The Dead and the Dying

By Lin Anderson

In the dim morning light, Orkney’s Skaill Bay is the backdrop for a calamity of nature’s making. When forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod joins the rescue efforts as a volunteer, she uncovers more than she bargained for: a human skeleton entombed in a stone crypt.

The grave is believed to hail from the Viking Age, but Rhona’s analysis of the content points to more recent and sinister evil. And a shadow is thrown over the investigation when the skeleton is finally identified – and unsettling connections emerge between the victim and the very people trying to solve.

As forensic clues lead Rhona to a second, horrifying discovery, the question looms: how many more secrets are concealed in the sand?

Reviews of The Dead and the Dying

'Forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod has become one of the most satisfying characters in modern crime fiction. Honourable, inquisitive and yet plagued by doubts and, sometimes, fears' – Daily Mail

'Lin Anderson is one of Scotland’s national treasures – don’t be fooled by comparisons, her writing is unique, bringing warmth and depth to even the seediest parts of Glasgow ' – Stuart MacBride, author of the Logan McRae series

'One of the best Scottish crime series since Rebus' – Daily Record

'A real page-turner' – Ian Rankin, author of the Inspector Rebus series, on The Party House

'Vivid and atmospheric . . . enthralling' – The Guardian on The Killing Tide

'A cast of characters who feel like old friends' – The Sunday Times on None But the Dead