Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
Grace is the narrator, I really like Grace chatting to the reader. The writing style lends itself well to the chatty natural feel. This has brought her into an odd profession. She is a cleaner – but not of the houses of the living. She is a forensic cleaner. She gets called in, after the police, the emergency services, the investigations of possible crimes have all been, gone, and done their jobs, to those premises where some poor soul has died alone, undiscovered, unnoticed as missing, till decomposition over weeks or months creates complaints from neighbours, responsive to rank and festering odours. It is then Grace will be brought in, clad in biohazard gear, to render premises habitable again.
A premise that, gratifyingly, delivers the goods in spades and does so with a superbly well drawn cast of characters and a rather unique, well written, often dark narrative. Compelling and wholly engaging reading. Top notch' The pandemic has made it worse. There were recent figures on loneliness that showed that among the over-50s in Britain, two million described themselves as all alone and lonely, a rise of 49 per cent.” There is so much I could say a bout this book but I don't want to journey into spoiler territory. The lion's share of the book centres around Grace's infatuation with a photograph that she discovers during a clean up, her bid to discover it's origins, it's meaning and to identify the other people in the picture. Although this may seem a very strange obsession - most of us can likely imagine a passing interest in a person's story but perhaps not the level of scrutiny Grace engages in - but the more I learned of Grace, the more natural and understandable her actions became. And as the story progresses, the tension and the mystery really start to develop, Grace uncovering loose threads that threaten to see her whole existence unravel when pulled upon. When people die alone and undiscovered, it’s her job to clean up what’s left behind – whether it’s clutter, bodily remains or dark secrets. When an old man lies undetected in his flat for months, it seems an unremarkable life and an unnoticed death.One of Thomas’s snapshots Grace discovers secretly hidden away is a photograph of Tom in his younger days with friends at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. This photograph sparks Grace’s imagination, taking her on her own investigation. However Grace unearths much more than she bargained for, putting herself and all she holds dear in danger. We’re increasingly not as sociable as we used to be. Things that we used to have to interact with people to do, we can now do online – have meals delivered, movies streamed to our TVs – without having to go out and see other people.
Some people die alone, and someone has to clean what’s left behind – houses, bodies, memories, and old, dark secrets. I’m not sure that will be quite enough. Even if I add *****Five Stars***** you would probably want a bit more. Okay I will do what I can but seriously, avoid spoilers. Author C.S. Robertson has created a distinctive voice in Grace McGill. A cleaner who takes care of the dwellings of the recently deceased, she takes an exceptional pride in her work. Grace is a fabulous character and one who does not always make the best choices. Welcome to Grace’s world. Grace is a death cleaner; she deep cleans places where people have died, usually when they have lain undiscovered for many weeks. She is meticulous and obsessive about her work, and often takes a memento or two with her before making a diorama of the room.A STAND-OUT NOVEL WITH A UNIQUE NARRATIVE VOICE AND AN UNGUESSABLE MYSTERY. YOU ARE GUARANTEED TO REMEMBER GRACE McGILL.
When I started this book, due to its subject matter I thought it wasn’t for me. When I realised I had read 50% of the book without a break I knew I was hooked! Absolutely compelling, totally absorbing and very macabre! I loved it. I only discovered after reading that this is from the same author as Random and Murderabilia, I wasn't surprised by this, as the quality is obvious, and I love this foray into a more psychological mystery. I’m still dwelling on the ending. I don’t know if I liked it or not. It’s certainly a book that will stay with me for some time. Her latest job is cleaning up after the death if Tommy Agnew who died 5 or 6 months ago in a tenement in Glasgow. No one seems to have noticed that he had died. Certain aspects of his room intrigue Grace and she decides to investigate more. Before she knows it she is involved in something far darker and more dangerous than she intended.
Creative Play
The elderly are particularly at risk of loneliness, he added, because it’s far less common now to see extended families living together or near each other. The Undiscovered Deaths of Grace McGill is a fantastic and highly accomplished novel. Grace is a truly original narrator, and as she reveals more of herself and her story you realise that the book is taking a very different turn and everything you have read needs to be reconsidered. It certainly fits into the category of thrillers but there is so much more to the book than that. You really come to care about Grace, and the historic crime that she uncovers throws up many more uncomfortable questions. The descriptions of Glasgow and the Isle of Bute are evocative and give the book a real sense of place.
Related:
Great Deal 
New Comment