Gallow Falls - Alex Nye

 

I’ve read several books by Alex Nye now and what continues to astound me is the diversity she brings to her work. You simply can’t pigeonhole her in any one genre or style. I find that incredibly exciting and I will always seek out her books.

Her current work is Gallow Falls, a crime thriller. And reading it you’d think that Ms. Nye has been writing crime stories all her career. A missing teenager is at the heart of the story. It’s a great plot, tight, well executed with some multi dimensional characters that allow a depth to the crime story that is often lacking. It’s not just about the crime it’s about the people ensnared in its spider web. Ex cop Callum McGarvey is wrested unwillingly from his quiet, country life by a good friend who awards him the mantle of private investigator, not a role, he relishes. The friend, Joan, is a wonderful character with a tenacity that ensures momentum. Laura, a young archaeologist, is the character with whom the author creates a deep sense of unease as she works in solitude at Gallow Falls, excavating a Bronze Age broch where a number of unpleasant incidents suggest somebody doesn’t want her pursuing her goal. This trio of characters are determined to seek out the truth of what happened to Robbie MacBride. There are sub plots and a fine menu of red herrings that has the reader jumping to wrong conclusions. My suspicions grew firmer as I reached the latter part of the book but I could not determine the details. Yet looking back I guess all the clues were there or at the very least hinted at. 

The Scottish landscape and countryside also play a very important part in the story, particularly for Ruthie, who sees all, but says nothing. She understands and knows the woods like the  back of her hand. Location also provides some of the atmosphere for the book too. It’s almost like an additional character. It’s a story that will have you turning page after page desperate to find out what’s happened. 

Often crime stories form part of a series with the crime solving personnel appearing in each story. I think there is the potential for Callum McGarvey to be one of those people! But I’m not sure that Alex Nye would be happy, confining herself to one genre! What’s the betting she might even go down a science-fiction or fantasy path next?