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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
Jesus Mary and Joseph. Such well-written despair. And I never want to go back to the outer Hebrides again.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The book was too long, the story itself was not believable, the main character was not likeable, and the ending felt like something the author conjured up at the last minute. Some of the characters seem interesting but were just outlined (maybe they deserve a book of their own?). On the plus side, it is well written, and I enjoyed the descriptions of landscapes and life and customs on the island. Not sure whether to read the next Lewis Trilogy book.
The whole truth would never leave the rock. It would stay here among the chaos of boulders and birds, whispered only in the wind.
Edinburgh police inspector Fin Macleod, reeling from the death of his young son, is sent home after 18 years away to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides to investigate a murder that bears distinct similarities to a case in Edinburgh. The victim of this most recent killing also happens to be the bully of Macleod's youth. Forced to confront the people and the past he left behind, Macleod faces a reckoning that will be far more difficult than any murder investigation.
The Black House is a dense book and despite the setting and the writing, I must admit it was often a slog. The chapters alternate between the present day investigation of the murder of Angel Macritchie to Fin Macleod's childhood through young adulthood on the Isle, clouded by poverty, tragedy and one traumatic event after another for both Fin and the friends of his youth. While I appreciate that these flashbacks gave a deeper understanding of the inspector and the islanders, May's lengthy descriptions of even mundane details sometimes made my eyes glaze over and my interest wander. I went into this book expecting a mystery and really got a drama, since the present day investigation takes a backseat to the events of the past. This is not without reason, of course, which becomes more and more clear throughout the novel, but it still made it hard at times to keep me invested in the story overall. And yet, I've spent enough time on the Isle of Lewis and with these characters, that I find myself wondering what happens to them in the subsequent novels (this is the first in a series), so I may just have to check them out.
Edinburgh police inspector Fin Macleod, reeling from the death of his young son, is sent home after 18 years away to the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides to investigate a murder that bears distinct similarities to a case in Edinburgh. The victim of this most recent killing also happens to be the bully of Macleod's youth. Forced to confront the people and the past he left behind, Macleod faces a reckoning that will be far more difficult than any murder investigation.
The Black House is a dense book and despite the setting and the writing, I must admit it was often a slog. The chapters alternate between the present day investigation of the murder of Angel Macritchie to Fin Macleod's childhood through young adulthood on the Isle, clouded by poverty, tragedy and one traumatic event after another for both Fin and the friends of his youth. While I appreciate that these flashbacks gave a deeper understanding of the inspector and the islanders, May's lengthy descriptions of even mundane details sometimes made my eyes glaze over and my interest wander. I went into this book expecting a mystery and really got a drama, since the present day investigation takes a backseat to the events of the past. This is not without reason, of course, which becomes more and more clear throughout the novel, but it still made it hard at times to keep me invested in the story overall. And yet, I've spent enough time on the Isle of Lewis and with these characters, that I find myself wondering what happens to them in the subsequent novels (this is the first in a series), so I may just have to check them out.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes