A review by liseyp
The Big Chill by Doug Johnstone

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a brilliant book to end my reading year one. The Skelfs are back and they’re better than ever. Six months on from Jim Skelf’s unorthodox funeral at the start of book one Dorothy, Jenny and Hannah are still dealing with the aftermath of all the secrets they discovered after Jim’s death. 

 

The author’s handling of the different voices of three generations of women in this family is exceptional. All three have distinct personalities, their own weaknesses, their own strengths, and their own fears. These are all tried and tested in this multi plotline instalment. The sudden death of a professor, an unknown driver killed when his stolen car literally crashes into a funeral Dorothy is working at, and a 14-year-old runaway desperate to find her dad. Despite the disparate plots they are all clear and distinct. There’s no sense of overload, even when a very personal source of tragedy makes themselves felt back in the women’s lives again.

 

There’s a real depth of feeling to these books. The family connection resonates, but so too does the care with which the Skelfs uncover the stories of the cases they investigate and the people they bury. The dark humour which echoes through the pages is never a clash with the care, but is part of how the family copes with the challenges of life.

 

Loved this.