The Blackhouse

( 21 )

Overview

From acclaimed author and television dramatist Peter May comes the first book in the Lewis Trilogy--a riveting mystery series set on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, a formidable and forbidding world where tradition rules and people adhere to ancient ways of life.
 
When a grisly murder occurs on the Isle of Lewis that has the hallmarks of a killing he's investigating on the mainland, Edinburgh detective and native islander ...
See more details below
Hardcover
$13.56
BN.com price
(Save 45%)$24.95 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up in Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (Hardcover)
  • All (30) from $4.94   
  • New (18) from $12.45   
  • Used (12) from $4.94   
The Blackhouse: A Novel

Available on NOOK devices and apps  
  • Nook Devices
  • NOOK HD/HD+ Tablet
  • NOOK
  • NOOK Color
  • NOOK Tablet
  • Tablet/Phone
  • NOOK for Windows 8 Tablet
  • NOOK for iOS
  • NOOK for Android
  • NOOK Kids for iPad
  • PC/Mac
  • NOOK for Windows 8
  • NOOK for PC
  • NOOK for Mac
  • NOOK Study
  • NOOK for Web

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

NOOK Book (eBook)
$9.99
BN.com price

More About This Book

Overview

From acclaimed author and television dramatist Peter May comes the first book in the Lewis Trilogy--a riveting mystery series set on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, a formidable and forbidding world where tradition rules and people adhere to ancient ways of life.
 
When a grisly murder occurs on the Isle of Lewis that has the hallmarks of a killing he's investigating on the mainland, Edinburgh detective and native islander Fin Macleod is dispatched to see if the two deaths are connected. His return after nearly two decades not only represents a police investigation, but a voyage into his own troubled past. As Finn reconnects with the places and people of his tortured childhood, he feels the island once again asserting its grip on his psyche. And every step forward in solving the murder takes him closer to a dangerous confrontation with the tragic events of the past that shaped--and nearly destroyed--Fin's life.
 
The Blackhouse is a thriller of rare power and vision that explores the darkest recesses of the soul.
Read More Show Less

Editorial Reviews

The New York Times Book Review
Peter May is a writer I'd follow to the ends of the earth—which is where he takes us in The Blackhouse…May handles the split framework of this intricately plotted story by deftly adapting his style to the sensibility of the storyteller.
—Marilyn Stasio
Publishers Weekly
Television dramatist May’s brilliant first in a trilogy set on the Gaelic-speaking Isle of Lewis, northernmost of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, introduces Fin Macleod, a Lewis native and Edinburgh CID detective sergeant. While grieving over the accidental death of his only child, Fin investigates a grisly homicide nearly identical to a previous case in Edinburgh. Back in Macleod’s home village of Crobost, first-person flashbacks gradually unveil contradictory episodes of horror and compassion in his youth, counterpointing the third-person account of the present-day murder case. Abundant local color—much of it physically and psychologically wrenching, like the islanders’ annual culling of seabirds, a primitive rite of passage—matches Macleod’s tormented emotional landscape. The struggles of such multidimensional characters as Artair, Macleod’s boyhood friend, and Marsaili, the girl they both loved and Artair married, add depth. In the acknowledgments, May (Blowback) reveals that he drew much of his inspiration from five years filming on the island. (Oct.)
Library Journal
Because of his ties with the region and his fluency in Gaelic, Edinburgh-based DI Fin Macleod is dispatched to Scotland's remote Isle of Lewis to compare two deaths. Two hangings, one in Edinburgh and one in Fin's childhood home of Crobost, share the same traits. Is a serial killer or a copycat at work? Since the Crobost victim was the village bully, Fin must sift through multiple motives and his own memories to tease out the killer. Chapters alternate between Fin's youth (in first-person voice) and the current investigation in this thrilling coming-of-age adventure laden with premonition and dread. VERDICT Order, read, and pass it on! Well known for novels and television dramas, Scottish author May (Backlight Blue; Chinese Whispers) has written a mesmerizing new trilogy opener. May brings the story to a breathtaking conclusion with an astonishing twist at the end. Compare to Simon Beckett's Written in Bone for locale and Tana French for tone.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781454901273
  • Publisher: SilverOak
  • Publication date: 10/2/2012
  • Pages: 368
  • Sales rank: 24194
  • Product dimensions: 6.20 (w) x 9.10 (h) x 1.50 (d)

Meet the Author

Scottish author Peter May has written several stand-alone novels and two series: the award-winning China Thrillers, featuring Beijing detective Li Yan and American forensic pathologist Margaret Campbell, and the critically acclaimed Enzo Files, featuring Scottish forensic scientist Enzo MacLeod, set in France. One of Scotland's most prolific television dramatists, May has garnered more than 1,000 credits in 15 years as scriptwriter and editor on prime-time British television. He is the creator of three major TV series and presided over two of the highest-rated serials in his homeland before quitting TV to concentrate on writing novels. May lives and writes in France.
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 21 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(13)

4 Star

(6)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(1)
See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 21 Customer Reviews

  • Posted Sun Jan 06 00:00:00 EST 2013

    more from this reviewer

    Seldom does a book grab and hold me like this one. Once the st

    Seldom does a book grab and hold me like this one.

    Once the story got going, I couldn't put it down. On one memorable night I read straight through until midnight, and finished it the next day.

