Review of THE GREAT SILENCE by Doug Johnstone

 4 Stars

I decided to have another visit with the remarkable Skelf women who operate a funeral home and private investigations business in Edinburgh.

The events described occur a year after The Big Chill.  Dorothy is now in a relationship with Thomas and still housing Abi, a teenager with a turbulent family life.  Jenny has parted from Liam but is still anxious about the whereabouts of her ex-husband Craig who is still a fugitive.  Hannah, in a strong and positive relationship with Indy, graduates and is embarking on a PhD in astrophysics. 

Each of the three becomes involved in investigations.  Dorothy’s dog finds a human foot and, as expected, sets out to find the owner.  Jenny is hired by two adult children to investigate their mother’s caregiver whom they think is scamming her.  A postgraduate student asks Hannah to investigate the authenticity of messages that appear to come from outer space. 

And these are just the beginning.  There is so much going on; for example, there’s a kidnapping, a suicide, unexpected family reunions, a panther attack, and a disinterment.  The pace is perfect, with several surprises.  Suspense ramps up, as more than one of the women ends up in danger. 

For me, much of the interest lies in the women.  They are such authentic personalities, flawed and fragile but with strong, admirable traits.  They are loving, determined, and unstintingly loyal and supportive:  “the Skelfs were the support network, the comfort through all this shit.”  Their compassion is also outstanding; I love how they reach out to help others.  Yet they all possess distinct identities with passions of their own.  Dorothy loves her drums and Hannah is fascinated by science, especially physics. 

The theme could be summarized as connection - the interconnectedness of all things and the human need to connect:  “We are all joined to each other in millions of ways, from the subatomic level to the size of the cosmos” and “’We all need connection in our lives.’”  Near the end, Hannah thinks “about all the other people out there in the universe looking for a connection.”  Even the title, another name for the Fermi paradox, emphasizes this theme.

Anyone looking for a crime fiction that offers more than just a mystery and detective work should certainly pick up this series.  There is family drama, action and suspense, humour, insightful reflections on life, and truly memorable characters. 

I encourage readers to connect with the Skelfs!