Description
Three generations of women from the Skelfs family take over the family funeral-home and PI businesses in the first book of a taut, page-turning and darkly funny new series. Meet the Skelfs: well-known Edinburgh family, proprietors of a long-established funeral-home business, and private investigators… When patriarch Jim dies, it’s left to his wife Dorothy, daughter Jenny and granddaughter Hannah to take charge of both businesses, kicking off an unexpected series of events.
Dorothy discovers mysterious payments to another woman, suggesting that Jim wasn’t the husband she thought he was. Hannah’s best friend Mel has vanished from university, and the simple adultery case that Jenny takes on leads to something stranger and far darker than any of them could have imagined. As the women struggle to come to terms with their grief, and the demands of the business threaten to overwhelm them, secrets from the past emerge, which change everything…
A compelling, tense and shocking thriller and a darkly funny and warm portrait of a family in turmoil, A Dark Matter introduces a cast of unforgettable characters, marking the start of an addictive new series.
Sambo (verified owner) –
These three women of different generations are written so authentically you get drawn straight into the Skelf family whilst they unravel the mysteries around them and deal with the consequences. I loved every minute of this book and can’t wait for more of the same!
Bev (verified owner) –
This book delivered so much more than I could ever have expected. Strong female protagonists trying to come to terms with loss, but at the same time unraveling several mysteries whilst on their on journey of self- discovery. All this with humour thrown in for good measure. I look forward to further tales from this family.
Lesley Lickley –
Thank you Bert for recommending this book and the other two in the series.
I wasn’t sure at the beginning if this was my usual read but I soon got into it and flew through it in a couple of days.
Three generations of Edinburgh women are left to run a funeral directors and a private investigation company when there’s a sudden death in the family.
There’s suspense and sadness in the story but there’s a lot of black humour as well.
Think of Trainspotting without the drugs, swearing and mucky toilets!
Chloe Slim –
This was my secret Santa present, and I’m glad I have been introduced to this series. Yes I have immediately purchased the next one!
It is a very dark book with a lot of musings about the point of living. The quotes on the book mentioned dark humour, though I can’t say humour was something I picked out in this. What did stand out to me was the interspersed physics references which I found interesting. I also liked the funeral directors side of crime.
It has a unique concept, one i haven’t come across before. I loved the focus on three generations of women too and the difference in perspective between them.
I did predict the main crime, but the joy of this is that there wasn’t just one to puzzle over! Lots of secrets to unearth…