Greater Sins is a triumph; an accomplished debut from an author confident in her craft. It’s so beautifully written and from the outset I was immersed in the setting, watching and listening as events unfolded. The pace is leisurely which is exactly as it should be for a story set near the start of the First World War, in a small Scottish community. It’s introspective, claustrophobic and a real puzzle. A preserved body of a female is found in the peat bogs. It’s removed by Johnny, an itinerant labourer come folk singer and Lizzie, wife of a wealthy landowner. The discovery is, of course, a significant talking point as the locals consider who it may be, why she’s there and are there links to ancient folklore and customs?

The characters are really distinct. Johnny has a language of his own, but easy to understand even for those who aren’t Scottish. Lizzie is very different and it becomes clear that there are secrets to be revealed and connections to be made which will link people and events in the most unexpected ways. It’s multilayered and such a satisfying read. I love the artwork and colouring of the cover. It’s dramatic and there’s a hint of darkness in the woodcut style image. Certainly draws the eye and I hope this will be a huge success. An author to watch out for. My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a review copy.

Although a bit bit of slow burner, it is well worth sticking with this book. Beautifully written and truly a masterpiece.

What an emotive debut novel this is, which held me in its thrall from beginning to end. Based in a small Scottish rural community in the early years of WWI, it is suffused with folklore, betrayal and jealousy. Revolving around the discovery of a perfectly preserved woman's body in a peat bog, the story expands into a tale of raw human emotion that is dark but exquisitely emotional. Griffiths' naturalistic writing style reminded me strongly of both Thomas Hardy and Benjamin Myers, and I became totally immersed in the inner and outer lives of her characters, playing out against the backdrop of war. Just wonderful...

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading this book for free, in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts are my own and I was not paid to write this.

May 1915, The Cabrach, NE Scotland
The Cabrach is an isolated, small community where folk linger over their peaty whisky, wave lads off to war, where much is observed and later discussed with lively banter. Here, we meet Johnny, a nomadic labourer who sings for his supper and Lizzie, wife of the wealthy local landowner who lives in Blackwater House. The apparent peace of the area is disturbed when a preserved female body is discovered buried in the peat. Is it a ceremonial burial like many other peat bodies or something more recent and sinister? Two timelines, two points of view as their stories entwine in unexpected ways.
This is a very powerful and beautifully written debut from Gabrielle Griffiths. The setting positively oozes atmosphere, where a small community comes under a spotlight and so it's very intense as a consequence and also claustrophobic as so little is missed. The backdrop of war adds to the atmosphere, as although it's far away its presence hangs over the community and is deeply felt.
I love the way it's told, Lizzie's narrative is very different to Johnny's which contains much local Scottish vernacular which is totally suited to his character and social status. Although some of the words used are new to me, it's not hard to work out their meaning. What emerges is a complex, character driven tale of relationships, with a portrait of a marriage, of people trapped by their past or by circumstance. There are a multitude of secrets and duplicity alongside a vivid portrayal of a community steeped in superstition and folklore, all under the watchful eye of the Kirk. The characterisation is exemplary as they spring to life in full technicolour. The storytelling becomes grittier, darker and more mysterious as the novel progresses and as pasts connect and coalesce.
Overall, this is a very well written evocative tale, capturing people, time and place colourfully.

On the cusp of war a body is dredged up by the bog, tales of witchcraft and ale fuel the inhabitants of aberdeenshire when a long list of bad luck ensues. This thread runs through an amazing story, beautifully written and told.

In 1915 Lizzie is collecting moss with another woman from the village to be used in bandages for the army in WW1. They come across a box buried in the peat bog and when they look inside they find the preserved body of a woman. How this discovery affects the farm workers and villagers around in this remote part of Scotland is the main thrust of this book as their superstitions and fears rise to the surface and secrets that have been buried for many years are uncovered.
The setting of this novel is almost a character in its own right - remote and barren with farms that are worked entirely by hand and barely turn a profit. With little for the men to do but drink, a lot of alcohol is consumed but even this is in short supply as the war takes men away from the breweries. It is a difficult life and the characters are hard and tough until the bog woman's arrival stretches and pulls their lives in different directions.
Atmospheric and emotional and an interesting read.
With thanks to Netgalley and Transworld, Penguin Random House for an arc copy in return for an honest review.

