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bgg616's review against another edition
4.0
I read half of this flying today from DC to Detroit and Detroit to Madison, WI. It was hard to put down once I got into it. Set in the Western Hebrides, the author brings in a lot of detail of island life, and doesn't romanticize it. I am not sure that some of the details on sweaters and patterns are correct and it will take a bit of digging to find the information. Claiming that Hebridean fishermen had unique patterns on their guernseys so they could be recognized after death is the same myth that circulates about Aran sweaters. Nevertheless, an excellent mystery with a bang up ending.
maeclair's review against another edition
5.0
The second book of the Lewis Trilogy is every bit as engrossing as the first. I was so impressed by the first book, The Blackhouse, I went out and bought books 2 and 3 the day after finishing book 1. Peter May is an amazing author who knows how to tell a twisty tale, give authentic voice to his characters, and describe settings and scenes in such a way that you feel you are in the center of them. In addition to the mysteries in this book (there are past and present timelines, which I positively love), the plot includes a main character who suffers from dementia. It's a difficult subject to tackle, but Mr. May handled it believably and respectively. I've said it before, but this author is now an auto buy for me. An exceptional tale!
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
4.0
This is the second book in the Lewis Trilogy, featuring Fin Macleod, a former police detective who has a troubled and heart-breaking past. When we meet him in The Lewis Man, he is finalising a divorce and escapes to the Scottish Highlands where he grew up to get away from it all for a while. However, when an unidentified corpse is dug out from a peat bog he can’t help himself and becomes heavily involved in the investigation. This is due to DNA tests being carried out on the body which reveal a sibling match to his old flame Marsaili’s father. Unfortunately for the police, the elderly man is suffering with a quite advanced form of dementia and his hazy recollections cannot be relied on.
The captivating story in this novel is told from a number of viewpoints which I loved. First we have our main character Fin Macleod whom I am really warming to in this series. The scenes that involve his interactions with Tormod, the elderly man with dementia, are both touching and heart-warming. Then we hear from Tormod himself, during the present where we get slivers of information about his muddled state of mind and when he is reminiscing about his childhood. Some of the events he recalls are truly tragic and harrowing with additional titbits about how brutally orphans were treated during the 1950′s. As in the first novel, the author’s descriptive and rich prose brings the Outer Hebrides to life, and I was blown away by how the landscape seems intensely beautiful but in some ways, highly desolate. The answer to the mystery of the body in the peat bog is fascinating and one definitely worth the unravelling for the reader. Peter May is fast becoming one of my favourite authors in this genre and I can’t wait to read the third book in the series – The Chessmen.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.com
The captivating story in this novel is told from a number of viewpoints which I loved. First we have our main character Fin Macleod whom I am really warming to in this series. The scenes that involve his interactions with Tormod, the elderly man with dementia, are both touching and heart-warming. Then we hear from Tormod himself, during the present where we get slivers of information about his muddled state of mind and when he is reminiscing about his childhood. Some of the events he recalls are truly tragic and harrowing with additional titbits about how brutally orphans were treated during the 1950′s. As in the first novel, the author’s descriptive and rich prose brings the Outer Hebrides to life, and I was blown away by how the landscape seems intensely beautiful but in some ways, highly desolate. The answer to the mystery of the body in the peat bog is fascinating and one definitely worth the unravelling for the reader. Peter May is fast becoming one of my favourite authors in this genre and I can’t wait to read the third book in the series – The Chessmen.
Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.com
shoelessmama's review against another edition
4.0
I read the first book in this trilogy last summer and the writing was so vivid that I had no trouble with recall in order to enjoy this second novel. The sense of place and the depth of the characters was just as well done in this second novel and I won't soon forget it either.
In the first book there was back and forth with Fin's childhood memories that were important to the unfolding of the mystery in the present. In this second novel the back and forth was in the memories of an old man with dementia and the current mystery. Both books were relatively slow burns and end with some heart pumping drama. It will be interesting to see if the third book continues this pattern.
In the first book there was back and forth with Fin's childhood memories that were important to the unfolding of the mystery in the present. In this second novel the back and forth was in the memories of an old man with dementia and the current mystery. Both books were relatively slow burns and end with some heart pumping drama. It will be interesting to see if the third book continues this pattern.
markhoh's review against another edition
5.0
Peter May’s The Lewis Man, is the second of the Lewis trilogy and is honestly a 5 star read for me. May brings to life the broody, dark and unforgiving atmosphere of the Scottish moors in the Outer Hebrides in a tale that is equally as dark and compelling as the setting. Fin McLeod returns to the Isle of Lewis, this time as an ex-policeman but still as authentic as May portrayed him in The Blackhouse.
There’s something about a descriptive dark setting that draws me in and The Lewis Man does just that. For me there’s nothing better than to sit with a story like this where I can have google maps open, following the geography of the unfolding plot line. May takes us on a journey from one end of these outer isles to the other as we are transported between the present day and the memories of a man with a past that is laced with a tragic secret.
