Water's Edge

Highlands & Islands Detective #1

by G.R. Jordan

A body discovered by the rocks. A broken detective returns to a scene of past tragedy. Will the pain of the past prevent him from seeing the present? Detective Inspector Macleod returns to his island home twenty years after the painful loss of his wife. With a disposition forged in strong religious conservatism, he must bond with his new partner, the free spirited and upcoming female star of the force, to seek the killer of a young woman and shine a light on the evil beneath the surface. To do so, he must once again stand in the place where he lost everything. Only at the water’s edge, will everything be made new. The rising tide brings all things to the surface.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, Scotland, Fiction

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2019

Reviews

[Davida · Rating 1 out of 5]

I get that Macleod is religious. After the first 20 pages, and about as many reminders, I got it. No need to repetitiously repeat (and it feels exactly like that) the same theme. Didn’t help making the investigation feel less flaying about aimlessly. Just tedious and dull all around.

[Tracy GH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glasgow Detective Seoras McLeod returns to the Isle of Lewis where he fled after the tragic death of his late wife. This was a great, little Highland murder book. Simple characters with a great little plot. I have already ordered The Bothy, the second in the series.

[Judith Ring · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now I’m reading on Kindle as libraries are closedI I always download a free sample. From the first couple of chapters this book looked very promising; however from then on I found it disappointing. This is the first book in this series but I won’t be trying others. It is essentially a police murder mystery, set on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. I’m drawn to books set in areas I haven’t been to in the hope of getting a feel for the place through the writers words. I felt this book failed here; I was reading the words but they didn’t give me a great sense of the landscape. The overall story was pretty good with two main protagonists, D.I. Macleod and D.S McGrath, which is what kept me going to the end, plus other reviewers had said there’s a great twist at the end. Sadly I didn’t find it a great twist, although it was a good ending. Macleod was male and McGrath young pretty and female. Far too much of this book was spent describing his thoughts about her body and this was the main thing which ruined the book for me.

[Katrina Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book, due to the fact it felt like reading a soft porn book at times. It seemed to go on and on about the lead characters and their desires more than anything else, and all the sexual desires of the islanders! I have to say the end of the book levelled out a bit and I did then think maybe I should read the 2nd book, maybe some day I will! Also a couple of spelling mistakes and odd words.

[Anne M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Plodding and pedestrian with an unrealistic storyline. DI Macleod is misogynistic and crepy in his behaviour and attitude towards his female colleague. I won't be reading any more books in this series

[David Gilchrist · Rating 4 out of 5]

First by this author, a Compelling plot set on the Isle of Lewis..I could not relate to the two detectives being the main characters in this book.

[Gemma Kinne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Self published and it shows. The writing is poor and amateurish and the dialogue is stilted and unnatural. It was a slog to finish it and I will not be reading any more of G.R. Jordan's books.

[Les Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book by a new. Author to me.

[Karen Siddall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Water’s Edge is moody and character-driven and a wonderful police procedural.

When the body of a local woman washes up on the rocky coastline of the Isle of Lewis in the Scottish Hebrides, the Glasgow team of Detective Inspector Seoras Macleod and Detective Constable Hope McGrath are sent to investigate. Macleod, an older, experienced detective, grew up on the island but left 20 years earlier when his beloved wife committed suicide by walking into the water and drowning herself. A wild young man, Macleod’s faith had saved him from the path he’d been on, but after his wife’s death, he began to have doubts about the nature of God. The tragedy has caused Macleod to let time and modern sensibilities pass him; he’s never quite moved on with his life. Now, he’s known somewhat as a misogynistic throwback, but lately, he’s been questioning his outdated thinking. He likes and approves of his female supervisor and has a growing acceptance of the rightness of women in police work. McGrath, with two years of experience in homicide, is assigned to work with Macleod on the case when his regular partner is laid up from a car accident. (More about her later.)

