DOUG JOHNSTONE

Struggling to come to terms with the suicide of her teenage son, Ellie lives in the shadows of the Forth Road Bridge, lingering on its footpaths and swimming in the waters below. One day she talks down another suicidal teenager, Sam, and sees for herself a shot at redemption, the chance to atone for her son's death. But even with the best intentions, she can't foresee the situation she's falling headlong into - a troubled family, with some very dark secrets of their own. This is from number 1 bestselling author of Gone Again, The Jump is a hugely moving contemporary thriller, and a stunning portrait of an unlikely heroine.

A pulsatingly tense psychological thriller and a breathtakingly brutal, beautiful and deeply moving story of a good kid in the wrong family, from one of Scotlands finest crime writers.SHORTLISTED for the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year***BOOK OF THE YEAR in SCOTSMAN***Its a lovely, sad tale, beautifully told and full of understandingThe TimesThe most powerful and moving book from Johnstone yet a calling card that no-one can ignoreScotsmanThis may be Doug Johnstones best book yet. An unsparing yet sympathetic depiction of Edinburghs ignored underclass, with terrific characterisation. Tense, pacey, filmicIan Rankin____________________There are two sides to every familySeventeen-year-old Tyler lives in one of Edinburghs most deprived areas. Coerced into robbing rich peoples homes by his bullying older siblings, hes also trying to care for his little sister and his drug-addict mum.On a job, his brother Barry stabs a homeowner and leaves her for dead, but thats just the beginning of their nightmare, because the woman is the wife of Edinburghs biggest crime lord, Deke Holt.With the police and the Holts closing in, and his shattered family in devastating danger, Tyler meets posh girl Flick in another strangers house, and he thinks she may just be his salvation unless he drags her down too.____________________A cracking story, great characters its also about something and really addresses the "whys" of crimeMark BillinghamIts as psychologically rich as it is harrowing. Ive come to expect nothing less from Doug Johnstone, one of the genres premiere writersMegan AbbottBreakers again shows that Doug Johnstone is a noir heavyweight and a master of gritty realism. This may be his finest novel yetWilly VlautinDoug Johnstone is for me the perfect free-range writer, respectful of conventions but never bound by them, never hemmed-in. Each book is a different world, each book something new in this worldJames SallisBloody brilliant This is premier league crime-writingMartyn WaitesA tough, gritty and effective ride into the dark side of EdinburghDouglas SkeltonPacy, harrowing and occasionally brutal it had me in tears at the endPaddy MagraneBoth horrifying and uplifting, and one of those books I looked forward to picking up each time I had a moment to read I hope it does as well as it deserves toJames OswaldGripping, dark, fast, but still somehow full of heart Louise BeechA brooding, intensely dark thriller with a defiant beating heart. Evocative, heartbreaking and hopeful the power of the human spirit to shine in the most desperate place STUNNINGMiranda Dickinson

