A gripping debut police procedural crime thriller novel set on an isolated Scottish island

On an Island full of secrets The truth lies in the dark

A gripping and atmospheric debut crime thriller set on an isolated Scottish island…

A mysterious death

On a small island off the coast of Scotland, an isolated community is grieving. Eighteen-year-old Alan Ferguson was found at the foot of the lighthouse – an apparent suicide.

Two detectives trapped on an island

DIs Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart are sent to investigate. But a raging storm keeps them trapped on the island for four days. And the locals don’t take kindly to mainlanders.

A village full of suspects

As George and Ritchie question the island’s inhabitants, they discover a village filled with superstition and shrouded in secrets.

But someone wants those secrets to stay buried. At any cost.

*Readers love THE WOLF TREE*

‘More twisted than you could imagine. Couldn't put it down.’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Reader Review

‘A page turner, intriguing and fascinating.’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Reader Review

‘Kept me guessing until the end.’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Reader Review

‘Right at the very end was a shocker I hadn't seen coming.’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Reader Review

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Laura McCluskey offers a powerful debut in this atmospheric thriller infused with unsettling folk horror tropes…McCluskey skillfully blends procedural details and looming alienation in this well-constructed mystery; highly recommended

" - Booklist

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[An] eerie, gothic-tinged debut mystery… Thanks to McCluskey’s expert melding of modern crime procedural and ancient folklore, suspenseful slow burns and intense high-stakes action, fans of stories set in closed communities with something to hide will revel in this assured and absorbing debut

" - BookPage

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Filled with atmosphere and suspense …The plot is full of twists and turns with several surprises along the way … this was a compelling, creative, disturbing, and suspenseful story with good characterization, and a great plot

" - Mystery and Suspense

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McCluskey’s gripping debut features an isolated island with a brooding, storm-tossed atmosphere, reminiscent of Ann Cleeves’s “Shetland Island” mysteries. The violence and collusion lead to a shocking conclusion

" - Library Journal

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[A] haunting debut gothic mystery…McCluskey skillfully crafts a gloomy, brooding atmosphere of tension and isolation through her descriptions of the little isle caught between sea and sky and its inhabitants living at the mercy of both. The mystery underpins a plot that weighs the strength of community and tradition against the dangers of never questioning what has always been…Readers desiring a generous helping of spine tingles with their justice need look no further

" - Shelf Awareness

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A gripping, thrilling and assured debut, not to be missed

" - Scots Magazine

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Atmospheric

" - Crime Monthly

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Georgina and Ritchie are a great pair of characters and McCluskey’s descriptions of human and meteorological violence are convincing

" - Literary Review

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Gripping

" - PS Magazine – The Sunday Post

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McCluskey’s blend of intrigue, paranoia, folklore and hints of the supernatural keep us guessing until close to the end […] The Wolf Tree is a strong debut in many respects, McCluskey building the suspense slowly but with the assurance that it’s all going to pay off, and for a writer born, raised and still living in Melbourne her evocative depiction of Eilean Eadar is impressively convincing

" - The Herald