Status
Available
Call number
Series
Genres
Publication
SilverOak (2012), Edition: 0, Hardcover, 368 pages
Description
When a grisly murder occurs on a Scottish island, Edinburgh detective Fin Macleod must confront his past if he is ever going to discover if the killing has a connection to another one that took place on the mainland.
Language
Original publication date
2009 (France)
2011 (UK)
ISBN
1454901276 / 9781454901273
Other editions
The blackhouse by Peter May (Paper Book)
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member smik
It does not surprise me that THE BLACKHOUSE has won two French literary awards. The book is compelling reading and the story is delivered in an unusual style.
And yet it was a novel that took me a little effort to break into. A prologue contains the hook: a young couple discover an eviscerated body
The murder on the Isle of Lewis seems to have the same MO as the Leith Walk case in Edinburgh Fin had been investigating before tragedy struck. Now his boss is insisting Fin return to work, and the HOLMES computer has tagged Fin as a person to be attached to the Lewis enquiry. It is 18 years since Fin left Lewis to go to University in Glasgow and going back will mean letting his past catch up with him, and indeed Fin catching up with his past. The fact that he is an "insider" allows Fin to ask questions that an incoming investigative team would not even have thought of.
I was particularly struck by the structure of THE BLACKHOUSE. The author uses two "narrators". There is the third person narration where events involving Fin are described from an outsider's viewpoint, and then Fin's reminiscences and memories which are recounted in the first person. This division is particularly effective in giving the story pace at the same time as giving us Fin's life story.
This is a book where the setting almost becomes another character - whether it is the Isle of Lewis which seems remote enough for me, or the even remoter An Sgeir, three hundred feet of storm-lashed cliffs rising out of the ocean fifty miles to the north-north-east of the tip of Lewis, where the annual guga hunts take place. And yet there is something attractive about the author's description of these wind-swept locations that makes you want to see for yourself.
And yet it was a novel that took me a little effort to break into. A prologue contains the hook: a young couple discover an eviscerated body
Show More
hanging in a boat shed in the harbour. Once we are into the book proper it takes a while to piece together the tragedy that struck Fin and Mona MacLeod only four weeks earlier and that is now steadily coming between them. In the mix are nightmares that Fin barely remembers and does not understand. A recurrent nightmare from childhood.The murder on the Isle of Lewis seems to have the same MO as the Leith Walk case in Edinburgh Fin had been investigating before tragedy struck. Now his boss is insisting Fin return to work, and the HOLMES computer has tagged Fin as a person to be attached to the Lewis enquiry. It is 18 years since Fin left Lewis to go to University in Glasgow and going back will mean letting his past catch up with him, and indeed Fin catching up with his past. The fact that he is an "insider" allows Fin to ask questions that an incoming investigative team would not even have thought of.
I was particularly struck by the structure of THE BLACKHOUSE. The author uses two "narrators". There is the third person narration where events involving Fin are described from an outsider's viewpoint, and then Fin's reminiscences and memories which are recounted in the first person. This division is particularly effective in giving the story pace at the same time as giving us Fin's life story.
This is a book where the setting almost becomes another character - whether it is the Isle of Lewis which seems remote enough for me, or the even remoter An Sgeir, three hundred feet of storm-lashed cliffs rising out of the ocean fifty miles to the north-north-east of the tip of Lewis, where the annual guga hunts take place. And yet there is something attractive about the author's description of these wind-swept locations that makes you want to see for yourself.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Eyejaybee
A compelling but bleak novel, set on Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. Detective Inspector Fin McLeod, still distraught following the death of his eight year old son, is despatched back to Lewis to assist in the investigation of a murder bearing many of the hallmarks of a case he had been working on in
McLeod had left Lewis eighteen years previously when he went to attend Glasgow University, and had never returned again until now. Upon his return he finds much has changed though an alarming proportion of the bigotry and suspicion remains. His investigation brings him into contact with many friends from his childhood but this proves to be more challenging than he could ever have expected.
May uses this engaging novel as a vehicle to describe many of the customs of the Hebrides - some of them cutely archaic, others menacing and upsetting, including the description of the annual guga cull. I found this fascinating and perhaps more interesting than the basic plot of the story.
Show More
Edinburgh.McLeod had left Lewis eighteen years previously when he went to attend Glasgow University, and had never returned again until now. Upon his return he finds much has changed though an alarming proportion of the bigotry and suspicion remains. His investigation brings him into contact with many friends from his childhood but this proves to be more challenging than he could ever have expected.
May uses this engaging novel as a vehicle to describe many of the customs of the Hebrides - some of them cutely archaic, others menacing and upsetting, including the description of the annual guga cull. I found this fascinating and perhaps more interesting than the basic plot of the story.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Scrabblenut
I have tried to read a few other mysteries by Peter May, and always abandoned them part way through, and figured his style of writing and characterization just weren't for me. However, my husband told me I would really like The Blackhouse, and the setting in the Hebrides intrigued me, so I decided
Show More
to give him another try. Wow. I loved the story and Fin Macleod, the cop who was raised on Lewis and comes back to investigate a murder there that may have tie-ins with one he investigated in Edinburgh. The story is told in the present, and in flashbacks to his rather bleak childhood on the island, with some very funny moments as well. The characterization was fantastic as I felt that all of these people were real, and I wondered if the author himself grew up there. It was an excellent mystery that kept me guessing all the way through, and enjoying very much the journey, which was over 400 pages, and I wouldn't remove a single word. Highly recommended! Show Less
LibraryThing member librarian1204
Excellent. I think that this was a NetGalley book that I did not get to right away and it disappeared from NetGalley but was still on my iPad. I am so happy to have been able to read it. Setting is fantastic. Outer Hebrides, Lewis, is an atmospheric locale for a murder. The main character, Finn,
There are many stories interwoven in this book that is the first in a trilogy. I am so pleased to have discovered this author and since I am half way through book 2 in the series, I can say the excellence continues.
Show More
has not been there for many years, not since he left for University. Now he is back as a detective , to liaise with the locale police. The book moves back and forth between current events and memories of past events. They do all come together. The controversial bird hunt, to a rock island off the northern coast of Lewis, is described. There are many stories interwoven in this book that is the first in a trilogy. I am so pleased to have discovered this author and since I am half way through book 2 in the series, I can say the excellence continues.
