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.