I'll keep you safe by Peter May

Quercus, 2018. ISBN 9781784294946
(Age: Adult) Although a murder mystery, I'll keep you safe is also very much a love story. Niamh and Ruairidh Macfarlane are a husband and wife team, successful fabric weavers from Scotland, who are now much sought after in the Paris fashion world. But Niamh has just received an email saying that her husband is having an affair with fashion designer Irina Petrov. Is that the explanation for his recent air of distraction, and the secret messages he seems to be getting? When from the window she sees Ruairidh leave their hotel to meet Irina in the courtyard below, she rushes downstairs to see them departing in Irina's car. Running to follow them she sees the car explode in a ball of fire, both occupants killed instantly.
Looking back over their life together, Niamh tries to understand what has happened. Is her husband still her one true love, the man who promised to always keep her safe? Their lives have been intertwined since they met as children when they were first brought together by a moment of danger, and there have been moments since then, when their friendship has been tested, but in her heart Niamh has always known that Ruairidh was the only person she wanted to spend her life with.
Lieutenant Sylvie Braque has the task of solving the crime, following the leads thrown up by family feuds, broken friendships, and the competitive fashion industry. An underlying theme throughout the novel, is the question of values, how does one balance love, duty, and family ties? Is it only when confronted with death that each person is forced to work out what their true values are?
The setting for all this is the wild and brooding world of bog marshes, sea spray and storm ravaged cliffs - the Isle of Lewis, in Scotland, is a stark contrast to the fashion world of Paris. Connecting it all is the Dark Web, where a killer can be hired to destroy with a car bomb. The reader is compelled to read until the last page to find out just what happened between Niamh and Ruairidh.
Helen Eddy