The Flood/The Island
G.N. Smit
307/359 pages
Bookouture
published September 22, 2023
The Flood Amazon | Goodreads
The Island Amazon | Goodreads
About The Flood
Entering the kitchen, Fiona let out a gasp. The body lay askew on the floor and a trickle of blood ran from the man’s nose and across his cheek. Fiona felt deep fear as she looked down at the man she never thought would meet this kind of end…
Still haunted by the historic murder of her parents, police officer Fiona MacLeish has been told by Police Scotland that she must take a break from the demands of a busy force. So she’s returned to her remote childhood home in the Borders, where she grew up with her aunt. A place where nobody even knows she’s in the police force.
But when a terrifying storm cuts the small farming community off, and the bloodied body of one of her aunt’s neighbours is found, she realises the very place she has gone to find peace may be far more dangerous than she could ever have imagined.
And, as the rain hammers down and the flood waters rise, the killer who is moving amongst them is getting braver…
If the killer finds out Fiona is really a police officer, she may be next. Has Fiona got what it takes to discover which of the trusted people in the tiny rural community is a murderer before they strike again?
The Flood is the first book in the Fiona MacLeish series. With an unforgettable setting, a strong female lead and packed with twists, this is the perfect read for fans of J.M. Dalgliesh, J.D. Kirk and Simon McCleave.
About the Island
Her hands bang desperately on the window of Fiona’s car door as the wind flaps her pink hair sideways. Through the glass the distraught mother shrieks, ‘Please, you have to find her! You have to find my little girl.’
When eight-year-old Cait Yorke goes missing on a remote island off the coast of the wild Scottish Highlands, police officer Fiona MacLeish is quickly sent to investigate. But a gale is gathering force, and Fiona becomes increasingly concerned for a little girl braving the strong winds alone. As Fiona questions the locals, she soon realises that they are hiding many secrets. What is this island, and who really lives here?
Then a boat violently crashes off the coast of the island. On board, Fiona discovers the body of a man who has clearly been murdered. But the killer is nowhere to be found. The only place they can be is on the island with no way out.
Realising a killer is trapped on their island, tensions amongst the locals and Fiona begin to rise. As the gale rages on and the body count continues to rise, will Fiona find the young girl and the killer before they strike again?
The Island is the second book in the Fiona MacLeish series, set against the remote Scottish Highlands. Fans of J.M. Dalgliesh, J.D. Kirk and Simon McCleave will love this character-driven police procedural with a dark twisty plot.
My Review of The Flood
This is pure intensity from the moment I started until the end. It’s a little bit of a locked room type mystery as a storm and flood trap the characters and when they start dying, there is a limited amount of suspects. No one knows that Fiona is a police officer as she is trapped with the others and so she starts to investigate without any backup.
This is a great setup for the Fiona MacLeish series. She is a likable character and determined to find justice. I wish she showed us a little more than slowing down the pace to tell us everything she was thinking as she works out the evidence, but other than that, a very enjoyable first book in this new series.
I switched back and forth between reading and listening to this one and I enjoyed Helen McAlpine’s narration and accent.
My Review of The Island
I think book two is even better than book one. So much going on. A missing child, a sinking ferry and a murderer all in the same story. Again this is somewhat of a locked room mystery as everyone is trapped on the island due to a storm. And again Fiona is working alone on all three of these issues. I like that she is so determined to find justice and do it all. Just like in the first book, there is so much tension and this one is at a continued fast pace.
Part of what makes Fiona so likable is that her parents were killed and that sets her drive to be the best police officer she can be so she can use those skills to eventually solve her parents murder. You just want to root for her to succeed. Not something I have really thought much about in my crime procedural previous reads.
With book two even stronger than book one, this is a great series to start.
Author Bio:
Graham Smith is a time served joiner who has built bridges, houses, dug drains and slated roofs to make ends meet. Since Christmas 2000, he has been manager of a busy hotel and wedding venue near Gretna Green, Scotland.
He is an internationally best-selling Kindle author and has six books featuring DI Harry Evans and the Cumbrian Major Crimes Team, and four novels, featuring Utah doorman, Jake Boulder. His ‘Lakes’ series which has three novels featuring DC Beth Young has received much critical acclaim.
Graham is the founder of Crime and Publishment, a weekend of crime-writing classes which includes the chance for attendees to pitch their novels to agents and publishers. Since the first weekend in 2013, sixteen attendees have gone on to sign publishing contracts.
Graham also writes as John Ryder and G.N. Smith.
Graham can be found at
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