The Blackhouse - Peter May

The Blackhouse by Peter May

First Paragraph(s):

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.
     Unusually, there is just a light wind.  And for once it is warm, like breath on the skin, caressing and seductive.  A slight haze in the August sky hides the stars, but a three-quarter moon casts its pale, bloodless light across the compacted sand left by the outgoing tide.  The sea breathes gently upon the shore, phosphorescent foam bursting silver bubbles over gold.  The young couple hurries down the tarmac from the village above, blood pulsing in their heads like the beat of the waves.

My Thoughts:

This is not the first time I've read Peter May's The Blackhouse.  In fact, I think this might be the third or fourth time I've read it.  A couple of times in print and a couple on audio, narrated by Peter Forbes.  He does a great job.  I've mentioned more than once that I love this author's trilogy set on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.  May will be 'Peter May' month for our mystery group.  Each of us will read a book or several books by the author and then, well, we'll talk about them.  I decided to fulfill part of my job as 'moderator' by immersing myself in the Isle of Lewis - audio style.  I've completed The Blackhouse and am on to The Lewis Man and then The Chessmen.

The Blackhouse tells of Detective Inspector Fin Macleod who returns to his home village in order to consult about a recent murder on the island.  Fin hasn't been back for 18 years.  Lewis contains a lot of memories, old friends and a special woman, and some deep, dark secrets from his youth.  As he investigates and questions the locals, along with DS George Gunn (great character, by the way), Fin is reminded of many things that he has tried to forget.  His marriage is definitely on the rocks and he and his wife in Edinburgh are dealing with the accidental death of their young son.  Fin is in a dark place in his head, but there are darker places still to discover.

Word of warning - this book contains a local custom or tradition of hunting a certain type of bird and killing large numbers of them.  Just so you know.  There are some fairly graphic descriptions of this, plus a number of violent crimes mentioned.  These islands are quite interesting to me and starkly beautiful.  I've included a video below that comes from Peter May's research on the Isle of Lewis.  A lovely musical accompaniment is Capercaillie's 'An Gille Ban'.  More info here on the author's website.  The music is haunting and perfect for this book.  Let me know what you think if you decide to read the book or just watch the video.  Peter May has also written a 'coffee table' type book entitled Hebrides.   It has the most gorgeous photographs and history.  These books are highly recommended.

Blurb:

When a grisly murder occurs on the Isle of Lewis that bears similarities to a brutal killing on the mainland, Edinburgh detective and native islander Fin Macleod is dispatched to the Outer Hebrides to investigate, embarking at the same time on a voyage into his own troubled past.

As Fin reconnects with the people and places of his tortured childhood, the desolate but beautiful island and its ancient customs once again begin to assert their grip on his psyche. Every step toward solving the case brings Fin closer to a dangerous confrontation with the dark events of the past that shaped--and nearly destroyed--his life.

The Black Loch by Peter May

The Black Loch by Peter May

First Paragraph(s):

     The sun set some time ago.  Although it is not yet dark enough, somehow, for murder.

     The east side of the island lies in dusky purple shadow, with the rising of the moon still hours away.  But what little light remains in the sky is reflected pale and pink upon the unusually still water of An Loch Dubh, making silhouettes of the man and woman as they run from the house.  For more than an hour, only the single lit pane of a downstairs window has broken the twilight, seeming to flicker feebly, like a candle, in its fight against the smothering half-light.

My Thoughts:

I was extremely surprised to learn earlier this year that Peter May was returning to the Isle of Lewis for another book to add to his 'Lewis Trilogy'.  It's been over 10 years since the last of that trilogy was published.  In any case, I was interested to hear what this author would add to his stories of Lewis and also Fin Macleod.  And this book, I think it ties things up nicely in the end, but it's quite a bleak journey through the storyline to get there.

If you haven't read this particular set of books, I suggest that you begin at the beginning with The Blackhouse.  My thoughts on that book here.  The second book continues Fin's story and it's The Lewis Man - my thoughts here.  Last of the trilogy is The Chessmen - again, my thoughts here.  I have read the trilogy more than once, but only revisited The Blackhouse for a quick skim before starting The Black Loch.  

