What we thought: For those who follow Bookmuse reviews, you will know I am a huge fan of Peter May and think he’s one of the best new crime fiction writers of a generation. So, I was hugely excited to hear that in this latest novel he had returned to his Hebridean roots – a setting I think he handles best of all.
However, the story starts in Paris, with a shock car bomb explosion, that at first made me think we were going down the terrorism route, but no – Hebridean wool is at the heart of this crime not international terrorism.
Niamh and Ruairidh Macfarlane co-own the Hebridean company Ranish Tweed and are in Paris for a high-profile fashion show when the explosion kills Ruairidh and leaves Niamh a widow, alone in a foreign country to cope with the tragedy and its after effects. On her return home to the island of Lewis, and the beautiful house she shared with her husband, a series of events terrify Niamh and it becomes clear that she may have been the intended victim all along.
The landscape itself is a standalone character and the atmosphere of the islands is, as ever, evoked superbly well. Also, it’s nice to meet up again with old friends like DS George Gunn. The characters are brought to life in detail, real and vivid, and there is a large enough cast to hold a number of suspects. The pace and flow of the story is as good as I have come to expect from this author and grips you until the final pages.
Next please, Mr May!
You’ll enjoy this if you like : Ann Cleeves, Peter James, Ian Rankin.
Avoid if you don’t like : Remote Scottish landscapes.
Ideal accompaniments: Haggis, peas and gravy.
Genre : Crime
Available on Amazon
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