The first in this series, set in Glasgow, Scotland and featuring Rhone Macleod, a forensic scientist - although there was little in the way of forensic investigation. The characters haven’t yet formed individual “voices” a problem heightened by Anderson’s slightly disconnected writing, an issue I would like to think will be corrected as the series develops. ( )

Good start to a new series and will definitely be reading the next one ( )

Un joven aparece muerto como consecuencia de un «juego sexual» que a alguien se le ha ido de las manos. La forense Rhona MacLeod será la encargada de hacerle la autopsia y descubre que el cadáver se parece mucho a ella misma y tiene la misma edad que el niño que hace diecisiete años dio en adopción, lo que la involucrará personalmente en la investigación del caso.

Didn't really enjoy it but will try one more ( )

This is the first in a series about Forensic Scientist Dr. Rhona MacLeod, 36, based in Glasgow, Scotland.

Rhona is called to the scene after the discovery of the body of a boy, abused and strangled whose cause of death was asphyxiation during sex. The victim looks so much like he could be Rhona’s son that it leads her to an investigation of where her own son might be. Seventeen years before she had a baby with politically rising star Edward Stewart. Rhona was 19, and Edward was 21. Rhona named the boy Liam James MacLeod, but they agreed to give the baby up for adoption Edward and Rhona’s relationship lasted only six months after the adoption. Now Edward contacts Rhona to try to ensure she never mentions “the incident,” since he is running for office. But Rhona wants more from Edward: she wants his help in finding out who adopted Liam so she can determine if it was their boy that was murdered.

Meanwhile, the investigation leads the team led by Detective Inspector Bill Wilson to one of the rings of paedophiles operating in Glasgow. Because of the new technology, they were thriving. The paedophiles began by befriending lonely boys who look for companionship through the Internet. They then offer to meet, and if the kid doesn’t cooperate with sex, they are threatened with blackmail. It is of course worse if they do cooperate. A tip gets them to focus on a man named Simon.

Gavin MacLean, who heads a cyber sleuth team for the police, is tasked with looking for Simon. He also begins to try to court Rhona, temporarily estranged from her boyfriend, jazz musician Sean McGuire.

Tension mounts as Rhona worries about her adopted son, and Edward has fears about his current son, Jonathan, who is increasingly withdrawn and spending more and more time on the Internet.

Rhona’s scientific officer, Chrissy McInsh, also gets in danger through the activities of her brothers.

Evaluation: This is a good beginning to a series with complicated characters. Rhona reminds me a bit of Dr. Frieda Klein in the detective/psychological thriller series by Nicci French. Like Frieda, Rhona is secretive, suspicious, closed off even to those who love her, and prickly. But there is no denying her skills, nor her tendency to attract danger. ( )