I honestly don't want to share too much about this book because of spoilers, but I enjoyed it and 'catching up' with Fin and his family and friends.  That being said, these stories set in the Outer Hebrides do reflect the setting, the cold wind, the people who live in a place that is a bit harsh, but also beautiful.  I always feel a bit shivery while reading them.  Have you tried any of Peter May's work?  I'd love to hear.    

Blurb:

THE RETURN OF FIN MACLEOD, PETER MAY'S MUCH-LOVED HERO OF THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING LEWIS TRILOGY.

A MURDER

The body of eighteen-year-old TV personality Caitlin is found abandoned on a remote beach at the head of An Loch Dubh - the Black Loch - on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. A swimmer and canoeist, it is inconceivable that she could have drowned.

A SECRET

Fin Macleod left the island ten years earlier to escape its memories. When he learns that his married son Fionnlagh had been having a clandestine affair with the dead girl and is suspected of her murder, he and Marsaili return to try and clear his name.

A RECKONING

But nothing is as it seems, and the truth of the murder lies in a past that Fin would rather forget, and a tragedy at the cages of a salmon farm on East Loch Roag, where the tense climax of the story finds its resolution.

The Black Loch takes us on a journey through family ties, hidden relationships and unforgiving landscapes, where suspense, violent revenge and revelation converge in the shadow of the Black Loch.

kay's week - 3.4.17

Hello bookish friends!  We are already into March and I'm finding it hard to believe.  Think we'll talk about a bit of weather at the end, so let's get right on into the books.


I've been reading...

I read four books this week, two in audio format and two in print.  I liked all four of them, though I did have some issues with one.

I listened to I See You by Clare Mackintosh on audio.  It was narrated by Rachel Atkins and she did a fine job.  This was a reread for me, as I had ordered a print copy from the UK last summer when it was first published there.  And then when so many were talking about it here recently, I decided I'd like to listen to it.  I've read Clare Mackintosh's first book, I Let You Go, as well.  I See You may not have quite as many twists and turns as I Let You Go, but for me, the idea that someone was watching you as you commuted, as you bought your morning coffee, as you went about your life - very disturbing.  Probably because it could happen to any of us.  I know that the UK has many more CCTV cameras than we do here in the US, but I think we are catching up.  And where there is technology, some nutcase will decide to use it for nefarious ends.  Zoe, the main character, was a little too apologetic to her family and friends for my taste, but she was also a pretty normal person.  I'll definitely be reading whatever this author thinks up next.

Nothing Stays Buried by P. J. Tracy is the 8th book in the Monkeewrench mystery series.  It will be published at the beginning of August, but I couldn't wait that long to read my advance copy.  Set in Minnesota, mostly in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, this series has wonderful characters - the Monkeewrench software gang and the Minneapolis Police Department detectives that we've come to know and love.  The previous book, The Sixth Idea, was a bit different and some, including me, were not quite as fond of it.  However, Nothing Stays Buried finds our beloved Grace, Harley, Roadrunner and Annie, Magozzi and Gino, back into the swing of things.  The MPD is trying to find a serial killer who leaves playing cards on the bodies and Monkeewrench is trying to help a small town sheriff solve the disappearance of a local woman.  Even Charlie the dog is included in the hunt.  Did I say that I love this series?  I think all Monkeewrench lovers will be delighted with this new book.

My next read was another advance copy, The Party by Robyn Harding.  This book will be published in early June.  Kim and Jeff Sanders throw a sweet-sixteen slumber party for their daughter, Hannah.  Kim is one of those mothers, you know the kind, who spends more time reading about and stressing over being the perfect mom and much less time actually trying to accomplish it.  Hannah is a good kid, but she wants to be part of the popular crowd.  We all know that in order for that to happen, compromises in 'good behavior' are often required.  At the party, Kim recites the 'house rules' to the girls, which are, of course, ignored.  A tragic accident happens and this family pretty much comes unglued in every way possible.  This book held my interest and had some twists and turns, but some parts seemed a little predictable.  I liked it, but I didn't love it.  Definitely falls under the 'domestic drama' category.

