Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Riverrun (2016)
Description
In the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, a man washes up on a deserted beach with no knowledge of who he is or how he got there, while homicide detective George Gunn makes the ocean crossing to a remote lighthouse on a rock in the North Atlantic to investigate a brutal murder.
Media reviews
May conjures a clever, twisty eco-thriller in the mode of Le Carré’s The Constant Gardener. Selective amnesia is hard to render convincingly – your sense as a reader is usually that it has more to do with plotting convenience than neurology – but May just about pulls it off, while making the
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atmospheric most of his isolated locations. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member nicx27
This is the first Peter May book that I have read, although his books have always appealed to me, especially those, like this one, set on a Scottish Island. As soon as the book starts we meet a man who has lost his memory and all he can remember is being on the beach, wet, injured and confused. We
I really enjoyed this book, as the story unfolded and I found out what was happening at the same time as the main characters. The backdrop of the Isle of Harris is beautifully described and made me want to visit. It's a really well-plotted storyline and the second that I have read recently where the decline of bees forms a large part of it. A very current and worrying issue! I found this to be a fast-paced and interesting thriller and I will certainly be reading more by this author.
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follow him as he starts to try and find out who he is. A dead man on a nearby island brings policeman, George Gunn, into the mix along with a teenage girl who is looking for the truth about her father's suicide.I really enjoyed this book, as the story unfolded and I found out what was happening at the same time as the main characters. The backdrop of the Isle of Harris is beautifully described and made me want to visit. It's a really well-plotted storyline and the second that I have read recently where the decline of bees forms a large part of it. A very current and worrying issue! I found this to be a fast-paced and interesting thriller and I will certainly be reading more by this author.
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LibraryThing member Carol420
[Coffin Road] by Peter May (Standalone)
4.5 Stars
From The Book:
Peter May spins a tale about three disparate cases that may or may not be linked...
On the remote Isle of Harris in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, a man washes up on a deserted beach, hypothermic and completely disoriented. He has no idea who
Meanwhile, homicide detective George Gunn makes the rough ocean crossing to a remote, sea-battered lighthouse on a rock in the northern Atlantic, twenty miles west of the Outer Hebrides, to investigate a brutal murder. Despite its isolation, the tiny island has seen its share of tragedy: more than a century earlier, three lighthouse keepers disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. And now there is a new tragedy, and Gunn must figure out what happened.
At the same time, a teenage girl lies in her Edinburgh bedroom, desperate to discover the truth about her father's death. Two years after the discovery of the pioneering scientist's suicide note, Karen Fleming still cannot accept that her father would willingly abandon her. And the more she discovers about the nature of his research, the more she suspects that suicide had nothing to do with it.
My Views:
Peter May shows an amazing ability to create images of physical surroundings, and dramatic weather conditions verbally, making the reader feel that they are actually a part of the story. While I am a real fan of graphic murder mysteries Peter May's books manage to portray a detailed murder mystery without the graphic violence. That is indeed a rarity and an ability that attracts his books to both groups of mystery readers. I really enjoyed this novel and there is something very satisfying about reading one of one's favorite authors and knowing that you are not going to be let down.
4.5 Stars
From The Book:
Peter May spins a tale about three disparate cases that may or may not be linked...
On the remote Isle of Harris in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, a man washes up on a deserted beach, hypothermic and completely disoriented. He has no idea who
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he is or how he got there. The only clue to his condition is a map of the island showing a desolate, ancient path called the Coffin Road. With a sense of dread and no clear idea what lies at the other end, he knows he must follow the trail if he has any hope of discovering his identity.Meanwhile, homicide detective George Gunn makes the rough ocean crossing to a remote, sea-battered lighthouse on a rock in the northern Atlantic, twenty miles west of the Outer Hebrides, to investigate a brutal murder. Despite its isolation, the tiny island has seen its share of tragedy: more than a century earlier, three lighthouse keepers disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. And now there is a new tragedy, and Gunn must figure out what happened.
At the same time, a teenage girl lies in her Edinburgh bedroom, desperate to discover the truth about her father's death. Two years after the discovery of the pioneering scientist's suicide note, Karen Fleming still cannot accept that her father would willingly abandon her. And the more she discovers about the nature of his research, the more she suspects that suicide had nothing to do with it.