Show Less
LibraryThing member icolford
The Blackhouse (the first volume of Peter May's Lewis Trilogy) is remarkable for several reasons. It is a rapid-paced and absorbing who-dun-it. It is a brilliant character study of a man haunted by his past. And it is a thoroughly engaging, deeply imaginative and often dazzling piece of writing
Show More
that makes liberal use of elements of literary fiction to gradually reveal why over many years its varied cast of characters have behaved and acted in secretive and hurtful ways. Detective Inspector Finlay Macleod has been sent to the Isle of Lewis (off Scotland's north-west coast) to investigate a murder that bears a striking resemblance to an unsolved murder case in Edinburgh on which he is the lead detective. What's more, he is a native of the island, and so is returning home about 15 years after he was last there. Fin is seeking common elements between the two murders, and his search is initially inconclusive. But as the days go by he encounters one person after another who was part of his life as he was growing up — school friends, ex-girlfriends, casual acquaintances and antagonists of long-standing — and each adds another layer to the story. The novel is constructed of chapters that alternate between the present (narrated in the third person) and the past (narrated by Fin in the first person), and it is a treat for the reader to slowly figure out why this is necessary. Perhaps the single most impressive aspect of May's writing is how he uses the wild and beautiful and brutally unforgiving setting of the remote Isle of Lewis to reveal and reflect the inner lives of his characters. This is a place that has hardly changed in hundreds of years, where the residents live in the grip of ancient traditions, and where people scrape a meagre living from the island and the sea that surrounds it. It's a wild and beautiful place that bestow its gifts grudgingly and stands ready to kill you if you give is a chance. Nothing has come easily for these people, and so it is no surprise that they don't give up anything easily. Peter May doles out the clues to the solution of the mystery in a measured fashion, raising the tension to an excruciating pitch in the book's final sections as Fin gropes toward an answer. Darkly atmospheric and intricately plotted, The Blackhouse is one of those rare novels that satisfies on multiple levels. Show Less
LibraryThing member countrylife
A place I've never seen before became vivid in my mind through Peter May’s writing. Most of the book is set on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Sense of place was stunning.
"Marsaili and I went down to the beach at Port of Ness. We picked our way in the dark through the rocks at
The title has reference to a type of house on Lewis. The houses are mainly either the old-style blackhouses (rock walls with thatch roofs) or whitehouses (concrete).
A pivotal part of the action occurs on a tiny, treacherous island of rock, forty miles from Lewis, called An Sgeir in the book and Sula Sgeir if you research it online. Here, a small group of men annually harvest birds according to the government quota.
” . . . there was an unspoken bond between them all. It was a very exclusive club whose membership extended to a mere handful of men going back over five hundred years. You only had to have been out to An Sgeir one time to qualify for membership, proving your courage and strength, and your ability to endure against the elements. Their predecessors had made the journey in open boats on mountainous seas because they had to, to survive, to feed hungry villagers. Now they went out in a trawler to bring back a delicacy much sought after by well-fed islanders. But their stay on the rock was no less hazardous, no less demanding than it had been for all those who had gone before.” p.168
What about the story, though? He pulled that off, too. At first, the point at which the plot turned put me off. Nah, that couldn’t happen. But as I considered it, I decided that I’m no judge of such things. So, yes, I say – it is a good story, wonderfully descriptive, with fully realized characters.
"Marsaili and I went down to the beach at Port of Ness. We picked our way in the dark through the rocks at
Show More
the south end of it, to a slab of black gneiss worn smooth by aeons, hidden away from the rest of the world by layers of rock that appeared to have been cut into giant slices, stood on end, then tipped over to lie in skewed stacks. Cliffs rose up above us to a night sky of infinite possibilities. The tide was out, but we could hear the sea breathing gently on the shore. A warm breeze rattled the sun-dried heather that grew in ragged, earthy clumps on shelves and ledges in the cliff." p.176The title has reference to a type of house on Lewis. The houses are mainly either the old-style blackhouses (rock walls with thatch roofs) or whitehouses (concrete).
A pivotal part of the action occurs on a tiny, treacherous island of rock, forty miles from Lewis, called An Sgeir in the book and Sula Sgeir if you research it online. Here, a small group of men annually harvest birds according to the government quota.
” . . . there was an unspoken bond between them all. It was a very exclusive club whose membership extended to a mere handful of men going back over five hundred years. You only had to have been out to An Sgeir one time to qualify for membership, proving your courage and strength, and your ability to endure against the elements. Their predecessors had made the journey in open boats on mountainous seas because they had to, to survive, to feed hungry villagers. Now they went out in a trawler to bring back a delicacy much sought after by well-fed islanders. But their stay on the rock was no less hazardous, no less demanding than it had been for all those who had gone before.” p.168
What about the story, though? He pulled that off, too. At first, the point at which the plot turned put me off. Nah, that couldn’t happen. But as I considered it, I decided that I’m no judge of such things. So, yes, I say – it is a good story, wonderfully descriptive, with fully realized characters.
Show Less
LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
When a murder similar to one he is already investigating occurs in the village of Crobost on the Isle of Lewis, Inspector Finlay (Fin) Macleod is not well pleased to be sent to aid the local constabulary. For one thing, the Isle of Lewis is the northernmost island of the Hebrides at the ass end of
For most of the novel, the murder serves as backdrop for Fin’s memories and as a vehicle for him to deal with all of his demons. Almost as soon as he steps foot on the island, his memories began to come flooding back, memories he had thought he had safely stowed away: the tragic death of his parents when he was very young leaving him to be raised by an aunt who gave him everything he wanted except love; his first love now married to his once best friend; and Angel McCritchie the victim he has come for, the bully who had made his early years a misery. And he has arrived just in time for the annual ‘guga harvest’, a strange ritual going back centuries in which a group of male islanders head out to an even more godforsaken island to slaughter thousands of birds, once a needed addition to the islanders’ diet, now a kind of bonding ritual and rite of passage for the men and boys of Crobost and, for Fin, of all his bad memories, the very worst.
The Blackhouse, the latest by author Peter May is part police procedural, part coming-of-age, and part literary novel. It is a beautifully written, sometimes poignant, occasionally creepy, always powerful, and completely absorbing tale. May’s depiction of the island and its inhabitants is pitch-perfect – he clearly knows this island and these men and cares about them and he makes the reader know and care about them as well. It should be noted, though, that this novel may not be for everyone. It is almost unrelentingly dark and bleak and there are some very disturbing passages including the guga harvest. But for those who like their books a bit on the raw side, this is one absorbing tale. Best of all, it is the first in a trilogy and I will definitely be looking out for the next in the series.