The last book I read this week was another on audio.  It was Entry Island by Peter May and I did a listen/read combo.  It was narrated by Peter Forbes and he did an excellent job with all the accents.  I have absolutely loved Peter May's trilogy set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland - if you haven't read it, you really should (starts with The Blackhouse).  Entry Island has two storylines - one with a current setting - a murder investigation in a small group of islands off the coast of Quebec, Canada.  The other story is historical - the mid-1800's as people are forcibly moved by local gentry from the Scottish Isles to Canada.  The two stories are connected loosely at the beginning and then the reader comes to understand that they are interwoven tightly.  Homicide detective Sime Mackenzie is the main protagonist, along with the wife of the murder victim.  The setting is incredibly vivid, both in Canada and Scotland.  This author has a way of writing about the Isle of Lewis that makes the reader want to jump on a plane and go there immediately.  I really, really enjoyed this book.  The setting, the characters, the stories.  Highly recommended.


Mystery Book Group...

Our mystery book group met on Wednesday evening and we had an amazing amount of people.  It probably helped that it was a 'potluck' meeting, but happily there was a lot of food, and we had a great time talking about books.  Our theme for March was 'Books published by the Poisoned Pen Press' and I was so pleased that the group members dove in with vigor.  It had been a bit tricky to discern which books in our library system were actually published by the PPP, but we got a little help from one member, Carol, who shared a way to sort through the catalog.  I had read five books that qualified and really liked four of them and had a bit of an issue with one.  Several members had tried more than one book and they took my advice of 'if it's not working for you, move on to the next book'.  A few of the authors mentioned were Kerry Greenwood (Phryne Fisher series), Donis Casey (Alafair Tucker series), Vicki Delany (Molly Smith series), Steven F. Havill (Posadas County series), and the British Library Crime Classics.  We also talked about Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries - TV adaptation of the Phryne Fisher books.  It's very good and on Acorn and Netflix.  Next month, we'll be reading Ruth Ware's In A Dark Dark Wood.


Personally...

I had a quiet week.  My husband was on a trip to Tucson and so I was in sole possession of the TV remote and the dinner menu.  I spent some time watching the first couple of seasons of Vera, which is based on the mystery series by Ann Cleeves.  I had a little bit of trouble at first with the accents (and I'm a seasoned British TV watcher), but I soon adjusted and liked the episodes I watched.  I saw the episode that was based on the book by Cleeves that I read a few weeks ago, Silent Voices.  A few changes were made, but it was a good adaptation.  I'll be reading more books in the series and also watching more of the TV show.

My husband texted me a picture from the golf course he was playing in Tucson.  He said that they had just been experiencing 'icy rain'.  I laughed and asked what he considered 'icy rain'.  He said 'sleet and ice pellets'.  I told him that he had to go all the way to Arizona to get 'icy rain', as we've had a very mild winter and none of that sort of stuff here.  It was actually quite a bit cooler in Tucson than it was in Central Texas.  That's not such an event, but it was interesting that they were getting more 'wintery weather' and we were not.  I'll leave you with the picture and hope that everyone has a great reading week!

                

Kay's Ten Favorite Books She Read in the Last Three Years

This is a weekly event, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, where bloggers relate their "top ten" of a certain topic.  This week's topic - Top Ten Books You Would Classify As ALL TIME FAVORITE BOOKS From the Past 3 Years.  Well, I am going to tweak this a bit as these are my top ten-ish books that I read in the past 3 years.  And this was hard.  And I cheated a little.  I read 347 books in the last 3 years, which would make this a 2.9%-ish sample.  Again, no particular order.

1. Defending Jacob by William Landay - Who hasn't read this book?  If you haven't, you ought to at least think about it.  A father who is a prosecutor.  A teenage son who is accused of murder.  What would you do?  Many problematic issues for a parent.  Had a wonderful discussion of this book with my mystery group.

2. & 3. The Blackhouse and The Lewis Man by Peter May - First two books in a trilogy set in Scotland's Outer Hebrides.  The setting is a huge part of the books - windswept, cold, bleak. scary.  Detective Fin MacLeod comes home to the Isle of Lewis to investigate a murder, but can you go home again?  I loved both of these books and have been hoarding the 3rd, saving it for just the perfect time.  It is The Chessmen.  This trilogy is highly recommended.

4. How The Light Gets In by Louise Penny - The 9th book in the Three Pines/Gamache series.  A pivotal book that ties up some story arcs that have been in play for 9 books.  We finally know a lot of things.  I love Armand Gamache!

