The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey

A gripping and atmospheric debut crime thriller set on an isolated Scottish island … where outsiders are not welcome.

‘There’s always someone whispering about something.’

On a small island off the coast of Scotland, an isolated community is grieving. Eighteen-year-old Alan Ferguson was found at the foot of the lighthouse – an apparent suicide.

DIs Georgina Lennox and Richard Stewart are sent to investigate. A raging storm keeps them trapped on the island for five days. And the locals don’t take kindly to mainlanders.

As George and Richie question the island’s inhabitants, they discover a village filled with superstition and shrouded in secrets.

But someone wants those secrets to stay buried. At any cost.

‘Absorbing, unsettling and deeply accomplished’ Dervla McTiernan

‘Smart, deliciously creepy and simply pitch-perfect – I tore through this spectacular debut!’ Hayley Scrivenor

‘An impressive crime debut dripping with atmosphere and threat, Laura McCluskey’s The Wolf Tree will take you to a chilling cliff edge of suspense, then hold you there until the very last page’ Hannah Richell

‘An exciting new voice in crime fiction’ Pip Drysdale

‘Cold Atlantic noir. An eerie debut’ Matthew Spencer, author of Black River

‘McCluskey is masterful at building suspense’ Kirkus

About the Author: Laura McCluskey is a writer, editor and actor. She is also a co-founder of Sybilline Films and the Three Fates Theatre Company, and has performed across theatre, film and television. Her debut novel, The Wolf Tree, the first in a series featuring Scottish detectives George Lennox and Richie Stewart, was published by HarperCollins in 2025, and will be followed by The Cursed Road in 2026. She lives in Naarm/Melbourne.

28 Jan 2026

The Wolf Tree: A gripping unputdownable debut crime thriller, perfect for fans of Dervla McTiernan, Ann Cleeves and Hayley Scrivenor by Laura McCluskey ISBN 9781460765586