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The Blackhouse: Book One of the Lewis Trilogy [Paperback]

Peter May (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (868 customer reviews)
RRP: £7.99
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Book Description

Publication Date: 1 Sep 2011 | Series: Lewis Trilogy

A brutal killing takes place on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland: a land of harsh beauty and inhabitants of deep-rooted faith.

A MURDER. Detective Inspector Fin Macleod is sent from Edinburgh to investigate. For Lewis-born Macleod, the case represents a journey both home and into his past.

A SECRET. Something lurks within the close-knit island community. Something sinister.

A TRAP. As Fin investigates, old skeletons begin to surface, and soon he, the hunter, becomes the hunted.

Frequently Bought Together

The Blackhouse: Book One of the Lewis Trilogy + The Lewis Man: Book Two of the Lewis Trilogy + The Chessmen (Lewis Trilogy 3)
Price For All Three: £17.84

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Product details

  • Paperback: 502 pages
  • Publisher: Quercus (1 Sep 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1849163863
  • ISBN-13: 978-1849163866
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (868 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Peter May
Peter May

Product Description

Review

'vivid ... fascinating' Literary Review.

'excellent plotting with some beautiful descriptions of the Isle of Lewis ... The story is wonderful' crime pieces.

From the Inside Flap

The Isle of Lewis is the most desolate and harshly beautiful place in Scotland, where the brutality of daily life is outweighed only by people's fear of God. When a bloody murder on the island bears the hallmarks of a similar slaying in Edinburgh, police detective Fin Macleod is dispatched north to investigate. Since Fin himself was raised on the island, the investigation represents not only a journey home but a voyage into his past, as he attempts to rediscover the life and people he left behind. Each year twelve island men, among them Fin's boyhood friends, sail out to a remote and treacherous rock called An Sgeir on a perilous quest to slaughter nesting seabirds. No longer necessary for survival, this rite of passage is fiercely defended against all the demands of modern morality. But for Fin the hunt harbours a horrific memory which might, after all this time, demand an even greater sacrifice. The Blackhouse is a crime novel of rare power and vision. It is a murder mystery that explores the shadows in our souls, set in a place where the past is ever near the surface, and life blurs into myth and history.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
218 of 224 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Dark secrets 9 Jun 2011
By FictionFan TOP 100 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The novel is set on the remote island of Lewis far off the coast of northern Scotland. This is an area that the author will know well since he spent several years there producing and filming the Gaelic language TV series, Machair. This gives an authenticity to the very strong descriptions of this remote, rugged, weather-beaten corner of the British Isles. In particular, May's description of the annual guga (gannet) hunt is fascinating both in its detail and in the light it sheds on the island community's strong attachment to its ancient traditions.

DS Fin Macleod is sent back to Lewis to investigate a murder that resembles one that took place earlier in his Edinburgh patch. Returning home after 20 years away, Fin is thrown into remembering and re-assessing his difficult childhood and adolescence. The book alternates between the present day and Fin's past and it gradually emerges that the shadow of that past may be involved in the current investigation.

At first, I found the alternation between the present and the past irritating as it seemed to break the flow of the story. However, as the links between the two became clearer, the tension gradually mounted and came finally to an unexpected and dramatic climax. Along the way, May describes a community more inclined to deal with problems internally rather than involving the authorities, a place where the young people are beginning to challenge the traditions and strict religious observances of their elders and where dark secrets can sometimes come back to haunt.

Not a traditional whodunit crime novel, this is more an examination of the why of the mystery and is ultimately perhaps more satisfying for that.
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77 of 80 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Dark goings on, and some clever twists 26 Feb 2011
By Bloodaxe
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've read several of the authors' previous works (from his two crime series The China Thrillers and the Enzo Files) so knew the kind of things to expect - or so I thought. But The Blackhouse is even better.

Peter May's great storytelling soon drags you in to a number of strands. On the face of it, The Blackhouse starts as a relatively simple murder mystery. But it soon becomes much more than that, a tale of rediscovery and childhood memories interspersed with some great descriptions of the harsh landscape and unique way of life of the islands. And the way the author handles the same character in the both present and the past is excellent. I don't usually like childhood growing up stories, but this one kept me gripped.

Typically, the plot is compelling. Right up until almost the last page, you are kept guessing - and wanting to know what will happen next. I read the book over 4 nights and on each the light didn't go out until after 1am. This book is very hard to put down!

Like the previous reviewer said, once it's over and the last page has been turned, you do keep on revisiting the story in your head. And wishing there was a bit more... because it's addictive. I've not actually been to the Outer Hebrides, but I certainly feel like I know the place now.

I understand there's likely to be a second book in the pipeline, so hopefully won't have to wait too long for my next fix.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Not a Detective Novel 5 Oct 2011
By Mr. Mark A. Berry
Format:Kindle Edition
The story is set on the remote Outer Hebridean Island of Lewis. Fin (the detective and ex islander) is brought over to look at similarities between, a murder on Lewis and one he was investigating in Edinburgh.

On first impression this looks like a straight forward detective story, but really this is just a minor thread through the book like the backbone on a herringbone - it holds the piece together but all the meat is on the smaller bones. The real story is in the flashbacks to major events in Fins early life on the island before he left to go to University, never to return. The threads tie together as the book unfolds opening little cracks and hinting at motives and possible suspects for the murder.

I felt there was real affection in the descriptions of the island and life on it, tinged with a bit of warts and all. It is not presented in a sugar coated way, the hardships and harsh economic realities of struggling communi8ties who are fighting to keep their traditions, 'industries' and youngsters is laid bare.

There is real skill in the writing, the way the landscape and weather is described conjured endless images for me, despite having never been to Lewis I have travelled extensively the west coast of Scotland including Skye and Mull, and I also live high in the pennines with its harsh open moorland.

I really did enjoy this book and would thoroughly recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars The Blackhouse
Read this book purely on the reviews........
Absolutely Stunning!!!!!!! Superbly written!!
Never saw the end coming, BRILLIANT!!! Read more
Published 11 hours ago by David brook
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding
Quite simply the best novel I have read this year.
Thought provoking,complex and totally gripping.
Now starting the next in the series.
Can it be as good?
Published 1 day ago by David Cotton
4.0 out of 5 stars Blackhouse by Peter May
Not exactly a crime novel but enjoyable nonetheless. Good story and atmospheric, good descriptions of the island and the way of life/
Published 1 day ago by E A M Strain
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!
There are already lots of reviews of the Lewis Trilogy on here, so I am not going to go into detail. Read more
Published 2 days ago by C. Buckroyd
4.0 out of 5 stars The Blackhouse {Lewis Trilogy]
enjoyable read, quite gripping at times, I am looking forward to reading others in this series, have put in my wish list
Published 2 days ago by Mrs Paticia Ann Brown
3.0 out of 5 stars Worth a read
A good read , a good local knowledge and and an easy style it makes me keen to read the rest of the Trilogy. Three stars for me.
Published 2 days ago by KRG
5.0 out of 5 stars Great.
Just a really satisfying read. Lovely descriptions and a neat twist. The only slight negative is there were few clues to the final outcome. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Orland
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful escapism
The first of the trilogy, fantastic descriptions of the islands, people and all consuming weather. Takes you into a world very few people visit. Read more
Published 6 days ago by W. Sawyer
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing.
I really looked forward to reading this book after checking out all the reviews but it's just so predicatble it hurts and not even the detailed scenery could save it. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Chicago87
4.0 out of 5 stars the black house
gripped to the end excellent writing bought all three books in the series as a result good recommendations from youselves
Published 7 days ago by jackyholford
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