by Peter May, 2009, Quercus, New York, London

Occasionally I come across a book I really, really like and this is one of them.  I particularly liked the author’s descriptive writing.  His way of describing the surroundings is almost poetic and creates a compelling backdrop to whatever is going on in the novel.  I also liked his characters as they seemed to be real people.  Sometimes I would get frustrated with Fin, the main character, as he would not behave the way I wanted him to behave, but that’s what makes for an interesting individual.  The plot was well constructed, although the mystery that was at the heart of the story sometimes got a bit lost in the emotions and interactions of the characters.

The book takes place in the Outer Hebrides which are in the northwest of Scotland.  The author clearly has a strong connection and understanding of the people and the land.  I experienced an enjoyable reading of the book but I also took away an appreciation of this part of the world that I didn’t have prior to reading it.  It was well done.

I understand that this is the first book of a trilogy.  I can only hope that the other two books are as good as this one.