Dreading the return to Lewis, Macleod finds there have been changes since he left, but things are still familiar enough that they dredge up long-forgotten memories of his life there before things went tragically wrong for him. The victim, Sara Hewitt, is a young, local woman who recently opened a massage parlor on the main street of the town of Stornoway. The two detectives quickly interview her distraught boyfriend. He claims they were exclusive with each other and vehemently denies her business offered ‘services on the side’ as her ledger seems to indicate. However, the young man’s own mother, a councilwoman in town, reveals the ledger is accurate and that everyone but her son knew that Sara was doing a booming business in offering ‘extras’ to her clients, one of whom was the mother herself!

As the two detectives follow up on any lead they find, they discover that the very conservative population has a darker side. Should its secrets become known, it provides more than adequate motive for murder.

Water’s Edge is the first novel in the new Highlands & Island Detective Thriller series by author G. R. Jordan (Gary Ross-Jordan.) As the debut story, a bit of exposition is expected, and Jordan does a great job of setting things up without bogging the reader down.

I loved how the two detectives started out as very different from each other, from vastly different generations, and how they had to navigate the bumps along the way to meshing as an efficient, effective team (which they do.) She’s forthright and plainspoken in her opinions and speech. She’s smart and sassy and already an experienced investigator when the story opens. She’s no rookie. She holds her own even as a junior partner. I really liked watching as Macleod comes to appreciate and value her as his partner. As for Macleod, the reader is privy to his inner struggle with adapting to contemporary culture and coming to terms with his faith and the burgeoning awareness of McGrath as not only a good detective but a beautiful woman.

The moody setting of the Isle of Lewis informs the story at every step. The cloudy skies, remote locations, rocky cliffs and coastlines, and secretive landscapes give the piece a gothic feeling, and there’s a definite chill throughout as the detectives pursue their investigation.

The murder plotline is solid, and the investigation straightforward and logical. Procedures on the island are slightly different for the two detectives used to how things work in Glasgow. Still, they have competent local support in the character of the steady Detective Allinson, who is also dangled tantalizingly before readers as a possible love interest for Hope McGrath.

I highly recommend WATER’S EDGE to readers of mysteries and police procedurals and readers that enjoy stories set in the cold and damp moodiness of coastal Scotland. I anxiously look forward to reading more of this series.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Book Sirens.

[Cora · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new writer for me, quite liked the plot, it was complex and well worked out. The only negative was the fact there was too much emphasis on the detective inspector’s belief and his very old fashioned look on women in general. All in all a pleasurable who dunnit.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Water's edge by GR Jordan.
Highlands & Islands Detective Book 1.
A body discovered by the rocks. A broken detective returns to a scene of past tragedy. Will the pain of the past prevent him from seeing the present?
Brilliant read. Twisty and gripping. 5*.

[Anke]

Tried the sample and it didn't work for me.

[Teresa Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It is complicated (not in a bad way), intense, a great police procedural, and has very interesting characters. There is plenty of action and suspense and the best kind of twists and turns. It is one of those books that you have difficulty putting down once you start reading. It was also a very nice change to have a character whose spiritual beliefs are a large part of who he is and he isn't reluctant to express those beliefs. I'm not sure if those are the beliefs of the character or also the author, but that was an enjoyable part of the book for me. Also, how the author wove those beliefs into the story. There was not any feeling of "being preached to"; those beliefs were simply a part of who DI MacLeod is. Also, the Scottish Highlands, in which the story is set, almost becomes a character unto itself and is a central part of the story. If you haven't read any of the series you need to check them out. I will be looking for the next one.

I received a review copy from BookSirens and this is my honest, voluntary opinion. I want to thank BookSirens and the author for the opportunity to read this novel.

[Samantha Wells · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly my type of genre, I love police procedural novels so I couldn’t wait to start this book. I must say that initially, literally the first couple of chapters, I was quite unsure. The writing style took a little getting used to and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to find any empathy with the main characters. They both seemed rather stereotypical, Macleod came across as very judgmental with severe religious values whilst McGrath was painted as the complete opposite, totally carefree and non-judgmental. I was worried about how their coming together to work successfully would be depicted in a totally unbelievable way. But I was quite wrong to worry. After their initial clashes it was a gentle, slow process of coming to appreciate the strengths of both their individual characters. His gradual mellowing was cleverly described and I found it to be a somewhat believable development. The plot was great, constantly moving and developing, it kept me guessing through the various twists and turns. The back story element certainly added to it all by providing various layers to the storyline and this continued to get deeper as the novel developed. This was such an interesting read and if you enjoy police procedural novels I highly recommend you give this a try. I will definitely be hunting out more novels involving Macleod and McGrath as I can’t wait to see how things develop.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Fon E · Rating 2 out of 5]

I chose this based on it's location on the Isle of Lewis and had hoped it might be a series I'd really enjoy like Ann Cleeves's Shetland series.

