The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves

 Ronald Knox wrote 10 commandments for detective fiction about 100 years ago.  I think Ann Cleeves should look at rule #8: The detective must not light on any clues which are not instantly produced for the inspection of the reader.  Early in the novel Willow and Perez withheld information from the reader which may not have been critical, but the ending of the novel was a bit much.  I may or may not have figured it out, but the author needs to play fair.

I enjoyed reading this novel and am happy to see the return of Jimmy Perez to a new island community.  I am looking forward to another Orkney novel, but I did walk away with a couple more issues.

One was the mention of a picked carving in chapter 10.  Was this an autocorrect by some software from a Pict carving?

The other was the apparent red herrings of the title and the inscriptions on the stones.  When I read the inscriptions, I attempted to resolve the crime from those inscriptions, but apparently they were red herrings.  Would have been more fun if the solution were crafted from those stones.  However the title itself apparently was also a red herring.  Not fair.

However, I am looking forward to more of Jimmy and Willow in Orkney..

Ann Cleeves may not fit the theme of my blog but Ronald Knox does and is worthy of attention.  If the author wishes to violate a rule, review how well Agatha Christie deliberately did this in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

Sir John Cope and the Rebellion of 1745

 Prior to reading this book I was only familiar with Sir John Cope through the song "Hey, Johnnie Cope" which led me to believe that he lost the battle of Prestonpans as a result of cowardice.  This book provides a detailed account of his preparations for the battle as well as his support or lack of support from King George II and the available troops. The narrative includes an informative narrative of the troop movements and the decisions of Sir John Cope up to and including his disaster at Prestonpans.

  The book is available online in digital format as well as print and is a valuable resource for anyone researching the Jacobite uprising of 1745.  There are many references to Sir Walter Scott's accounts of this period taken from his Tales of a Grandfather.  I especially enjoyed the narratives including Colonel Gardiner who was a central character in Scott's Waverley.

  I highly recommend this book along with Scott's Waverley both of which provide a well rounded depiction of the matters facing the Scots at that time.

St. Ronan's Well

 This novel is very different than the usual Sir Walter Scott.  I got the impression he was trying the Jane Austen approach whom Scott admired for her fine details.  I expected a more romantic tale due to its title.  

I found the amount of alcohol (especially the fellow who drank a bottle of whisky per day) amusing for a health spa.  I found the novel disappointing especially the tragic finish.  Not a bad read but I prefer the historical Scott.

He should have stuck to being Sir Walter Scott and let Jane Austen be herself.  Historical characters did cross paths with St. Ronan or Locronan so he could picked one to concentrate on in his usual manner with better results.

Midnight and Blue

 Rebus is aging and Sir Ian Rankin express his unwillingness to extend his career.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle unsuccessfully attempted to end the career of Sherlock Holmes due to the extraordinary popularity of his stories.  Will Sir Ian Rankin encounter a similar reaction from his public?

The TV series with Richard Rankin may work for a while.  However, I would suggest trying to get Rebus' grandson to take over.  He completed his academic studies for criminology before pursuing his postgraduate studies in Scottish history.  Fife has some interesting unsolved mysteries with some recent mysteries like the Fife fisherman who disappeared or the Fife beast.

This would give the author to return to his James Hogg/Robert Louis Stevenson antisyzygy interests.

Do you think Midnight and Blue should be the end of Rebus?

Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft

I recently finished Hex by Jenni Fagan in the Darkland Tale series which was dedicated to Geillis Duncan, a convicted witch. After reading How to Kill a Witch: a guide for the patriarchy where she was mentioned, I decided to open Sir Walter Scott's Demonology and Witchcraft for his view. Scott stated, "It would be disgusting to follow the numerous cases in which the same uniform credulity, he same extorted confessions, the same prejudiced and exaggerated evidence, concluded in the same tragedy at the stake and the pile." I recommend all three books. I was familiar with the Salem witchcraft trials but not the North Berwick in Scotland.

Robin Hood

 Sir Walter Scott immortalized many historical figures which continue to appear in popular culture.  Frank Sinatra updated the Robin Hood story in the highly entertaining musical Robin and the Seven Hoods.  I did not realize until I watched this film last night that his Chicago My Kind of Town came from this film. If you want an approach different than Errol Flynn or Ivanhoe, watch this fun film.

Sketches from Glasgow

 This was a quick but entertaining read with an entertaining narrative about Glasgow.  The book by J. A. Hammerton is hard to find but worth the effort.