Thunder Bay

Ambitious Scottish journalist Rebecca Connolly, the sympathetic heroine of this exceptional thriller from Skelton (The Janus Run), has a nose for a good story and a talent for getting people to talk. Disobeying her budget-conscious editor at the Highland Chronicle, she travels to the Hebridean island of Stoirm, seeking an exclusive story on Roddie Drummond. Stoirm also happens to be the home Rebecca’s father left years ago and never talks about. Roddie, who was acquitted of the murder of his girlfriend, Mhairi Sinclair, 15 years earlier, has returned to Stoirm to attend his mother’s funeral. Tension in the community is high following Roddie’s arrival, with many keen to unleash their anger on him, believing he got away with murder. As Rebecca pries into the islanders’ private lives, she brings to light ugly, hidden secrets, as well as revelations about her family history best left undisturbed—intensifying the hostile atmosphere. Powerful flashbacks help build to the spectacular conclusion. Exquisite language, credible characters, and unrelenting suspense—this crime novel has it all. (Feb.)