Overview

Crow Moon is set on a remote Shetland island where a teenage girl goes missing. As the search unfolds, the story follows a journalist returning home, a close knit community under strain, and the slow exposure of secrets long kept quiet. The investigation becomes as much about place and memory as about crime.

Writing & Voice

We found the writing calm, precise, and atmospheric. Greig uses clear, restrained language that lets the landscape and silences do much of the work. The pacing is deliberate, giving space for tension to build without rush.

Content & Perspective

The novel shifts between personal reflection and investigation. We see how the island’s isolation shapes behaviour and how familiarity can hide harm. The journalist’s perspective brings both distance and emotional involvement, complicating the search for truth.

Themes

The book explores belonging, secrecy, and the cost of staying silent. It looks at how communities protect themselves, who is believed, and what is lost when uncomfortable truths are ignored. We were struck by its attention to moral ambiguity.

What Worked

• A strong sense of place rooted in Shetland.
• Measured, thoughtful pacing that sustains tension.
• A crime story that remains deeply human.

Minor Quibbles

• The quiet approach may feel slow for some readers.
• Those expecting a conventional thriller may want more urgency.

Final Thoughts

We found Crow Moon quietly devastating, using Shetland’s isolation, communal silence, and moral unease to examine how truth erodes when belonging demands complicity.

Rating: ★★★★☆ / 5