Good evening! Not only am I late in the day with this post I’m actually a whole week late too! As we’ve left the miserable month that was February behind we have a whole new theme of prompts courtesy of Steph! We’re off around the world!
Six for Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely Steph at ALITTLEBUTALOT. You can find a list of prompts for January, February and March here
Books set in the country you live
Okay, so for this prompt we’re not travelling very far as we’re starting off with books set in the country we live in! I started off my life in Devon before heading north of the border to Scotland so my books are a mix of the county I was born in and bits of Scotland I now frequent!
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
For the first time in 20 years, Ann Cleeves –international bestselling and award-winning author of the Vera and Shetland series, both of which are hit TV shows– embarks on a gripping new series.
In North Devon, where two rivers converge and run into the sea, Detective Matthew Venn stands outside the church as his father’s funeral takes place. Once loved and cherished, the day Matthew left the strict evangelical community he grew up in, he lost his family too.
Now, as he turns and walks away again, he receives a call from one of his team. A body has been found on the beach nearby: a man with a tattoo of an albatross on his neck, stabbed to death.
The case calls Matthew back into the community he thought he had left behind, as deadly secrets hidden at its heart are revealed, and his past and present collide.
An astonishing new novel told with compassion and searing insight, The Long Call will captivate fans of Vera and Shetland, as well as new readers.
Devon is a rather unique county in that it has two separate coastlines. This is set on the north coast, whereas I grew up on the opposite one. I’ll be honest as much as I enjoy watching Vera and Shetland on the TV I wasn’t the biggest fan of this book. I didn’t hate it but I don’t think I enjoyed it as much as I wanted too, something about the characters didn’t quite click for me I think. I’ll definitely still give the follow up a chance though!
The Teacher by Katerina Diamond
You think you know who to trust? You think you know the difference between good and evil? You’re wrong…
The body of the head teacher of an exclusive Devon school is found hanging from the rafters in the assembly hall.
Hours earlier he’d received a package, and only he could understand the silent message it conveyed. It meant the end.
As Exeter suffers a rising count of gruesome deaths, troubled DS Imogen Grey and DS Adrian Miles must solve the case and make their city safe again.
But as they’re drawn into a network of corruption, lies and exploitation, every step brings them closer to grim secrets hidden at the heart of their community.
And once they learn what’s motivating this killer, will they truly want to stop him?
SMART. GRIPPING. GRUESOME.
This is a psychological crime thriller in a class of its own.
WARNING: Most definitely not for the faint-hearted!
This is one that’s sitting on my TBR but is actually set in the city I was born in. Due to the pandemic it’s been over a year since I’ve managed to get back down there, based on the blurb I’m not sure this is one to go to to bring back warm memories but it does sound right up my street!
Gilded Cage by Vic James
In modern-day Britain, magic users control everything: wealth, politics, power—and you. If you’re not one of the ultimate one-percenters—the magical elite—you owe them ten years of service. Do those years when you’re old, and you’ll never get through them. Do them young, and you’ll never get over them.
This is the darkly decadent world of Gilded Cage. In its glittering milieu move the all-powerful Jardines and the everyday Hadleys. The families have only one thing in common: Each has three children. But their destinies entwine when one family enters the service of the other. They will all discover whether any magic is more powerful than the human spirit.
Have a quick ten years. . . .
I’m not sure if this is actually cheating as the Britain this trilogy is set in is a parallel one where things are a little different to say the least. While a lot of this book is set in London there are also mentions of a slave town near Exeter, as well as bits in Manchester, where my dad grew up. Our characters also spend sometime in the highlands of Scotland; shamefully despite living here for the best part of eleven years I’ve not ventured up to the highlands yet!
Natural Causes by James Oswald
A young girl’s mutilated body is discovered in a sealed room. Her remains are carefully arranged, in what seems to have been a cruel and macabre ritual, which appears to have taken place over 60 years ago.
For newly appointed Edinburgh Detective Inspector Tony McLean this baffling cold case ought to be a low priority – but he is haunted by the young victim and her grisly death.
Meanwhile, the city is horrified by a series of bloody killings. Deaths for which there appears to be neither rhyme nor reason, and which leave Edinburgh’s police at a loss.
McLean is convinced that these deaths are somehow connected to the terrible ceremonial killing of the girl, all those years ago. It is an irrational, almost supernatural theory.
And one which will lead McLean closer to the heart of a terrifying and ancient evil . . .
I really love this supernatural crime series which is set in Edinburgh (and occasionally the surrounding area). Edinburgh isn’t quite where I call home (the bits I would want to live in are too expensive to live by myself) but it is where I work, or worked pre-pandemic, hopefully I’ll get back there! I love diving into a book that’s set somewhere I’m really familiar with, it just adds something to the story for me!
See Them Run by Marion Todd
In a famous Scottish town, someone is bent on murder – but why?
On the night of a wedding celebration, one guest meets a grisly end when he’s killed in a hit-and-run. A card bearing the number ‘5’ has been placed on the victim’s chest. DI Clare Mackay, who recently moved from Glasgow to join the St Andrews force, leads the investigation. The following night another victim is struck down and a number ‘4’ card is at the scene. Clare and her team realise they’re against the clock to find a killer stalking the streets of the picturesque Scottish town and bent on carrying out three more murders.
To prevent further deaths, the police have to uncover the link between the victims. But those involved have a lot more at stake than first meets the eye. If Clare wants to solve the case she must face her own past and discover the deepest secrets of the victims – and the killer.
Don’t miss the page-turning first novel in a gripping series featuring DI Clare Mackay, perfect for fans of Alex Gray, D. S. Butler and Rachel Amphlett.
This is another that’s sitting on my TBR. It’s set in St Andrews which is a lovely town I visited fairly regularly when I was at university in Dundee. It’s also in the same county that I currently call home, although it’s at the opposite end of the Kingdom of Fife to me! I’ve been meaning to read this for ages and I’m not quite sure why I’ve not managed it yet!
Never Somewhere Else by Alex Gray
When three young women are discovered strangled and mutilated in a Glasgow park, it is up to DCI Lorimer to find their killer. Frustrated by a lack of progress in the investigation, Lorimer is forced to enlist the services of Dr Solomon and Brightman, psychologist and criminal profiler. Together they form an uneasy alliance.
But when a homeless man is brought in for questioning the investigation takes a bizarre turn. Soon Lorimer has to scratch the surface of the polished Glasgow art world and reveal the dark layers hidden beneath…
This is a series which I have been solidly devouring via audiobook! It’s set on the west coast of Scotland around Glasgow. I don’t venture over to the west coast all that often but the people I work for have a second location over in Glasgow so back in the old days I used to travel over to the office every couple of months or so. On the plus side the shopping is pretty good over there!
They were my #SixforSunday! If you’ve taken part leave a link to your post below and I’ll be sure to check it out!
Sarah Withers Blogs 
Charlotte
Not at all surprised to see a bunch of crime books on here! Gilded Cage is still one of my absolute favourites. I’ve visited Croven’s Castle.
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