Published 14th September 2023 by Orenda Books.
From the cover of the book:
Even death needs company…
The Skelf women are recovering from the cataclysmic events that nearly claimed their lives. Their funeral-director and private-investigation businesses are back on track, and their cases are as perplexing as ever.
Matriarch Dorothy looks into a suspicious fire at an illegal campsite and takes a grieving, homeless man under her wing. Daughter Jenny is searching for her missing sister-in-law, who disappeared in tragic circumstances, while grand-daughter Hannah is asked to investigate increasingly dangerous conspiracy theorists, who are targeting a retired female astronaut … putting her own life at risk.
With a body lost at sea, funerals for those with no one to mourn them, reports of strange happenings in outer space, a funeral crasher with a painful secret, and a violent attack on one of the family, The Skelfs face their most personal – and perilous – cases yet. Doing things their way may cost them everything…
Tense, unnerving and warmly funny, The Opposite of Lonely is the hugely anticipated fifth instalment in the unforgettable Skelfs series, and this time, danger comes from everywhere…
***********
The Skelfs are trying to get their lives back on track after the events of Dark Hearts that nearly claimed their lives. Having rebuilt following the fire that damaged their home, Dorothy, Jenny, and Hannah have taken time to reflect on what the future holds for them. Dorothy has ideas about taking the funeral business in an eco-friendly direction, Jenny is dealing with the fallout of the conflict with her sister-in-law Stella over Craig's remains, and Hannah is looking towards the stars...
On the private investigations front, cases come their way that tap into their reflections - Dorothy is determined to find the person behind a case of arson aimed at a travelling community; Hannah is embroiled in finding someone responsible for harassing a famous female astronaut; and crucially for Jenny, she is compelled to track down Stella to fulfil a deathbed request. The threads of these investigations are about to lead them all into danger once more...
Doug Johnstone has done it again, with a cracking fifth instalment of this series that throws a whole new set of trials and tribulations at the Skelf family we have come to know and love. Dorothy is once more opening her arms to waifs and strays, which adds a great new character to the Skelf fold in the form of Brodie, a young man carrying the burden of unacknowledged grief, and which gets her into literal deep water in a crusade against those who abuse their powers. In an unexpected turn, Hannah finds herself caught up in a case which has unsettling undercurrents of off-kilter power dynamics, which she is slow to appreciate under the spell of one of her idols. Meanwhile, Jenny has to confront her demons, and sees the disturbing truth about controlling influences in the process too.
This book is a slickly conceived culmination of all that has come before, and as the storylines from the perspective of all three generations of Skelf women play out, Johnstone spins his magic to have them looking forward to a potentially more positive future. Of course, this being a Johnstone novel, the transition is far from easy, and it is marked with heart-rending emotional turmoil in the way he does so well. There are all the twists and turns you could want, with murky mysteries to be solved, caustic confrontations with authority, bruising brushes with danger, and the grittiest of crime stories, set against an Edinburgh that comes alive at the hands of someone who knows all her many faces. This is glorious storytelling.
The theme of abuse of power runs rife through this book, sometimes in ways which are not easy to detect beneath facades of wealth, celebrity, and positions of trust; along with Johnstone's trademark examination of the lives of those on the fringes of society; but what strikes me most about this fifth book is the overwhelming message he imparts about human connection. From grand notions of the insignificance of humankind in the big, wide cosmos, to the most intimate moments of kindness and understanding between strangers, Johnstone touches on so many ways in which we are all connected with each other. This resonates beautifully with the lovely title, The Opposite of Lonely, with all its shades of meaning.
A little mention here too for the truly brilliant way Johnstone shines a light on loss, grief, and the whole process of what happens to our remains after death in the Skelf books - I went down a rabbit whole about eco-funerals and water cremation after reading this story, and it provoked a really interesting family conversation about the many issues involved. Death can be a difficult topic to talk about with loved ones, so well done Mr Johnstone.
I consumed this book from cover to cover, and it is my favourite of the Skelf series so far. I cannot wait to see what fate holds for this family next.
The Opposite of Lonely is available to buy now in paperback, ebook and audio formats. You can support the very best of indie publishing by buying direct from Orenda Books HERE.
**Review originally published September 2023.
About the author:
Doug Johnstone is the author of sixteen novels, many of which have been bestsellers. The Space Between Us was chosen for BBC Two’s Between the Covers, while Black Hearts and The Big Chill were longlisted for the Theakston Crime Novel of the Year. Three of his books – A Dark Matter, Breakers and The Jump – have been shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize.
Doug has taught creative writing or been writer in residence at universities, schools, writing retreats, festivals, prisons and a funeral home. He’s also been an arts journalist for 25 years. He is a songwriter and musician with six albums and three EPs released, and he plays drums for the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a band of crime writers.
He’s also co-founder of the Scotland Writers Football Club and lives in Edinburgh with his family.
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