A single murder… An unidentified animal skull … Sightings of a tusked horse … Flesh on the bones of an old Scottish myth.
A struggling Scottish scientist holds a potential unicorn skull in his hands. If he proves it’s authentic, his career will be made. If he dies trying, he won’t be the first.
Gillan McArdle’s academic career is ending because of one stupid lapse of judgment. But he’s the most talented young archaeologist in Scotland, and a Dundee based media outfit can use his skills. Offered a short term contract, he lands on the Hebridean island of Harris to investigate obscure animal bones. Quickly dismissing the unicorn skull as a thinly disguised fake, he can’t deny there’s something unusual about these bones. Baited by rumours of a majestic tusked horse roaming the upland moors, Gill begins to suspect someone is manipulating him. As he gradually unravels the mystery of the skull, he arrives at one disturbing conclusion. If this creature does exist, all the evidence suggests it’s a killer.
Tormod has lived in the East Neuk of Fife, with the love of his life for the last two decades. He beach combs Scotland for mysteries and legends, and his short stories are published in New Writing Scotland 37, Retreat West, and the Grindstone Open Prose competition.
He studied Economics at the University of Strathclyde and since then he's worked in magazines, media, and marketing. These days, when he's not working or writing, he can be found pottering around Anstruther Harbour; mending lobster creels in a grubby fair isle jumper, and hanging around grumpy fishermen.
A big fan of Rankin, Tormod's work aspires to that lofty height, but with fewer murders. He strives for the same sense of place achieved by Ann Cleeves, with a character as appealing as Jimmy Perez
The Bone Trap' is Tormod's first novel and the first in the 'Mysterious Scotland' series.
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My Thoughts
The Bone Trap is the first of three books in the Mysterious Scotland Series, the next is the Ness Deception and the last is The Stone Cypher. The Bone Trap takes the reader on quite the voyage.
"Isle of Harris, nine months ago"
"Callum McKellar isn't missing anymore. He's not injured, lost, or confused. He's dead. Someone or something, has ripped a hole in his back and snatched out his life. And now, staring at his broken body, sprawled in the heather, Ailsa knows she'll carry the burden of this memory for the rest of her life."
Thus starts the first chapter, which had me intrigued from there. The story takes place in the upper reaches of Scotland on the Hebridian island of Harris.. Very remote and steeped in local folklore. Gillan McCardle is an archaeologist who has been disgraced due to a simple mistake he made while working at the college.
Gill is approached by a man who has a media company that has various magazines. One of them is a mystery magazine. There are some unusual bones, that looks like a horse skull but had a spot on the forehead that had a horn. A unicorn? Maybe maybe not. He does a further investigation into an old smelter.
He finds that there are experiments going on, this after a harrowing way he has to enter the area. He finds that there are horses of varying degrees of abuse. He is further intrigued and enlists the assistance of Aisla, an elderly woman with the 'Sight" and the assistance of a woman, Rani, who is a research scientist and is appalled at the way the horses are treated.
With Rani's assistance, he learns more about what is going on. The scientists are able to isolate the DNA that would enable the horse under certain conditions, to evolve into a totally different creature. This becomes dangerous after there is a fire at the smelter and the employees escape. They do come back wanting what they think belongs to them.
With the permission of the landowner, he is able with the help of an archaeologist team to dig to see if they can find the bones of the mythical creatures that they sure had existed. Genetics have been manipulated. What they find is truly amazing and worth the effort of the dig. But they are not safe as there are people who do not want the findings known.
This story borders on fantasy, is it possible for there to be actual unicorns or waterhorses as they were called in this book. Danger abounds for all of the characters involved. Once I got into the story I really enjoyed it. Lots of believable characters and side stories, the sight of course is interesting in itself. There is danger and excitement throughout the book, I finished the book in record time.
I think if you enjoy a story that is of the mystical sort, of course, takes place in Scotland, then you can't go wrong with this novel. I look forward to reading the other two in the series, especially the second one, The Ness Deception. anything having to do with the Loch Ness monster has me giddy!
I rate it 5 stars.
I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.
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