Living is a Problem by Doug Johnstone #Review #Giveaway #TheSkelfsBook6

 

Welcome to the celebrations for the sixth in the Skelfs series. Living is a Problem by Doug Johnstone was published by Orenda on 12th September. I also have the opportunity for you to win a print copy. Details on how to enter are at the foot of this post.

The Skelf women are back on an even keel after everything they've been through. But when a funeral they're conducting is attacked by a drone, Jenny fears they're in the middle of an Edinburgh gangland vendetta.

At the same time, Yana, a Ukrainian member of the refugee choir that plays with Dorothy's band, has gone missing. Searching for her leads Dorothy into strange and ominous territory.

And Brodie, the newest member of the extended Skelf family, comes to Hannah with a case: Something or someone has been disturbing the grave of his stillborn son.

Everything is changing for the Skelfs … Dorothy's boyfriend Thomas is suffering PTSD after previous violent trauma, Jenny and Archie are becoming close, and Hannah's case leads her to consider the curious concept of panpsychism, which brings new danger … while ghosts from the family's past return to threaten their very lives.

Funny, shocking and profound, Living Is a Problem is the highly anticipated sixth instalment of the unforgettable Skelfs series – shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Novel and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Book of the Year – where life and death become intertwined more than ever before…

My Thoughts

This is the sixth in the Skelfs series so all the familiar characters are there. The family crosses three generations which adds depth to the characterisation. As funeral directors and private investigators, they have several story strands which spread through their lives and the familiar black humour is there. In this story, you discover that the Skelfs have been changing their approach as funeral directors and taking on an environmental angle.

     Beneath the humour and the different crime strands, there are some profound ideas about life and death and the nature of consciousness. There is an exploration of grief and loss and how different people cope with it. Brodie's story is particularly touching with all the emotions arising from the loss of a baby. The grave of his stillborn child has been disturbed. You see the difficulty that different people have in communication about this loss. This has been a wonderful series and at the heart of as always is the Skelf family.

In short: stunning crime drama

About the Author

Doug Johnstone is the author of twelve previous novels, most recently The BigChill (2020). Several of his books have been bestsellers and three, A Dark Matter (2020), Breakers (2019) and The Jump (2015), were shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year. He’s taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions over the last decade – including at a funeral parlour ahead of writing A Dark Matter – and has been an arts journalist for over twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three solo EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He’s also player-manager of the Scotland Writers Football Club. He lives in Edinburgh. 

 

You can follow Doug here: Twitter   |  Website 

Amazon UK

 

Thanks to Doug Johnstone, Karen Sullivan and Anne Cater of Orenda Books for a copy of the book and a place on the event. 

 

Giveaway (UK only)

To win a print copy of Prey just Follow and Retweet the pinned tweet at @bookslifethings

 

  The giveaway runs from October 7th to the closing Date of 14th October 2024 and there is one winner.  Good luck!  

 

*Terms and Conditions – UK only.  The winner will be selected at random via a random retweet selector from all valid entries and will be notified by X (Twitter) and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.