Grim, gripping and gruesomeThere are several intertwined storylines running through this book.
The narration in the first person by Tora Hamilton, a consultant surgeon, an outsider in the Shetland Isles, despite her husband's local roots, works very well.
The whole saga begins with Tora digging a hole in her field to bury the body of her recently deceased horse. She is shocked to find a well-wrapped human body at the bottom of her pit. Is it an ancient burial? Is it a recent murder victim? Who is it?
As she begins to investigate, despite discouragement from her boss, the local police and her husband, more mysteries are heaped on top of the original. Even worse, she soon discovers that she can trust nobody!
The tension mounts, as she gets close to the truth, whater that is. You are kept guessing, and you will fear for her life.
One thing about reading a book in the first person, in my experience, is that you have great expectations for the survival of the main character. But are those expectations justified? The author could be playing an awful trick on you! That isn't a spoiler, but you'll just have to read the whole book to find out if I am teasing you.
Footnote. There was one exception to my final theory: The Book Thief, where the narrator is Death himself. A superb book!