by Nancy
It seems Peter May has captured our attention and I for one am looking forward to reading more of Fin and island life. I am fairly sure this second novel in the series is as dire as The Blackhouse so hold on Ladies for more shocks.
As in the first novel so much of the story in based around actual places and traditional ways. Maybe there are some more dark times in Hebridean history in store for us.
I liked this quote from The Times .' The plot throbs with past and present passions, jealousies, suspicions and regrets; the emotional secrets of the bleak island are even deeper than its peat bog'
Hello Ladies!
ReplyDeleteSending you both much love from our chilly fall weather! The kids are looking forward to Halloween and it is pretty much the only thought in their minds. How is your dog doing, Nancy? Hope he is faring better. Sue, how are things in your world? Any exciting travel plans coming up? I found this month’s book as gripping as the last. Please forgive any spoilers if you haven’t finished.
I think I liked The Lewis Man better than The Black House. How about you ladies? Did you have a preference? We still had themes of past traumas and lost futures but Ceit and Tormod created decent lives for themselves. The lives of Fin and Marsaili seemed much bleaker in Black House. We see a glimmer of hope for them that maybe fulfilled in The Chessman (we’ll see). There is also something interesting about the view from our dementia afflicted characters (seems to be quite a few lately). The way the authors just flow their trains of thought kind of draws me in. I feel terrible for these characters and at the same time drawn to them.
(Here comes those spoilers). I presumed from the moment of Patrick’s death that the Kelly boys would be Peter’s murderers. I also presumed Morag McEwan was Ceit. There was no way Tormod could have killed Peter and Ceit was a lose end in our story that had to be tied in somehow. I don’t understand why Tormod didn’t return to Ceit after the elder Kelly boys were dead. He disappeared quite well with his new identity and Ceit thrived in the spot light as a celebrity without being discovered and killed. Did he live a life in fear of retribution from Paul Kelly? From the descriptions of Marsaili’s peaceful childhood, it doesn’t sound like he did. The Kelly boys threatened to kill Ceit but I would think it would be easier to protect each other if you stayed together.
I was unsatisfied with the ending. We don’t get to know what happened to Donald Murray, George Gunn or the rest. Certainly the curiosity about Donald is obvious, but I worry for Gunn too. I can’t image how Gunn’s superiors will feel about a civilian taking over their entire investigation. There is no way Gunn will not be implicated in how Fin got his hands on so much police evidence. Fin could be in severe trouble too for meddling in a police investigation. And the police are not going to be happy that Donald acted like a vigilante. There was probably plenty of time to alert the authorities to what was happening since there was a four hour drive between the two points on the island.
The information about the homer children was terrible and new information to me. It reminded me a bit of our novel Orphan Train. The work required to collect and process the peat was just incredibly back breaking. I can understand the need for as much labor as possible on each farm to provide the required amount of fuel. But harsh weather is not excuse to force children into slavery. It was certainly good to provide orphaned children with homes but more should have been done to make sure each child was going into a good home. I think that is the part that burns me up the most. It is not good enough to give a child food and shelter. They also need love and safety. To willingly put a child into a situation where they can be molested and abused is just shameful. No amount of food or shelter can balance out that kind of trade off.
Wonderful series so far, Nancy. I look forward to finding out how things end for them all, hopefully we get answers in The Chessman.
Love to you both and your families!
Katie
Hello Ladies
ReplyDeleteHope the keratosis treatment is successfully over, Nancy. And how’s the dog? You said it would be many months before he recovers. I hope most of those months have already passed. Being attached to an animal is in no way ridiculous. Can’t tell you how as children we grieved when the rabbit, tortoise and dog went to their maker. I was twenty when the family dog died, and wept in the public phone box in which I’d called home for news. We don’t celebrate Hallowe’en here to quite the same extent, Katie, but I will need to get in chocolates and other goodies for the children who turn up on the doorstep in fancy dress. I remember going on a Hallowe’en Hayride round the neighbourhood in which we lived in Houston. Amazing stuff in the gardens. Must involve lots of work. Enjoy yourself.
Last weekend, I went to a session of Beverley’s Word Festival which featured Val McDermid, and Mark Billingham (crime writers) in conversation. Brilliant: gossipy, funny, intelligent and insightful on writing in any genre. They emphasised the need for sympathetic characters, not a lot of gore, and the recognition of the damage done to victims of crime. Peter May wasn’t mentioned, but one felt they would have loved him. All the same, a bit more levity wouldn’t come amiss. Still, when I’d finished reading this one I was not as depressed as I was when I’d completed The Blackhouse. Perhaps it was the relatively hopeful ending.
Like you, though, Katie, I had some reservations about how we’d got to the shooting of Paul Kelly. One worries for George Gunn. Fin can clearly look after himself. And I’m not sure a dementia patient’s detailed recollection of the past would ordinarily be given the kind of credence the reader must give it here to flesh out May’s plot. Nevertheless, I never once queried Tormod’s stories. The appalling treatment of children, I’m sorry to say, seems to have been endemic at the time. Britain sent unwanted children around the world resulting in shocking treatment as, for example, the Australian prime minister has recently had to address. Awful stories of abuse have come out of Ireland and Scotland in particular. England doesn’t need to look back – we’ve got enough embarrassment with our treatment of the Windrush Generation today. I’d forgotten about The Orphan Train, Katie. Thank you for the reminder.
So, are we going to move straight on to The Chessmen? Or do I have to wait weeks to see if Fin is now deemed to deserve Marsaili?!
With much love to you and your families, ladies
Sue
Hello Ladies,
ReplyDeleteThank you both for your concern about ‘Charlie the million dollar dog’. I am happy to report he is on his feet, walking and putting on weight so much relief here at the Katuzans’ residence.
I must confess when I mentioned last month that I had read on a little of The Lewis Man I had actually read the whole thing…. So I re read it again and I have to say Sue, I can really see the benefits of knowing the ending and being able to really enjoy the story without racing to the end to see whodunit.
I agree with you Katie, I prefer The Lewis Man to The Black House as well. I always have a soft spot for old men in stories and Tormod’s dementia only endeared him to me more.
On my first reading I didn’t connect the dots to Ceit and Tormod until it was revealed, an example perhaps of me racing to the end.
Peter May seems to have captured very well Sue, your crime writers ideals of sympathetic characters and recognition of the damage done to victims of crime.
I was also unaware of the treatment of children by the UK through this time, but as you both point out, not unusual in our human history. Thanks Sue, I’ve done some interesting reading on the Windrush Generation.
We here in Australia have had our own shameful past of abuse of children. The ‘Stolen Generation’ of Aboriginal children I have mentioned before as an example and right now our despicable politicians are fighting against allowing refugee children in an off shore detention camp on Nauru from coming here to receive urgent medical attention. Some of these children are so traumatised they have developed a syndrome where they basically give up the will to live. How can this be happening. I am so ashamed of my government and deeply troubled by this situation.
Are we going to continue on to The Chess Men? I’m keen to.
How about you Katie?
Or would we like a month’s break?
Oh, while I was researching for the posts I found another novel by Peter May written in 2016 called Coffin Road which while not part of this series does feature one of our favourite characters, George Gunn. Thought you both might like to check it out.
Much love,
Nancy
I'd be very happy to continue with The Chessmen, Nancy, and will check my library for Coffin Road. Thank you for the recommendation. Delighted Charlie is doing so well.
ReplyDeleteIf you'd rather take a break, Katie, that's fine too. Love to you both.
I'm totally game for finding out what happens to Fin and the rest of the Lewis crew!
ReplyDelete