Book review: Lesley Kelly '“ The Health Of Strangers

One of three books set in Edinburgh I picked up recently – the others were by Ian Rankin and James Oswald.

It takes a slightly different slant with a story based around a health enforcement team’s battle to keep people safe after the outbreak of a deadly condition simply known as The Virus.

Those who are immune continue to function as normal, those who are not are subject to stringent checks, so when two students go missing, the implications for the city are significant.

It’s part crime novel, part thriller as the enforcement team is a mix of seconded cops and health experts who are quickly embroiled in an investigation that leads deep into the city’s dark underbelly of late night raves and possible cults as well as high finance.

It’s an interesting plot, but one that took some time to get into, and at times, I struggled to stick with it – but it has potential, so I look forward to seeing how it develops in the follow-up, Songs By Dead Girls.