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rainbownarwhal's review against another edition
5.0
I haven't read a book this fast I a long time. I can't put my finger on exactly what made it so compulsively readable, but it was. I'm very much a fan of Peter May after reading this and the Blackhouse.
carolefort's review against another edition
5.0
The Lewis Man by Peter May is the second instalment in the Lewis trilogy but it reads well as a stand-alone. Lewis is an island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Fin Macleod was born and raised on the island and left it years ago and became a police officer in the city of Edinburgh. After his divorce, he moves back to the rural life of his youth, where he endeavours to bring to life the old family home which has been abandoned for decades. When a body is found buried in the peat bogs, his expertise and experience are sought by the local constabulary. Because of the nature of bogs, the body is well preserved and could be anywhere from hundreds of years old to a mere few decades. And, before long, Fin realizes that there is a link through DNA to the father of his childhood love. The novel alternates between the present and the past, giving the reader a broad view of what happened all those years ago, that could have led to the murder of the young man in the bog. Peter May’s prose flows smoothly and he has created a fascinating story the reader will not soon forget. The characters are well-detailed and disparate. This is a mystery that lingers, even after the last page is turned. Highly recommended.
chrisfranklyn's review against another edition
3.0
Whilst containing regular characters of Finlay Macleod and DS George Gunn, the first person voice in this is that of an old man with dementia who is struggling to cope with life and his lack of memories. Sadly he's hold the key to a dead body found in the peat. Touchingly handled at times. However I did drift off and forget a lot of the middle.
juliebean1020's review against another edition
4.0
A bog body is discovered when the people of Crobost are cutting peat. But this isn't a relic of the bronze age for the body of this young man sports a tattoo of Elvis. And DNA tests link him to Tormod Macdonald, who claims to have no male relatives.
mic_vic's review against another edition
4.0
A distinct step-up from the prequel. Still prone to over-writing, but not as badly, and has kept the good writing style despite the loss of unnecessary words.
dr_dick's review against another edition
5.0
brilliant! this is a masterclass on how mystery/crime/thrillers are done. here's a tip: read this set of books in the order written.
eshulok's review against another edition
5.0
This is the second book in a trilogy, but you don't need to read the first book to appreciate this one.
I was slow to warm up to the first book (The Black House) in the trilogy because it wasn't as much of a mystery/suspense as I'd expected. It was more about a man coming to terms with his past. But by the time I finished it, I was so caught up with the characters and the island, that I immediately starting listening to The Lewis Man.
The Lewis Man was full of mysteries and I loved it.
As in the first book, this story unfolds in alternating perspectives. The current events are told from the third person, centered on former cop Fin Macleod who has returned to Lewis to repair his childhood home.
The other perspective is from Tormod Macdonald, the father of Fin's childhood sweetheart, Marsali. Tormod has dementia to the point that he is unable to explain how a body of a young man found in a bog could be linked to him by DNA. Tormod's story is told from both his current confused state trying to understand the events around him, and from flashbacks to his childhood. Peter Forbes narrates the audiobook and does a great job narrating Tormod's confused internal thoughts.
The author alternates the present with Tormod's memories, allowing us to guess connections as the story unfolds.
I was slow to warm up to the first book (The Black House) in the trilogy because it wasn't as much of a mystery/suspense as I'd expected. It was more about a man coming to terms with his past. But by the time I finished it, I was so caught up with the characters and the island, that I immediately starting listening to The Lewis Man.
The Lewis Man was full of mysteries and I loved it.
As in the first book, this story unfolds in alternating perspectives. The current events are told from the third person, centered on former cop Fin Macleod who has returned to Lewis to repair his childhood home.
The other perspective is from Tormod Macdonald, the father of Fin's childhood sweetheart, Marsali. Tormod has dementia to the point that he is unable to explain how a body of a young man found in a bog could be linked to him by DNA. Tormod's story is told from both his current confused state trying to understand the events around him, and from flashbacks to his childhood. Peter Forbes narrates the audiobook and does a great job narrating Tormod's confused internal thoughts.
The author alternates the present with Tormod's memories, allowing us to guess connections as the story unfolds.
njkori's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure what I enjoy most: the story/mystery, the characters, or the description of the locations. But in any case, very enjoyable and compelling. Can't wait to read the whole series.
emmam25's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoyed this book more than the first book in the series, The Blackhouse. The story was gripping, and the evocative descriptions of the islands of the Outer Hebrides were fantastic. A great read.