Show More
the world with nothing much going for it besides crappy weather and an even crappier economy. For another, and even worse for Fin, this is a homecoming and not one he had ever wanted to make. For most of the novel, the murder serves as backdrop for Fin’s memories and as a vehicle for him to deal with all of his demons. Almost as soon as he steps foot on the island, his memories began to come flooding back, memories he had thought he had safely stowed away: the tragic death of his parents when he was very young leaving him to be raised by an aunt who gave him everything he wanted except love; his first love now married to his once best friend; and Angel McCritchie the victim he has come for, the bully who had made his early years a misery. And he has arrived just in time for the annual ‘guga harvest’, a strange ritual going back centuries in which a group of male islanders head out to an even more godforsaken island to slaughter thousands of birds, once a needed addition to the islanders’ diet, now a kind of bonding ritual and rite of passage for the men and boys of Crobost and, for Fin, of all his bad memories, the very worst.
The Blackhouse, the latest by author Peter May is part police procedural, part coming-of-age, and part literary novel. It is a beautifully written, sometimes poignant, occasionally creepy, always powerful, and completely absorbing tale. May’s depiction of the island and its inhabitants is pitch-perfect – he clearly knows this island and these men and cares about them and he makes the reader know and care about them as well. It should be noted, though, that this novel may not be for everyone. It is almost unrelentingly dark and bleak and there are some very disturbing passages including the guga harvest. But for those who like their books a bit on the raw side, this is one absorbing tale. Best of all, it is the first in a trilogy and I will definitely be looking out for the next in the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Dokfintong
The Blackhouse is a rarity, a mystery novel that truly surprises. I can't recommend it highly enough, whether it is for the excellent descriptions of the Isle of Lewis or the care with which the characters are drawn. Top rate. This book is the first of a trilogy and I greatly look forward to the
After writing the above, I looked at the negative Amazon reviews and without diminishing my own enthusiasm, I can understand the readers complaints. No the plot isn't perfect and yes the flashback chapters are way too long and yes, the characters did not have to make the choices they did. But perhaps these readers did not grow up in a Scottish Calvinist church, especially one physically in Scotland. Re-read the part about the wee breakaway churches and the Sabbath-day locked swings that May describes and think of the ways that the grim Scottish weather plays into this grim worldview. It takes nearly superhuman strength to break away from the rigidity that shapes this culture, even today.
I received Blackhouse by Peter May (Quercus Books) through Netgalley.com.
Show More
next two.After writing the above, I looked at the negative Amazon reviews and without diminishing my own enthusiasm, I can understand the readers complaints. No the plot isn't perfect and yes the flashback chapters are way too long and yes, the characters did not have to make the choices they did. But perhaps these readers did not grow up in a Scottish Calvinist church, especially one physically in Scotland. Re-read the part about the wee breakaway churches and the Sabbath-day locked swings that May describes and think of the ways that the grim Scottish weather plays into this grim worldview. It takes nearly superhuman strength to break away from the rigidity that shapes this culture, even today.
I received Blackhouse by Peter May (Quercus Books) through Netgalley.com.
Show Less
LibraryThing member viking2917
Fin Macleod is a brooding, impulsive detective, investigating a horrific murder in Edinburgh, and recovering (or not) from the death of his 8 year old son and the unraveling of his marriage.
Word comes from the isle of Lewis in the northernmost Hebrides of a similar murder, and Fin is sent back to
Fin is the main character, but the Isle of Lewis, perhaps most famous for the viking Lewis chess set discovered there, might as well be. Cold and hostile, you can feel the wind howling across the machair (the peat fields), smell the peat fires burning, and ride the mountainous seas that the Islanders cross for the annual pilgrimage to An Sgeir, a barren, rocky cliff/island, where the Guga birds are slaughtered for the annual feast.
The Blackhouse is named for the ancient rock houses that dot the island, mostly now ruins rather than a place to live. The book is long, but revelations come hard and fast the entire book, each a bit darker than the previous one, until the book crashes on the events that transpired, then and now, on An Sgeir. May captures the casual cruelties of children and how those resonate throughout a lifetime.
Between revelations we're treated to May's gorgeous prose that captures the look, the feel, the smell and the cold of Lewis.
You're in for a treat.
Word comes from the isle of Lewis in the northernmost Hebrides of a similar murder, and Fin is sent back to
Show More
the island where he grew up, suffered a number of tragedies, and has only returned once in 20 years. Fin is the main character, but the Isle of Lewis, perhaps most famous for the viking Lewis chess set discovered there, might as well be. Cold and hostile, you can feel the wind howling across the machair (the peat fields), smell the peat fires burning, and ride the mountainous seas that the Islanders cross for the annual pilgrimage to An Sgeir, a barren, rocky cliff/island, where the Guga birds are slaughtered for the annual feast.
The Blackhouse is named for the ancient rock houses that dot the island, mostly now ruins rather than a place to live. The book is long, but revelations come hard and fast the entire book, each a bit darker than the previous one, until the book crashes on the events that transpired, then and now, on An Sgeir. May captures the casual cruelties of children and how those resonate throughout a lifetime.
Between revelations we're treated to May's gorgeous prose that captures the look, the feel, the smell and the cold of Lewis.
You're in for a treat.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Bookmarque
What happens on The Rock, stays on The Rock.
And boy did it ever. This book is couched in terms of being a mystery because there is a dead guy and there is a cop, but it didn’t need to be presented that way and as a matter of fact, very little time and attention is given to solving the crime. No,
For those with a limited threshold for gore, you’ll have a hard time with the crime scene and the post mortem; they are very descriptive. Not all the descriptions are stellar or terribly original though and I noted many cliches including angry seas and brooding landscapes. Oh and if you’re going to quote Blade Runner, frigging quote Blade Runner, don’t bury it in the text and think no one will notice. The map included at the beginning of the book is helpful, but not as much as the Gaelic (pronounced gah-lick) to English pronunciation guide. Mostly it was for my own enlightenment more than reading since I’m a sight-reader who doesn’t subvocalize. A lot of the Gaelic is left in the text, too, and is easily parsed by context.
