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black house lewis man lewis trilogy outer hebrides isle of lewis peat bog looking forward well written fin macleod second book book in the trilogy twists and turns great read chessmen tormod macdonald old man third book good read thoroughly enjoyed part of the world
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AF Vet
4.0 out of 5 stars awesome plot…
Reviewed in the United States on June 9, 2023
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…however it gets bogged down in all the descriptive narrative . A map of the New Hebrides would be most helpful
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Thorunn Patricia Sleight
5.0 out of 5 stars The Continuation of The Black House
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2023
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A wonderfully evocative, loving and understanding book about the people of the Outer Hebrides. I read the whole three-book series before my own visit there ten years ago, and then again recently. I really feel that the books enriched my experience there. The characterization is very nuanced and believable, and the mystery in each is very central to the story. Each book is independant, but it's best to read The Blackhouse first, to familiarize onesef with the backgrounds of the characters.
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Richard C. Reynolds
4.0 out of 5 stars Better than The Blackhouse
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2013
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When an unidentified male corpse is recovered from a peat bog on the Isle of Lewis, the only clue to its identify is a DNA sample linking him as a sibling to a local farmer who goes by the name Tormod Macdonald. But Tormod is an old man suffering from dementia and has always claimed to be an only child.
This second novel of the Lewis trilogy by Peter May brings back some familiar characters, notably detective Fin Macleod who has left the police force in Glasgow, Fin's childhood sweetheart, Marsaili, and her teen son, Fionnlagh. Tormod is Marsaili's dad. She asks Fin to help solve the mystery and, even though he's no longer officially a policeman, he agrees to apply his professional expertise. Another familiar character, the fierce weather on the island, makes its unwelcome appearance in most every chapter, adding elements of gloom and danger. Marsaili is now a widow and Fin is in the process of divorcing his wife, a situation that allows Marsaili and Fin to warily explore the possibility of resuming their relationship. It's not quite that easy because Marsaili not only worried about her father's declining health but the plight of her son, Fionnlagh who has fathered a baby with his girlfriend.
The chapters alternate between the current story and internal thoughts and memories of Tormod when he was a boy and sent to a school for homeless children along with Peter, his younger brother. At first, these "back story chapters" slow down the story but eventually you appreciate getting the necessary background on Tormod's terrible boyhood to understand the big picture. I thought I had the plot figured out at the midpoint of the book but a sudden plot twist made me rethink the entire story.
This is a gripping and well told mystery, even more enjoyable than May's first book in the trilogy called "The Blackhouse."
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Californiagirl
4.0 out of 5 stars If I may point out a couple of things I found unreal....
Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2017
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Overall I found the trilogy very interesting, captivating reads. The weather and stark landscape dominate the dark mood of these stories. I like the way Peter May uses words and language, especially when describing weather, country, and inhabitants. I was quite charmed by the flow of language and also having to look up quite a few words. Doesn't happen in every book I read!
I kept being astonished though at the rather sophisticated language used by children. It wasn't just the type of words and phrasing these kids were using; thought processes described for 6 year old children often were akin to those of adults.
The same thing also happened with the character who was afflicted with Alzheimer's. The past story that was told through his eyes sounded quite the same as did the main story in its eloquent writing. A man who doesn't at times recognize his own family members is quite unlikely to recollect events in the kind of language that was utilized here. His vocabulary would be limited to very basic expressions. The way he speaks, thinks, and acts in current time is not consistent with his thoughts as he thinks back on his past.
Descriptions of how orphans were treated are totally believable. I know a few people who were raised in orphanages by nuns. The endured abuse they describe is nothing short of cruel. Their childhood - or lack thereof- set them up for the people they become.
All in all great stories I very much enjoyed!
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Ivy Vann
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but flawed
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2022
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A tightly constructed very cold case murder mystery with the great moments but disappointing to me because it turns on identifying a piece of knitting as the product of a particular knitter and repeats the old wives tales about family knitting patterns. It’s sloppy, that’s what it is, in the same way that the first book in the trilogy was sloppy about details. But I’m planning to read the last one so there’s that.
