A Dark Matter: Volume 1
Published on 23. January 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
300 pages
978-1-912374-98-4 (ISBN)
Description
Three generations of women from the Skelfs family take over the family funeral home and PI businesses in the first book of a taut, gripping page-turning and darkly funny new series.
***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year***
***Shortlisted for the Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Awards***
'An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones' Herald Scotland
'Gripping and blackly humorous' Observer
'I was addicted from the first page; gripping, gritty and darkly funny as hell' Erin Kelly
'A Dark Matter showcases a writer at the peak of his powers, except that with every book, Doug Johnstone just gets better' Val McDermid
_________________
Meet the Skelfs: well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators...
When patriarch Jim dies, it's left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.
Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another woman, suggesting that Jim wasn't the husband she thought he was. Hannah's best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined.
As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything...
A compelling, tense and shocking thriller and a darkly funny and warm portrait of a family in turmoil, A Dark Matter introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, marking the start of an addictive new series.
_________________
'A fiendish mystery that is also deeply moving and laced with suitably dark humour ... set to be one of the books of the year' Mark Billingham
'Emotionally complex, richly layered and darkly funny. An addictive blend of Case Histories and Six Feet Under' Chris Brookmyre
'This dark but touching thriller makes for a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Edinburgh noir' Mary Paulson-Ellis
'This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, please' Guardian
'A tense ride ... strong, believable characters' Kerry Hudson, Big Issue
'They are all wonderful characters: flawed, funny, brave - and well set up for a series. I wouldn't call him cosy, but there's warmth to Johnstone's writing' Sunday Time
***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year***
***Shortlisted for the Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Awards***
'An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones' Herald Scotland
'Gripping and blackly humorous' Observer
'I was addicted from the first page; gripping, gritty and darkly funny as hell' Erin Kelly
'A Dark Matter showcases a writer at the peak of his powers, except that with every book, Doug Johnstone just gets better' Val McDermid
_________________
Meet the Skelfs: well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators...
When patriarch Jim dies, it's left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.
Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another woman, suggesting that Jim wasn't the husband she thought he was. Hannah's best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined.
As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything...
A compelling, tense and shocking thriller and a darkly funny and warm portrait of a family in turmoil, A Dark Matter introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, marking the start of an addictive new series.
_________________
'A fiendish mystery that is also deeply moving and laced with suitably dark humour ... set to be one of the books of the year' Mark Billingham
'Emotionally complex, richly layered and darkly funny. An addictive blend of Case Histories and Six Feet Under' Chris Brookmyre
'This dark but touching thriller makes for a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Edinburgh noir' Mary Paulson-Ellis
'This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, please' Guardian
'A tense ride ... strong, believable characters' Kerry Hudson, Big Issue
'They are all wonderful characters: flawed, funny, brave - and well set up for a series. I wouldn't call him cosy, but there's warmth to Johnstone's writing' Sunday Time
Reviews / Votes
'Dark, engrossing, impossible to put down. By turns a crime thriller, a family saga, and a page-turner, this book has everything!' -- Luca Veste 'That rare book with heart and smarts to lift it above your average crime novel' -- Stuart Neville 'I can never get enough of Doug Johnstone's thoughtful, observant, soul-lifting writing' -- Louise Beech 'Piercing, wonderfully real and so very readable ... a breath of fresh air' * LoveReading * 'This is confident, assured characterisation that carries the story brilliantly well and keeps the reader utterly immersed in the interwoven story strands' * Live & Deadly * 'A Dark Matter is further proof that Doug Johnstone is as versatile a writer as they come ... there's rhythm and music in his words' * From Belgium with Booklove * 'A thriller that begs to be read in one sitting. Highly recommend' * The Book Review Cafe * 'Deliciously chilling, with a wry humour running throughout ... toxic, unsettling and just perfect' * Random Things through My Letterbox *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
237 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-912374-98-4 (9781912374984)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Doug Johnstone is the author of twelve novels, most recently The Great Silence, the third in the Skelfs series, which has been optioned for TV. In 2021,The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year. In 2020, A Dark Matter, the first in the series, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year award. Black Hearts (Book four), will be published in 2022. Several of his books have been best sellers and award winners, and his work has been praised by the likes of Val McDermid, Irvine Welsh and Ian Rankin. He's taught creative writing and been writer in residence at various institutions, and has been an arts journalist for twenty years. Doug is a songwriter and musician with five albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin' Crime Writers, a band of crime writers. He's also player-manager of the Scotland Writers Football Club. He lives in Edinburgh.