for an honest review.
#Netgalley, #canongatebooks, #caroramsay.

This is a really good police procedural, the first in a new series featuring DCI Christine Caplan, a detective in Glasgow. Caplan is regarded as a good detective who gets results but recently her life has been difficult. Her home life is a mess and her work life is not doing so well either when the loss of a piece of evidence by her team leads to her demotion to DI and her secondment to a murder investigation in a small highland village.

In the village of Cronchie, a wealthy family of five have been found murdered in their mansion, in a bizarre scene surrounded by satanic artefacts. A valuable stone called the Devil Stone believed to protect the occupants is also found to be missing. Thought to be away on a cruise, the bodies were not found for three weeks when two local lads broke into the house. The youngest son, Adam, estranged from the family and an obvious suspect has yet to be located, although the local police are leaning towards the housebreakers as the killers, even though they seemed severely traumatised by finding the bodies.

Caplan is not exactly welcomed by the local police who keep information from her and spread rumours about her in the village. She’s partnered with DC Finnan Criago, a strange older man who keeps to himself and is ignored and bullied by the others, however, Caplan finds him to be a deep thinker who has more insight than others give him credit for. Caplan feels the local police are overly anxious to close the case and she begins to suspect there is more going on in the investigation than meets the eye, she becomes wary of who to trust. A slow burning and complex case in an atmospheric and rugged location leading up to an action packed and gripping finale.

This is the first of Caro Ramsay's books that I have read, and I am looking forward to reading more. I liked her writing style and Christine Caplan is an interesting character and I'm sure there is a lot more for the reader to learn about her backstory.
"The devil stone" was a tense thriller with a good plot line and sense of place, my only negative comment would be that there were so many characters that I found it difficult to remember them all and their relationships. Hopefully, with the police personnel this will become easier with future books!
Thank you to netgalley and Canongate for an advance copy of this book

Having read some of this authors previous books I was really looking forward to this new one and was definitely not disappointed. It is Book 1 of a new series featuring DCI Christine Caplan and starts off with a bang. Caplan is based in Glasgow but is demoted to DI status due to a mistake on her part in a previous case. Facing possible suspension her status is reinstated and she is sent to the Highlands and finds herself involved in a complex case. This was a compulsive read, relatively short and I finished it in one sitting.

Briefly, in the small village of Cronchie five bodies from the same wealthy family have been discovered in their family home and a family heirloom is the only thing missing. There are hints the deaths are connected to devil worship but when the DCI in charge goes missing the powers that be decide to send Caplan to help. Caplan is resented by the local team and under suspicion for being crooked but as more bodies turn up and conspiracy theories multiply Caplan finds her own family in grave danger.

This is a great introduction to a new series, I love a good police procedural. Caplan is a great character and I am definitely a fan already. Fast paced with an enthralling plot and multiple threads that all come together seamlessly. This is a humdinger of a murder mystery and I for one cannot wait for Caplan’s next adventure!

The Devil stone by Caro Ramsay is the first book in the DCI Chrstine Caplan series and the first book from the author that I have read.
After recently been demoted to DI, after losing significant evidence in a case. Christine Caplin has given a chance to be re-instated. By thrown into a case in the Highland village of Cronchie. Where five members of the wealthy McGregor family after found murdered by two men burgling Otterburn House to steal the devil stone. The killings seem to be ritualistic in nature and at first things the devil has got them. But they soon they realise that one of the members of the family Adam. Who is straightway the Number 1 suspect. With the rest dead, he is in line to inherit the lot.
So, when Christine arrives the SIO on the case goes missing and there is also corruption in the local Police force. Christine wonders who she can trust.
Thank you, Canongate, for a copy of ‘The Devil Stone’. As I am new to the author I cannot compare to the rest of her work. But this is a great start to the new series. I like the protagonist character of Christine. She an independent feisty character and not frightened to get stuck into her job even though the rest of her life is a bit of a mess. I really enjoyed this, and I can’t wait to read the second in the series. 4 stars from me.

I got an invitation to read this and almost didn't accept although I like the author's books. I had a lot going on at the time and didn't think I would have time to read it. I discovered Caro Ramsay's books last year and binged on her Anderson & Costello series by borrowing ebooks from the library and purchasing a couple.

DCI Christine Caplan has a rather dysfunctional family life. Money is tight as she is the only earner. Her husband suffers from a chronic condition and can't work, nor does he help around the house; her son spends much of his time on computer games and doesn't engage much with the family. The men are dependent on Christine to deal with everything. Her daughter is a student and lives in student flat.

Having just been demoted from DCI to DI following a slip up her job is on the line. She is sent as a sort of 'punishment' to the highland village of Cronchie where five members of a prominent local landowning family have been murdered. They were discovered by two young housebreakers who believed the house was empty. They were completely traumatised by the scene which suggested satanic ritualistic killings. One family member is missing. Did they have anything to do with the slaughter?

