I’m always so pleased when a debut novel lives up to my expectations. With its isolation and brooding atmosphere, loneliness and anger, Laura McCluskey’s The Wolf Tree is reminiscent of the first Shetland Island mystery by Ann Cleeves, Raven Black. But, McCluskey has created her own island community.
Eilean Eadar is a barren, windswept rock inhabited by just 206 people and some sheep. It’s claim to fame happened in 1916 when three lighthouse keepers vanished from the island. That mystery remains unsolved.
But, now, there’s another unexplained death, and Detective Inspectors Georgina “Georgie” Lennox and Richie Stewart have been sent from Glasgow to the island off the west coast of Scotland. It appears that Alan Ferguson climbed to the top of the lighthouse two weeks earlier. He probably committed suicide. But, because he had just turned eighteen, and there were some unexpected marks on his face, the two police officers were sent to investigate.
Georgie and Richie do not have an easy time investigating. The local postal person seems to know everyone’s business, and the very Catholic community listens to Father James Ross, who wants to hear all the interviews. The children will not talk to them, and they seem to generate several emotions on the island. There’s anger that they’re even there, suspicion, and, in several cases, helpfulness that might not be so helpful. They’re even victims of a curse that is supposed to bring them bad luck.
But, Georgie and Richie already have their own bad luck. They’re partners, but a recent incident put Georgie on medical leave. This is her first case back, and Richie and even the boss aren’t sure Georgie should be on an isolated island for five days. They’re stuck in a small croft, forced to walk to and from the village in awful weather. And, Georgie swears she hears wolves at night when there haven’t been wolves in Scotland for centuries.
Fear, hatred, isolation. As the community gathers together against the outsiders, they’re determined to keep their secrets and protect each other. It’s a dramatic, surprising story of one community against the world.
The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2025. ISBN 9780593852545 (hardcover), 336p.
FTC Full Disclosure – The publisher sent a copy of the book, with no promise of a review.
Sounds very interesting.
Just an aside: George Easter’s latest zine, Deadly Pleasures #106, is out. In it he compiles the Best of the Year lists from 107 different sources – including Lesa – and the books named on the most lists are:
37 Liz Moore, The God Of the Woods
33 Chris Whitaker, All The Colors Of the Dark
Richard Osman, We Solve Murders
I recently read the first two back to back and both are excellent choices.
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Lesa this sounds like a book I’d like. No luck finding it at my local libraries so I’ll add it to my (long!) want to read list and see if it comes out in paperback. I love books set in the UK.