When volcanologist Surtsey finds her married lover dead, she pockets his phone and makes the fatal decision to keep her discovery secret but someone has been watchingA cracking and highly original thrillerMark BillinghamYou dont read Fault Lines so much as you white-knuckle your way through its twists and turnsMegan AbbottA superb, highly original psychological chillerSteve Cavanagh____________________In a reimagined contemporary Edinburgh, where a tectonic fault has opened up to produce a new volcano in the Firth of Forth, and where tremors are an everyday occurrence, volcanologist Surtsey makes a shocking discovery.On a clandestine trip to new volcanic island The Inch, to meet Tom, her lover and her boss, she finds his lifeless body, and makes the fatal decision to keep their affair, and her discovery, a secret.Desperate to know how he died, but also terrified shell be exposed, Surtseys life quickly spirals into a nightmare when someone makes contact someone who claims to know what shes done____________________An explosive thrillerDaily RecordA cracking-good thriller with some seriously good writing and some beautifully designed characters Heres a writer pushing the thriller envelope, giving the reader not just a good novel, but also a unique oneDavid Pitt, BooklistNovel and elegant it is the books thought-provoking and heart-breaking moments that carry the reader through the story and which resonate most at the endScotsmanBoth a meditation on the volatility of human nature and a gripping thriller with plenty of twists and turns An original and addictive thriller, as intelligent as it is shockingForeword ReviewsRichly characterised, beautifully crafted, this is a book that you truly inhabitEmma KavanaghScotlands truest exponent of noirChris BrookmyreA subtly off-kilter speculative thriller that builds to a truly explosive endingEva DolanA pacey, gripping readLouise VossSexy, fearless and addictiveHelen FitzGeraldJohnstone weaves his compelling and original tale with great skill and elegance from the gripping beginning to a tense and explosive endingAmanda JenningsBrilliantly unputdownableMartyn WaitesSuperbLuca VesteBlending powerful imagination and plotting, this is the work of a writer at the top of his gameStuart NevillePlays with every single emotionSusi HollidayThis had me hooked from the first pageCass GreenPoignant, gripping and packed with seismic shocksPaddy MagraneIncisive, intelligent and imaginativeMichael J. MaloneI was completely swept awayCaroline MitchellHits you lie a seismic shockDouglas SkeltonGrabs you by the throat in the first chapterNeil Broadfoot

Driving home from a party with his girlfriend and brother, all of them drunk and high on stolen pills, Billy Blackmore accidentally hits someone in the night. In a panic, they all decide to drive off.But the next day Billy wakes to find he has to cover the story for the local paper. It turns out the dead man was Edinburghs biggest crime lord and, as Billy struggles with what hes done, he is sucked into a nightmare of guilt, retribution and violence.From the author of the acclaimed Smokeheads, Hit & Run is another pitch-black psychological thriller.

Meet Martha. Its the first day of her new job as intern at EdinburghsThe Standard. But alls not well at the ailing newspaper, and Martha is carrying some serious baggage of her own.Put straight onto the obituary page, she takes a call from a former employee who seems to commit suicide while on the phone, something which echoes with her own troubled past.Setting in motion a frantic race around modern-day Edinburgh,The Dead Beat traces Marthas desperate search for answers to the dark mystery of her parents past. Soundtracked by and interspersed with a series of gigs from the alternative music scene of her parents generation in the early 90s, Doug Johnstones latest page-turner is a wild ride of a thriller, and a perfect follow-on to his #1 Kindle bestseller, Hit & Run.

Four friends, one weekend, gallons of whisky. What could go wrong?Driven by amateur whisky-nut Adam, four late-thirties ex-university mates are heading to Islay - the remote Scottish island world famous for its single malts - with a wallet full of cash, a stash of coke and a serious thirst.Over a weekend soaked in the finest cask strength spirit, they meet young divorcee Molly, who Adam has a soft spot for, her little sister Ash who has all sorts of problems and Mollys ex-husband Joe, a control freak who also happens to be the local police. As events spiral out of control, they are all thrown into a nightmare that gets worse at every turn.A wild trip to the Scottish Highlands, Doug Johnstones debut on the Faber crime list is a classic violent thriller, doused with black humour.