5. In the Blood by Lisa Unger - Part of this author's loosely connected group of books set in The Hollows, a community in upstate New York.  "Liar, liar, pants on fire..." and some amazingly creepy manipulation here.  I kept saying "huh?" and "what the dickens?" (oh, have you been watching Grantchester?).  A book with some mega-twists.

6. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - Oh my.  What a story.  I loved it.  So many things to ponder and, yes, there is a mystery but mostly, lots and lots to think about.  A coming of age story about Frank Drum and his family in the summer of 1961.  There is death that comes in many ways.  And lots for a boy and indeed all of us to try to understand about grace.  This book totally deserved the awards it has won.  I've loved William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor mystery series.  This book moves him to a completely different level in my mind.  Highly recommended.

7. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - I know this book is great in regular form.  However, I listened to it on audio and, let me tell you, that is the way to do it.  It's not short - 16 hours - but Caroline Lee's narration is spectacular.  Totally loved it.  Yes, this is about the perils, sorrows, drama, and crimes of an elementary school parent group.  There is murder.  There are lots of secrets.  There are Blonde Bobs (the cool group of mommies).  There are sweet little children.  There is snarkiness and kind support.  And the best exclamation for 2014 - "Oh calamity!".  Read it.

8. Natchez Burning by Greg Iles - First in this author's mega-trilogy that spans a good chunk of the civil rights era.  I was glued to the pages.  I'm a big fan of Penn Cage, who was a prosecutor in Houston, and then returned home to Natchez, Mississippi, when his wife died.  He has raised his daughter with the help of his parents in this city of the Old South.  There are lots of secrets, lots of negative emotions, lots of cover-ups.  There are many things about the South that I, a native Southerner, am not proud of.  Knowledge is good.  I can't wait for the second book, The Bone Tree.

9. Watching You by Michael Robotham - I love the Joe O'Loughlin series.  Love it.  The way that the main character's Parkinson's disease is a part of the narrative is most compelling.  Really, any of the books in the series are worthwhile, but this latest came to my mind first.  Marnie feels that she is being watched and her husband is missing.  She consults O'Loughlin in his practice as a clinical psychologist.  And then the fun really starts...or not.  Such a good series.  The first book - The Suspect.

10. The whole Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James series by Deborah Crombie - OK, here's where the cheating begins.  I could not come up with just one book to highlight.  I've read the whole series in the last 3 years, and I think it is the best.  There are now 16 books about these characters.  The first is A Share in Death and I just shared a review of the latest, To Dwell in Darkness.  Every book adds to the character development and by the 16th, well, you will not want it to end.  You'll desperately need to find out what is going on with all of them.  Plus there are good mysteries and lots of tidbits and info about wherever the particular book is set.  Trust me.  This series is a keeper.

Friends, I have placed my offerings upon the waters.  Hope you'll try a few of these.  And now, back to reading!

The Lewis Man - Peter May

The Lewis Man by Peter May

First Paragraph(s):

On this storm-lashed island three hours off the north-west coast of Scotland, what little soil exists gives the people their food and their heat.  It also takes their dead.  And very occasionally, as today, gives one up.
     It is a social thing, the peat-cutting.  Family, neighbours, children, all gathered on the moor with a mild wind blowing out of the south-west to dry the grasses and keep the midges at bay.  Annag is just five years old.  It is her first peat-cutting, and the one she will remember for the rest of her life.

My Thoughts:

I have been enjoying my time visiting Peter May's trilogy set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.  The Lewis Man is narrated by Peter Forbes (who narrates this whole trilogy plus Entry Island).  His voice is great and his pronunciation of the difficult Gaelic words is spot on.  I also want to say that I'll be moving on to the third book, The Chessmen, next.  I've already written about that one here and won't be including another review.  If you'd like to see my thoughts, click on the link above.

After the events related in The Blackhouse, Fin Macleod has resigned his job, agreed to a divorce from his wife, and moved to Lewis planning to renovate his parents' old croft.  Not long after he arrives, DS George Gunn crosses his path and tells him of a body that's been found in the peat.  It appears to have been there for 50 years or so and, more importantly, DNA has shown that the dead man is related to Tormod Macdonald, Marsaili's father.  Tormod is suffering from advanced dementia and Marsaili's mother has passed responsibility for him on to her daughter.  Since a police investigation into the circumstances of the death is imminent, Fin must step in to assist.

