Liam McIlvanney

Well I thought I added this to my Reading list, but it didn't show up, so I guess I'll just fudge the dates. Anyways. I can't remember why I picked this one up, particularly. It's a sort of noir-ish detective mystery set in Scotland in 1969. D.I. McCormack is some sort of hotshot, and he gets called in to help the Glasgow police solve a serial rape and murder case, which they have apparently bungled. Or at least failed to solve. McCormack is a fairly typical detective, except that he harbors a secret (the same secret that a detective in another book I just read also kept). That secret isn't a huge part of the narrative, but it actually plays a big part later in the story, and probably sets up the rest of the series. Or at least the next book. The story also follows a band of thieves who rob a gallery of a pretty big haul of jewels, and that crime ends up getting mixed up with the rape/murder case (the Quaker case). The story is set in 1969, and I suppose it is "of" those times, to some degree, though the setting doesn't inform the story too much. I feel like the main reason to set a story in time like that is to make the time kind of a character in the story, and here it's really just background, not so significant. I got caught up in it as it came to a climax, but until that point I found it sort of plodding. Maybe I'll take up another volume down the line, but for now I'm content to dip in my toe.… (altro)

I don't read much crime fiction as it's just not my preferred formula and I probably wouldn't have stuck with this one if it hadn't been a book club pick. I did find myself getting more into it as I got further in, with the heavy caveat that I skimmed a lot (esp when the Queen Mary stuff came up), and I think Duncan makes for a good main character. As in, if this was my sort of thing I'd definitely be looking out for the next in the series as I'd like to see how things shake out for Duncan. So, if crime fiction isn't your thing this is probably not the title to convert you but if it is I think you'd like The Quaker (obvi kinda guessing here).… (altro)

If you’re the type who needs to read series in order or does not like spoilers, you will absolutely want to read The Quaker before reading The Heretic. The Heretic, set six years after the events of The Quaker, repeatedly mentions who did it in that first book. I found this helpful because it had been some time since I’d read the book, but it was brought up enough times to be a bit annoying. That was actually my overriding thought with this book: why did it have to be so long? It could have been the particular edition I had, or my hyper-shrunken attention span. I did find the book more engaging once I’d actually buckled down to sit down with it. I did also find Duncan a bit mood-swingy at times.… (altro)