Despite the somewhat quotidian beginning (Fin is sent by his superiors to his hometown where he immediately locks horns with the local commander, an outsider who is threatened by Fin’s involvement and his deep ties to the town), the book goes in some interesting directions and the tension and atmosphere are well conveyed. Fin relates his story bit by bit, drawing out the suspense, but not in an annoying way. There is enough revealed each time that it doesn’t stagnate or lag. The final solution though was shocking for the sake of shocking. I mean, we already had our killer and there were a few plausible ways things could turn, but it was still out of the blue. Still don’t know if my shock is a good or a bad thing. Either way, I’ll be checking out the next two books in the series. May obviously loves his homeland and presents it well. From things like the Lewis Chessmen to the guga harvest (which could make some people mad at the slaughter, but was shown without prejudice one way or another).
And boy did it ever. This book is couched in terms of being a mystery because there is a dead guy and there is a cop, but it didn’t need to be presented that way and as a matter of fact, very little time and attention is given to solving the crime. No,
Show More
this is Fin’s story and it’s a pretty interesting one although the final piece of why was a bit much. There was no telegraphing it whatsoever and even though there is a logical reason why not, it still was a bit too jarring.For those with a limited threshold for gore, you’ll have a hard time with the crime scene and the post mortem; they are very descriptive. Not all the descriptions are stellar or terribly original though and I noted many cliches including angry seas and brooding landscapes. Oh and if you’re going to quote Blade Runner, frigging quote Blade Runner, don’t bury it in the text and think no one will notice. The map included at the beginning of the book is helpful, but not as much as the Gaelic (pronounced gah-lick) to English pronunciation guide. Mostly it was for my own enlightenment more than reading since I’m a sight-reader who doesn’t subvocalize. A lot of the Gaelic is left in the text, too, and is easily parsed by context.
Despite the somewhat quotidian beginning (Fin is sent by his superiors to his hometown where he immediately locks horns with the local commander, an outsider who is threatened by Fin’s involvement and his deep ties to the town), the book goes in some interesting directions and the tension and atmosphere are well conveyed. Fin relates his story bit by bit, drawing out the suspense, but not in an annoying way. There is enough revealed each time that it doesn’t stagnate or lag. The final solution though was shocking for the sake of shocking. I mean, we already had our killer and there were a few plausible ways things could turn, but it was still out of the blue. Still don’t know if my shock is a good or a bad thing. Either way, I’ll be checking out the next two books in the series. May obviously loves his homeland and presents it well. From things like the Lewis Chessmen to the guga harvest (which could make some people mad at the slaughter, but was shown without prejudice one way or another).
Show Less
LibraryThing member rkreish
Disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher.
I remember reading about the Lewis Trilogy several times in the past couple years, and I was intrigued by the setting and by the positive reviews. It was a very, very good read even though it felt a little bit light on the crime novel elements
The main character is Fin Macleod, a detective in Edinburgh who grew up on the Isle of Lewis who returns there when a murder much like one he investigated in Edinburgh takes place. A bully from his youth is found disemboweled in an abandoned building. While this is in a sense a police procedural, the book feels more like stories about growing up on the Isle of Lewis, including a vivid chunk of the book that takes place in the annual hunt of guga (young gannets) that goes back for generations.
There are some holes in the book that I assume are addressed in the other two books in the trilogy, specifically about different chunks of the characters’ backstories, but the focus on Fin’s childhood and the ritual of the guga hunt made up for those gaps. Fin is also a sympathetic character at the beginning of the story and because of his childhood, which makes all the focus on the past so good.
I remember reading about the Lewis Trilogy several times in the past couple years, and I was intrigued by the setting and by the positive reviews. It was a very, very good read even though it felt a little bit light on the crime novel elements
Show More
I was expecting.The main character is Fin Macleod, a detective in Edinburgh who grew up on the Isle of Lewis who returns there when a murder much like one he investigated in Edinburgh takes place. A bully from his youth is found disemboweled in an abandoned building. While this is in a sense a police procedural, the book feels more like stories about growing up on the Isle of Lewis, including a vivid chunk of the book that takes place in the annual hunt of guga (young gannets) that goes back for generations.
There are some holes in the book that I assume are addressed in the other two books in the trilogy, specifically about different chunks of the characters’ backstories, but the focus on Fin’s childhood and the ritual of the guga hunt made up for those gaps. Fin is also a sympathetic character at the beginning of the story and because of his childhood, which makes all the focus on the past so good.
Show Less
LibraryThing member rosalita
Fin Macleod grew up on the Isle of Lewis, a remote outpost in the Hebrides off the coat of Scotland. His childhood wasn't exactly idyllic and he couldn't wait to bolt for the mainland and university, thinking he'd never return.
And yet here he is, a policeman from Edinburgh sent back to the island
The descriptions of the setting are fabulous. I understand more now about what life on a remote Scottish Island is like than I could have gotten from any nonfiction guidebook. The bleakness of the physical scenery is matched by the bleakness in the lives of the people who continue to live there despite the lack of modern amenities and prospects.
The mystery is absorbing, though I felt the ending relied a bit too much on the surprise twist without doing the foundational work to support it. And I've probably read enough about the annual harvesting of young birds from a smaller and even more remote island to last me a lifetime. Some of it is necessary for plot purposes, but I think it could have been pared down a bit without harming the book's structure.
This is the first in an apparent trilogy. I didn't read anything to actively discourage me from reading the remainder, but I'm not ready to haunt the library for No. 2 just yet. So many books, so little time.
And yet here he is, a policeman from Edinburgh sent back to the island
Show More
of his birth to investigate whether a recent brutal killing there is related to a similar murder in Edinburgh. Solving the crime will involve confronting old ghosts and nemeses, both alive and dead.The descriptions of the setting are fabulous. I understand more now about what life on a remote Scottish Island is like than I could have gotten from any nonfiction guidebook. The bleakness of the physical scenery is matched by the bleakness in the lives of the people who continue to live there despite the lack of modern amenities and prospects.
The mystery is absorbing, though I felt the ending relied a bit too much on the surprise twist without doing the foundational work to support it. And I've probably read enough about the annual harvesting of young birds from a smaller and even more remote island to last me a lifetime. Some of it is necessary for plot purposes, but I think it could have been pared down a bit without harming the book's structure.
This is the first in an apparent trilogy. I didn't read anything to actively discourage me from reading the remainder, but I'm not ready to haunt the library for No. 2 just yet. So many books, so little time.
