- Hardcover
- Publisher: BDS titles not on BD and which cannot be assigned (1 Dec 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1843951088
- ISBN-13: 978-1843951087
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
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Product Description
New Woman
'A fascinating mix of archaeology, forensics and local folklore'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Sydney Telegraph
‘A gripping thriller'
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
With a sodden rasp, Brendan McGann's turf spade sliced into the bank of earth below his feet. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
With a sodden rasp, Brendan McGann's turf spade sliced into the bank of earth below his feet. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A very impressive debut. Sill thinking about it weeks later. Will certainly have me looking for more books by this author.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I do feel bad giving this book a less than favourable review as it isn't actually a bad book...it's just dull. I realise this isn't the most constructive of words but it sums it up quite well.
We're presented with the severed head in the bog and also the disappearance of the mother and child all within the first few chapters. In addition to this we are also presented with a suspect based on local feeling and lead character, Nora Gavins, personal issues. All in all you feel rather insulted as a reader that you're not given the opportunity to figure things out by yourself.
Because you're given all this so early on, you wonder where the book is going to take you beyond the obvious resolution of both missing people and the head in the bog and the answer is sadly nowhere, it all felt like a bit of a formality.
In addition to this we have to endure the inevitable relationship between Cormac and Nora when, quite frankly, you just don't really care all that much.
The book outstays it's welcome by being 30 pages too long and considering the book doesn't get all that interesting until the last 50 pages, there's not that much thrill in this book.
However, as strange as it seems, the book has a quality to it that makes it slightly readable. Something about it draws you in against your better judgement. I was surprised that i did pursue with it and found myself picking it up willingly rather than grudgingly.
This book may appeal to some but the synopsis is far more exciting than the actual event.
We're presented with the severed head in the bog and also the disappearance of the mother and child all within the first few chapters. In addition to this we are also presented with a suspect based on local feeling and lead character, Nora Gavins, personal issues. All in all you feel rather insulted as a reader that you're not given the opportunity to figure things out by yourself.
Because you're given all this so early on, you wonder where the book is going to take you beyond the obvious resolution of both missing people and the head in the bog and the answer is sadly nowhere, it all felt like a bit of a formality.
In addition to this we have to endure the inevitable relationship between Cormac and Nora when, quite frankly, you just don't really care all that much.
The book outstays it's welcome by being 30 pages too long and considering the book doesn't get all that interesting until the last 50 pages, there's not that much thrill in this book.
However, as strange as it seems, the book has a quality to it that makes it slightly readable. Something about it draws you in against your better judgement. I was surprised that i did pursue with it and found myself picking it up willingly rather than grudgingly.
This book may appeal to some but the synopsis is far more exciting than the actual event.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the story of archaeologist Cormac Maguire and pathologist Nora Gavin attempting to find out more about a perfectly preserved severed head that is found in a bog in Western Ireland. In trying to find out about the severed head, which is years old, they get caught up in another more recent story which is the disappearance of a local woman and her young son. The reader moves between these two stories and the narrative is in the first person. So, we get to know a little about Cormac and his feelings, a little about Nora and her thoughts, and various other characters including the main detective Devaney.
The first half of the book annoyed me in lots of ways. The dialogue between characters was wooden and people said things I thought "you just wouldn't SAY that!" and the overall 'flow' of the book was poor. Only after 30 or so pages I realised I couldn't care less about Cormac or Nora and there was just nothing gripping me to this book - certainly least not the writing style. At times it felt like the story of the severed head took second fiddle to that of the disappearance of the local woman and her son and I wasn't sure that the author could make up her mind which one took precedence. During the second half of the book I found myself a bit more engrossed and actually wanting to pick the book up to find out what happened to the characters, but I'm not sure this was from the lure of the book, so much as my desire to finish a book that I'd started (I hate not finishing books and it's got to be a truly awful book for me not to finish reading it).
All in all, this isn't a book I'll be keeping on my bookshelf, taking up space for a better book and it will be given to Oxfam at the earliest opportunity.
The first half of the book annoyed me in lots of ways. The dialogue between characters was wooden and people said things I thought "you just wouldn't SAY that!" and the overall 'flow' of the book was poor. Only after 30 or so pages I realised I couldn't care less about Cormac or Nora and there was just nothing gripping me to this book - certainly least not the writing style. At times it felt like the story of the severed head took second fiddle to that of the disappearance of the local woman and her son and I wasn't sure that the author could make up her mind which one took precedence. During the second half of the book I found myself a bit more engrossed and actually wanting to pick the book up to find out what happened to the characters, but I'm not sure this was from the lure of the book, so much as my desire to finish a book that I'd started (I hate not finishing books and it's got to be a truly awful book for me not to finish reading it).
All in all, this isn't a book I'll be keeping on my bookshelf, taking up space for a better book and it will be given to Oxfam at the earliest opportunity.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
I LIKED THIS BOOK
Well, for a first novel I thought this an excellent book.
The prose flows well and there are many excellent descriptions of the beautiful Irish landscape. Read more
The prose flows well and there are many excellent descriptions of the beautiful Irish landscape. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mrs. Judith Lugg
HISTORY AND MYSTERY...
This stunning, lyrically written debut novel was nominated for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel and for the Agatha Award for Best First Mystery. Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2009 by Lawyeraau
A face without a name to begin with......
This book is a good read with flow in the story telling both by the author and the characters, keeping you wanting to know more. Read more
Published on 18 Aug 2003
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