A body lost at sea, arson, murder, astronauts, wind phones, communal funerals, stalking and conspiracy theories This can ONLY mean one thing! The Skelfs are back, and things are as tense, unnerving and warmly funny as ever!`A terrific read with all of Johnstons trademark warmth and wicked wit in the latest gripping outing for this beguiling family A K Turner`Some of the best female characters in crime fiction. Pitch-perfect balance of dark and light disturbing, compassionate and brilliantly funny Sarah Hilary`The Skelfs series just gets better and better! Outstanding characters and a gripping plot Doug Johnstone is one of the greats of Scottish crime fiction Luca Veste____________Even death needs companyThe Skelf women are recovering from the cataclysmic events that nearly claimed their lives. Their funeral-director and private-investigation businesses are back on track, and their cases are as perplexing as ever.Matriarch Dorothy looks into a suspicious fire at an illegal campsite and takes a grieving, homeless man under her wing. Daughter Jenny is searching for her missing sister-in-law, who disappeared in tragic circumstances, while grand-daughter Hannah is asked to investigate increasingly dangerous conspiracy theorists, who are targeting a retired female astronaut putting her own life at risk.With a body lost at sea, funerals for those with no one to mourn them, reports of strange happenings in outer space, a funeral crasher with a painful secret, and a violent attack on one of the family, The Skelfs face their most personal and perilous cases yet. Doing things their way may cost them everythingTense, unnerving and warmly funny, The Opposite of Lonely is the hugely anticipated fifth instalment in the unforgettable Skelfs series, and this time, danger comes from everywhere___________`If you loved Iain Banks, youll devour the Skelfs series Erin Kelly`Authentic female characters Short, punchy chapters mean that the pace is brisk, and Johnstones deft way of portraying old and new characters means that even novice readers of the series wont be left behind Scotsman`An absolute joy to read full of such wonderful characters, brilliantly realised, with more peril and intrigue. Certainly the best one yet James Oswald`Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave Sunday Times`Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch Gytha Lodge`A unique brand of crime fiction boasting rare heart and depth Ambrose Parry`Some of the most unique characters in crime fiction Daily Express`Gritty, atmospheric and, above all, profoundly moving. An emotional education in the most unexpected of ways I loved it Sarah Sultoon`A must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists Publishers Weekly`The Skelfs books are brilliant Miranda Dickinson***SHORTLISTED FOR THEAKSTONS OLD PECULIER CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR***

When three people suffer strokes after seeing dazzling lights over Edinburgh, then awake completely recovered, theyre convinced their ordeal is connected to the alien creature discovered on a nearby beach an adrenaline-soaked, deeply humane, life-affirming first-contact novel from one of Scotlands most revered authors**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023**All the drive, curiosity and wonder of his crime and mystery novels science fiction gains a new authorDerek B MillerIf you read one life-affirming book this year, make sure its this oneNina Pottell, PrimaThe main characters, their lives and their struggles, are portrayed very vividly. I was straight into this, just like a thrillerIvo Graham on Between the CoversConnecting will change everythingLennox is a troubled teenager with no family. Ava is eight months pregnant and fleeing her abusive husband. Heather is a grieving mother and cancer sufferer. They dont know each other, but when a meteor streaks over Edinburgh, all three suffer instant, catastrophic strokes......only to wake up the following day in hospital, miraculously recovered.When news reaches them of an octopus-like creature washed up on the shore near where the meteor came to earth, Lennox senses that some extra-terrestrial force is at play. With the help of Ava, Heather and a journalist, Ewan, he rescues the creature they call Sandy and goes on the run.But they arent the only ones with an interest in the alien close behind are Avas husband, the police and a government unit who wants to capture the creature, at all costs. And Sandys arrival may have implications beyond anything anyone could imagineAll the makings of a film such relatable charactersSunetra Sarker on Between the CoversSo readable and accessible I was really rooting for the charactersAlan Davies on Between the CoversA gateway book to SciFi I loved itSara Cox on Between the CoversA moving as it is magical and mysterious. Doug Johnstone has hit it out of the park againMark BillinghamA delicious, demanding departure from Doug JohnstoneVal McDermidPrioritising pace, tension and high stakes a plea for empathy, compassion and perspective shot through with vivid characters and a sense of wonderHerald ScotlandAn entertaining, fast-paced story of first contact an emotionally engaging readGuardianA gloriously hopeful story and a perfect road trip movie just waiting to be madeJames OswaldAn adrenaline-filled ride of a novel, laced with empathy and understandingRachelle AtallaPay attention, Steven Spielberg! This could be your next filmMarnie RichesClever and unusual I was on a journey with these characters, and completely transfixedSusi HollidayA mesmerising tale of wonder and hopeMarion ToddWhat readers are saying*****I wish I could adequately convey how much I loved this bookA beautiful story it brought me to tears