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Mainer
5.0 out of 5 stars Another excellent book in this series
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2018
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Fin McLeod has returned to the Isle of Lewis, retired from the police force and intending to rebuild his parents' croft. Marsaili who was his love in his youth is wrestling with going back to college, her son's new baby, and her father's increasing senility. When a body is found buried in a nearby bog, DNA shows that it is related to Marsaili's father, Tormund. It's up to Fin to track down what happened and who the body is.
This is such an excellent series. It is probably more about life in the Outer Isles of Scotland than a real police procedural which puts it in a class by itself. Fin is a complex man. It is interesting to see him go back to his roots, to the people he knew in his youth, and how he reacts. Chapters alternate with Tormund's first-person accounts from inside his lost mind as he recounts what he can remember of the story. I really like the story of his life, how he was a Catholic 'homer' or orphan and what happened to him as a result. It's a very interesting facet of Scottish history.
The writing is superb; I've been to Lewis and Harris and Mr. May captures the landscape precisely. I recommend this series highly.
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Linda Sue Richards
5.0 out of 5 stars Who is the Lewis Man?
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2018
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I read a lot, mostly historical fiction; but sometimes I hunger for a good mystery, one with engaging & interesting characters, an exotic location, and a seemingly impossible to solve mystery. This one has all that and I learned a lot along the way. Who is the Lewis Man? He might be the mummified man found buried in a peat bog near Crobost on the Isle of Lewis, he might be the savage and meticulous murderer who put him there (who knows how long ago; he might be a senior citizen whose memories are list to dementia, or he might be Edinburgh detective sergeant Fin Macleod sent out to solve the horrendous & headline-grabbing crime. Macleod, a former Lewis man, has plenty of baggage & a world of woes; but he is a good detective and is determined to solve the crime, all the while he has a little-realized dream of finding his own family. Find out about peat bogs, shoreline scavenging, machair erosion, dementia, & how the Catholic Church in Scotland dealt with orphans in that time period. It’s a very good read, though sometimes the random Gaelic slowed me down.
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Stephen Snead
3.0 out of 5 stars Good writer. But, too long and over stuffed.
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2021
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This is the second book of this writer I've read and probably the last from this author. Talented? Yes he is. So if you like in depth flashbacks in a book that switches from third person to first person constantly. Then this is your boy. In all fairness I was (and still am.) A Stephen King fan. But, some of his critics have often said his books are bloated and could be half as long. While not the same type writer nor are his books as long. Peter May writes (for me) way too much navel gazing detail that gets tedious. So, I skipped large segments of the book. Still, I gave it 3 stars because the writer does know how to tell a story and he does a good job fleshing out his characters. I get the feeling that people who like his work will enjoy this. Those like me. Who like a less convoluted. More concise who done it will be bored halfway through. If not sooner.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars I don't enjoy the abrupt endings
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2018
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It is the lore of the Hebrides that draws me in. Even as an old lady I am compelled, pulled into stories about the fantasies of Scotland (GB). I don't usually read this genre, but I read 'I'll Keep You Safe' and wanted more. May has a unique and effective style of going between eras of his tale. It is smooth and the reader does not get lost. At one point, in Edinburgh, I thought Fin had found his son's killer when Fin saw a van driving past... but that is not how it happened. I don't enjoy the abrupt endings. I read The Black House which was excellent, now this one. I will complete the series with Chess Men and say goodbye to Mr. May. I will return to the bargain basement where I have found premium reads at prices I can afford. This has been a grand ride. Worth it. I turn over to another reader a great series. It is better to read them in order but they could be stand alone reads. Best wish P.May
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Linda W.
4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the first book in the series
Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2015
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The second book of the Lewis Trilogy series extends the dominance of the island as a primary character. The descriptive words penned by the author paint a vivid picture of the beauty and starkness of the island, sometimes to excess.
A story line develops which captures the history of a movement to disperse orphaned and abandoned children throughout the islands. Although heartbreaking, this history lesson is extremely interesting and moving. The island vista, the sadness and isolation of the inhabitants along with the murder creates an overall bleakness to the novel.