Fin McLeod continues to be a character who resonates authenticity as he wrestles with the loss of his only child in a tragic accident, the ending of his marriage and is confronted by love left in another era. A really great read and the fact that the Outer Hebrides are now on my list to visit is testament to the strength of this book for me.
There’s something about a descriptive dark setting that draws me in and The Lewis Man does just that. For me there’s nothing better than to sit with a story like this where I can have google maps open, following the geography of the unfolding plot line. May takes us on a journey from one end of these outer isles to the other as we are transported between the present day and the memories of a man with a past that is laced with a tragic secret.
Fin McLeod continues to be a character who resonates authenticity as he wrestles with the loss of his only child in a tragic accident, the ending of his marriage and is confronted by love left in another era. A really great read and the fact that the Outer Hebrides are now on my list to visit is testament to the strength of this book for me.
xkay_readsx's review against another edition
5.0
Peter May does it again! This is book two in the Lewis trilogy and once again I'm drawn to the magnificent landscape of the Hebrides and May's amazing writing in this crime mystery novel. There is a light police procedural.
A well preserved body was found in a nearby peat bog. DNA shows the victim is related to Fin McLeod's childhood love Marsaili's father, Tormund who is suffering from dementia. We can hear Tormund's thoughts in first person in alternating chapters as he recollects old memories.
I was better prepared this time as I borrowed audiobook on Libby and also got a hard copy from the library to immerse myself with Scottish accent and can see the words in print.
A well preserved body was found in a nearby peat bog. DNA shows the victim is related to Fin McLeod's childhood love Marsaili's father, Tormund who is suffering from dementia. We can hear Tormund's thoughts in first person in alternating chapters as he recollects old memories.
I was better prepared this time as I borrowed audiobook on Libby and also got a hard copy from the library to immerse myself with Scottish accent and can see the words in print.
jennifer_c_s's review against another edition
4.0
‘I don’t need to look at the clock to know the time.’
A body is found in a peat bog on the Isle of Lewis. Initially the finders thought that the male Caucasian corpse might be over 2000 years old, until they saw the Elvis Presley tattoo on his right arm. It’s clear that the man has been murdered: but by whom, and when? Fin Macleod, former policeman, has left his wife and his job in Edinburgh. He’s returned to the Isle of Lewis, and is trying to make his long-dead parents’ cottage habitable.
Tormod Macdonald, father of Marsaili, is elderly and suffering from dementia. His wife and daughter have always believed him to be an only child, so how can it be that a DNA test shows the corpse to be a relative of Tormod’s? Fin McLeod has time on his hands, and an interest in the Macdonald family. He’s happy to help the local police while they await assistance from the mainland.
‘There is always a moment of internal silence after being in the presence of death. A reminder of your own fragile mortality.’
Who is the dead man? Who killed him? And how is he related to Tormod? The story unfolds with Fin’s detective work in the present taking the story back into the past, while flashbacks from Tormod’s past provide a poignant dimension. Tormod has his own secrets as well, and his dementia is an added complication.
I kept turning the pages, keen to learn why the man was murdered and by whom. I was also interested in learning more about Tormod MacDonald’s past.
This is the second novel in Peter May’s Lewis trilogy. While it is possible to read this novel as a standalone, I’d recommend reading it after the first novel. The past, in this series, is always important. I’m now looking forward to reading the final novel in the trilogy.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
A body is found in a peat bog on the Isle of Lewis. Initially the finders thought that the male Caucasian corpse might be over 2000 years old, until they saw the Elvis Presley tattoo on his right arm. It’s clear that the man has been murdered: but by whom, and when? Fin Macleod, former policeman, has left his wife and his job in Edinburgh. He’s returned to the Isle of Lewis, and is trying to make his long-dead parents’ cottage habitable.
Tormod Macdonald, father of Marsaili, is elderly and suffering from dementia. His wife and daughter have always believed him to be an only child, so how can it be that a DNA test shows the corpse to be a relative of Tormod’s? Fin McLeod has time on his hands, and an interest in the Macdonald family. He’s happy to help the local police while they await assistance from the mainland.
‘There is always a moment of internal silence after being in the presence of death. A reminder of your own fragile mortality.’
Who is the dead man? Who killed him? And how is he related to Tormod? The story unfolds with Fin’s detective work in the present taking the story back into the past, while flashbacks from Tormod’s past provide a poignant dimension. Tormod has his own secrets as well, and his dementia is an added complication.
I kept turning the pages, keen to learn why the man was murdered and by whom. I was also interested in learning more about Tormod MacDonald’s past.
This is the second novel in Peter May’s Lewis trilogy. While it is possible to read this novel as a standalone, I’d recommend reading it after the first novel. The past, in this series, is always important. I’m now looking forward to reading the final novel in the trilogy.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
scottishlass's review against another edition
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am enjoying how the trilogy is developing. The story was engaging and had me sitting on the edge of my seat as all the threads came together at the end.
tarsel's review against another edition
4.0
The hold of story grows slowly until a satisfying climax. Continues chronologically from "the Black house", but stands alone ok, although a couple of scenes didn't feel quite right.