In the heart of Orkney, a whale-rescue mission at Skaill Bay uncovers a stone cist, sparking a gruesome mystery that spans centuries. The Dead and the Dying is a gripping thriller from Lin Anderson.

'One of the most satisfying characters in modern crime fiction' - Daily Mail

An ancient grave. A modern evil. The Dead and the Dying is a pulse-pounding instalment in the Rhona MacLeod series, perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Martina Cole and Silent Witness.

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?

'Lin Anderson is one of Scotland’s national treasures' - Stuart MacBride, author of the Logan McRae series

'The best Scottish crime series since Rebus' - Daily Record

Readers love Lin Anderson:

'This series just keeps getting better'
'I was totally glued the whole way through'
'Atmospheric, descriptive, engrossing'

"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

"One of the best Scottish crime series since Rebus" - Daily Record