Book info

• Title The Lewis Man
• Author Peter May
• Year 2011
• Genre Mystery

A MAN WITH NO NAME. An unidentified corpse is recovered from a Lewis peat bog; the only clue to its identity being a DNA sibling match to a local farmer. A MAN WITH NO MEMORY. But this islander, Tormod Macdonald - now an elderly man suffering from dementia - has always claimed to be an only child. A MAN WITH NO CHOICE. When Tormod's family approach Fin Macleod for help, Fin feels duty-bound to solve the mystery.

Thoughts

I enjoyed this more than I thought I might, particularly after the first couple of chapters. It took a little while to get into it, particularly as the different chapters were told from different points of view, but it soon became easy to read and really interesting.

It’s something of a whodunit, after a body is found preserved in the peat on Lewis. The answer to the mystery is held in the memory of an old man, who is struggling with dementia. Some of the chapters are told from this perspective, and it’s a fascinating look at the struggles to hold on to coherent thought and memory.

The story unfolds gradually, with a bit of extra (and perhaps unnecessary) jeopardy at the end. It’s atmospheric and claustrophobic throughout, and kept me reading to the end.

Rating: 4 / 5