The Lewis Man by Peter May
A perfectly preserved body is recovered from a peat bog on the Isle of Lewis. The male Caucasian corpse – marked by several horrific stab wounds – is initially believed by its finders to be over two-thousand years old. Until they spot the Elvis tattoo on his right arm. DNA tests flag a familial match between the bog body and the father of Fin’s childhood sweetheart, Marsaili Macdonald. Yet Tormod Macdonald has always claimed to be an only child. Now in the grip of dementia, Fin sets out to discover the truth behind the lie. [summary adapted from https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/peter-may/lewis-man.htm]
Group Review:
12 thumbs up
1 thumbs down
We love Peter May’s trilogy:
Twelve readers gave a resounding “thumbs up” review to The Lewis Man. We liked the characters, setting and the writing. In fact, one of the only complaints was the hard to read Gaelic.
This group read the first of the trilogy, The Blackhouse, a number of years ago. Readers commented that you could read The Lewis Man as a stand alone. But, we recommend going back and reading The Blackhouse if you picked up the trilogy here. Certainly reading them in order adds to the depth of character.
The slow reveal:
There wasn’t a lot of suspense in this mystery. We know pretty early on what happened to who. But the intrigue is found in the reveal. For example: how did it happen? What part does Tormod’s dementia play in putting everything together? How did the body get to it’s final resting place?
Police procedural:
One member commented that the story was a true police procedural. That is to say, we follow the discoveries from Tormod’s story as Fin hears them. As a result, we learn what happened as Fin learns.
Cultural richness:
Large cultural differences are created by the small bit of water separating these island communities. For example, one of the clues is a scrap of fabric. The story reveals how each community uses a special pattern. Because of this, the fabric is like a fingerprint.
Setting:
Peter May is a master of setting and the descriptions of Scotland are vivid. For example, the use of a “bog-body” gave insight into the geology of the place.. and buildings, weather, transportation are all described in rich detail.
Relationships:
We care about these characters. For instance, Tormod’s struggle with dementia is portrayed realistically. Readers were devastated by the treatment of the children by the adults in the story. And, our heart breaks for Tormod. Yet above all, we see that even with all darkness, there is love and compassion and humanity between the characters.
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