In Dead Men’s Bones, the fourth installment in James Oswald’s McLean series of police procedurals, DI Tony McLean is called upon to solve two cases. The first involves a body found at the bottom of a cliff beside the River Esk: a naked man covered head-to-toe in fresh tattoos. The other is a brutal murder-suicide: at their posh home in the countryside, MSP Andrew Weatherly has killed his two young daughters with poison, shot his wife, and then turned the gun on himself. The mystery posed by the Weatherly murders is a question of why, since there is no doubt Andrew Weatherly committed the horrific murder of his family unaided (the house was well-covered by CCTV). The naked man case poses a riddle of a different order: who is the man, how did he come to be where he was found, why is he covered with tattoos? At the behest of Detective Superintendent Duguid, McLean starts digging, and in the process (as is his habit) ruffles quite a few feathers among the high and mighty. After numerous twists and turns, the trail leads McLean and his team to a derelict mental hospital and an ultra-wealthy, supremely tight-lipped business partner of Weatherly’s: the deeply mysterious and bewitching Mrs. Saifre, whose interest in Tony seems anything but benevolent. Along the way, McLean is fed sordid information and lewd photographs meant to besmirch Weatherly’s reputation by a mysterious individual (special forces? MI5?) who seems able to enter McLean’s house at will. The plot is engaging if somewhat convoluted, but eventually Tony establishes a link between the two cases, a discovery that leads to a resolution filled with mayhem and destruction. Oswald’s unadorned writing serves the swiftly paced story perfectly. Tony McLean is an attractive hero with a tragic past, a relentlessly curious detective who will piss off whoever he has to in his quest for the truth and damn the consequences. The dour Scottish setting drips atmosphere, and the supernatural element is handled with subtlety and grace. A worthy addition to a stellar series. ( )

Let me start off by saying that I have not read the previous books in the series, but even though Dead Men's Bones by James Oswald is already the fourth book in the Inspector McLean series, it won't leave new readers in the dark. It's an addictive detective book that somehow switches towards the supernatural towards the end. Many readers, I suspect, wouldn't be happy with that, but seeing as I've not read any other books by James Oswald, I thoroughly enjoyed the mixed genres. Somehow, the supernatural mix-up makes Dead Men's Bones feel more open minded than your usual detective novels, which works for me. It's not too fantastical to be unbelievable, it's just slightly different than what you'd normally get in similar series'.

I also liked Oswald's writing-style and the words flow beautifully, which kept me intrigued. At times though, I did see certain things coming (not the supernatural bit, mind), but this doesn't take away from the plot whatsoever or the interesting ending. The characters are believable, and the procedural drama will entice most crime and mystery readers from beginning to end.

Dead Men's Bones by James Oswald is highly entertaining and very recommendable to people who love something that's normal with a wee twist of abnormal, even if you haven't had the chance to read the previous books. That being said, I'm sure that as soon as you've finished Dead Men's Bones, you'd be inclined to read the rest of the series.

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I can think of three adjectives to describe this entire series...sometimes funny, frequently scary, and always otherworldly. It has quickly become one of my favorites. We follow Detective Inspector Tony McLean as he conducts his investigation through two cases that become intertwined. To solve both cases he must unearth the truth that lies beneath an old abandoned mental asylum thus putting his own team at risk in the process. This series will appeal to those that like a mystery with just a touch of the supernatural. ( )

This is only my second Oswald/McLean, so it only dawns on me now that the supernatural element which was the only thing I didn't like about Natural Causes is perhaps the usp of the whole series - because here it is again, adding sinister thrills while at the same time undermining credibility. Otherwise, I enjoy the author's writing and the character of the 'tec - but in this one I missed the unorthodox hinterland I enjoyed so much in Book 1.

I will be reading more. ( )

I felt this was less contrived than the previous one and again I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was somehow less noir but more creepy, which I think works well.