A review by kongart
The Black House by Peter May

2.0

i finished this because i wanted to know who the murderer was and why he did it, and i couldn’t find that particular spoiler anywhere online or in any reviews with spoilers. it’s possible i didn’t try hard enough, though.

anyway, what’s weird is that this book is written well—like, the guy knows how to turn the landscape into a character and create excellent atmosphere. however, the characters were degenerate and unrealistic in extraordinary ways.

ever seen six-year-olds flirt, steal a kiss, and then manipulate their way around town? yeah, neither have i. i highly doubt peter may has either. i doubt he’s seen anyone under the age of ten in his entire life.

i liked how peter may did the flashbacks and changed the pov, but that’s about it. i disliked every single character and felt sorry for not a soul. absolute reprobates, the lot of them. what’s funny is that nearly every single hardship could have been prevented simply by using one’s brain and saying, “no, siree! what a terrible idea!”

content warning: sexual content, murder (the postmortem is particularly gruesome), abuse (physical and child sexual abuse are both referenced), culling of gannet chicks