My Views:
Peter May shows an amazing ability to create images of physical surroundings, and dramatic weather conditions verbally, making the reader feel that they are actually a part of the story. While I am a real fan of graphic murder mysteries Peter May's books manage to portray a detailed murder mystery without the graphic violence. That is indeed a rarity and an ability that attracts his books to both groups of mystery readers. I really enjoyed this novel and there is something very satisfying about reading one of one's favorite authors and knowing that you are not going to be let down.
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LibraryThing member jtck121166
This stand-alone thriller from Peter May (The Lewis Trilogy, The China Thrillers etc.) gets off to a rather uncertain start: if not exactly experimental, May is nevertheless attempting a technical display as he takes us eight chapters (nearly 100 pages) in the first person and the present tense:
The premise, too, while done as well as it possibly could be, won’t quite wash: a man walks out of the sea, having lost his memory of absolutely everything? Hard to swallow.
But then, I have absolutely no doubt that May has done his research, and this is my third cavil: as with the first of the China series, much is too crudely bolted on – later in the novel, several characters simply deliver lecture notes. Worse, though, in one effort to lighten the tone, May has a scientist regurgitate the life-cycle of the bee with such vulgar blokeishness that all earlier sins are instantly forgiven.
The plot concerns our amnesiac’s self-rediscovery interwoven with the simultaneous uncovering of the sinister conflict between a faceless agrochem industrial giant and the good little scientists prepared to put their lives at risk in the name of truth.
Science! The Environment! Wicked Corporations! A Stupid Policeman! A Feisty Teenager! Scuffles in the dark! Death! Fake Death! Some Sex! Fights! Guns! Hard Drives! A Trail of Clues (rather in the manner of one of Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin)! And all the loose ends are tied up in about 15 minutes at the end. Phew.
Every time I review a Peter May, I acknowledge his really excellent Lewis trilogy. I expect every time he writes one, he tries to recapture those days. This, too, is set in the Outer Hebrides, but you can’t taste it like you could back then. This, too, like the woeful first China thriller (I couldn’t face another), tiresomely harps on the environmental theme. Coffin Road improves on the one without approaching the other.
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the reader is more distracted than impressed.The premise, too, while done as well as it possibly could be, won’t quite wash: a man walks out of the sea, having lost his memory of absolutely everything? Hard to swallow.
But then, I have absolutely no doubt that May has done his research, and this is my third cavil: as with the first of the China series, much is too crudely bolted on – later in the novel, several characters simply deliver lecture notes. Worse, though, in one effort to lighten the tone, May has a scientist regurgitate the life-cycle of the bee with such vulgar blokeishness that all earlier sins are instantly forgiven.
The plot concerns our amnesiac’s self-rediscovery interwoven with the simultaneous uncovering of the sinister conflict between a faceless agrochem industrial giant and the good little scientists prepared to put their lives at risk in the name of truth.
Science! The Environment! Wicked Corporations! A Stupid Policeman! A Feisty Teenager! Scuffles in the dark! Death! Fake Death! Some Sex! Fights! Guns! Hard Drives! A Trail of Clues (rather in the manner of one of Hergé’s Adventures of Tintin)! And all the loose ends are tied up in about 15 minutes at the end. Phew.
Every time I review a Peter May, I acknowledge his really excellent Lewis trilogy. I expect every time he writes one, he tries to recapture those days. This, too, is set in the Outer Hebrides, but you can’t taste it like you could back then. This, too, like the woeful first China thriller (I couldn’t face another), tiresomely harps on the environmental theme. Coffin Road improves on the one without approaching the other.
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LibraryThing member smik
Peter May has become, for me, one of those authors I know I will enjoy. The plots are often multi-stranded, quirky, and sometimes connected to some environmental issue. Like this one is, but you'll have to read some of the book at least to find out which issue.
Neal Maclean comes back to
From that point on you always know that this subplot is going to connect somehow to the other two outlined in the blurb on the back of the book, but, as you expect, the path is not straightforward. You race to read on, to make the connections for yourself.
I seem to be saying it a lot lately, but this is another excellent read. Peter May is another to put on your list of authors not to be missed.
Neal Maclean comes back to
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consciousness lying saturated on a deserted beach. His vest tells him he has been in a boat. He knows this is the Hebrides but nothing else. He staggers to his feet and makes his way to a cottage. An elderly woman addresses him by name and walks him to his own cottage. He is met by a dog that recognises him. From that point on he ransacks his cottage for clues to his identity and some neighbours help him fill in some of the details while he waits for his memory to return.From that point on you always know that this subplot is going to connect somehow to the other two outlined in the blurb on the back of the book, but, as you expect, the path is not straightforward. You race to read on, to make the connections for yourself.
I seem to be saying it a lot lately, but this is another excellent read. Peter May is another to put on your list of authors not to be missed.
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LibraryThing member librarian1204
Peter May writes a great book. And he does it consistently. Plus his plots are unique with the only constant, his gift of setting many of them in the Hebrides.
Three stories interwoven make for a fast, exciting read.
Three stories interwoven make for a fast, exciting read.
LibraryThing member Northern_Light
This book starts with a mystery when a man is washed up on an isolated beach with no idea who is is and what he is doing there. He is found by someone who tells him his name and helps him home. where his dog meets him. That evening his neighbours come by and he learns that he is writing a book of
Alongside this a body is found on Flannan island and a teenage girl is desperate to find out the truth about her father who committed suicide.
Set on the beautiful island of Harris which features prominently this is a real mystery and we travel along with Neal as he tries to discover himself and his life.
I really enjoyed this book which is the first I've read by the author. The way the chapters are writtten in first person when we are following Neal and third person for the others is a clever construct making it clear whose story it is.
As we go through the story we are learning along with the people in it what has been happening and who we can believe. It is very current dealing with an issue which is baffling scientists the world over which seems far away from where the book is set.
It even made me look up about the disappearance from the Flannan Isles which intruiged me.
A well written book which wains a little in the middle but has a dramatic climax which fits well with story.
I received this book from Real Reader in exchange for an honest review
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the disappearance of the Flannan lighthouse keepers. So why is there no evidence of research or writing?Alongside this a body is found on Flannan island and a teenage girl is desperate to find out the truth about her father who committed suicide.
Set on the beautiful island of Harris which features prominently this is a real mystery and we travel along with Neal as he tries to discover himself and his life.
I really enjoyed this book which is the first I've read by the author. The way the chapters are writtten in first person when we are following Neal and third person for the others is a clever construct making it clear whose story it is.
As we go through the story we are learning along with the people in it what has been happening and who we can believe. It is very current dealing with an issue which is baffling scientists the world over which seems far away from where the book is set.
It even made me look up about the disappearance from the Flannan Isles which intruiged me.
A well written book which wains a little in the middle but has a dramatic climax which fits well with story.
I received this book from Real Reader in exchange for an honest review
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LibraryThing member flashflood42
This mystery was fairly predictable albeit readable, mostly because of the descriptions of the sea and islands in the Outer Hebrides. Three stories are intertwined--amnesia in one, a girl whose father committed suicide leaving her desperate in another, and a police officer trying to make sense of a
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murder out on a lighthouse island. Bees and a pesticide play a major role and once introduced, it was clear what was going on and who the major villain was. Show Less
LibraryThing member bhabeck
In the opening scene, a man washes up onto shore with no memory of who he is or how he came to be in the sea. He learns his name only when his neighbor asks him, “Mr. MacLean, are you okay?” He also knows his dog’s name and various other bits of knowledge but nothing about himself. While
This story by Peter May is exceptionally well-written where you can feel MacLean’s confusion and sense of loss. The mystery of who he is combines with the mystery of what he is doing in the area and why. This is the first book that I have read by Peter May but it will not be the last.
Rating: 4.25
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searching the house for clues to his identity, he comes across a map of the area showing a route known as Coffin Road marked.This story by Peter May is exceptionally well-written where you can feel MacLean’s confusion and sense of loss. The mystery of who he is combines with the mystery of what he is doing in the area and why. This is the first book that I have read by Peter May but it will not be the last.
Rating: 4.25
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LibraryThing member arubabookwoman
I loved Peter May's Lewis Trilogy, especially the first volume The Blackhouse, so I snapped this one up when I saw it at the library. This is a stand-alone crime novel, also set in the Outer Hebrides, this time the Isle of Harris. As it opens a man has just washed up on shore, unable to remember
3 1/2 stars
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who he is, where he is, or how he got there. He is greeted by a woman who addresses him as "Mr. Maclean," and from their conversation he infers that he lives in the nearby cottage on the shore. He goes to the cottage, and is greeted enthusiastically by a dog, obviously his. As he recovers from his ordeal in the sea, he must puzzle out his identity and what he is doing on the remote island. The mystery involves science, neonicotinoids, and the death of bees, as well as an isolated lighthouse island from which three lighthouse keepers disappeared without a trace in the early 20th century. There is also a troubled teenage girl who is having trouble accepting the suicide of her father. May ties all the elements up neatly in this well-written mystery.3 1/2 stars
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LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
Peter May is a genius at thrusting his readers right into the action. When a battered and bruised man washes up on a beach, wearing a life jacket, you know you can't stop reading. What makes it even more compelling is that the man doesn't know who he is or where he's been. Spotted almost
He discovers he owns a dog named Bran, and has apparently been masquerading as a novelist. When he finds his laptop and opens it up to his novel, he finds each and every page blank. When he discovers a dead body in the lighthouse, he starts to believe he may be the murderer. In a parallel story line we meet Edinburgh teenager, Karen, who is angry about her father's recent suicide and alienated from her mother. We know that somehow Neal's situation will intersect with Karen's story.
