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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
A wonderfully descriptive book, full of detail and atmosphere. Which is why I was so surprised and disappointed with the ending, it almost seemed a little lazy and cheesy. Maybe he'll make up for it in the next book?
A great story, if bleak, sad, and disturbing, with an excellent sense of place and well described characters. My only gripe was the length of the flashbacks (which are essential for the story) which for me disrupted the time line. A case which lasted only a few days seemed like it took a few weeks. This might have been exacerbated by my reading style which is in bed and rarely more than 50 pages at a time. I was also having to check back to recap mention of details which turned out later to be essential to the case: in one case I had to go back over 100 pages to find the reference.
This book is going on my list of favorites. The characters are well developed and seemingly alive. This is more than just a mystery; it is also a well written story of life on the Isle of Lewis.
I liked this book! 3.5 stars.
A great deal of mystery involved although the final MO was a bit far fetched. The details however of island living in Scotland was mesmerizing and I learned so much about the guga hunt. Never heard of this centuries old tradition so it was very interesting. I will definitely continue with this trilogy.
A great deal of mystery involved although the final MO was a bit far fetched. The details however of island living in Scotland was mesmerizing and I learned so much about the guga hunt. Never heard of this centuries old tradition so it was very interesting. I will definitely continue with this trilogy.
This was an enjoyable read. It isn't my usual genre, but I will definitely be reading the next one. I felt there were some narrative and story gaps, but they didn't really hurt the story. I did feel bad for poor Fin. This guy had every bad thing happen to him. Dead kid, dead parents, abuse.... Everything! This reminds me of Hinderland on BBC.
*Not a Middle School book*
*Not a Middle School book*
Poor. The main story is about Fin, a guy who fled his town in far north Scotland, on the island of Lewis, under supposedly mysterious circumstances, and has to come back to see if a murder there might be associated with one he's investigating in Edinburgh. It's very gloomy and there are no redeeming characters, except maybe the assistant cop who is assigned to help him. Lots of angst, moping and lies.
That would be an average rating for me. What drags it down is something I hate, and have regularly pointed that hatred. Flashbacks. Every other chapter is to Fin's annoying and depressing childhood. If you're not good at hinting about backstory, you flesh it out too much; and half the book is way too much. It's done by people who can only think of a novella but want it to be a novel.
That would be an average rating for me. What drags it down is something I hate, and have regularly pointed that hatred. Flashbacks. Every other chapter is to Fin's annoying and depressing childhood. If you're not good at hinting about backstory, you flesh it out too much; and half the book is way too much. It's done by people who can only think of a novella but want it to be a novel.
Detective Fin Macleod of the Edinburgh police returns to the Isle of Lewis for the first time in 20 years to investigate a murder that may either be the second by a serial killer or a copycat killing. The victim is someone from his own past and he must face the memories, and the nightmares, from his own past to make sense of the present.
Good story that starts slowly, but eventually warms up. The author is in love with words, though, so despite being nicely written (once it gets going), it could have done with a good editing to make it feel less padded.
pretty amazing ride. Peter May is a master at the slow reveal. i love Scottish noir.
I was conflicted on this as I read it. It was tagged as a mystery, suspense and thriller by the library, but the murder is not the focus of the story.
The story was told alternately from the first person account of Fin's memories from childhood and a third person account of present day events. Fin returns to the island he grew up on but hasn't visited in nearly 20 years. Although he is sent there to investigate whether a murder on the island is related to one he worked on in Edinburgh, he spends his time visiting old friends and contacts as we also learn about his connections to them in childhood.
The prose is incredibly detailed and extensive in parts, but it paints a clear picture of life on the island and as an American who has never been to Scotland, I came to appreciate the vivid depictions Peter May paints.
But it was not a true suspense novel to me, until about 90% of the way through. Things are revealed that I didn't expect. The author laid the groundwork for it, but it wasn't done in a way that would make it easy to guess.
Ultimately, I'm giving it 5 stars because although it didn't have as much suspense as I wanted, it did draw me in and made me want to know what happened to the characters.
The story was told alternately from the first person account of Fin's memories from childhood and a third person account of present day events. Fin returns to the island he grew up on but hasn't visited in nearly 20 years. Although he is sent there to investigate whether a murder on the island is related to one he worked on in Edinburgh, he spends his time visiting old friends and contacts as we also learn about his connections to them in childhood.
The prose is incredibly detailed and extensive in parts, but it paints a clear picture of life on the island and as an American who has never been to Scotland, I came to appreciate the vivid depictions Peter May paints.
But it was not a true suspense novel to me, until about 90% of the way through. Things are revealed that I didn't expect. The author laid the groundwork for it, but it wasn't done in a way that would make it easy to guess.
Ultimately, I'm giving it 5 stars because although it didn't have as much suspense as I wanted, it did draw me in and made me want to know what happened to the characters.