A Long Time Dead

A D.I. Duncan McAdam Mystery (The Misty Isle, Book 1)

By: J M Dalgliesh

Narrated by: Angus King

Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

You can’t stay dead forever....

A group of high school students gather on the Isle of Skye’s remote Coral Beach for a hedonistic night of dancing, drugs, and alcohol to celebrate the passing of their finals. The new millennium is on the horizon and the future beckons, promising new hope and a fresh wind of optimism. In the coming days, many will leave the island for work or to study on the mainland, whereas others will remain on Skye and forge a more traditional path, much as their families have done for centuries before them. That is...all but one....

D.I. Duncan McAdam is dispatched home to the Misty Isle. A body has been found buried in a remote location on the Waternish peninsula. Well-preserved in the peat, Isla Matheson—missing for the better part of two decades—is revealed to a shocked island community. A teenage runaway is dead...and no one is talking.

Joining a small team of detectives, Duncan is tasked with revisiting those who knew Isla, those who cared for her...and those with the potential to kill her. In a remote community well-used to settling scores among themselves, will they trust one of their own when he asks questions or will they persevere with the façade of ignorance?

As he uncovers the island’s long-held secrets, Duncan must face his own demons. Old wounds he thought long healed have opened and this time, he cannot hide from them, he cannot run, and he won’t like the answers he is given. Skye is a place of mystery with a landscape of rugged beauty, but one that Duncan feels should exist only in his memories...or perhaps his worst nightmares.

A Long Time Dead is the first in a new series of crime thrillers from the multi-million best-selling crime writer, J M Dalgliesh, the author of the Hidden Norfolk and Dark Yorkshire books.

©2023 J M Dalgliesh (P)2023 J M Dalgliesh

Well written in a beautifully described setting

A new series for me, which I enjoyed beginning to end. One of the pleasurable parts of the experience of a detective mystery like this is the introduction to a part of the world about which I had absolutely no knowledge—and woven into a very good plot, I’m heading into the second book of the series very soon.

An exciting new series

I had never read any books by this author, but started his other character and wasn’t too excited with the reader so switched to this series. I always love Angus King, and once again he was impeccable. I love the characters, the story, everything about it. I see there are three books in the series with one coming down the road so I’m happy to know that I can read more of these. Highly recommended.

Another great opportunity to spend time with old friend, Duncan

I felt as if I knew the place and the characters. The detail of the desriptions by the author seemed effortless. And, as usual, the narration by Angus King was superb.

Great story and performance!

Thoroughly enjoyed this book- will definitely get all the others. Seems to capture some of the soul of the place and the people.

Great

Awesome as always. Enjoy his books and the narrator. Can’t wait to read the next one

Great job

I love the author, and I love the narrator. Together this book was immensely entertaining.

Meandering and overly long

Meandering story line, too much time spent on irrelevant characters not fully developed. Disappointing in the extreme. I purchased for $ and couldn’t return.

Atmospheric, with suspense

Great plot — and brilliant narration by Angus King. There are shocking twists and scenes of immense poignance and pathos. But mostly, it’s about the island - stormy, beautiful, and filled with secrets.

Perfect setting for a murder mystery

I love this new series by Dalgliesh, set on the Isle of Skye. I have been there and it is so atmospheric and steeped in history and culture. The weather there is perfect for deeds most foul too. DI Duncan is a complicated character and his temporary assignment back home on Skye bring out all his family baggage, as well as his old acquaintances. The mystery is a cold case that shocked the island and the time lapse makes it hard to solve. People are keeping secrets. Duncan is the perfect detective to solve the case because he understands the island people and can peel back the layers of clues. The book started out a little slow but soon picked up pace and is very interesting. Sadly no one on the island seemed to have a good marriage and there were a lot of unhappy people. But I cannot wait to start the second book and see how Duncan's character develops. Angus King is the best narrator in the business, especially for Scottish characters but I have read all the JD Kirk book narrated by Angus and the voices in A Long Time Dead sound just like the voices he uses for Jack Logan and Hoon and others in Kirk's books so it was a little confusing.

Slow start but built up very well over time

There was not a lot of police procedural to this story, and the development of the characters (which was at least as much of the point as the plot itself) took time. I nearly gave up on it a few times, but am so glad I stuck with it. Very complex but satisfying ending. And I would definitely listen to the next in the series, now that the groundwork of the characters is laid. My favorite narrator.