This book is probably my favorite of the trilogy.  The story is related in pieces as Fin tries to determine what exactly happened years ago and how Tormod is connected.  Tormod himself relates part of the story through memories (his past thoughts are much more coherent than his present day).  Dealing with and relating to a person with advanced dementia is tough and very, very poignant.  Fin is better able to handle the queries, but it's not easy peeling back the layers of time.  And then things get much more dire as a present day threat presents itself.  The book comes to a most dramatic and shocking ending.  As with the previous book, the setting is vividly described and traditions and customs revealed in interesting ways.  Highly recommended.

Blurb:

In The Lewis Man, the second book of the trilogy, Fin Macleod has returned to the Isle of Lewis, the storm-tossed, wind-scoured outer Hebridean island where he was born and raised. Having left behind his adult life in Edinburgh--including his wife and his career in the police force--the former Detective Inspector is intent on repairing past relationships and restoring his parents' derelict cottage. His plans are interrupted when an unidentified corpse is recovered from a Lewis peat bog. The only clue to its identity is a DNA match to a local farmer, the now-senile Tormod Macdonald--the father of Fin's childhood sweetheart, Marsaili--a man who has claimed throughout his life to be an only child, practically an orphan. Reluctantly drawn into the investigation, Fin uncovers deep family secrets even as he draws closer to the killer who wishes to keep them hidden.

The Chessmen by Peter May

The Chessmen is the 3rd book in Peter May's trilogy, set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.  I finished this book and immediately felt like going back to the first book, The Blackhouse, and beginning the tale again.  I have loved these books, and I'll be sorry to leave the Isle of Lewis and Ex-Detective Inspector Fin McLeod.

After the dramatic conclusion to the 2nd book, The Lewis Man, Fin has taken a job as head of security for a local landowner.  While investigating illegal activity, Fin runs across several old buddies, one by the name of Whistler Macaskill.  Fin and Whistler were good friends as teenagers when they were both at school in the town of Stornoway.  They were also both connected with a local rock band that ended up having great success with their Celtic music.

Whistler and Fin are caught in a serious storm while in the mountains and near a small loch.  When the storm is over, they realize that the loch is gone, drained away - a rare 'bog burst'.  What is left is a lot of mud and a gruesome discovery of a light airplane with an occupant that is very dead.  Both men recognize the plane as one that belonged to another school friend and the leader of the band, Roddy Mackenzie.  This plane and Roddy himself had disappeared 17 years before.  Fin realizes that he is the only one shocked to find the plane.  What did Whistler know about the disappearance and what other secrets has he been keeping?

Each of these books has given us some background into Fin McLeod's life growing up on the Isle of Lewis.  The Chessmen reveals his teen years and how events during that time period shaped his decisions.  The story goes back and forth from the present to those school days, introducing us to yet more characters from the island and bringing others that we've already met into the narrative.  The setting is spectacular and I was fascinated by the descriptions.

Another interesting part concerns the Lewis Chessmen, an actual discovery in the 19th century of 78 chess pieces, probably created in Norway in about the 12th century.  These chess pieces play a tangential part in this book as well as inspiring the name.

The story moves at a slower pace for much of the book.  I was almost a little disappointed that there were not more "aha!" moments for me.  And then I got to the sweet spot.  Ah, I thought.  There it is.  This is why I love Peter May's writing and this set of books.  A speech made by Fin toward the end of the book brought tears to my eyes and prompted my desire to pick up the first book and begin again.  This is a great trilogy.  Highly, highly recommended.

  

Reading update and what's to come in book groups...

I'm going to take a break from sharing about our Asheville trip and tell you guys what I've been reading lately.  Also, I'll share what the four book groups I try to attend are planning to discuss for the month of July.  I think I've mentioned that my goal is to attend as many meetings of these groups as I can.  I'm not 'making' myself read all the books.  I don't want them to seem like 'homework'.  I do very much enjoy chatting books with others and getting to know booklovers in my 'new-ish' town.