D.I. Seoras MacLeod is summoned from Glasgow back to the place he once called home to investigate the murder of a young woman. His usual partner is unavailable so he has to take a female detective Hope McGrath as his second in command.

MacLeod is so unlikeable, he is incredibly pious, misogynistic and yet for all his preaching of morality, seems incapable of looking at McGrath without seeing her as an object to arouse his sinful, lustful thoughts.

The unlikeable detective is one that can work but he has to have something about him, a superior brain to work a case, a dash of humour or charm. MacLeod has none of these and the book is far too focused on what women should wear or how they should behave which could only be forgiven had it been written decades ago, not in 2019.

It's only because it was relatively short at just over 200 pages that I didn't set it aside in frustration. It's self-published which is also obvious, there were some errors in grammar and an incorrect name which I imagine would have been picked up on had it been looked over by someone else.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

When a young woman is found murdered on the Isle of Lewis, D. I. Seoras McLeod is sent to investigate. He is partnered with a young detective Hope McGrath. He is originally from Lewis and has strong religious beliefs. This was an interesting and fairly tense thriller as the pair are on the track of a violent killer who will stop at nothing to prevent old secrets being uncovered. I liked the setting and gradually grew to like the two detectives but I felt too much focus was given to McLeod's thoughts and feeling about his partner. Apart from that, it was fairly fast paced and built up to a shocking ending!

[Denise Zendel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detective Inspector Seoras Macleod returns to his childhood home on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, 20 years after the painful loss of his wife. He’s extremely conservative, religiously at least, and has to work with a free spirited and upcoming female star of the force to solve the death of an even more free-spirited young woman.

This book irritated and intrigued me. Macleod is a throw-back to the 50s – conservative, virgin until he married, rigid, judgmental, and sexist, to name a few. He tries to keep his views to himself, but they manage to leak out his ears. He’s an anachronism: “But he had grown up with women knowing their role in the home and this was a change he found hard to swallow. Yet he had swallowed it, to the point that his senior officer was a woman and he showed no resentment or annoyance but instead had worked with her the best he could.”

He judges his young partner, Hope Mackenzie, lacking because she dresses “provocatively” and is “unashamed to flirt.” At first I thought, why am I even reading this? This guy’s a pig. Then I thought he was going to end up as the killer, which piqued my interest. As I read farther, I learned things about him that made him more interesting – his wife died in a manner similar to one of the current deaths covered in the book, and I decided to stick around and see how it all turned out.

Aside from a few typos and grammatical awkwardness which took me out of the story, the book held my interest to the end when the bad actor was revealed. It was interesting to see Macleod defrost towards his partner and incrementally drag himself into the current century. I thought the author did a good job communicating the hustle and bustle and urgency of the murder room. The characters were well-established for the first in a series, and I must say I was surprised at the resolution of the mystery. I also enjoyed the Scottish setting.

I will read more in this series.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this "gentle" crime. I say "gentle" because, compared to the flavour of the moment being Scandi crime noir, WATER'S EDGE is less graphically violent and gory. This will suit some readers. WATER'S EDGE is written in an easy, flowing style. It's well-paced and the relationship between the two detectives partnered to solve the case is adeptly managed. The unique element of this novel is that the main detective is a conservative Christian who is finding it difficult to adjust to the mores of the modern world. This feature is handled well, and is kept to a comfortable level, not dominating the narrative. To be clear, this is not a novel pushing Christianity. It just happens to be one of the characters of the person and comes across as real and genuine in the context of the story. It's just unusual to read about a character like this in a crime novel, especially in a detective. But, given the enormous number of Christians living on earth, it isn't surprising there's a detective out there who happens to be one. So don't be put off by this aspect. It never dominates the overarching narrative. The tensions that arise between the two detectives because of this are entertaining and thought-provoking. My only issue with WATER'S EDGE is the last sentence of the book which, for me, didn't ring true. It seemed more like a contrivance. Others may differ. But, whatever you do, do NOT look at it until you get there after reading everything before it. No peeking!! Overall, an interesting story that would make a great read on a holiday, at the beach, or just relaxing.

