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nyom7's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a solid middle of the road 3/5. There is nothing special about it and many things bad about it but for all its pretty darn obvious killer (revealed ofc in the final bit of the final act) it had decent pacing, well formed if slightly trope-tastic characters, and a plot that was significantly less colander-like than some books I’ve read. Likewise, living and working in Glasgow for over a decade I enjoyed the setting, references to Rotten Row, St Mungo’s, etc. Not sure I’ll necessarily pick up book 2 in the series. This one was part of a charity shop haul and the name/setting were what made me pick it up (at £6 for a bag of books, it was a great deal and a broad genre haul), especially as these days quine isn’t really used in Glasgow but is back home in Aberdeenshire so I was intrigued as to whether there was also a Grampian link in the story (there is not).
3/5 for originality
4/5 for generally enjoyable characters
2/5 for mystery around whodunnit
3/5 for originality
4/5 for generally enjoyable characters
2/5 for mystery around whodunnit
mamap's review against another edition
3.0
old english murder mystery with a little romance thrown in -- now, i like this kind of book, but it may not be for all types. i'll keep reading these even though i figured out 'who-dun-it' about halfway through the book ...
tucholsky's review against another edition
1.0
OK Took way to long to start going but in the last 50 pages it picked up and become less onerous. Large number of anachronisms which are not out by a couple of years (excusable) but by centuries (not so).
una_10bananas's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lian_tanner's review
5.0
What a delight it is to find a historical novel where the characters are not just modern people with a few 'thees' and 'thous' thrown in. I loved so much about this book, but the thing I loved most was the town and the people, and how convincingly they were drawn. It's the sort of novel you can immerse yourself in, trusting an author who has clearly done more than her fair share of homework, and now wields that knowledge with great skill and love. McIntosh doesn't show off her knowledge - there no great clumsy chunks of exposition, just a totally convincing world that we are privileged to glimpse for the length of the book. This has to be the next best thing to a time machine.
On top of that, I loved Gil and Alys, their immediate sympathy and their growing friendship. And there are ten more books!!!!
On top of that, I loved Gil and Alys, their immediate sympathy and their growing friendship. And there are ten more books!!!!
alic59books's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
mothwing's review
2.0
Neat crime story set in medieval Glasgow. I didn't really get into the plot and was therefore not invested in the resolution, but this does show life in medieval Scotland very nicely.