Longlisted for the 2025 McIlvanney Prize

When a movie star goes missing while filming their latest blockbuster in Glasgow, Rhona MacLeod and the team must investigate.

In the dead of night, a man's body is found strapped to a chair in Glasgow's Elder Park, his identity unknown. As forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod examines the scene, the violence on display suggests a gangland feud could be the cause. At the post-mortem, a bullet engraved with a snake's head is found in the man's stomach, lending weight to the theory.

Elsewhere in the city, a major Hollywood movie is being filmed, but shooting comes to a standstill when the lead actor is reported missing. As the news spreads, Police Scotland believe the two cases may be connected.

DS Michael McNab thinks the key to finding those responsible could be the film itself. A storyline playing out in real life on the streets of Glasgow, with a killer intent on revenge at any cost--a vendetta that must be paid in blood.

Though they can be enjoyed in any order, Whispers of the Dead is the eighteenth book in the Rhona MacLeod series from acclaimed crime writer Lin Anderson.