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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
3.5 stars rounded up. I was expecting to rate this 3 stars right up to the very end, due to a few nagging concerns that I'll discuss below, despite enjoying the whole book immensely, but that ending blew me away and I now feel it deserves that extra star. Too many books of this genre fizzle out towards the end, or just stop on a terribly anti-climatic note, so I was glad to feel the opposite about this one!
The Blackhouse is a police procedural mystery thriller set on the Isle of Lewis, on the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Detective Inspector Fin Macleod is sent home to investigate a gruesome murder that has strange similarities to a case Fin was leading back in Edinburgh. The case will unearth some difficult childhood memories for Fin as he struggles to return to the home he was glad to leave.
The novel alternates between the present-day murder mystery and flashbacks from Fin's past. This does affect the pacing and as a result there were portions in the middle that were a bit of slog. However, it all comes together nicely in the end, while leaving scope for the sequels, and I do feel the overall plot was solid, so I was not too bothered by this.
I adored the Isle's bleak and remote location, May's description of island life and the traditions of its residents. It felt authentic, atmospheric and really well done. There's little shelter from the weather and its elements, making this the perfect setting for a rather grime crime, adding to the tension. May must know the area well, as he wrote about it so beautifully that the setting almost became a character in itself. This is what I am most looking forward to returning to when I get to read the rest of the trilogy.
One of my biggest complaints was how Finn and his classmates were written as children. Every time their age was brought up, I had to suspend my disbelief. Their manners, way of speaking and thoughts felt way too old for their age. I kept thinking there is no way Finn is still 6, then 8 years old at this stage. His life sounds like one of a teenager already! They were all much more convincing as characters once they reached their teenage years, but I can't believe an editor didn't pick up on this. Why did May feel the need to write about Finn as a child and put these events this far back in his childhood if he can't write children characters convincingly?
Secondly, I was disappointed that May writes far stronger male characters than female. The contrast between the strong male characters and the flat characterisation of the women just felt jarringly obvious at times, and all the more disappointing because of this. I hope this improves in the rest of the trilogy.
Despite this couple of niggles, I really enjoyed this novel. Gripping, atmospheric, darkly chilling, and rich in Gaelic culture, this is a strong start to what I hope will be a fantastic trilogy.
The Blackhouse is a police procedural mystery thriller set on the Isle of Lewis, on the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Detective Inspector Fin Macleod is sent home to investigate a gruesome murder that has strange similarities to a case Fin was leading back in Edinburgh. The case will unearth some difficult childhood memories for Fin as he struggles to return to the home he was glad to leave.
The novel alternates between the present-day murder mystery and flashbacks from Fin's past. This does affect the pacing and as a result there were portions in the middle that were a bit of slog. However, it all comes together nicely in the end, while leaving scope for the sequels, and I do feel the overall plot was solid, so I was not too bothered by this.
I adored the Isle's bleak and remote location, May's description of island life and the traditions of its residents. It felt authentic, atmospheric and really well done. There's little shelter from the weather and its elements, making this the perfect setting for a rather grime crime, adding to the tension. May must know the area well, as he wrote about it so beautifully that the setting almost became a character in itself. This is what I am most looking forward to returning to when I get to read the rest of the trilogy.
One of my biggest complaints was how Finn and his classmates were written as children. Every time their age was brought up, I had to suspend my disbelief. Their manners, way of speaking and thoughts felt way too old for their age. I kept thinking there is no way Finn is still 6, then 8 years old at this stage. His life sounds like one of a teenager already! They were all much more convincing as characters once they reached their teenage years, but I can't believe an editor didn't pick up on this. Why did May feel the need to write about Finn as a child and put these events this far back in his childhood if he can't write children characters convincingly?
Secondly, I was disappointed that May writes far stronger male characters than female. The contrast between the strong male characters and the flat characterisation of the women just felt jarringly obvious at times, and all the more disappointing because of this. I hope this improves in the rest of the trilogy.
Despite this couple of niggles, I really enjoyed this novel. Gripping, atmospheric, darkly chilling, and rich in Gaelic culture, this is a strong start to what I hope will be a fantastic trilogy.
Highly evocative novel about a Scottish police officer sent back to look into a crime in the small, remote town in which he was raised. I got more than I bargained for as Fin, the main character, encounters all the people he grew up with but who never left the town. Highly evocative with a narrative that flips back and forth between Fin's childhood, youth and the present, which is of course rooted in past events. Things move a bit quickly at the end but its quite a ride getting there. First in a trilogy and recommended.
This was my first Peter May book, but it certainly won't be my last. First of all, I love books set in Scotland and Peter May captured the setting beautifully. I was transported back there as I read this book. The mystery was well-plotted, and he expertly shifted seamlessly between present day and Fin Macleod's past, moving the story along. He also included some interesting actual traditions such as the annual Guga hunt in the storyline. All of the characters were well-developed and believable. Sometimes authors reveal the murderer to be someone that couldn't have been figured out in the course of the novel. That wasn't the case here, but it was a surprise. That's because of his fabulous plotting. Highly recommend this mystery. There's a reason it has won several awards.
So many veins of sadness are part of this story, the loss of childhood, grief, teenage memories, and yet you get the feeling there is always another layer of sorrow below. Terrific storyline, amazing setting and strong characters make this much more than a standard mystery.
I thought the book was solidly "ok". The writing was decent, the storyline was slightly plodding and took longer than it needed to get to the point; and I would have given the book three stars- if it wasn't for the groan-worthy final line of the book. That one line seriously ruined the entire book for me.
Great detective/thriller set evocatively on the Scottish island of Lewis. Couldn't put it down. Well into the second one already.
A gripping page-turner, with many a plot twist. May weaves in the mysterious history of the Hebrides, to be as much a main character as the others in the story. I knew it would make an absorbing TV series and was thrilled to find out that the BBC has already done it!
Can’t wait to read the next two books in the Lewis trilogy.
Can’t wait to read the next two books in the Lewis trilogy.
A little disappointed in the solution, but I'll read the others in the series, once they're available for the Nook or Kindle.