A remote Scottish community where people live from the land, they live on the land and the land is their home. Whena body is found in the peaty earth, there are some truths to face and the stories come out as those in this community want to know but don't want to tell what they know. The novel is raw and emotional and an atmospheric look at how we live from the land but the land still has the final word.

In Greater Sins, Griffiths spins a deft ghost story that is not really about spooks and spectres that go bump in the night – it’s about the people who tell such dark stories, and those who hear them and fear them.

After a body is discovered on an isolated Scottish bog, imaginations begin to run riot. Then the local community is haunted by a series of strange occurrences, and superstition turns first into blame and quickly into human cruelty. For farmhand Johnny, the escalating events threaten to release long buried secrets, while bored and lonely Lizzie is drawn into the hurts and disappointments of her own past.

Griffiths weaves together her characters’ fears and failings until each thread is pulled so taut it could snap at any moment. A stunning debut that pairs precise and evocative prose with page-turning tension.

May 1915, The Cabrach, NE Scotland

The Cabrach is an isolated, small community where folk linger over their peaty whisky, wave lads off to war, where much is observed and later discussed with lively banter. Here, we meet Johnny, a nomadic labourer who sings for his supper and Lizzie, wife of the wealthy local landowner who lives in Blackwater House. The apparent peace of the area is disturbed when a preserved female body is discovered buried in the peat. Is it a ceremonial burial like many other peat bodies or something more recent and sinister? Two timelines, two points of view as their stories entwine in unexpected ways.

This is a very powerful and beautifully written debut from Gabrielle Griffiths. The setting positively oozes atmosphere, where a small community comes under a spotlight and so it’s very intense as a consequence and also claustrophobic as so little is missed. The backdrop of war adds to the atmosphere, as although it’s far away its presence hangs over the community and is deeply felt.

I love the way it’s told, Lizzie‘s narrative is very different to Johnny’s which contains much local Scottish vernacular which is totally suited to his character and social status. Although some of the words used are new to me, it’s not hard to work out their meaning. What emerges is a complex, character driven tale of relationships, with a portrait of a marriage, of people trapped by their past or by circumstance. There are a multitude of secrets and duplicity alongside a vivid portrayal of a community steeped in superstition and folklore, all under the watchful eye of the Kirk. The characterisation is exemplary as they spring to life in full technicolour. The storytelling becomes grittier, darker and more mysterious as the novel progresses and as pasts connect and coalesce.

Overall, this is a very well written evocative tale, capturing people, time and place colourfully.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to the publisher for the much appreciated EPUB in return for an honest review.

A dark, atmospheric tale of remote Scottish farming and survival in early 20th century when there was little to relieve the harshness except drink and story telling. Johnny is a story teller, a charmer, a heartthrob but he hides secrets that slowly come to light when a preserved corpse of a woman is found in the peat bogs. Oh Johnny, many a one would for you. An excellent story.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

A very lively story woven with a dark and mysterious thread... Superstitions, eerie traditions fill the storyline enhancing some intriguing secrets. The richness of the characters and the beauty of the language are compelling and make this novel very special.
A fascinating way of telling a story.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

1915 Scotland and two bodies are discovered in a peat bog.

This is an interesting and fascinating read. It tells how a xommunity comes together but not always in a good way. Prejudice, pride and ego are not always good ways to keep secrets but it made this a fabulous read. and I loved how the story unfolded.#

A massive shout out for the amazing cover

1915, and two women unearth a perfectly preserved ancient corpse in a remote peat bog. The area is rife with quasi-religious superstitions and the reactions to the discovery of the woman's body set off a chain of events for the local inhabitants in a place that is already reeling as the first crop of men leave for war.

I've always found peat bog bodies grimly fascinating, so this premise intrigued me and it lived up to my hopes.
It's a perfectly drawn story of rural Scottish life in the early 20th century. It's so evocative that you can almost taste the whiskey and feel the cold sting of the wind. The language and vocabulary had cadence and rhythm.
It's a deft psychological and social examination of the members of a small community. The characters feel fully realised and are easy to empathise with, especially if you've ever felt oppressed by society and the layers of misogyny.