Show Less
LibraryThing member KayMackey
Peter May does an excellent job of weaving together plot lines past and present that hold clues to the mystery of The Bleak House, and the descriptive detail brings the setting of the remote island community to life. The story holds little true suspense, and the actual investigation slips from the
Show More
center of the narrative, being displaced by the interpersonal relationships among the detective and his childhood acquaintances. Worse, the plot device of memory loss and the book's final revelations feel forced and unrealistic, leaving the reader wanting for a gutsier crime story. Fans of location crime drama with strong character development should try The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg. Show Less
LibraryThing member adpaton
Peter May is an established writer of both novels and TV series – of whom I had never heard before – so I was fortunate to discover him in The Blackhouse, the first in a trilogy featuring Detective Fin Macleod and set on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides.
Comparisons to Ann Cleeves’ Shetland
Attenborough-based detective Sergeant Macleod was working on a murder when his son was killed in an accident: a month later his unsympathetic boss sends him to investigate a similar murder on the Isle of Lewis, where Fin spent his childhood but to which he has not returned in 18 years.
Why did he leave and break all ties with his friends? How did his parents die? What occurred during that fateful expedition to the island of Sulu Sgeir when he accompanied the men of Lewis on their annual sea-bird hunt? Where is the relevance of Fin’s past in today’s murder?
As the plot unravels Fin realizes he has not escaped his childhood and the island murder is entwined with his past and the hidden memories that have cast a shadow on his life.
The joyless thrall in which the islanders are gripped by their harsh religion, the barren and brutal beauty of the landscape, and the ever-present reminders of an even harsher history in the form of the ruined primitive blackhouses abandoned only a couple of generations previously and, to crown it all, the annual cull of seabirds, an ancient and dangerous rite of passage into manhood.
The Blackhouse us a powerful and compelling book in which the murder mystery is almost superseded by the fascinating characters and intriguing lifestyle on the Isle of Lewis: I can’t wait for the next in the series.
Comparisons to Ann Cleeves’ Shetland
Show More
Quartet are inevitable but May’s characters are darker, his style more literary and his setting – the most northerly island in the Outer Hebrides – more remote. Attenborough-based detective Sergeant Macleod was working on a murder when his son was killed in an accident: a month later his unsympathetic boss sends him to investigate a similar murder on the Isle of Lewis, where Fin spent his childhood but to which he has not returned in 18 years.
Why did he leave and break all ties with his friends? How did his parents die? What occurred during that fateful expedition to the island of Sulu Sgeir when he accompanied the men of Lewis on their annual sea-bird hunt? Where is the relevance of Fin’s past in today’s murder?
As the plot unravels Fin realizes he has not escaped his childhood and the island murder is entwined with his past and the hidden memories that have cast a shadow on his life.
The joyless thrall in which the islanders are gripped by their harsh religion, the barren and brutal beauty of the landscape, and the ever-present reminders of an even harsher history in the form of the ruined primitive blackhouses abandoned only a couple of generations previously and, to crown it all, the annual cull of seabirds, an ancient and dangerous rite of passage into manhood.
The Blackhouse us a powerful and compelling book in which the murder mystery is almost superseded by the fascinating characters and intriguing lifestyle on the Isle of Lewis: I can’t wait for the next in the series.
Show Less
LibraryThing member vcg610
Peter May has created a crime fiction novel that begins like a serial killer mystery, but evolves into a complex study of roots, suppressed and tangled memories and relationships, and introduces characters that you will either despise or care enormously about, and some characters merit both
Fin McLeod is a detective assigned to the Edinburgh Police Department in Scotland, but he has been on leave because of the tragic accidental death of his young son. When he returns, he finds that he has been temporarily assigned to a murder case on the Isle of Lewis, one of the islands of the Scottish Hebrides. He was selected, first because he was born there and knows the Gaelic tongue that is spoken there, and second, because the MO mirrors identically the unsolved murder that Fin was working before he abruptly went on leave.
His temporary attachment to the local police force is unwelcome by the local commander, who believes the crime and the perpetrator have nothing to do with any earlier cases on the mainland. The commander tries to minimize Mcleod's influence by giving him "busy work" assignments, but this gives him the time to reconnect with his childhood memories and experiences, not to mention many of the people themselves. The murder victim had been the school bully all those years ago, and any number of others may have felt justified in killing him.
The chapters that reveal Fin's bittersweet childhood are interspersed with the present day murder investigation, gradually building to a dramatic and harrowing climax and an unexpectedly sweet conclusion.
I received a digital copy from Edelweiss, and will be watching for more from Peter May. This is really a great read!
Show More
responses as the mystery unfolds, layer by later.Fin McLeod is a detective assigned to the Edinburgh Police Department in Scotland, but he has been on leave because of the tragic accidental death of his young son. When he returns, he finds that he has been temporarily assigned to a murder case on the Isle of Lewis, one of the islands of the Scottish Hebrides. He was selected, first because he was born there and knows the Gaelic tongue that is spoken there, and second, because the MO mirrors identically the unsolved murder that Fin was working before he abruptly went on leave.
His temporary attachment to the local police force is unwelcome by the local commander, who believes the crime and the perpetrator have nothing to do with any earlier cases on the mainland. The commander tries to minimize Mcleod's influence by giving him "busy work" assignments, but this gives him the time to reconnect with his childhood memories and experiences, not to mention many of the people themselves. The murder victim had been the school bully all those years ago, and any number of others may have felt justified in killing him.
The chapters that reveal Fin's bittersweet childhood are interspersed with the present day murder investigation, gradually building to a dramatic and harrowing climax and an unexpectedly sweet conclusion.
I received a digital copy from Edelweiss, and will be watching for more from Peter May. This is really a great read!
Show Less
LibraryThing member polkadotshark
Liked this much more than I thought I was going to. I'm always wary when it comes best-selling crime novels (well, in these parts it's been selling like hot cakes, at least). I grew up in a house where the crime genre was worshipped, and a day didn't go by that I wasn't exposed to a whodunnit on
Anyway, usually these days if I do dip into the crime genre, the book has to have an interesting kind of angle, like Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann or, The Killer Inside Me, by Jim Thompson. I can't say Blackhouse had anything like that, but it was cheap and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about...
And like I said, I'm glad I did.
For a lot of the book, I felt that I needed a bingo card, especially when it came to the central protagonist Finn. He's leaving the force...he's getting a divorce...he's going back...he wants to get his ex in the sack...his childhood friend gets asthma attacks.
There's really nothing special there at all, very two-dimensional and bland. Now, as for the crime/mystery itself, well, happily, it almost takes second place to May setting up the scenes and the background...and this is where May really excels himself.
Outside of Finn, the characters really shine, are memorable, and the picture he paints of life on a small island is simply superb. The flashback moments are well worth the entry price alone and there were times when I got annoyed when the book moved back into the present day investigation.