First, what I've recently read and enjoyed:

Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer - This book was very good, in my opinion, though it headed in different directions than I had first thought.  The cover suggests a 'Gothic' theme to me and there was definitely a bit of that in the story.  Hannah Larson and her son, Nicky, go to Cambridge, England for the summer to visit with a relative that is quite ill.  Ashton Hall is a historic manor house and it has lots of secrets.  While there, Nicky, who is extremely curious, finds the skeletal remains of a woman in a hidden room.  Who was this person and how and when did she die?  As I said, lots of secrets.  Hannah and Nicky are both involved in helping the local authorities find answers.  Plus, Hannah learns more about herself, her son, her marriage, and what she wants for the future.  This was not a typical 'Gothic' mystery but more of a woman's journey to discover how she wants to live and also how other women lived in the past.

The Island by Adrian McKinty - This book was a definite thriller in every way.  Non-stop action.  Breathless pace.  Characters to like and characters to hate.  I felt like I flew through this in about 5 minutes and forgot to breathe.  That being said - when I got finished, I had mixed feelings about how the story played out and also about several of the characters.  Tom and Heather are married.  Tom, a widower, has two children, age 12 and 14.  Heather is quite a bit younger than Tom and his kids have not warmed to her at all.  The family goes on a trip to Australia where they hope to sightsee and have fun, while also keeping in mind that Tom will be speaking at a work conference.  As I said, the kids were not very enthusiastic about a bunch of things.  In order to smooth rough waters, the family talks their way onto a ferry going to a small island off the coast.  They hope to see koalas and other wildlife.  Hmmm...bad decision.  An accident occurs, the family is taken captive by the people who 'rule' the island.  Crazy, crazy people.  Heather finds herself having to remember some of the things that her father, a military sniper, taught her about survival.  She has to protect the kids.  I'll be curious if anyone else has read this book and what they think about it.  I suspect it will be made into a TV series or something.  It has that quality.

Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton - I have read a couple of earlier books by Fiona Barton and decided this would be a good one to read after my previous 'mega-adventure' book.  I did like this book a lot and also listened to a great author event with the Poisoned Pen Bookstore Podcast.  In previous books, the author, a former investigative reporter, used a journalist as a recurring protagonist.  In Local Gone Missing, she goes in a different direction and has a Detective Inspector Elise King as her main focus.  Elise is actually on medical leave from the police after having breast cancer and treatment.  She is doing well, but is torn about how her life will go from here on out.  She lives in a small seaside town of Ebbing.  A music festival weekend occurs, with much resistance from some of the locals who like their town small and quiet.  However, many weekenders are starting to come to Ebbing and the festival has enthusiasts as well.  Unfortunately, two teenagers overdose and a local man disappears during that weekend.  Elise becomes involved in the investigation, unofficially at first.  There are secrets and connections that were not apparent in the beginning.  Eventually, Elise is asked by her boss to come back to work and lead this investigation.  I had a good time trying to see if I could solve the case before the end of the book.  The author said that Elise will make an appearance in her next book and I'll be looking forward to that.

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I'm now reading the first of Sarah Stewart Taylor's books, The Mountains Wild, with Maggie D'Arcy as the main character.  Loving it so far.  And there are two more books out in this series.  Yay!

As to my book groups and what's on for July - here we go.  I'll see how I do with these and if I choose to read them all.  Let me know if you've read any of them and what you thought or the same about the books mentioned above.

July 7 - 'As Time Goes By - Historical Fiction Book Club' - Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

July 14 - 'Brown Bag Book Club' - The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 

July 21 - 'Shrouded In Mystery Book Club' - The Blackhouse by Peter May - (I've read this one more than once and love it.  Looking forward to discussing it with a book group again.)

July 28 - 'Talking Texas Book Club' - It Happened In Texas by James A. Cruchfield 

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I'll have more Asheville posts later this week.  Take care and hope you are all well and having a cool (or hot if you like that) summer!

Waiting on Wednesday - The Black Loch

 

'Waiting on Wednesday' is an event where I feature an upcoming book that I am extra excited about.  I used to do this in the past and am making it a priority to do again.  Seriously, who among us doesn't have a book or two or twenty that we are excited about reading?  Plus, it lets us 'spread the word' about authors and series that we personally enjoy. 

