Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (2)
- Arkansas
- California (8)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (1)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho
- Illinois (1)
- Indiana (1)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana
- Maine (4)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico
- New York (8)
- North Carolina (3)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah (1)
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (4)
- Canada (3)
- England (14)
- France (2)
- Greece (1)
- Italy (1)
- Japan (1)
- Norway (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (2)
- Vietnam (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge









Thursday, December 22, 2016
Outer Hebrides Murder Mystery a Broody, Atmospheric Read
1:00 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
With its dark, broody weather and desolate, treeless landscape, the Isle of Lewis makes a fitting backdrop for murder. And this one's as grisly as they come. Oddly, the crime bears remarkable similarities to a recent killing in Edinburgh. Because he speaks Gaelic, Edinburgh detective Fin McLeod is sent to the Outer Hebrides to investigate. Reared on Lewis, the policeman hasn't been back in almost two decades. He's less than thrilled to be returning now, especially on such an unpleasant errand.
Fin has no desire to revisit his dark past, but he has little choice as he traverses the land he knew so well as a boy. Questioning old friends and neighbors doesn't help matters. The more he investigates the murder, the deeper he's drawn into not just the past but also the secretive presents of the tight-lipped islanders. It doesn't help that Marsaili, the woman Fin has always loved, still lives on the island—with her husband. Being on Lewis is seriously messing with his head. Can Fin sniff out a killer when he can't even sort himself? With a murderer on the loose, will the detective ever leave Lewis? Or will his homecoming end with his body buried in the cold, hard ground he vowed never to step on again?
Although The Blackhouse—the first book in Peter May's Lewis trilogy—begins with a murder, the novel really isn't about the crime. It's about the journey of a man haunted by his past. Fin is a complex character; his flaws humanize him in a way that makes it impossible not to empathize with his plight. As he examines the Outer Hebrides, with its unique scenery, culture, and people, the book's setting comes to life, becoming an intriguing character in its own right. As for the plot of The Blackhouse, it's tense, compelling, and twisty. On the whole, the novel is dark, depressing, and sad. And yet, I found myself totally engrossed by it, so much so that I put the next two books in the series on reserve at the library before I even finished The Blackhouse. I do like a moody mystery set in a unique locale. Since I've now finished the series, I can say that all three volumes definitely qualify.
(Readalikes: Reminded me of the other books in the trilogy [The Lewis Man; and The Chessmen] as well as several of May's stand alone novels [Entry Island; Coffin Road; Runaway; etc.].
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language, violence, blood/gore, sexual content, and depictions of underage drinking and illegal drug use
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)


Reading
Rabbit Rabbit by Dori Hillestad Butler and Sunshine Bacon

Listening
The Morning House by Maureen Johnson


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
-
-
-
#ThrowbackThursday. May 20144 hours ago
-
-
Kissing Adrien6 hours ago
-
-
-
The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James8 hours ago
-
A Review of Space Snot9 hours ago
-
-
July Reflections18 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
TTT – Not Your Typical Beach Read2 days ago
-
Love is a War Song3 days ago
-
The Slip by.Lucas Schaefer3 days ago
-
-
Two crime yarns1 week ago
-
Clean teen books for Summer4 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
No Roundup this month2 months ago
-
Sunday Post #5683 months ago
-
-
February 2025 Reading Wrap Up4 months ago
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery5 months ago
-
-
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October8 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I11 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus1 year ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-

Grab my Button!


Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ▼ 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)


2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