The Coffin Road, refers to a route used in the past to carry the dead from the rocky east coast of the Isle of Harris over to the west side for burial in the deeper soil there. May has such a skill for incorporating the history of the Hebrides along with the people of the island to bring the reader a very original story, incorporating a relevant theme. The story itself is very complex but satisfying in that each answer is not obvious from the beginning. My favorite books from Peter May are his Blackhouse Trilogy, but Coffin Road is a very close second and his best standalone by far.
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immediately by a neighbor, he quickly establishes that his name is Neal McLean and he lives on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides. He discovers he owns a dog named Bran, and has apparently been masquerading as a novelist. When he finds his laptop and opens it up to his novel, he finds each and every page blank. When he discovers a dead body in the lighthouse, he starts to believe he may be the murderer. In a parallel story line we meet Edinburgh teenager, Karen, who is angry about her father's recent suicide and alienated from her mother. We know that somehow Neal's situation will intersect with Karen's story.
The Coffin Road, refers to a route used in the past to carry the dead from the rocky east coast of the Isle of Harris over to the west side for burial in the deeper soil there. May has such a skill for incorporating the history of the Hebrides along with the people of the island to bring the reader a very original story, incorporating a relevant theme. The story itself is very complex but satisfying in that each answer is not obvious from the beginning. My favorite books from Peter May are his Blackhouse Trilogy, but Coffin Road is a very close second and his best standalone by far.
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LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
Peter May is one of our most prolific crime writers. In addition to his numerous novels, he has written a huge number of television screenplays for series such as The Bill, and seems capable of swapping format and genre without any difficulty.
In this novel, he has returned to the more remote areas
It gradually emerges that he has been living in Harris for eighteen months, ostensibly researching a book on the disappearance in 1900 of three lighthouse keepers from the Flannan Isles, further out into the Atlantic. Eager to find any clues or landmarks that might trigger his memory, he contrives to visit the Flannan Isles where he discovers the body of a man who has clearly been murdered. He unavoidably comes to suspect that he might be responsible.
Meanwhile, back in Edinburgh a teenaged girl learns that her father might not, as she and her family have been led to believe, have committed suicide two years ago. Unable to broach this subject in any constructive way with her mother, she decides to investigate further. Her research uncovers the fact that her father had been engaged in biochemical research on the impact of neonicotinoids on bees, and that he had, as a consequence, fallen foul of a multinational agrichemical conglomerate.
May manages his plot material deftly (constructing a far more coherent story than might be divined from my clumsy synopsis above), and casts his conspiracy theories in a highly plausible way. I don’t know enough about the science to judge how viable it is, but it worked for me, and May does not allow technical aspects to intrude to the detriment of the story.
Highly capable and very gripping.
In this novel, he has returned to the more remote areas
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of Scotland, setting this one principally on the island of Lewis and Harris in the Outer Hebrides. It opens with the narrator waking up after having been washed up on a beach during a storm. If this were not alarming enough, as he returns to consciousness he realises that he has no idea who he is. His memory seems to have evaporated. Dragging himself further up the beach he is met by a neighbour who leads him home, where, after resting, he starts to grapple with the task of reconstructing his life.It gradually emerges that he has been living in Harris for eighteen months, ostensibly researching a book on the disappearance in 1900 of three lighthouse keepers from the Flannan Isles, further out into the Atlantic. Eager to find any clues or landmarks that might trigger his memory, he contrives to visit the Flannan Isles where he discovers the body of a man who has clearly been murdered. He unavoidably comes to suspect that he might be responsible.