A faked death, an obsessive stalker, an old man claiming hes being abused by the ghost of his late wife, and a devastating spectre from the past. The Skelfs are back in another warmly funny, explosive thriller, and this time things are more than personal**SHORTLISTED for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year**`A new outing for the Skelfs deserves dancing in the streets of Edinburgh Val McDermid`Tense, funny and deeply moving Mark Billingham`An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones Herald Scotland`A total delight to be returned to the dark, funny, compulsive world of the Skelfs Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch. Brilliant! Gytha Lodge___________________________Death is just the beginningThe Skelf women live in the shadow of death every day, running the family funeral directors and private investigator business in Edinburgh. But now their own grief interwines with that of their clients, as they are left reeling by shocking past events.A fist-fight by an open grave leads Dorothy to investigate the possibility of a faked death, while a young womans obsession with Hannah threatens her relationship with Indy and puts them both in mortal danger. An elderly man claims hes being abused by the ghost of his late wife, while ghosts of another kind come back to haunt Jenny from the grave pushing her to breaking point.As the Skelfs struggle with increasingly unnerving cases and chilling danger lurks close to home, it becomes clear that grief, in all its forms, can be deadly___________________________`The Skelfs keep getting better and better. Compelling and compassionate characters, with a dash of physics and philosophy thrown in Ambrose Parry`Expertly written, with poise, insight and compassion Mary Paulson-Ellis`If you loved Iain Banks, youll devour the Skelfs series Erin KellyDynamic and poignant Johnstone balances the cosmos, music, death and life, and wraps it all in a compelling mystery Marni GraffPraise for The Skelfs series***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year******Shortlisted for Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year******Shortlisted for Amazon Publishing Capital Crime Thriller of the Year***`Hurroo! The Skelfs Edinburgh funeral directors and part-time private eyes are back the persistence of love in the Skelf household, no matter what fate flings at it, is reassuring and life-affirming The Times Book of the Month`Told with a wry humour and affection, the novel underlines just how accomplished Johnstone has become Daily Mail`Some of the most unique characters in crime fiction Daily Express`This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please Guardian`Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave Sunday Times`Exceptional a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists Publishers Weekly`Gripping and blackly humorous Observer`A tense ride strong, believable characters Big Issue`The power of this book, though, lies in the warm personalities and dark humour of the Skelfs, and by the end readers will be just as interested in their relationships with each other as the mysteries they are trying to solve Scotsman`Remarkable Sunday Times`Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader cant as...

Its just to say that no-one has come to pick Nathan up from school, and we were wondering if there was a problem of some kind? As Mark Douglas photographs a pod of whales stranded in the waters off Edinburghs Portobello Beach, he is called by his sons school: his wife, Lauren, hasnt turned up to collect their son. Calm at first, Mark collects Nathan and takes him home but as the hours slowly crawl by he increasingly starts to worry. With brilliantly controlled reveals, we learn some of the painful secrets of the couples shared past, not least that it isnt the first time Lauren has disappeared. And as Mark struggles to care for his son and shield him from the truth of whats going on, the police seem dangerously short of leads. That is, until a shocking discovery...