The book I'm featuring this week is one that I am mega excited about.  It is the 4th book in a trilogy - yes, I said trilogy and 4th book - that I read several years ago and loved.  In fact, I've read the first three books more than once.  I was so surprised to find that Peter May, author of The Lewis Trilogy, is returning to the Isle of Lewis and to Fin Macleod.  Starting with The Blackhouse and continuing with The Lewis Man and then The Chessmen, we have visited the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and learned about Fin, a Detective Inspector, who grew up on the island.  I have shared my thoughts about each of the books on this blog.  Have you read any of this trilogy?  Do you enjoy mystery fiction set in wild and amazing places?  The new book will be published in September and so there is time to play 'catch-up'.  I can't wait because it has been 12 years since the last book was published.  I'm ready to return again...  

The Black Loch

by Peter May

Publication Date:  September 12th  

THE RETURN OF FIN MACLEOD, PETER MAY'S MUCH-LOVED HERO OF THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING LEWIS TRILOGY.

A MURDER

The body of eighteen-year-old TV personality Caitlin is found abandoned on a remote beach at the head of An Loch Dubh - the Black Loch - on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis. A swimmer and canoeist, it is inconceivable that she could have drowned.

A SECRET

Fin Macleod left the island ten years earlier to escape its memories. When he learns that his married son Fionnlagh had been having a clandestine affair with the dead girl and is suspected of her murder, he and Marsaili return to try and clear his name.

A RECKONING

But nothing is as it seems, and the truth of the murder lies in a past that Fin would rather forget, and a tragedy at the cages of a salmon farm on East Loch Roag, where the tense climax of the story finds its resolution.

The Black Loch takes us on a journey through family ties, hidden relationships and unforgiving landscapes, where suspense, violent revenge and revelation converge in the shadow of the Black Loch.

Bookish Nostalgia - January 2018

It's been a long time since I did a 'Bookish Nostalgia'.  I'm going to revive this monthly post where I look back at my notebooks to see what I was reading 20, 15, 10, and 5 years ago this month.  I've kept the notebooks pretty consistently since 1993 - 25 years - wish I'd done it my whole reading life.  So, for 2018, we'll visit 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013.  Let's see what I remember about the books I read in January of those years.

January 1998 - Shakespeare's Landlord by Charlaine Harris is the first book in this author's 5-book series featuring Lily Bard, a housecleaner in Shakespeare, Arkansas.  Harris herself is from Arkansas and this was her second series after her Aurora Teagarden, librarian, series.  I read all the books about Lily and always wished there were more.  It's considerably darker than the Aurora books, but I think it has been recently republished after the author's fame for her Sookie books and TV series and also the Midnight, Texas series and the Aurora movies.  Amazing that Charlaine Harris has kept on going with so many creative books.

January 2003 - 'I have no idea!' - Actually, this is one of the few times when I took a break from keeping track of my reading.  Apparently, from August 2002 until February 2003, no book entries.  Wow.  I'll have an entry next month for 2003.

January 2008 - At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon, the first in the gentle series featuring Father Tim and the small town of Mitford.  There are now 14 books in this series.  It is charming and not overly religious at all.  In 2008, my life was quite stressful.  I had parents that were both living in care centers - separate ones - and was working full time at the library.  My own health had some major problems that year as well.  Nan from Letters From a Hill Farm suggested this book for me as I was having trouble focusing on reading at all.  It was perfect for me and I went on to read the next 2 or 3 books in the series.  I'm grateful to her and also grateful to the author for providing some much-needed distraction at that time. 

January 2013 - The Lewis Man by Peter May, the 2nd book in a trilogy set in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland and featuring Fin MacLeod, a former policeman, who has returned home to Lewis Island and a new life.  The first book in the series is The Blackhouse and the 3rd is The Chessmen.  All are highly recommended.  The Lewis Man concerns a body found in a peat bog and the father of Fin's former girlfriend, Marsaili.  It is very, very interesting as Tormod MacDonald is a victim of dementia and doesn't remember anything about the body.  I love books set in this area of the world - stark, windy, bleak, and amazingly beautiful. 

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Well, that's it for January.  Have you read any of these books and what did you think of them?  Come back around next month and see what I remember about February of the years included. 