The investigating officer, DCI Oswald, has also disappeared. He left the crime scene to go home and never arrived.

Christine is sent to support and keep an eye on DI Kinsella who has assumed temporary command but who lacks experience. The team know about her demotion are not particularly welcoming. As the investigation proceeds she realises someone is making things difficult and indeed she's not just in danger of losing her career, her life is also in danger.

The prologue had me a bit bamboozled initially and intrigued. The book is then set out as days before, starting with nine days before, leading up to the day of an event.

There's a lot going on with several sub-plots but they all have their place. The characters are interesting – there's a bit of humour too. You're not sure if they're 'good' or 'bad'. The pace is good and there's a fair bit of tension. There are plenty of twists and more deaths. Caplan ends up not knowing who she can trust.

An excellent start to a new police procedural series set in Scotland by author Caro Ramsay.
I'm looking forward to the next book.

When an entire family are found dead in a seemingly ritualistic fashion in a small town in the Scottish Highlands, DCI Christine Caplan is asked to help out with the investigation. It’s not helping matters that the policeman in charge of the investigation seems to have gone missing.

Caplan is in a difficult place, and is facing a number of issues at home with her family. She’s also run into some serious problems at work, where she’s facing potential demotion. Not helping matters is a strange incident that took place in her personal life when she witnesses what looked like an attack on the street.

So she has plenty going on when she enters the somewhat hostile environment she faces when she reaches the Highland office where she’s investigating. One member of the murdered family is still missing, and the two people who discovered the bodies were themselves trying to break in to steal “The Devil Stone” which the family kept in the house.

Throw into this mix, a deadly new drug that is sweeping Scotland, a strange collective based on a nearby island who could be a cult, and the general unpleasantness Caplan faces in the office, and everything seems to be going against her.

The story unfolds very carefully, and while at first you’re not sure how things are or are not going to connect, the intricate plot strands begin to come together. The protagonist of the book is by no means perfect, and we get to understand that fairly early on. She has her supporters, but she also has those who perhaps are out to get her.

This is the first in a new series of novels featuring Christine Caplan, and I will certainly be returning to them.

A shame that I got access to this book after reading the second in the series. I had a pretty good idea of the way the plot was going, because there are several references to the Devil Stone in the next episode . I also knew some of the characters, though there are a lot and you do have to concentrate to sort out who is who .The events are interesting, though fairly slow to get going, the action picks up towards the end.
Thanks to NET galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

DCI Christine Caplan is the main character in a new series by Caro Ramsay. The series starts with a bang and never stopped keeping me hooked on the edget.
There's plenty of twist, there's violence, and an interesting MC.
It's an excellent novel that met my expectations and I came to expect a lot from this Tartan Noir writer.
Gripping and entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

When the leading detective on the case disappears, dancer turned police officer Christine Caplan is sent out of Glasgow to solve the murder of a wealthy family in their secluded home, where their bodies have been discovered by a couple of would be burglars. The only family member unaccounted for is the son, who has rejected the values of his family and become a member of an alternative lifestyle commune on a nearby island. Details of the case begin to leak, however, and Christine is unsure of which members of the team she can trust, while at the same time defending herself against an inquiry into the sudden death of a mugging suspect. A deliciously twisting plot, and complex characters with interconnected pasts combine in a thoroughly engrossing murder mystery. I will seeking out some of Caro Ramsey's other novels!

Fanatastic new series from Caro Ramsey, loved this book which was well written and kept you guessing from the start.
Looking forward to more in this series
Highly Recommended

It requires a number of hooks to catch mackerel, feathered hooks to be precise. Caro Ramsay similarly uses a number of hooks in her new novel, The Devil Stone. What should have been the most significant hook, the discovery of five bodies in what appears to be a Satanic ritual slaughter, should have had enough creep factor to have set those hairs a standing. Sadly it didn't. So, the hooks didn't do it but I read on. It turned out be a really good and complex detective thriller, with quite a lot of novelty. However, there is a caveat, for me it was clunky and not a story well told. That's a real pity as we were introduced to a new detective DCI Christine Caplan, a woman with so many domestic problems it's a wonder she left the house in the morning. She does though, firstly to be demoted to a DI and then sent north to be a potential patsy in a murder inquiry. She's no dummy and sees the crime scene to be one that has been staged, one to mislead and draw the hounds away. What follows is an investigation in which Caplan wonders who has her back. Weirdly, the narrative changes style after Caplan's son was found at the foot of a war memorial and progresses smoothly to a thrilling climax.
The plot had so much potential but in my opinion it wasn't put across that well. If there was another DCI Caplan novel, I would be interested to read it.

Another winner from Caro Ramsay. This time with a new detective but Ramsay is such an astute write of police procedurals that the transition is pretty much flawless. If you liked Ramsay before you'll like this.

A great read with a strong female lead, lots of false starts to the investigation, local legends woven throughout, sometimes taking the polices attention from the reality of the situation and a couple of corking twists!
nothing not to like!