Anyway, it's worth a look, and I've already started Lewis Man which I didn't think I was going to, so May has definitely done something right.
3.5
Show More
the TV in the afternoon, a police procedural on in the evening, a Christie drama on the radio...it never ended.Anyway, usually these days if I do dip into the crime genre, the book has to have an interesting kind of angle, like Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann or, The Killer Inside Me, by Jim Thompson. I can't say Blackhouse had anything like that, but it was cheap and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about...
And like I said, I'm glad I did.
For a lot of the book, I felt that I needed a bingo card, especially when it came to the central protagonist Finn. He's leaving the force...he's getting a divorce...he's going back...he wants to get his ex in the sack...his childhood friend gets asthma attacks.
There's really nothing special there at all, very two-dimensional and bland. Now, as for the crime/mystery itself, well, happily, it almost takes second place to May setting up the scenes and the background...and this is where May really excels himself.
Outside of Finn, the characters really shine, are memorable, and the picture he paints of life on a small island is simply superb. The flashback moments are well worth the entry price alone and there were times when I got annoyed when the book moved back into the present day investigation.
Anyway, it's worth a look, and I've already started Lewis Man which I didn't think I was going to, so May has definitely done something right.
3.5
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
The Outer Hebrides are pretty special and the book does them some justice. And the web of human characters is well crafted - I enjoyed getting to know them very much. I like the way that the place with it's geography and history, and the people and their histories combine to underlie the tale.
LibraryThing member mysterymax
It's not very often that I put a book down without finishing it, but I just could not get interested or care enough about either Fin, or the mystery to read it. I know it is an award winner, but I am finding that winning an award doesn't automatically make it a book I will like. Example: I did
Show More
managed to finish Expats but only to give it the lowest rating I'd ever given before this one. This one will go to the library booksale. Show Less
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
This novel, which I expected to be mostly a mystery, is really two stories interspersed in one. First is the story of the protagonist, Fin, as a child, told in first person. The second is Fin as an adult, going back to his home as an investigator, after many years away. The second was told in third
The beginning of the book was excellent at setting the rather brutal atmosphere of the Gaelic Isle of Lewis, a Scottish isle. Occasionally, I felt there was a little too much description, but not enough that it was annoying. A description of an autopsy was quite graphic, not for the squeamish. I think this book could have about 50 pages edited out without losing any of its effect or impact.
I didn't much like the adult Fin. He argued with an animal activist about the brutality of the deaths of fish right before eating a fish dinner. That same activist who doesn't eat meat was eating fish. I don't know any animal activist who don't consider fish to be a form of meat. And, like too many books, men who care about animals are depicted as “fey” and “flamboyant.”
“I could hear her screaming, 'Help!' And, 'Rape!' And thought that now she was just indulging in wishful thinking.” You've got to be kidding. That quote is very offensive to me.
Quite a bit of this story revolved around the tradition of killing gannet chicks in their nests, something quite disturbing. “I looked at the pile of dead birds on the rock and wondered if there was not, perhaps, some better way to be special.”
In the end, this book managed to pull itself from a 3-star rating from me to a solid 3.5 star or a somewhat grudging 4-star, depending on the rating system. Great atmosphere, an interesting murder, and a judgmental and not especially nice protagonist.
I was given an ebook copy of this book for review.
Show More
person, and I didn't understand the reason for the difference.The beginning of the book was excellent at setting the rather brutal atmosphere of the Gaelic Isle of Lewis, a Scottish isle. Occasionally, I felt there was a little too much description, but not enough that it was annoying. A description of an autopsy was quite graphic, not for the squeamish. I think this book could have about 50 pages edited out without losing any of its effect or impact.
I didn't much like the adult Fin. He argued with an animal activist about the brutality of the deaths of fish right before eating a fish dinner. That same activist who doesn't eat meat was eating fish. I don't know any animal activist who don't consider fish to be a form of meat. And, like too many books, men who care about animals are depicted as “fey” and “flamboyant.”
“I could hear her screaming, 'Help!' And, 'Rape!' And thought that now she was just indulging in wishful thinking.” You've got to be kidding. That quote is very offensive to me.
Quite a bit of this story revolved around the tradition of killing gannet chicks in their nests, something quite disturbing. “I looked at the pile of dead birds on the rock and wondered if there was not, perhaps, some better way to be special.”
In the end, this book managed to pull itself from a 3-star rating from me to a solid 3.5 star or a somewhat grudging 4-star, depending on the rating system. Great atmosphere, an interesting murder, and a judgmental and not especially nice protagonist.
I was given an ebook copy of this book for review.
Show Less
LibraryThing member gpangel
The Black House by Peter May is a 2011 Quercus publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
The Isle of Lewis is a place Fin Macleod thought he would never have to visit again. But, as fate would have it a murder has been committed
Fin gets more than he ever bargained for when he returns home for the first time in many years. He encounters his first girlfriend, his best buddy, and floods of memories begin to pour out of his subconscious mind. It just so happens that the murdered man was a bully that made life miserable for Fin and his friends. Over the years the man only became an adult bully and was not a popular guy. There is no shortage of suspects, some of whom were old friends of Fin's. As the memories of childhood become more pronounced and as Fin begins to uncover numerous secrets it looks as though another murder is about to happen and Fin must race against time to prevent it.
Wow! What a well woven, brilliantly told story with an incredible climax that will leave you gasping for air. Fin is a man that is a terrible place in his life when he is assigned this case. He has just lost his only son in a terrible accident and as a result his marriage is falling apart. Being in this fragile state perhaps made it easier for all those old thoughts and feeling to come to the surface. Seeing his first love now married to his best friend when he lived on the Isle and having to interview his old school mates as a part of his job is very awkward and painful, but then a bombshell is dropped in his lap which changes Fin's perceptions of things.
