The Dead and the Dying

Author: Anderson, Lin

Crime & mystery

Published on 23 April 2026 by PAN MACMILLAN (Pan Books) in the United Kingdom as part of 'the Rhona MacLeod' series.

Paperback | 416 pages
196 x 131 x 27 | 278g

'One of the most satisfying characters in modern crime fiction' - Daily MailAn ancient grave. A modern evil. The Dead and the Dying is a pulse-pounding instalment in the Rhona MacLeod series, perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Martina Cole and Silent Witness.

In the dim morning light, Orkney’s Skaill Bay is the backdrop for a calamity of nature’s making. When forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod joins the rescue efforts as a volunteer, she uncovers more than she bargained for: a human skeleton entombed in a stone crypt.

The grave is believed to hail from the Viking Age, but Rhona's analysis of the content points to more recent and sinister evil. And a shadow is thrown over the investigation when the skeleton is finally identified – and unsettling connections emerge between the victim and the very people trying to solve.

As forensic clues lead Rhona to a second, horrifying discovery, the question looms: how many more secrets are concealed in the sand?'Lin Anderson is one of Scotland’s national treasures' - Stuart MacBride, author of the Logan McRae series'The best Scottish crime series since Rebus' - Daily RecordReaders love Lin Anderson:'This series just keeps getting better''I was totally glued the whole way through''Atmospheric, descriptive, engrossing'