    The murder mystery aspect of the plot was secondary to me. Far more appealing were the Outer Hebrides setting, great local color and most of all, the subplot between involving the detective and his childhood girlfriend. Anyone who knows regret, missed opportunities and the pull of past relationships will love that aspect of it. I was really glad to learn that a sequel, The Lewis Man, will feature some of the same characters.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Dec 29 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Brilliant.

    May is an incredibly gifted writer who possesses the ability to convey the terrible and visceral pain of regretted choices. Without resorting to sentimentality or triteness, he delves into Fin Macloud's complicated, torturous past, and how his actions (and inaction) spun the web of loss and torment in which he is currently caught. Rarely has a book simultaneously captivated and repulsed me; perhaps it is because I reluctantly recognize echoes of my own past self in this excellent novel.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Oct 11 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    WOW!

    Really Amazing read!

    3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Mon Nov 19 00:00:00 EST 2012

    If you like murder mysteries situated in the northern islands of Europe, this book is for you.

    I really love reading murder mysteries located in northern Scotland, Iceland and the Scandanavia area.

    First the descriptions of Lewis and the surrounding islands were rich in history and the local characters were beautifully written.

    The development of the murder mystery was beautifully done and the ending was believable and satisfying.

    One item of note. I usually refuse to read any mystery written in the first person. I find that style limiting. This mystery goes back and forth between first person and third person narrators and it worked nicelely, and was necessary for plot development.

    One disappointment is not with the book, but Barnes and Noble. This book is book one in a trilogy. Book Two has been published, but not in the US. Book three will be published in February of 2013.

    I had to go online to get the second book (also very well written). Barnes and Noble needs get the 2nd and 3rd book write away.

    I am also reading another trilogy by the same author and it also is wonderfully written

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Oct 25 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    Gratifying read

    Hard book to put down makes you pull up buried memories

    2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 2013

    I just finished The Black House and am ordering more Peter May b

    I just finished The Black House and am ordering more Peter May books.  I love his writing style!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Fresh and bracing as a Heberdean storm

    For me, Peter May is one if the best and most satisfying mystery writers I've ever come across.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Fri Jan 11 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Very Good

    This is the second Peter May book that I have read. The first, The Firemaker, was written in 1999. That book showed promise, but the plot became somewhat ludicrous in the third act, devolving into a Michael Crichton type end-of-the-world scenario that the first part of the book simply hadn't set you up for.

    This book shows how the author has matured since that time. It is a fairly simple plot, a police procedural set in the Outer Hebrides islands of Scotland. The main character, Fin Macleod, is returning home to the Hebrides after leaving many years before. He is brought in to investigate the murder of a man who had been the class bully many years before, and Fin must confront many people and events from his past (a past he has tried to avoid for 20 years) to solve the crime.

    What sets this apart from the run-of-the-mill detective novel is the author's skill with language, and dialogue, and description. I highly recommend it.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Jan 06 00:00:00 EST 2013

    Amazing book - I was sorry to reach the end.

    Amazing book - I was sorry to reach the end.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Sat Oct 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    so so

    I kept reading this book until the end. It jumps from current to past often. Parts are interesting but more of it isn't. It has way too much use of the F bomb for me. The "black house" is a minor issue for the story. I found it just a sad waste of my time.

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Fri Apr 05 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

    GREAT MYSTERY!!! Want to read more of his books!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Fri Mar 29 00:00:00 EDT 2013

    I Also Recommend:

    The Alienist
    The Black Echo (Harry Bosch Series #1)
    Faceless Killers (Kurt Wallander Series #1)
    The Monkey's Raincoat (Elvis Cole Series #1)
    The Black Ice (Harry Bosch Series #2)

    Peter May is a very talented writer. Be aware that this story is

    Peter May is a very talented writer. Be aware that this story is written by a Scot and set in Scotland. The story is a bit dark but well worth the time to read this remarkable book. 
    May's dialogue is remarkable as are his descriptions of the land and people who live on the wind-swept islands in the far north of the North Sea. Regret is the central theme
    of the book and the people in the book have regret to spare. Much of the spiritual and emotional pain is alleviated for the inhabitants of the village but there are no nice neat,
    clean, happy endings here.

    After I finished the book I did not think I liked it but the more I think about it the more I can say it is amazing. 

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted Sun Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 2013

    A very gifted writer pens a great thriller. Very well-written.

    A very gifted writer pens a great thriller. Very well-written.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Dec 02 00:00:00 EST 2012

    A multi-layered story, not so much about a grisly murder as it i

    A multi-layered story, not so much about a grisly murder as it is about the complicated world and people our detective left behind on an isolated Scottish island. A world to which he has now returned because of the murder investigation. A very satisfying read and can't wait for his next.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Nov 28 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Lots of info about outer Herbrides

    This book is very well written but sometimes as dark as the weather on the out Hebrides. I can't imagine why anyone would want to live there, although that enters the story. Again very well written, a thriller to the end, and educational about on area you don't hear much about.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Nov 19 00:00:00 EST 2012

    Very different read, out of the ordinary ho hum novels. Revenge

    Very different read, out of the ordinary ho hum novels. Revenge and redemption.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Jan 25 00:00:00 EST 2013

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Tue Oct 30 00:00:00 EDT 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Nov 05 00:00:00 EST 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Nov 30 00:00:00 EST 2012

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 21 Customer Reviews
If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)