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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
kcannatella's review against another edition
4.0
Good thriller as always with Peter May but fascinating historical back story linking Scotland to Canada woven in skillfully with a very satisfying conclusion.
pennydub6's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
edinburghlass's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Complicated
4.0
trilby001's review against another edition
4.0
A very entertaining story, or I should say, two stories that meet at the end. I kept thinking, this is "Brigadoon" updated--a 1954 musical about Americans who stumble upon a mysterious Highland village from the 1700s. Romance ensues, of course, with music.
The third person narrator of the contemporary story and the first person narrator of the Highland story, however, speak in the same style and voice. You have to willingly suspend disbelief and accept that the dream/diary device is clunky and implausible. I also couldn't buy into Sime's weeks of sleeplessness. Even in combat, soldiers will nod off for a bit. The reader also has to imagine the Quebecois characters speaking in French, because there are few indications when they switch from English. (For me, that's preferable to Louise Penny's marking of her characters speaking French by peppering dialogue with "Patron," "Merci." "Zut, alors!" etc.)
It's pretty obvious what's going to happen at the end; the mystery is how they're going to get there.
The third person narrator of the contemporary story and the first person narrator of the Highland story, however, speak in the same style and voice. You have to willingly suspend disbelief and accept that the dream/diary device is clunky and implausible. I also couldn't buy into Sime's weeks of sleeplessness. Even in combat, soldiers will nod off for a bit. The reader also has to imagine the Quebecois characters speaking in French, because there are few indications when they switch from English. (For me, that's preferable to Louise Penny's marking of her characters speaking French by peppering dialogue with "Patron," "Merci." "Zut, alors!" etc.)
It's pretty obvious what's going to happen at the end; the mystery is how they're going to get there.
bokforingenligtmonika's review against another edition
4.0
Peter May blev snabbt en favorit efter att jag hade läst hans Isle of Lewis-trilogi. När den här nya kom så visste jag att jag bara var tvungen att läsa den, men den fick bli stående ett tag. Det är riktigt otäckt att läsa en bok som man har så höga förväntningar på. Jag blev inte besviken. Läs mer på min blogg
knitreadlife's review against another edition
1.0
Must confess to skim-reading my way through this entirely predictable parallel-structured 'crime' novel. May has an irksome writing style - all those incomplete sentences- and his characters were unconvincing and clichéd.
janeta12's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 - scenary, settings, historical context quite cool, was a little disjointed feeling in the early going, but then I got sucked in. Of course a bit over the top in several aspects as well. :)
fictionwriter's review against another edition
3.0
This book drove me crazy. Although I admired the writing and the lyrical descriptions of settings both in the Outer Hebrides and the Madeleine Islands, I found myself increasingly irritated with Sime, the main character and with the flipping back to Scottish history of the mid 19th Century. I skimmed most of the ancestor’s story and found the connection between the detective and the main suspect labored and unbelievable. Sadly, I thought I’d found another Armand Gamache (see Louise Penny), but it was not to be.
comadivine11's review against another edition
4.0
I have really enjoyed all four of the Peter May books I've read. This one and the Lewis Trilogy. The Lewis Trilogy is probably better overall than this stand alone novel, but I like how the author blends the backstory of the main characters into the present. I was excited to learn that there will be another book by Peter May on Feb 9th!
lankylad9's review against another edition
3.0
It was all a bit predictable and sentimental for me. The story rolls along quite nicely, but its always clear how it will end. It reads like an American tear jerker, which is probably what it will end up being.