The author did a wonderful job of enlightening the reader about Fin's childhood- the death of his parents , being raised by his sort of eccentric aunt, and various experiences he lived through that might have damaged most of us severely. One major shock after another unfolds until the awful, terrible truth is finally revealed. The race to save a potential victim was incredible suspense and I could hardly bear it. I was literally riveted. I couldn't stop reading this once I started it. The murder mystery and the revelations of Fin's life and all the incredible guilt and bad luck he had was drama at it's finest. Fin's low key character held a great deal of pain and sorrow but he was always in control of himself. However, he felt things much more deeply than anyone realizes because for years he has buried much of his life on the Isle in the back of his mind and has never addressed all the things that happened there. After having put the reader through so many gut wrenching emotional and suspenseful moments the author somehow manages to give the reader hope for the Fin. He does an amazing thing that I felt would go a long ways toward bringing about healing and forgiveness to those who certainly deserved it after all they endured. Very well written with characters we could relate to and feel for. I also enjoyed reading about the traditions on “ The Rock” and the purpose of the black house. The scenery and locations set the stage for tone and atmosphere of the story and it fit perfectly. I highly recommend this book to those that enjoy psychological thrillers, suspense , and mysteries. There is some strong language and emotional topics that are difficult to read, also there are passages of detailed forensics, so be aware this book does have a dark tone. This is the first book in a trilogy and I have already placed “The Lewis Man” in my queue.
This one deserves the top honor- 5 stars!!
The Isle of Lewis is a place Fin Macleod thought he would never have to visit again. But, as fate would have it a murder has been committed
Show More
on the Isle of Lewis that bears a remarkable similarity to a murder case Fin is working on in Edinburgh. So, he is told to he must check out this latest murder to see if the crimes could be related. Fin gets more than he ever bargained for when he returns home for the first time in many years. He encounters his first girlfriend, his best buddy, and floods of memories begin to pour out of his subconscious mind. It just so happens that the murdered man was a bully that made life miserable for Fin and his friends. Over the years the man only became an adult bully and was not a popular guy. There is no shortage of suspects, some of whom were old friends of Fin's. As the memories of childhood become more pronounced and as Fin begins to uncover numerous secrets it looks as though another murder is about to happen and Fin must race against time to prevent it.
Wow! What a well woven, brilliantly told story with an incredible climax that will leave you gasping for air. Fin is a man that is a terrible place in his life when he is assigned this case. He has just lost his only son in a terrible accident and as a result his marriage is falling apart. Being in this fragile state perhaps made it easier for all those old thoughts and feeling to come to the surface. Seeing his first love now married to his best friend when he lived on the Isle and having to interview his old school mates as a part of his job is very awkward and painful, but then a bombshell is dropped in his lap which changes Fin's perceptions of things.
The author did a wonderful job of enlightening the reader about Fin's childhood- the death of his parents , being raised by his sort of eccentric aunt, and various experiences he lived through that might have damaged most of us severely. One major shock after another unfolds until the awful, terrible truth is finally revealed. The race to save a potential victim was incredible suspense and I could hardly bear it. I was literally riveted. I couldn't stop reading this once I started it. The murder mystery and the revelations of Fin's life and all the incredible guilt and bad luck he had was drama at it's finest. Fin's low key character held a great deal of pain and sorrow but he was always in control of himself. However, he felt things much more deeply than anyone realizes because for years he has buried much of his life on the Isle in the back of his mind and has never addressed all the things that happened there. After having put the reader through so many gut wrenching emotional and suspenseful moments the author somehow manages to give the reader hope for the Fin. He does an amazing thing that I felt would go a long ways toward bringing about healing and forgiveness to those who certainly deserved it after all they endured. Very well written with characters we could relate to and feel for. I also enjoyed reading about the traditions on “ The Rock” and the purpose of the black house. The scenery and locations set the stage for tone and atmosphere of the story and it fit perfectly. I highly recommend this book to those that enjoy psychological thrillers, suspense , and mysteries. There is some strong language and emotional topics that are difficult to read, also there are passages of detailed forensics, so be aware this book does have a dark tone. This is the first book in a trilogy and I have already placed “The Lewis Man” in my queue.
This one deserves the top honor- 5 stars!!
Show Less
LibraryThing member nadjamiller
Fast paced. interesting. made me aware of ans area I really knew nothing about
LibraryThing member Schatje
This is the first of a literary thriller trilogy set on the Isle of Lewis, the northernmost of the Outer Hebrides. Detective Fin Macleod, a native of the island, is dispatched from Edinburgh to investigate a gruesome murder which resembles an earlier one committed in the city. The victim in Fin’s
The narrative is split between third person limited omniscient from Fin’s viewpoint as he investigates the murder in the present and first person from Fin’s viewpoint as he revisits his troubled memories of his 18 years on the Isle of Lewis. One of the most memorable flashbacks is to that of the guga harvest, the culling of juvenile gannets, a rite of passage for young men from the island.
Detective Fin Macleod is introduced and he, like a lot of literary detectives, comes with a lot of personal baggage. His many flaws are revealed gradually as he narrates episodes of his past. He proves not to be a totally admirable human being, but he seems well aware of his shortcomings and seems to genuinely want to make amends for his failings. Life has dealt Fin some devastating blows so one cannot help but have some sympathy for him.
What is interesting about a lot of the characters is that they are all shown to have both positive and negative traits. First impressions are often shown to be inaccurate. Angel, the victim, has no shortage of enemies. “’There’s a whole generation of men from Crobost who suffered at one time or another at the hands of Angel Macritchie’” (52) and the general feeling is that “’Whoever did it deserves a fucking medal’” (112). Yet Fin admits that in his role as cook for the guga hunters, he succeeded “in earning their respect” (197) and his behaviour towards a paraplegic classmate is better than that of anyone else (255 – 256).
The quality of the writing surpasses what is often found in mysteries. Diction such as “fallen into desuetude” (49) and “the gloom of this tenebrous place” (215) is the exception in mysteries but seems to be the rule for Peter May. Of course, this book is more than a mystery; in fact, the murder investigation is secondary to the exploration of Fin’s past.
There are several surprises along the way but the author plays no tricks. There are clues throughout although they are subtle. For me, the biggest clues were Fin’s inability to remember certain things though his memory of other events is almost eidetic. The revelations at the end answer the questions the reader might have in the course of reading the book. Most readers will correctly identify the killer, but his motivation is not fully explained until the end.
The portrayal of life in a small town is such that anyone who has ever lived in one will immediately recognize as accurate. As a young man, Fin wants to escape “the claustrophobia of village life, the petulance and pettiness, the harbouring of grudges” (180) but as an adult he realizes the villagers’ “struggle for existence against overwhelming odds. Good people, most of them” (79). Most of us have had such mixed emotions about our hometowns.
I’m really looking forward to the second and third books of this trilogy.