Waiting on Wednesday - The Chessmen

This is a weekly event that highlights a book that we can't wait to be published.  It's hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.  Here's my pick for this week:

The Chessmen

by Peter May

Publication Date in US - February 3

Marilyn Stasio in The New York Times raved: "Peter May is a writer I'd follow to the ends of the earth." Among the many honors received, The Blackhouse, the first novel in May's acclaimed Lewis trilogy, won the Barry and Crime Thriller Hound awards.

Now in The Chessmen, Peter May gives us a dramatic conclusion to his award-winning Lewis trilogy. Living again on the Isle of Lewis, the ex-Detective Inspector Fin McLeod is working as a security officer for a local landowner. While investigating illegal activity on the estate Fin encounters the elusive poacher and former childhood friend Whistler Macaskill.

But while Fin catches up with Whistler, the two witness a freak natural phenomenon--a 'Bog Burst'--which spontaneously drains a loch of its water, revealing a mud-encased light aircraft with a sickeningly familiar moniker on its side.

Both men immediately know hat they will find inside: the body of Roddy Mackenzie, a friend whose flight disappeared more than seventeen years before. But when Whistler's face appears to register something other than shock, an icy chill of apprehension overtakes Fin. What secret has Whistler been hiding from him, and everyone else on the island? Fin is unprepared for how the truth about the past will alter the course of the future.

New shoes and new reading...

Good morning book friends!  Hope you are all well and safe and wearing your masks.  I didn't really have a new picture to show this morning that included nature or cute creatures, so I decided to show my new walking shoes.  What do you think?  Ha!  I had walked until my previous pair was not as supportive as it could be and so I ordered new ones.  You may ask 'do they glow in the dark?' - it's possible!  I haven't tested that as yet, but they are certainly bright.  What I'm happy about is that they are comfortable and support my 'old' feet as I walk and walk and walk.  It's been quite warm, but I seem to be adjusting to early morning temps and humidity.  I sweat, yes, but I've decided that isn't a bad thing.

My reading has been going along well.  I've been listening to books that I've read before mostly, but that's been working in case I get distracted or have to take a picture of a fun creature.  Right now, I'm listening to Peter May's The Blackhouse, which I have loved in the past and am completely enjoying again.

I finished reading David Baldacci's second Atlee Pine book, A Minute To Midnight, and enjoyed it a lot.  Atlee and her assistant, Carol, go to her hometown to do further research on what exactly happened to Mercy, Atlee's twin sister.  When both girls were six, Mercy was taken, and no one knows the end of that story as yet.  While in Georgia, Atlee and Carol end up assisting the FBI and local law enforcement with identification and apprehension of a potential serial killer in the area.  The third book in the series,  Daylight, is scheduled to be published in November.  I'll be watching for it.

My next book was Michael Connelly's most recent Ballard/Bosch pairing, The Night Fire.  My husband and I had listened to about half of that book on our recent trip and will finish it on audio when we travel next.  However, who knows when that will be?  I couldn't wait, so I read the rest of it in print form.  I've only been reading Connelly's books since he created Renee Ballard (this is #3 of those), but I've watched all the Bosch seasons on TV, so I feel like I'm OK with knowing at least something about him.  The Night Fire begins with Bosch attending a funeral of one of his mentors at the LAPD, John Jack Thompson.  He finds that Thompson had taken a murder book home with him when he retired and the widow says that Thompson wanted Harry to have it.  Bosch asks Ballard to help him figure out some things and the two work together to solve not only this cold case, but a couple of other cases that might relate. 

The last book I finished this week was Katherine Center's new one, What You Wish For.  I read another book by this author last year, How To Walk Away.  I liked it quite a bit and decided to try this new one.  Center's books are full of 'heart' I think I would say.  They are funny and poignant and deal with some tough situations, but will make you laugh out loud at times too.  They have romance, but they also have sorrow and show a lot about how one might deal with adversity.  In this book, the theme is to 'choose joy, even in difficult times'.  I love that.  And it doesn't hurt that it's set on Galveston Island of Texas, includes a bit of history about Galveston, and features a school librarian as the main protagonist.  I thought this book was very good.  And I want to go back and read this author's backlist.

I'm glad that my reading has moved in a more positive direction.  Not necessarily with the themes being 'happy all the time', but just immersive and keeping my interest.  This morning I started Kate White's new book, Have You Seen Me?.  I'll talk about that one next week, hopefully.  Take care and I'll see you soon!