The Shame
By Maureen Myant
What links Glasgow and Edinburgh in cracking Scottish Noir book, The Shame? You’ll need to find out when you read the book, but for now, here’s the blurb and my review below, thanks to Hobeck Books for inviting me onto the blog tour.
Blurb
Glasgow
The cellar of a suburban bungalow has been hiding a dark secret. During building work, a skeleton is uncovered. DI Alex Scrimgeour and DS Mark Nicholson soon discover the remains have been there for sixty years. The owners of the house from that time, Richard and Doris Cavendish, are dead, but their daughter may still be alive.
Edinburgh
Edith Drummond is pleased to be back at work as a teacher after lockdown. She’s a difficult woman with no friends but she’s good at her job and the children love her. However, her Head Teacher, Olivia Waring, wants her to retire. Edith is determined to stay put, but their feud soon pales into insignificance when Edith receives a visit from the police.
Mark is sure Edith is hiding something, but he doesn’t know what. His suspicion deepens when further remains are found at the bungalow in Glasgow, this time of a newborn baby. Despite dealing with his own personal problems, Mark is determined to get to the bottom of this bizarre case. Is there a link between the two crimes? Is the answer staring him In the face or is there more to the mystery than meets the eye?
Review
An eerie atmosphere lingers over Glasgow, when 2 bodies of people who were once the owners, are discovered. It makes the spine tingle, but there’s also sense of sadness and a desire to read on to see what happened.
Edith Drummond in Edinburgh is, not exactly a great person for other adult’s to be around, but the kids she teaches thinks she’s great. She should be a great asset to the school, a teacher who’s loved by her class. The head teacher thinks otherwise. In a small part, it put me in mind of Miss Jean Brodie and how her kids adored her, but the head was on her case to oust her and knew how to respond. Edith knows how to respond to her head teacher.
What’s the connection between Edith and the bungalow in Glasgow? It’ll keep you guessing. DI Alex Scrimgeour and DS Mark Nicholson are sure they need to dig around and find out what truths Edith may be hiding. Readers can also uncover what sort of life Edith led, including her upbringing, which is interesting.
Reading about the personal lives of the police is often interesting, when it comes to their domestic situations, especially, so it’s good there’s some of this as well as the case.
The Shame concludes in a most un-anticipated manner.
Bookmarks and Stages by Lou 