Ava, Lennox and Heather make contact with alien Sandy and head for a profound confrontation The awe-inspiring, exquisitely moving sequel to The Space Between Us, as seen on BBC Twos Between the Covers.`A barnstorming thriller and a wonderful and radical sense of a greater, wider way of seeing life on our planet Martin MacInnes`Terrifyingly plausible and an excellent allegory for our times Ill be recommending this to everyone James Oswald`A powerful and epic multi-layered story. Doug Johnstone is a true literary master Michael Wood**Longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book**_________________Six months since the earth-shattering events of The Space Between Us, the revelatory hope of the aliens visit has turned to dust and the creatures have disappeared into the water off Scotlands west coast.Teenager Lennox and grieving mother Heather are being held in New Broom, a makeshift US military base, the subject of experiments, alongside the Enceladons who have been captured by the authorities.Ava, who has given birth, is awaiting the jury verdict at her trial for the murder of her husband. And MI7 agent Oscar Fellowes, who has been sidelined by the US military, is beginning to think he might be on the wrong side of history.When alien Sandy makes contact, Lennox and Heather make a plan to escape with Ava. All three of them are heading for a profound confrontation between the worst of humanity and a possible brighter future, as the stakes get higher for the alien Enceladons and the entire human raceSequel to the bestselling The Space Between Us, The Collapsing Wave is an exquisite, epic first-contact novel, laced with peril and populated by unforgettable characters, and the awe-inspiring book we all need right now_________________PRAISE FOR The Space Between Us**Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023**`A gateway book to sci-fi I loved it Sara Cox `So readable and accessible Alan Davies `If you read one life-affirming book this year, make sure its this one Nina Pottell, Prima`Prioritising pace, tension and high stakes a plea for empathy, compassion and perspective Herald Scotland`An emotionally engaging read Guardian`Science fiction gains a new author Derek B. Miller`A delicious, demanding departure Val McDermid`As moving as it is magical and mysterious Mark Billingham`A first-contact tale full of heart and high-octane action D.V. Bishop`An adrenaline-filled ride of a novel, laced with empathy and understanding Rachelle Atalla`Pay attention, Steven Spielberg! This could be your next film Marnie Riches`Clever and unusual I was on a journey with these characters, and completely transfixed Susi Holliday`A mesmerising tale of wonder and hope Marion Todd`Johnstone doesnt shy away from complex themes and smartly leverages the lens of science fiction to cut deep into the human experience the well-paced and carefully breadcrumbed plot is fed to the reader with tender finesse SciFi Now Book of the Month

Drones gangland vendettas a missing choir singer disturbances in the cemetery PTSD panpsychism and secrets from the past This can ONLY mean one thing The Skelfs are back and things are as nail biting tense and warmly funny as ever The persistence of love in the Skelf household no matter what fate flings at it is reassuring and life affirming The Times The Skelfs feel like family their joys are my joys their pains are my pain Edinburgh s favourite family bringing darkness and delight Val McDermid Another wonderful entry in one of the finest crime series out there I remain a happily hopeless Skelfaholic Mark Billingham The Skelf women are back on an even keel after everything they ve been through But when a funeral they re conducting is attacked by a drone Jenny fears they re in the middle of an Edinburgh gangland vendetta At the same time Yana a Ukrainian member of the refugee choir that plays with Dorothy s band has gone missing Searching for her leads Dorothy into strange and ominous territory And Brodie the newest member of the extended Skelf family comes to Hannah with a case Something or someone has been disturbing the grave of his stillborn son Everything is changing for the Skelfs Dorothy s boyfriend Thomas

When three people suffer strokes after seeing dazzling lights over Edinburgh, then awake completely recovered, they're convinced their ordeal is connected to the alien creature discovered on a nearby beach... an adrenaline-soaked, deeply humane, life-affirming first-contact novel from one of Scotland's most revered authors... **Selected for BBC 2 Between the Covers 2023** 'All the drive, curiosity and wonder of his crime and mystery novels ...science fiction gains a new author' Derek B Miller 'If you read one life-affirming book this year, make sure it's this one' Nina Pottell, Prima 'A sci-fi novel that is as moving as it is magical and mysterious. Doug Johnstone has hit it out of the park again' Mark Billingham 'A delicious, demanding departure from Doug Johnstone' Val McDermid ------------------------------------------ Connecting will change everything... Lennox is a troubled teenager with no family.

An adrenaline-charged thriller from the Kindle-bestselling author of Gone Again and Hit and Run.An unnerving tale of what happens to ordinary lives when the wheels come off. VAL MCDERMIDA haunting, unforgettable page-turner that ticks every excellence box in crime writing. ALANNA KNIGHTSitting in the departure lounge of Kirkwall Airport, Finn Sullivan just wants to get off Orkney. But then he meets the mysterious and dangerous Maddie Pierce, stepping in to save her from some unwanted attention, and his life is changed forever.Set against the brutal, unforgiving landscape of Orkney, CRASH LAND is a psychological thriller steeped in guilt, shame, lust, deception and murder.

