A Call For Help

by Oliver Davies

DCI James Glover fled London for the remote Scottish Highlands after his partner's murder, desperate to uncover why she was investigating the quaint town of Beauly before her death.

But the peaceful retreat he sought shatters when eleven-year-old Isla Campbell is kidnapped on her way to school. The case bears haunting similarities to one from Glover's past - the infamous London Butcher, a sadistic killer who targeted young girls. The raspy voice, the distinct smell of blood... details only a survivor could have known.

Forced to become Beauly's temporary DCI, Glover must push aside his obsession with solving his partner's murder to find Isla before she becomes another victim. Working with a reluctant local team, he races against time, chasing dead-end leads and uncovering long-buried grudges while confronting his own painful past.

As the clock ticks down, Glover faces an impossible Did he arrest the wrong man years ago, or is someone playing a deadly game, using an innocent child as bait?

In the picturesque Scottish Highlands, darkness lurks beneath the surface, and the only call for help might come too late.

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2025

About the author

Oliver Davies was born in Sussex and raised in London, but never felt at home until he settled in the soggy but beautiful Yorkshire dales. Brought up on crime novels borrowed second-hand from his dad, he's always wished his life involved less laundry and more car chases, though writing is probably safer. Between tussling with his several dogs and rambling the moors, Oliver finds time for writing moody police detectives, playing the guitar, and occasionally even communicates with the outside world.

Reviews

[Penny O'Hara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very slow reading. And how wonderful that the team became best friends at the end but the one thing that grated on my nerves was the constant ken, kent, dinnae. aboot and so on.

Not to mention DCI Glover’s love affair with himself. Arrogant doesn’t cover it. A modern Sherlock Holmes? I don think so

I have read a number of detective stories set in Scotland and none of them have used the colloquialisms this book did. Fortunately I am married to a Glaswegian and could understand what was written. A glossary for the next instalment perhaps?

[davidallan · Rating 1 out of 5]

The scots accents were ridiculous and scots police NEVER CARRY GUNS perhaps the intention was to poke fun at the scots
this spoiled the read

[Samuel Staight · Rating 1 out of 5]

The dialogue irritated me throughout, poorly written..almost gave up on the first chapter

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story, felt frustrated by some of the dialogue and the fact that DSI occasionally changed to DCI through the story.

[Abigail Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a new crime series that focuses on DCI James Glover, a London detective who has been pushed to move to Scotland and became part of Beauly’s team.

This novel shows Glover trying to deal with the death of his colleague, DI Arnold. She was killed in a brutal fire and only he seems to see the suspicious side of this. Although he is now in Scotland, he refuses to give up on his friend and is doing all he can to find out what caused her death. However, his focus into her death is pushed to the side when he is pulled into his new job early when Isla Campbell, an innocent child, has been kidnapped. The case is made even more complex when he realises her disappearance holds scary similarities to a case he worked years ago where a serial killer known as the Butcher kidnapped young girls and brutally killed them. Can Glover navigate working in a new environment and with a new team in order to find the girl? Or will she end up suffering the same fate as the children from his past?

I always enjoy Oliver Davies’ novels and this one was more exciting than ever! I really loved meeting a whole new team, being in a completely new setting, and watching it all mould together. DCI Glover was a very likeable character and a stark contrast to Ellis, Davies’ grumpy detective from one of his other series. Glover is kind, open, and very easy to like. He has a charming way about him and I can’t wait to see his character develop further.

The plot itself was very gripping and had a lot of twists and other cases weaved into it. I liked the focus on the Butcher and the chapter where we see him for the first time was truly harrowing.

Overall, an excellent first novel for the series which has left me eager to find out more about Davies’ DCI!