Blog tour: The Bone Mother by Suzy Aspley

This post is part of a blog tour organised by Random Things Blog Tours. I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

‘Rituals.

‘Secrets

‘A killer who will protect them at any cost…

‘Martha Strangeways has settled into a quiet life in Strathbran, after the horrific events that traumatised the village a year earlier. But all this is turned upside down when her friend at Glasgow CID, DI Derek Summers, calls on her to help with a disturbing case: a human ear, with an unusual Celtic earring, has been found next to a railway line in the Highlands.

‘And when the body of a young woman wearing matching jewellery turns up at a landmark church shortly after, the mystery deepens. Why has she been laid out in a ritualistic fashion? Does her trek along the little-known Cailleach Way have anything to do with her death? And who is running the Facebook group where she posted details of her journey to the shrine of the Bone Mother goddess?

‘As Martha tries to unpick the threads, she finds herself entwined with a ghost from her own past, and in conflict with the owner of a project that threatens to destroy the goddess’s sacred land.

‘With Halloween approaching, and someone determined to protect the goddess at all costs, can Martha and Summers catch the killer before they strike again – and this time much closer to home…?’

The Bone Mother, by Suzy Aspley, picks up seven months on from the events of Crow Moon. Journalist Martha Strangeways is doing as well as she can be, considering her harrowing experiences in recent years, and is working freelance for the Glasgow Evening Standard, who send her to report on the gruesome find of a severed ear by a railway line.

Martha’s tenacious nature, and an “I’ll scratch your back, if you scratch mine” deal with her friend DI Derek Summers, leads her to dig further into the story, especially after the rest of the body is discovered posed in a churchyard.

The victim, Emma, was wearing a distinctive pair of earrings representing the titular Bone Mother – a legendary, fearsome Highlands winter witch. Martha finds out that Emma was part of a Facebook group of young women who are being encouraged to individually walk the obscure “Cailleach Way” to some ancient standing stones that pay tribute to the Bone Mother, in protest against a new hydroelectric scheme that threatens to flood the shrine.

It also transpires that the group’s mysterious leader sent the unusual jewellery not only to Emma, but to others embarking on the pilgrimage – might they be in danger, too? A personal connection additionally emerges, as Emma was put up by Martha’s friend Orla for a few nights as she prepared to set out.

I found The Bone Mother to be real page-turner. If you’re into crime novels with a Gothic, supernatural flavour, this author is really starting to make a name for herself. The legend of the Bone Mother, the standing stones and their dedicated keeper who takes them inside for the winter, the abandoned cottage that was home to previous keepers… all catnip for me!

At the same time, there’s plenty of action that anchors the story in the real, fairly recent past (2019). As well as the use of Facebook to mobilise young women like Emma, who are looking for meaning and a bit of a challenge, there’s the divisive sustainable energy project, which may decrease dependence on fossil fuels, but will also alter the landscape and make a CEO even richer.

And then there’s Martha’s pregnant friend Orla, who’s convinced someone’s watching and messing with her – and when her sort-of partner can’t find her, technologies such as her internet-connected doorbell and smartwatch give him a bit of a steer. Also, who knew a forensics expert could specialise in jewellery? It makes sense when you think about it, but even so, I was fascinated by Dr Brigid Russell’s work.

Martha continues to be a character I enjoy following as she carries out her investigations, even if I did want to yell ‘nooooo!’ at her each time she charged into an encounter that had little chance of going smoothly (though she wouldn’t be doing her job – and there wouldn’t be much of a story – otherwise!).

As with Crow Moon, the teenage characters in this book feel particularly authentic. I was especially impressed by Sophie: the daughter of the CEO of the hydroelectric company, who’s determined to demonstrate her opposition to her father’s plans by completing her own walk to the standing stones.

Despite her privilege, Sophie comes across as a caring, thoughtful character who’s far from a spoilt brat, and like most teenagers, she’s naïve in some ways but mature in others. When she gets caught up in an extreme situation, she keeps her head and proves her capability in a way that’s really moving to see.

The Bone Mother is an atmospheric, unsettling Gothic thriller that had me on the edge of my seat.