Struggling to come to terms with the suicide of her teenage son, Ellie lives in the shadows of the Forth Road Bridge, lingering on its footpaths and swimming in the waters below. One day she talks down another suicidal teenager, Sam, and sees for herself a shot at redemption, the chance to atone for her sons death.But even with the best intentions, she cant foresee the situation shes falling headlong into - a troubled family, with some very dark secrets of their own.From #1 bestselling author of Gone Again, The Jump is a hugely moving contemporary thriller, and a stunning portrait of an unlikely heroine.

Running private-investigator and funeral-home businesses means trouble is never far away, and the Skelf women take on their most perplexing, chilling cases yet in Book Two of the darkly funny, devastatingly tense and addictive Skelfs series!***Longlisted for Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year***Compelling, compassionate just brilliant. This series gets better with every book. I cannot get enough of the SkelfsMark BillinghamBrilliantly drawn and blackly comicHerald ScotlandConfirms the Skelfs as a classic crime clan. I cant wait for the next oneErin KellyI LOVE the Skelfs The only problem with The Big Chill is that youll devour it so fast youll feel as bereft as one of the Skelfs clients. Doug Johnstone has murdered sleepVal McDermid____________________Haunted by their past, the Skelf women are hoping for a quieter life. But running both a funeral directors and a private investigation business means trouble is never far away, and when a car crashes into the open grave at a funeral that matriarch Dorothy is conducting, she cant help looking into the dead drivers shadowy life.While Dorothy uncovers a dark truth at the heart of Edinburgh society, her daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah have their own struggles. Jennys ex-husband Craig is making plans that could shatter the Skelf womens lives, and the increasingly obsessive Hannah has formed a friendship with an elderly professor that is fast turning deadly.But something even more sinister emerges when a drumming student of Dorothys disappears and suspicion falls on her parents. The Skelf women find themselves sucked into an unbearable darkness but could the real threat be to themselves?Following three women as they deal with the dead, help the living and find out who they are in the process, The Big Chill follows A Dark Matter, book one in the Skelfs series, which reboots the classic PI novel while asking the big existential questions, all with a big dose of pitch-black humour.____________________Exceptional Johnstone seamlessly presents their stories with depth, elegance, and a delicate touch of wry humor as they get difficult jobs done with grace and kindness. This is a must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonistsPublishers WeeklyEmotionally complex, richly layered and darkly funny. An addictive blend of Case Histories and Six Feet UnderChris BrookmyreJohnstones intuitive depiction of this trinity of resilient women is never less than flawless, in this tale punctuated by emotional depth and moments of dark humour...Raven Crime ReadsPraise for The Skelfs series***Shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book of the Year***An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertonesHerald ScotlandGripping and blackly humorousObserverThis dark but touching thriller makes for a thoroughly enjoyable slice of Edinburgh noirMary Paulson-EllisThis enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief, as the three tough but tender main characters pick up the pieces and carry on: more, pleaseGuardianA tense ride s...

Your best mate just fell off a cliff in mysterious circumstances and you were the last person to see him alive, what do you do? Well, if you''re David Lindsay from Arbroath, you get the hell out of there and don''t return. Not for at least fifteen years. Until Nicola Cruickshank - yes, that Nicola, the girl you always fancied but never had the guts to approach - gets in touch and asks - no, demands - that you go back for a school reunion. To the place where it happened. The place you''ve been running from for fifteen years. Of course you go. Not to belatedly lay your mate to rest, but because you still fancy Nicola. The thing is, if you are David Lindsay, then returning to Arbroath isn''t going to lay any ghosts to rest. And when someone else takes a dive off the cliffs - an act the locals have taken to calling ''tombstoning'' - while David''s there, he has a choice: run away again, or finally find out why people keep dying around him...