The primary story line of the novel is on a quest to solve the murder of the body discovered in the bog. This storyline takes the reader on a journey into the past. The journey is interesting but not compelling.
I would not call this book a thriller or a page turner. I will read the third book in the trilogy in hopes that at least one character finds some happiness.
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M. C. Crammer
4.0 out of 5 stars Better than the first in the series
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2013
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I preferred this to the first in the series (The Black House). The Outer Hebridean setting was the star of the book for me; the author really makes you feel that you're there. May is an engaging story teller, and the book held my attention well, but it's not great literature (don't see this as a Booker Prize shortlist).

the novel jumps back and forth between events in the decades-old past and the present. The plotting --which involves solving an old and unreported murder that threatens the lives of those involved (and those close to them) was a bit too close to the first in the series. As with the first, secrets from the past, orphans, and falling from great heights were repetitive themes even within each book. I think the author's style is formulaic. However, this 2nd in the Lewis series was better plotted even if, like the first in the series, it was all rather melodramatic and over the top. I liked it well enough that I intend to read the third in this trilogy.
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trish
5.0 out of 5 stars AN AMAZING BOOK!
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2012
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This is a really gripping book which kept me mesmerized until the very last page. But it isn't just a common or garden whodunnit, it's so much more. It's set on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland and it's fascinating to find out about people's lives on that small island with its long winters and brief summers - about the sweaters that the women knit for their menfolk, each family with their own individual patterns - so if a fisherman drowns and can't be identified because he's been in the water for a long time, he can still be identified by the unique pattern of his sweater. But the main focus is on the Lewis Man, an elderly man who is sinking gradually into dementia, and the books describes his thoughts and reactions sometimes when he recognises those around him and other times when he believes they are somebody else. The police suspect him of the murder of a body found in a peat bog but since it's impossible to question him, how can they find out the truth? Anyway, I won't spoil the story by describing more of the plot - it's better to read it for yourself. TheLewis Man received the Costa Award 2011 - it's a book that really kept me thinking and has honour of place on my bookshelf.
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Ky
5.0 out of 5 stars Not as dark as The Black House, but just as good
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2015
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This is the second book in the Lewis trilogy by Peter May. As with the first book in the trilogy, The Black House, it is beautifully written and captivating. Unlike The Black House, It is not as dark in tone nor as depressing. I read the book straight through without having to stop to read something light and funny every so many chapters so that my head would clear, as I did with The Black House. It uses the device of a third person story in one chapter and an interior monologue in another to weave the facts together. Instead of Fin's interior monologue, the monologue belongs to a old farmer in the throes of dementia, Tormod Macdonald who is the father of Fin's childhood sweetheart, Marsaili. Fin is still the "good guy" if you could call a brooding, slightly depressed ex-policeman, a "good guy". Most all of the characters in the first book are in this one and new dimension is added to their personalities as well. I highly recommend both books -- but the storyline in this one was a much easier emotional read.
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David F
4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but flawed
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2019
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I am two-thirds into this trilogy. The first book was very good. The second (Lewis Man) starts well and the plot is imaginative. The main problem for me is that both Tormund and Fin sound the same. It strains credulity a bit that someone with Tormund's background could be as articulate as he is in his reflections, that is, that he could reflect on his past in such a well-spoken way. That is, the flaw is that both characters sound essentially the same. The ending is also poor; there is no credible explanation of how or why the main characters end up in situ. I am trying to avoid spoilers, but my impression is that that the end is what it is to get readers to buy the third book, which I have done.
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The E
4.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as The Black House, but contains a hidden gem
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2017
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This book grew on me and I am glad I read it. I am a fan of the alternating person writing style, and really liked Peter May's first book in the trilogy. This one, however, was a little tougher read. It starts very strong, but the different perspectives used by the characters to tell the story made it drag a little in the middle. I am not sure if I finished it just to reward myself, or if the latter half was just that much better than the beginning of the book. Either way, it was worth the read, and I developed a much greater appreciation and respect for people struggling with, and those who love someone with (spoiler alert), a problem with dementia. I don't know if that was the author's explicit point, or not. If so, it was well done and that's a hidden gem.
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