Title: Trilogy: 1) The Black House; 2) The Lewis Man; 3) The Chess Men
Author: May, Peter
Published by: Quercus
Year: 1) 2011; 2) 2012; 3) 2013
Date reviewed: 12.21
ISBN: 1) 978 0 85738 216 0 (e-book); 2) 978 0 85738 217 7 (e-book); 3) 978 0 85738 218 4 (e-book)

Nothing to do with Inspector Morse’s sidekick, these three novels are set on the Hebridean island of Lewis, the most northerly of the archipelago. The setting of a small community where everyone knows everyone else is not unusual in crime fiction, but although May himself was born in Glasgow and has never lived in the Hebrides his research and portrayal of the communities on the island is convincing. His books have won several awards and prestigious nominations, especially in his adopted home country, France.^*

The books follow in sequence and would best be read in order. They share some characteristics: in each story current events and the roots of the crime the main character has to solve are embedded in the past. And each has a significant social or cultural issue which underlies the plot. May achieves continuity of the past and current narratives by alternating between a first party voice and a third party narrative, which works well. The stories also share an underlying sense of sadness and regret for people and opportunities lost over the years.

As for the plots themselves, the stories move at a satisfying pace. There is action – sometimes violent; relationships are explored and dissected; landscape and weather contribute atmosphere.

I enjoyed the books (I binge-read the last one-and-a-half). They were recommended to me by an expert in the genre and I’m glad to say she was right.

* Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_May_(writer). Inspected 30.12.2021.