I received a free review copy from Book Sirens in return for an honest review, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Carlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it took me some time to get into the book, about a third in I really couldn't put it down. The main character, Detective Inspector Seoras McLeod, has been with the Glasgow Police for 20 years and is quite jaded. He was raised on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides as a devout Presbyterian (Church of Scotland) with a very conservative outlook on life and his faith remains important to him.

When a new homicide case is assigned to him, his superior pairs him with Detective Hope McGrath, a twenty something redhead, he has a difficult time with her more modern, liberal views, her coarse language, and her (to him) provocative dress.

When a young woman's body is found on the Isle of Lewis with her throat cut, the odd pair fly there to work with the local police.

Going back to Lewis stirs up many emotions in McLeod as it was where his wife died. The investigation is riveting but with the undercurrents of McLeod's loss, the detectives' relationship, and the dead woman's unsavory occupation there is much more to the story than a simple mystery novel.

The other books by this author are in genres of no interest to me. But if this mystery turns into a series as the title implies, I will be a happy reader.

I received an Advanced Review Copy from Book Sirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first thoughts about this book when I began reading, was how well written it was. You can just tell when an author puts energy into the small details and doesn't rush to get to the main dilemma. I love reading police procedurals, especially those set in out of the way places, and I enjoy the fact that the author didn't resort to the typical stereotypes you would normally find in out of the way, small villages, ie dimwitted and lazy but pompous coppers.

His characters were refreshing in the way that the main, Seoras Macleod, was a very religious man. Not usual for a main character and which didn't sway as he found his way though the events in the book. The main female, while brainy and deserving of her 'promotion' was altogether too based on sex though, unfortunately. Almost every page had something about her figure or making heads turn or her daring exploits with attention etc. I know this was key in establishing character relationships but it got quite unnecessary after a while, I mean just how hot could this chick be?!

The book dealt with a few issues, loss, deviance, revenge and being different. I quite liked it and found it hard to put down. I'll be trying more from the same author for sure.

I received a free copy of this book through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was torn between wanting to reject this one because so much of the narrative was focused on the DI’s religious fundamentalism, his unresolved grief and sexual tension. What kept me reading was my curiosity to see whether or not the issues were explored or exploited. I’m glad I persevered. It made for uncomfortable reading at times, not knowing if the plot would shift from mystery to romance or slide into stereotypes. Neither happened. The issues were, in fact, explored - adding another layer of mystery.

It is, I think, a brave attempt. I hope the rigour of its themes is sustained in subsequent books.

The setting was not as well drawn or evocative as I had hoped. Only in the final chapters did it strengthen and become significant. It would also be good to see some development of minor players. They are drawn as competent, intelligent and dedicated, which I like, but a bit of growth would be good. There are also a few loose ends only loosely tied up.

It’s a promising start. The issues tackled are risky and potentially alienating. Very few crime writers venture there. I’m impressed- and cautiously optimistic.

[Judith Horrocks · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first started this book, I immediately took a dislike to the lead Detective, MacLeod, as he came across as a conservative religious guy who blamed women for is inability to look at them other than a sexual object, complaining (in his head) about the way his new partner, a female dressed, spoke, did anything really while the whole time eyeing her up like a hungry dog ogling a chicken bone. As the book went on, however, his attitude changes a bit as he gets to know his partner and as his character develops you get more insight into his views and while still not exactly likeable, I warmed to him slightly. The story, as a procedural, is okay, not fantastic, at least not when compared to some of the more amazing procedurals out there, such as Caleb Carr or some of the more creative Nordic crime novels, but it does what it says on the box and once I got past MacLeod's conservative religious views and misogynistic thoughts and old fashioned ideas of women, which lessen as he develops as a character, I found it to be an okay read. I got it in a box set so I am interested to see how he develops as a character, if he does, and see how their relationship grows. Saying that, if the books don't improve somewhat, I doubt I will carry on with the series after my box set, but I am willing to give them a chance.

[Kerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first novel in a Kindle boxed set of 5. Inspector Seoras Macleod's usual partner is unavailable and he has been assigned a young woman, Hope McGrath, as his sergeant. Macleod is unused to working with women, and he secretly believes Homicide is no job for a woman. He find Hope brash and unconventional; he thinks she flaunts her body a bit; but comes to admire other qualities.

The case takes them to Stornaway and there are many aspects of the case that makes him uncomfortable. He struggles to come to terms with his new partner and particularly with the fact that she is a woman who can take physical punishment almost better than he does. Stornaway was once home for Macleod and it was where his wife died twenty years before. Much about McGrath reminds him of his wife and what he lost when she died.

An interesting plot full of challenging ideas. I enjoyed it enough to read the second in the set.

[Pamela Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Sirens. Veteran Glasgow detective Searos has not returned to his birthplace, Lewis Island, since the tragic death of his wife. Now a young woman's body has washed up there and Searos catches the case along with a new partner. Hope is a brash young woman and deeply moral Searos is at first affronted by her manner and dress. Over the course of the investigation these two combatants develop a solid partnership. The victim's seemingly shady lifestyle is revealed to be a cover for an investigation of her own...the death of her mother years ago. What did she discover? and who? This slow burn story heats up as more deaths ensue. The author's character development was spot on, clearly depicts emotions especially as Searos confronts the effects of his wife's loss. There were a few threads I would have liked better knotted but overall an enjoyable read.

[Brenda Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very well written suspense/thriller. It is an English setting and the dialect or language used is sometimes confusing, but not enough to diminish the enjoyment of reading the book.

The only thing keeping me from giving it a 5 star was the ending. It could have ended three pages earlier and I would have given it the 5, but it so confused me on the last I found myself leafing through the pages to see if I could come up with a reason or a clue to what it indicated. I did not and was just left confused.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad read. I get what everyone is saying about going on about the religion and old time thinking but it works for the character, as his part of the old time thinking and overly religious due to trauma and sadness in his life. I would think at one time or another we have all seen or met a person just like this making it more real. And with Hope being his opposite, who is willing to put him in his place and redirecting his ideals, he may just be swayed to the dark side of the up to date modern thinking and such. I liked it enough to try #2.

[Michelle Debnam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes a bit to get going and to get into but when you do it leaves you wanting more, the main character is the typical jaded policeman with a 20 year work history and some very conservative views due to his religious beliefs

His partner however is younger with a more modern approach to policing and life in general, these two however do make for an interesting pairing and this shows when they are sent to Isle of Lewis to investigate a young woman's horrendous murder

[Romaine Heart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detective Inspector MacLeod and Detective Grath work together to try to solve the murder of a young woman who they believe one of her clients killed her. Only her lover knows the idenitity of the killer who is hiding.
As MacLeod and Hope get closer to the killer's idenitity they are put in dangerous situations that almost cost them their lives. The killer is leaving a trail of victims behind.
The ending freaking blew me away!!

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book after reading the synopsis so I bought the ebook - then my eyes strayed over the reviews, which were mixed, but I, for one, enjoyed the story and the characterisation. It did lack some atmosphere and a sense of place at times which the Shetland novels excel in. The religious references were a bit of an irritation as well, but I'm hoping they will fade away as the series progresses.

[Myra J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

good story

This was a very good murder mystery! Good writing, good characters! There was a lot going on in this story. An experienced older detective returns to the place where his wife died to conduct a hunt for a young girl’s killer. This hunt turns very complicated very quickly. And during the murder investigation the older detective must come to grips with his wife’s suicide while working with a young female detective who reminds him of his late wife. Very interesting!