Our book group's reading theme was one-word titles, so this definitely fitted the bill even though I'd never heard of the author. It's set in the Highlands of Scotland, where true crime podcaster Cal Lovett has gone to escape his problems. While out walking he sees a woman who subsequently goes missing, and he tells the police what he saw. Later he learns the story of another woman, whose body was found some time ago and was buried in the local churchyard, having never been identified. Cal decides to look into that mystery for his podcast and his efforts to find out who the dead woman was leads him into all sorts of trouble. The story is told by Cal himself and the podcast, as well as by the missing woman. The three strands kept my interest high and there are great descriptions of the scenery and locations. Interesting characters (each with their own problems) and a surprising ending kept me guessing to the end. Norfolk Gal, Oundle Crime

Unknown is the fourth in the Cal Lovett series by Heather Critchlow. Cal is a podcaster, focusing on cold crimes. After the events of book three, when the trial of Jason Barr, the man believed to have killed Cal’s sister, didn’t mete out the justice Cal hoped for, he’s not looking for a new crime to investigate but one falls into his lap and he finds himself delving into the case of ‘Hillside Jane’, a woman whose remains were found twenty years earlier in a remote walking area but never identified. Surely somebody must have missed her. The case itself is intriguing and we get to see some of what happened to Jane and why through flashback chapters. Cal’s got a lot on his mind but it doesn’t stop him giving his all to the case, determined to find out who she was. This is an excellent addition to the series (which sadly will end with book five). I think Cal is an immensely likeable character and I enjoyed his relationships with Shona, a forensic anthropologist (so used to human remains!) and his daughter, Chrissie. His complex dealings with Jason Barr’s wife add another absorbing element to the complications of Cal’s life. I recommend this series to anyone who enjoys a cold case storyline. It’s dark, tense, emotional and well-plotted and the author does a great job of keeping up the pace and the mystery throughout.

4.5 Cal Lovett #4 Podcaster and journalist Cal Lovett causes somewhat of a sensational media storm when he refuses to accept an award whilst the killer of his elder sister Margot forty years ago continues to walk free. He and his partner anthropologist Shona go to Loch Tay to decompress and in true Cal style, he steps into a present day case of a missing young woman and a cold case known locally as ‘Hillside Jane’. Who was Jane? Why has her identity never been discovered over the last twenty years? Can Cal lay the mystery to rest or will it open up a hornets nest? I’ve enjoyed this series from the start and in my opinion this is the best one yet. Cal is a terrific character, dogged and determined to try to get justice and I like the relationship he has with Shona and his lovely daughter Chrissie. This one is richly atmospheric. The setting in and around Loch Tay is fantastic, exuding atmosphere which is malign in places especially around Lochan Nan Cat with Ben Lawers looming over the landscape. The extreme heat (yes it can get hot in Scotland, I can vouch for that) adds an extra dimension both physically, mentally and in the inquiry itself with all its ramifications. The storytelling is interspersed with podcast clips and a very sad backstory from 1952 and of course, Cal still has Margo‘s death with her murderer walking free hanging over his head. Will that storyline develop and move on too? Will Cal finally get overdue justice for his sister? It all builds really well, it’s full of action, intrigue and unexpected twists. I enjoy how it all starts to connect, with the suspenseful plot dots joining up. The relationship between Carl and Shona is really tested here and that’s done really well, it’s emotional but not overplayed. It has a good and unexpected ending. I love this series and Cal’s search for justice for The Unknown.