Meanwhile, back in Edinburgh a teenaged girl learns that her father might not, as she and her family have been led to believe, have committed suicide two years ago. Unable to broach this subject in any constructive way with her mother, she decides to investigate further. Her research uncovers the fact that her father had been engaged in biochemical research on the impact of neonicotinoids on bees, and that he had, as a consequence, fallen foul of a multinational agrichemical conglomerate.
May manages his plot material deftly (constructing a far more coherent story than might be divined from my clumsy synopsis above), and casts his conspiracy theories in a highly plausible way. I don’t know enough about the science to judge how viable it is, but it worked for me, and May does not allow technical aspects to intrude to the detriment of the story.
Highly capable and very gripping.
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LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
Neal Maclean washes up on a beach on the Isle of Lewis half drowned and without his memory. He struggles to discover himself but events accelerate when a murdered man is discovered on a small island nearby.
Any Peter May book is excellent (you should read The Lewis Trilogy right away), and this is
I have to say the mystery part of this book wasn't as interesting for me though I loved the parts about beekeeping and their importance to the environment. I learned a lot about bees and the science behind their relationship with plants and animals.
Maclean's amnesia was handled well with some good twists, but the ending was telegraphed a little too much, I think. I'd give this 3 1/2 stars.
Any Peter May book is excellent (you should read The Lewis Trilogy right away), and this is
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no exception. He has a wonderful ability to describe Scotland, whether Edinburgh, the islands, or the northern highlands. Just those details make the reader sit back and sigh, remembering the scent of heather and peat smoke.I have to say the mystery part of this book wasn't as interesting for me though I loved the parts about beekeeping and their importance to the environment. I learned a lot about bees and the science behind their relationship with plants and animals.
Maclean's amnesia was handled well with some good twists, but the ending was telegraphed a little too much, I think. I'd give this 3 1/2 stars.
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LibraryThing member MaggieFlo
Very good thriller about research being done on bees to demonstrate that neonicotinoid use as a pesticide is damaging bee colonies by damaged their memories. Protagonist Neal MacLean, washes up on shore in the Outer Hebrides with amnesia. What follows is a revelation that one of the original
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researchers has sold out to a big agrochem company and is pursuing MacLean to retrieve and destroy the research data. Show Less
LibraryThing member Zare
Interesting thriller but one of those books that you can read only once because twist is rather specific that to enjoy the book for the second time you truly need to forget all about it.
Story is about the man who finds himself in the Hebrides on the sea shore wearing all the equipment for sailing
I wont go into details because it would spoil the read for others. I have to admit author truly loves Scotland and Hebrides, untouched nature and paints very vivid pictures of the rugged terrain, mighty mountains, sea-side and tricky mountain tracks. Local people - almost all by definition bind to the sea - are not forgotten and play a central role in the book (although Gaelic names took some time for me to be able to read them).
Author also manages to lead the reader down the cul-de-sac's and leave them wondering what exactly is going on. I truly enjoyed this and had a few aha! moments as story progressed. I am definitely looking for more books by this author.
What I did not quite like was ending that seemed a little bit too rushed to me - after all the buildup, all the tension suddenly it was over and you might wonder what was all the fuss about. I understand that some people are very smart but this sets the bar way higher over any characters in any book I read so far.
All in all good thriller. Recommended.
Story is about the man who finds himself in the Hebrides on the sea shore wearing all the equipment for sailing
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but without boat, soaking wet and without any memories. We follow him for a majority of the book as he tries to find out who he is and as he tries to find the proof that he is not some sort of the bad guy - although his gut tells him he just might be a bad guy.I wont go into details because it would spoil the read for others. I have to admit author truly loves Scotland and Hebrides, untouched nature and paints very vivid pictures of the rugged terrain, mighty mountains, sea-side and tricky mountain tracks. Local people - almost all by definition bind to the sea - are not forgotten and play a central role in the book (although Gaelic names took some time for me to be able to read them).
Author also manages to lead the reader down the cul-de-sac's and leave them wondering what exactly is going on. I truly enjoyed this and had a few aha! moments as story progressed. I am definitely looking for more books by this author.
What I did not quite like was ending that seemed a little bit too rushed to me - after all the buildup, all the tension suddenly it was over and you might wonder what was all the fuss about. I understand that some people are very smart but this sets the bar way higher over any characters in any book I read so far.
All in all good thriller. Recommended.
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Awards
Theakstons Old Peculier Prize (Longlist — 2017)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016-01-14
Physical description
400 p.; 5.08 inches
ISBN
178429313X / 9781784293130
Similar in this library
DDC/MDS
| 823.914 |