A Winter Grave by Peter May
Peter May is a Scottish writer I have enjoyed since 2018 when The Black House came out, but in this outing with a new detective and a new time setting to 2051, May has written a “climate fiction” novel that is more thriller than mystery perhaps. And I enjoyed it immensely. Our Glascow detective, who you find out early has been given only a few months to live, volunteers to go to the west coast of Scotland –which 30 years from now is under ice and snow due to the melting of the ice sheets and the end of the Gulf Stream flowing warm water past the British Isles. Much of the thrill in the novel concerns our heroes attempts to survive the elements, unpiloted drones, and rolling electric blackouts, while trying to find out who killed the reporter encased in ice on the hillside near the Isle of Mull.
The future does not bode well for humanity in May’s novel after man’s reckless mishandling of our planet. One quarter of the Earth’s people are displaced by famine, weather emergencies and war over them both.
For years now authors have had to invent new ways to make a thriller/mystery work with the troublesome advent of cell phones and other technology that renders a victim able to call for help or look up solutions on the computer. Many have taken us back to the past so that cell phones and computers are not an issue to the plot. While other writers have put their characters on an island/boat/underground/ or somewhere remote so that potential victims cannot just call out when killers arrive.
Now, it seems that authors are moving the plot lines into the future where weather catastrophes and technology failures are common and killers can once again “get away with it” enough to warrant a story. This outing by May takes place only 30 years from now, and yet unpiloted drone planes seem believable. And also terrifying. This futuristic novel is a complete mystery and thriller alike. A delightful read even though I was horrified at the future May paints for our planet. A great page-turner. 4 of 5 stars
This ARC title was provided by Netgalley.com at no cost, and I am providing an unbiased review. A Winter Grave published Jan. 24, 2023.
Pam Did It 