Skála

Having just come back from a week on Harris and Lewis I was extremely embarrassed (for being a Vall McDermid Adrian McKinty fan) to not know about The Lewis Trilogy. Of course I should have read it before I left but only started it on the ferry pulling out of Tarbert. My word how I enjoyed it and its atmosphere. I came to it expecting a Crime thriller, but most of the book instead is a tortured memoir of some one whose childhood was deeply unhappy on this Island and could not wait to leave. In the end it all ties in but the book resonated with one who had the luck of spending a wonderful week on this hebridean island. Even the Guga hunter scenes were so vivid as we had been to St. Kilda and seen the Stacs out there. If you are drawn to BBC productions like Shetland (Ann Cleves) or Hinterland the this book is for you.

This book is a gorgeous trip to the Scottish Hebrides justified by a boilerplate murder mystery that really wasn't the draw for me. What kept me interested was the evocative writing that transported me back to Scotland, and the narrator's lilting accent (do yourself a favor and get the audiobook, if you're going to do this).

I will say I would honestly give this a 3.5 - I found the “big reveal” to be not that big, honestly, and the author did rely a lot on twists and tropes that are common to psychological thrillers of this sort. But overall it was still enjoyable. I'm debating whether to continue the trilogy, though.