Show More
hometown is a local bully, Angel Macritchie, with whom Fin was acquainted. Reluctant to return to the island after an absence of many years, Fin nonetheless uncovers the identity of the killer and forgotten secrets of his early years. The narrative is split between third person limited omniscient from Fin’s viewpoint as he investigates the murder in the present and first person from Fin’s viewpoint as he revisits his troubled memories of his 18 years on the Isle of Lewis. One of the most memorable flashbacks is to that of the guga harvest, the culling of juvenile gannets, a rite of passage for young men from the island.
Detective Fin Macleod is introduced and he, like a lot of literary detectives, comes with a lot of personal baggage. His many flaws are revealed gradually as he narrates episodes of his past. He proves not to be a totally admirable human being, but he seems well aware of his shortcomings and seems to genuinely want to make amends for his failings. Life has dealt Fin some devastating blows so one cannot help but have some sympathy for him.
What is interesting about a lot of the characters is that they are all shown to have both positive and negative traits. First impressions are often shown to be inaccurate. Angel, the victim, has no shortage of enemies. “’There’s a whole generation of men from Crobost who suffered at one time or another at the hands of Angel Macritchie’” (52) and the general feeling is that “’Whoever did it deserves a fucking medal’” (112). Yet Fin admits that in his role as cook for the guga hunters, he succeeded “in earning their respect” (197) and his behaviour towards a paraplegic classmate is better than that of anyone else (255 – 256).
The quality of the writing surpasses what is often found in mysteries. Diction such as “fallen into desuetude” (49) and “the gloom of this tenebrous place” (215) is the exception in mysteries but seems to be the rule for Peter May. Of course, this book is more than a mystery; in fact, the murder investigation is secondary to the exploration of Fin’s past.
There are several surprises along the way but the author plays no tricks. There are clues throughout although they are subtle. For me, the biggest clues were Fin’s inability to remember certain things though his memory of other events is almost eidetic. The revelations at the end answer the questions the reader might have in the course of reading the book. Most readers will correctly identify the killer, but his motivation is not fully explained until the end.
The portrayal of life in a small town is such that anyone who has ever lived in one will immediately recognize as accurate. As a young man, Fin wants to escape “the claustrophobia of village life, the petulance and pettiness, the harbouring of grudges” (180) but as an adult he realizes the villagers’ “struggle for existence against overwhelming odds. Good people, most of them” (79). Most of us have had such mixed emotions about our hometowns.
I’m really looking forward to the second and third books of this trilogy.
Show Less
LibraryThing member mimal
bookshelves: published-2009, tbr-busting-2014, series, winter-20132014, mystery-thriller, e-book, britain-scotland, gr-library, contemporary, first-in-series, medical-eew, religion, glbt, bullies, bedside, hebridean, zoology, teh-demon-booze, revenge
Read from June 19, 2013 to March 05, 2014
Here we
Excellent; looking forward to the next.
The Guga Hunt, Sula Sgeir. The chute used to drop the guga down to the boat.
3.5* The Blackhouse
TR The Lewis Man (Lewis Trilogy, #2)
TR The Chessmen (Lewis Trilogy, #3)
Crossposted:
Wordpress
Booklikes
LeafMark
Librarything
aNobii
Read from June 19, 2013 to March 05, 2014
Here we
Show More
go: They are just kids. Sixteen years old. Emboldened by alcohol. and hastened by the approaching Sabbath, they embrace the dark in search of love and find only death.Excellent; looking forward to the next.
The Guga Hunt, Sula Sgeir. The chute used to drop the guga down to the boat.
3.5* The Blackhouse
TR The Lewis Man (Lewis Trilogy, #2)
TR The Chessmen (Lewis Trilogy, #3)
Crossposted:
Wordpress
Booklikes
LeafMark
Librarything
aNobii
Show Less
LibraryThing member sianpr
Peter May conjures up an atmospheric drama. Although this is billed as a police procedural, most of the story is taken up with introducing the main character, Fin MacLeod, as he returns from Glasgow to his home territory, Lewis, as part of an investigation into a possible serial murderer. There are
Show More
lots of twists and turns along the way and May is very good at character & place, & there is a twist in the tale which I certainly didn't see coming. Promising introduction to the trilogy. Show Less
LibraryThing member polkadotshark
Liked this much more than I thought I was going to. I'm always wary when it comes best-selling crime novels (well, in these parts it's been selling like hot cakes, at least). I grew up in a house where the crime genre was worshipped, and a day didn't go by that I wasn't exposed to a whodunnit on
Anyway, usually these days if I do dip into the crime genre, the book has to have an interesting kind of angle, like Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann or, The Killer Inside Me, by Jim Thompson. I can't say Blackhouse had anything like that, but it was cheap and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about...
And like I said, I'm glad I did.
For a lot of the book, I felt that I needed a bingo card, especially when it came to the central protagonist Finn. He's leaving the force...he's getting a divorce...he's going back...he wants to get his ex in the sack...his childhood friend gets asthma attacks.
There's really nothing special there at all, very two-dimensional and bland. Now, as for the crime/mystery itself, well, happily, it almost takes second place to May setting up the scenes and the background...and this is where May really excels himself.
Outside of Finn, the characters really shine, are memorable, and the picture he paints of life on a small island is simply superb. The flashback moments are well worth the entry price alone and there were times when I got annoyed when the book moved back into the present day investigation.
Anyway, it's worth a look, and I've already started Lewis Man which I didn't think I was going to, so May has definitely done something right.
3.5
Show More
the TV in the afternoon, a police procedural on in the evening, a Christie drama on the radio...it never ended.Anyway, usually these days if I do dip into the crime genre, the book has to have an interesting kind of angle, like Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann or, The Killer Inside Me, by Jim Thompson. I can't say Blackhouse had anything like that, but it was cheap and I wanted to see what the fuss was all about...
And like I said, I'm glad I did.
For a lot of the book, I felt that I needed a bingo card, especially when it came to the central protagonist Finn. He's leaving the force...he's getting a divorce...he's going back...he wants to get his ex in the sack...his childhood friend gets asthma attacks.
There's really nothing special there at all, very two-dimensional and bland. Now, as for the crime/mystery itself, well, happily, it almost takes second place to May setting up the scenes and the background...and this is where May really excels himself.
Outside of Finn, the characters really shine, are memorable, and the picture he paints of life on a small island is simply superb. The flashback moments are well worth the entry price alone and there were times when I got annoyed when the book moved back into the present day investigation.
Anyway, it's worth a look, and I've already started Lewis Man which I didn't think I was going to, so May has definitely done something right.
3.5
Show Less
Physical description
368 p.; 6.3 x 1.22 inches
Pages
368