In the sixth book in this popular series by Doug Johnstone, the Skelf women hope to make a fresh start after the trauma of the previous book, The Opposite of Lonely. In Living is a Problem, they want a positive future, but perhaps not everyone in their close knit circle is ready to move on.
The story opens dramatically with the funeral of the head of an Edinburgh crime family. The Skelfs are undertakers and Jenny and Archie, who have become close friends, are on hand. Things are going smoothly until they hear the sound of a drone which proceeds to release pepper spray on those in attendance. Jenny offers her services as an investigator to the grieving family. She suspects another crime family was responsible.
Dorothy, the family matriarch, continues to play the drums and is a member of The Multiverse. A choir of refugees and asylum seekers has joined the band. A couple of the choir members seek out Dorothy’s assistance. They are unable to contact Yana, a Ukrainian member of the choir. They have no idea what happened to her. Dorothy agrees to look into the situation.
Hannah, Dorothy’s granddaughter, has completed her PhD on exo planets and is relaxing by dropping in on classes at the Edinburgh Futures Institute. Brodie, a friend and co-worker is distraught after discovering the ground disturbed around his deceased son’s grave. Hannah agrees to investigate.
The character who appears to be struggling the most is Thomas, Dorothy’s boyfriend. He seems to be suffering from post traumatic stress after the violent events of the last book. He has retired early from the police force and has built up a wall between himself and Dorothy. Thomas refuses to seek professional help to address his trauma.
As with all the Skelf books, you will appreciate the complexity of the characters. Johnstone creates interesting and authentic characters that you become invested in. He is also a master plotter able to pull together multiple plotlines into a tight and compelling read. Each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the Skelf women, with each of their stories flowing towards the climax, when things are drawn together.
You could say that Edinburgh too is a character in the series. Johnstone makes a point of including familiar locations in the city along with some that are off the tourist track. Even the title of the book is taken from the lyrics of a Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro. A deceased homeless man awaiting burial has the lyrics tattooed on his arms. Living is a problem… because everything dies.
Johnstone is a thought provoking and empathetic writer. He often has a character mention something in passing that will have you googling all sorts of different subject matter. In the book, the Skelfs have purchased a derelict plot of land. They are in the process of turning it into Seafield Memorial Woods. Children are helping to plant trees on the land. Archie casually mentions the similarity to the Future Library Project.
Katie Pearson, a Scottish artist conceived the Future Library Project. New books are commissioned from writers every year. The project started in 2014 and will continue until 2114. A thousand trees have been planted that will be used to print a limited edition of the books at the end of the project. Dorothy describes it as an act of hope for the future. The Skelf books are a terrific crime fiction series. They also provide an act of hope in the face of death and grief.
The characters accept that death is a part of life and they are open to exploring grief in different ways. The funeral for the homeless man with the tattoo of the Biffy Clyro lyrics is a perfect example. Rather than burying the man with no identity, Brody connects with Biffy Clyro fans online. He discovers the man’s name is Ewan. His funeral ends up being a celebration of life with Biffy Clyro fans attending and the Multiverse performing one of Biffy Clyro’s songs. In a difficult world, the Skelf books bring hope.
You can read Crime Fiction Lover reviews of the earlier Skelf books here: A Dark Matter, The Big Chill, The Great Silence and The Opposite of Lonely.
Orenda Books
Print/Kindle
£5.99
CFL Rating: 5 Stars
