Reviews

His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae by Graeme Macrae Burnet

wanderingmole's review

4.0

“in his mania to employ his great cleverness he quite disregarded the most obvious facts”
- (the protagonist observes of his lawyer)

A murder told four ways. First, through the eyes of the murderer, then through those of medical professionals and a reporter. While the pace of the novel can at times feel slow, the alert reader is amply rewarded in the detail.

brandia's review

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

This book reads like a text book 

martha_13's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.0

junancollins's review

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I have never felt so much sympathy for a psychopath. I have also never been so uncomfortable with my own sympathy for a psychopath. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Violence

Moderate: Bullying and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Sexual assault

italianpastaguy's review

sad slow-paced

2.0

tomstbr's review against another edition

4.0

A bloody good read. Told through fictionalised news stories, medical reports and other memoir, this is the story of a triple homicide in 19th century Scotland. It deals with class, masculinity, mental health, sense of justice and the nature of truth. It's very well told and absolutely enthralling, but the nature of the narrative means that it is slightly repetitive. More engrossing than most crime thrillers, even though you (sort of) know what happens from the outset. Funny, dark and most of all enlightening.

slushmucky's review

4.0

I found this book highly enjoyable. I found it hard to put down. It is definitely a page turner, however, I found the ending to be quite predictable. What made this book addictive is the way it is written. It's was so different to every other crime novel out there. I would highly recommend this book to any fan of crime.

cat_capaldi's review

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

rachaelprest's review

4.0

A simple premise turns into something much more subtle. I love that the author didn't feel the need to tie up loose ends or opt for an ending that explained everything.

jokelly's review

4.0

Fictional story who committed a triple homicide in Scotland. Was based on documents and you were never sure if it was real or not. Great crime story.