The Redemption of Alexander Seaton
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Such is the quality of the recreation, not only of the reeking ebb and flow of everyday life, but also of the period mindset that it's easy to believe that Satan is walking abroad. This is an accomplished and thought-provoking debut - Guardian.
This could be the premise for a contemporary crime thriller - except that the novel is set in the 1620's and steeped in the history of that period - Scotland on Sunday.
This could be the premise for a contemporary crime thriller - except that the novel is set in the 1620's and steeped in the history of that period - Scotland on Sunday.
Product Description
Is the young man simply drunk or does his staggering walk suggest something more sinister? When he collapses in front of the two sisters on that dark, wet night, the women guess rightly that he's been poisoned. So begins this gripping tale set in the town of Banff, Scotland in the 1620s. The body of the victim, the apothecary's apprentice, is found in the house of Alexander Seaton - a fallen minister, the discovery of whose clandestine love affair has left him disgraced and deprived him of his vocation. Why was the body moved to Seaton's house? What is the significance of the unusual poison used to kill him? And why would anyone want to murder this likeable young man? Seaton sets out to find answers to these and many other questions, embarking on a journey where he encounters the witch hunt, extreme religious prejudice, cruelty and the darkness in men's souls. It is also a personal quest that leads Alexander to the rediscovery of his faith in God and his belief in himself. Among her many strengths, Shona MacLean is brilliant at evoking period and place. You feel you are in those cold, dark, northern rooms, eavesdropping on her characters. You are totally involved in the rich, convincing world she has re-created.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It's always great to find a really enjoyable first novel from a new author. The Redemption of Alexander Seaton delivers atmosphere, historical detail, characters and intrigue in shed loads. I hope it's the first of many.
One thing that would have really enhanced the book for me would have been the inclusion of a map of old Banff and the surrounding area.
One thing that would have really enhanced the book for me would have been the inclusion of a map of old Banff and the surrounding area.
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This was a fantastic read. The historical detail was extremely interesting and authentic. I am very interested in religious history in Scotland so it was perfect reading for me.. Besides that, there is a throroughly engaging story, endearing characters and a real moral message in the novel. My only complaint is that all the characters were a bit confusing at the beginning and I had to keep reading over who everyone was. Overall though, I absolutely loved this!
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
First Sentence: The younger of the two whores rifled the man's pockets with expert fingers.
Young Alexander Seaton, disallowed from becoming a minister, is now a teacher in his town of Banff, Scotland. He sees a man who staggers and falls on the street during a dark, wet night, but doesn't stop to help.
With morning comes the revelation that the man was the apprentice to the town apothecary and nephew to the town proctor. He had also been poisoned and found dead in Alexander's classroom. Alexander's friend, Charles Thom, who has also been living with the apothecary, is arrested for the murder. It falls to Alexander to prove his friend's innocence.
There was so much to this book, it's hard to know where to begin. Though it's not necessary indicative of excellent writing, I thought it interesting that Ms. MacLean is the niece to author Alistair MacLean (Guns of Navarone). Both MacLeans excel at bringing the reader into the story. From there, they are vastly different.
Ms. McLean makes real life in 1626 Scotland; the time of Charles I, after the dissolution and separation from Rome, but during a time of Knox and Melville Presbyterianism, religious prejudice and the rise of witch hunts. It's a story of murder, ambition, fear and bigotry, but also of strength, goodness and that we never truly know how we are perceived by others.
Alexander is a wonderful protagonist who becomes very real as his story unfolds throughout the story. A cast of characters would have been helpful, in the beginning, but all the characters are fully dimensional so it quickly became a non-issue. I did appreciate the short glossary at the end.
The story is dense and rich with detail and emotion, compassion and suspense. There was never a point where I wasn't compelled to turn the page and read more. It's a powerfully evocative book with wonderful historic detail that never overshadows an engrossing story.
I should love for this to be the first of a series. Even if it's not, I shall definitely read whatever Ms. MacLean writes next.
Young Alexander Seaton, disallowed from becoming a minister, is now a teacher in his town of Banff, Scotland. He sees a man who staggers and falls on the street during a dark, wet night, but doesn't stop to help.
With morning comes the revelation that the man was the apprentice to the town apothecary and nephew to the town proctor. He had also been poisoned and found dead in Alexander's classroom. Alexander's friend, Charles Thom, who has also been living with the apothecary, is arrested for the murder. It falls to Alexander to prove his friend's innocence.
There was so much to this book, it's hard to know where to begin. Though it's not necessary indicative of excellent writing, I thought it interesting that Ms. MacLean is the niece to author Alistair MacLean (Guns of Navarone). Both MacLeans excel at bringing the reader into the story. From there, they are vastly different.
Ms. McLean makes real life in 1626 Scotland; the time of Charles I, after the dissolution and separation from Rome, but during a time of Knox and Melville Presbyterianism, religious prejudice and the rise of witch hunts. It's a story of murder, ambition, fear and bigotry, but also of strength, goodness and that we never truly know how we are perceived by others.
Alexander is a wonderful protagonist who becomes very real as his story unfolds throughout the story. A cast of characters would have been helpful, in the beginning, but all the characters are fully dimensional so it quickly became a non-issue. I did appreciate the short glossary at the end.
The story is dense and rich with detail and emotion, compassion and suspense. There was never a point where I wasn't compelled to turn the page and read more. It's a powerfully evocative book with wonderful historic detail that never overshadows an engrossing story.
I should love for this to be the first of a series. Even if it's not, I shall definitely read whatever Ms. MacLean writes next.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Atmospheric historic thriller
Once I had adjusted to the historical setting I found this totally absorbing. The period details and characterisations were so convincing that it seemed as though one was there... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Jeremy P. Peckham
Great historical novel
The best historical novel I've read in an age! If you love Scotland and history, this is a must-read. Read more
Published 5 months ago by E. ELSBY
EXCELLENT DEBUT NOVEL
With such a glut of historical whodunits swamping the market nowadays it's inevitable that comparisons are drawn - usually unfavourable ones - with the peer leader in this group, C... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Sou'Wester
Top-notch writing!
Just finished reading this now and am going to start re-reading it again this evening. This is a real book to savour and slow read. The prose is wonderful, deft and descriptive. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Gerald T. Walford
A good story with an unusual setting
Northern Scotland in the 1620s. Seaton, a young man who has failed to become a minister of the Kirk because of one indiscretion is working as a schoolmaster in a small town. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Genly Ai
Atmospheric evocation of 17th century Scotland
Dark, grisly,stuffed full of historical detail and the dour dialogue of 17th century Scotland, this is a thriller to read on a cold night with the wind howling outside and rain... Read more
Published 12 months ago by D. H. Swift
Must read this!
You must read this! I've lent it to several friends now and they all adored it, whether they are fans of historical thrillers or not. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Prospero
Okay but not great
The style of the book took me a while to get into - its first person, which I always find difficult to read unless its done really well (Shardlake springs to mind), and there are... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Shaun
Atmospheric
The Redemption of Alexander Seaton was a fantastic read. There is a great deal of historical atmosphere in the book yet it still retains the ability to work as a good thriller. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Lily Lit
Particularly and peculiarly good.
A most satisfying read.
Set in a very particular (and perhaps peculiar) time and place (17th century North-east Scotland) this book has much historical detail and... Read more
Set in a very particular (and perhaps peculiar) time and place (17th century North-east Scotland) this book has much historical detail and... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Ivo Frederickson
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