If you’re looking for a gripping new crime series, you’ll love Aline Templeton. Featuring DI Marjory Fleming – ‘Big Marge’ – and set in Galloway. If you enjoy novels by Ann Cleeves, Faith Martin, Val McDermid and LJ Ross, try The Darkness and the Deep.
‘The crime czar of the Scottish small town!’ Val McDermid
The wreck of the Knockhaven lifeboat with the loss of all three of its crew is a hard blow for the small Scottish town. But it’s harder still when DS Tam MacNee discovers that it isn’t simply a tragic accident.
Was it just the act of vandals, bored in a fishing port stricken with unemployment? Could it be linked to the drugs trade which has taken root in the locality? Or is there someone who, in their determination to kill one person, is callous enough to take two innocent lives? And if so, who is the intended victim?
As DI Marjory Fleming and her team investigate multiple murders, with a whole community hungry for justice, the pressure – professional and personal – is on.
Reader reviews:
‘I almost feel DI Marjory Fleming is part of my family’
‘This has everything I ask of a book; well written with an absorbing plot, believable characters that give a real sense of a community. And all set in beautiful Scotland’
‘Another great book in the Marjory Fleming series, highly recommended, they just get better’
‘The crime czar of the Scottish small town!’ Val McDermid
The wreck of the Knockhaven lifeboat with the loss of all three of its crew is a hard blow for the small Scottish town. But it’s harder still when DS Tam MacNee discovers that it isn’t simply a tragic accident.
Was it just the act of vandals, bored in a fishing port stricken with unemployment? Could it be linked to the drugs trade which has taken root in the locality? Or is there someone who, in their determination to kill one person, is callous enough to take two innocent lives? And if so, who is the intended victim?
As DI Marjory Fleming and her team investigate multiple murders, with a whole community hungry for justice, the pressure – professional and personal – is on.
Reader reviews:
‘I almost feel DI Marjory Fleming is part of my family’
‘This has everything I ask of a book; well written with an absorbing plot, believable characters that give a real sense of a community. And all set in beautiful Scotland’
‘Another great book in the Marjory Fleming series, highly recommended, they just get better’
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Reviews
'It is always a pleasure to read Aline Templeton, but THE DARKNESS AND THE DEEP must surely be her best book to date. Aline's characters are so beautifully drawn . . .'
'This is a book for a long train journey or a wet weekend with no other demands, the better to immerse oneself in the strongly-delineated characters, complex plotting and rich allegory: a really satisfactory read.'
'Loved it. She has become the crime czar of the Scottish small town!'
'In fictional terms the combination of domesticity and detection is very appealing, especially when it comes with a detailed, vivid portrayal of a complete society . . . an interesting, atmospheric and - I predict - televisual series.'
'Loved it'
'It is always a pleasure to read Aline Templeton, but THE DARKNESS AND THE DEEP must surely be her best book to date. Aline's characters are so beautifully drawn that turning the final page is almost like bidding old friends farewell. However, I am sure I will meet the residents of Knockhaven again, and hopefully, that will be in the not-too-distant future.'
'In fictional terms the combination of domesticity and detection is very appealing, especially when it comes with a detailed, vivid portrayal of a complete society . . . an interesting, atmospheric and - I predict - televisual series.'
An unalloyed pleasure - an intelligent, character-driven crime novel.
'A fascinating cast of possible villains is explored in this skilfully plotted and well-paced novel, each vividly described, entirely believable and never sliding into the usual parodies of country folk. But its real strength is DI Marjory Fleming, both tough and vulnerable as she struggles to track down the killer . . . Templeton moves easily between laughter and tragedy . . . This book is a delight, from its leisurely start to the moving and unexpected finish. Even better, it's the second in a series, so there's more pleasure to come.'
Aline Templeton has been producing quietly intelligent, carefully plotted thrillers for years. Templeton creates a tight, convincing band of characters and has the ability to spin her story beyond immediate events to paint a picture of a small rural community in crisis. She is good at managing her plot and revealing details slowly. She has demonstrated that, just when we thought Scotland was saturated with detectives, a strong woman can elbow her way in and find a unique niche.
A compelling read.
Templeton crafts a nifty plot amid the dour and inward-looking denizens of a Fenland village
Templeton has wit, a strong narrative sense and a dab hand with atmospherics
Aline Templeton has a wondrously deft, unpretentiously beautiful style, full of good things
This astringent tale of psychological suspense set in a remote Welsh valley uses the landscape with an almost visionary splendour
This is a book for a long train journey or a wet weekend with no other demands, the better to immerse oneself in the strongly-delineated characters, complex plotting and rich allegory: a really satisfactory read
A fascinating cast of possible villains is explored in this skilfully plotted and well-paced novel, each vividly described, entirely believable and never sliding into the usual parodies of country folk. But its real strength is DI Marjory Fleming, both tough and vulnerable as she struggles to track down the killer . . . Templeton moves easily between laughter and tragedy . . . This book is a delight, from its leisurely start to the moving and unexpected finish. Even better, it's the second in a series, so there's more pleasure to come
[An] absorbing hat-trick of intrigue, originality and skill
This is a book for a long train journey or a wet weekend with no other demands, the better to immerse oneself in the strongly-delineated characters, complex plotting and rich allegory: a really satisfactory read
It is always a pleasure to read Aline Templeton, but THE DARKNESS AND THE DEEP must surely be her best book to date. Aline's characters are so beautifully drawn
A fascinating cast of possible villains is explored in this skilfully plotted and well-paced novel, each vividly described, entirely believable and never sliding into the usual parodies of country folk. But its real strength is DI Marjory Fleming, both tough and vulnerable as she struggles to track down the killer . . . Templeton moves easily between laughter and tragedy . . . This book is a delight, from its leisurely start to the moving and unexpected finish. Even better, it's the second in a series, so there's more pleasure to come
[An] absorbing hat-trick of intrigue, originality and skill
It is always a pleasure to read Aline Templeton, but THE DARKNESS AND THE DEEP must surely be her best book to date. Aline's characters are so beautifully drawn
