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.
kukushka's review
5.0
I think that anyone who pays some attention to my reviews here would easily be able to guess that I love mysteries and I love historical fiction. So when I came across Harper’s Quine as a book that offers both, I had to buy it. But, as is so often the case, it sat on my shelf next to a whole lot of other unread books as I tried mightily to catch my reading rate up to my shopping rate.
Finally, finally, it was time to give Harper’s Quine a turn, and I immediately regretted that I had waited so long!
Gil Cunningham is expected to enter the priesthood. But when he becomes mixed in with a murder investigation, he is led to meet the lovely Alys, his future becomes rather less than certain.
I really enjoyed this books for quite a few reasons. The biggest is that the mystery is solvable by the reader – pay attention while Gil gathers clues, and it’s possible to figure out the murder rather early on. It’s a little frustrating to see Gil continue to stumble about in ignorance, but it’s immensely satisfying to be proven correct at the end. These are my favourite sort of mysteries!
Another aspect I really enjoyed was the relationship with Alys. Alys is an active participant in the mystery solving. She’s smart, capable, and contributes a lot to the detective work. But at the same time, this doesn’t feel anachronistic. Unlike Rowland’s Uechi Reiko, Alys is not a modern feminist trapped in the past. She’s a strong woman, but she’s still plausible. And, as a woman, she has many responsibilities. While her father and lover are out having great adventures, she must remain mindful of her household and its need to be continuously managed.And she can’t just “do it all” – there are times when she can’t get to a particular task that’s relevant to the mystery because she is occupied with being the lady of the house.
If I had to look for a flaw, it would be with the fate of the baddie. I’ve complained about this before, I know, but I find it rather distasteful when the baddie(s) meets with a gruesome end. I understand that it’s supposed to be cathartic, or some such nonsense, but it just strikes me as barbaric. A simple hanging, while only slightly less brutal, would at least have the benefit of being that age’s expression of justice.
But leaving that aside, this was a truly remarkable book, a rare gem. I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone who is a fan of mysteries and/or historical fiction!
Finally, finally, it was time to give Harper’s Quine a turn, and I immediately regretted that I had waited so long!
Gil Cunningham is expected to enter the priesthood. But when he becomes mixed in with a murder investigation, he is led to meet the lovely Alys, his future becomes rather less than certain.
I really enjoyed this books for quite a few reasons. The biggest is that the mystery is solvable by the reader – pay attention while Gil gathers clues, and it’s possible to figure out the murder rather early on. It’s a little frustrating to see Gil continue to stumble about in ignorance, but it’s immensely satisfying to be proven correct at the end. These are my favourite sort of mysteries!
Another aspect I really enjoyed was the relationship with Alys. Alys is an active participant in the mystery solving. She’s smart, capable, and contributes a lot to the detective work. But at the same time, this doesn’t feel anachronistic. Unlike Rowland’s Uechi Reiko, Alys is not a modern feminist trapped in the past. She’s a strong woman, but she’s still plausible. And, as a woman, she has many responsibilities. While her father and lover are out having great adventures, she must remain mindful of her household and its need to be continuously managed.And she can’t just “do it all” – there are times when she can’t get to a particular task that’s relevant to the mystery because she is occupied with being the lady of the house.
If I had to look for a flaw, it would be with the fate of the baddie. I’ve complained about this before, I know, but I find it rather distasteful when the baddie(s) meets with a gruesome end. I understand that it’s supposed to be cathartic, or some such nonsense, but it just strikes me as barbaric. A simple hanging, while only slightly less brutal, would at least have the benefit of being that age’s expression of justice.
But leaving that aside, this was a truly remarkable book, a rare gem. I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone who is a fan of mysteries and/or historical fiction!
julieputty's review
4.0
Very enjoyable medieval mystery set in Scotland. I enjoyed the characterization enormously and the plot, while not revolutionary, was interesting enough.
singinglight's review
3.0
by Pat McIntosh
I picked this one up at a recent public library trip after a recommendation from Deb. I was hoping for a satisfying mystery with interesting characters and a clearly drawn setting. I definitely found all of that here.
Gil Cunningham, a young man struggling with his desire to do right by his family and his knowledge that he is not fitted for the priesthood, discovers a dead body. Because the body is on the grounds of Glasgow Cathedral, of which his uncle is a Canon, he is given the task of finding the dead woman's killer.
I'm sure that this book has been compared to Ellis Peter's Cadfael series. Oddly enough, I was more charmed by Gil's story than Cadfael's. I especially liked the sense that Gil's faith was very real to him--I felt that he took it seriously and that McIntosh took his taking it seriously, seriously. While I know the medieval church had its problems, there were some simple devout people. I very much enjoyed the fact that we were given a chance to see one of them.
I do have some lingering questions, mostly about the character of Alys. While I know from my classes that there were extremely intelligent and well educated women in the middle ages, such as Christine de Pizan, or even Heloise, I wasn't clear on how Alys had gained her knowledge. I believe that masons like her father were highly respected and wealthy men, but he didn't seem particularly educated (intelligent, yes, but that's not the same thing). Maybe McIntosh explains it a bit more in later books, but as it was I remained a bit puzzled.
I suppose I kept comparing this to Ellis Peters as I was reading, partly because of the medieval connection and partly because they're both mysteries and so on. While I thought McIntosh did a marvellous job of setting the scene--conveying a sense of the society and time period, I did miss the sense of place that is so intense in Peters.
Final verdict? I'll definitely be continuing with the series as I found this one both enjoyable and well-done.
Book source: public library
----
This series was definitely my favorite set of mysteries from 2010 (except for Dorothy Sayers, but it’s always except for Dorothy Sayers). Set in medieval Glasgow, they depict Scottish life lovingly and take religion seriously. The characters are both interesting and likable. What’s not to like? [2010 in books]
I picked this one up at a recent public library trip after a recommendation from Deb. I was hoping for a satisfying mystery with interesting characters and a clearly drawn setting. I definitely found all of that here.
Gil Cunningham, a young man struggling with his desire to do right by his family and his knowledge that he is not fitted for the priesthood, discovers a dead body. Because the body is on the grounds of Glasgow Cathedral, of which his uncle is a Canon, he is given the task of finding the dead woman's killer.
I'm sure that this book has been compared to Ellis Peter's Cadfael series. Oddly enough, I was more charmed by Gil's story than Cadfael's. I especially liked the sense that Gil's faith was very real to him--I felt that he took it seriously and that McIntosh took his taking it seriously, seriously. While I know the medieval church had its problems, there were some simple devout people. I very much enjoyed the fact that we were given a chance to see one of them.
I do have some lingering questions, mostly about the character of Alys. While I know from my classes that there were extremely intelligent and well educated women in the middle ages, such as Christine de Pizan, or even Heloise, I wasn't clear on how Alys had gained her knowledge. I believe that masons like her father were highly respected and wealthy men, but he didn't seem particularly educated (intelligent, yes, but that's not the same thing). Maybe McIntosh explains it a bit more in later books, but as it was I remained a bit puzzled.
I suppose I kept comparing this to Ellis Peters as I was reading, partly because of the medieval connection and partly because they're both mysteries and so on. While I thought McIntosh did a marvellous job of setting the scene--conveying a sense of the society and time period, I did miss the sense of place that is so intense in Peters.
Final verdict? I'll definitely be continuing with the series as I found this one both enjoyable and well-done.
Book source: public library
----
This series was definitely my favorite set of mysteries from 2010 (except for Dorothy Sayers, but it’s always except for Dorothy Sayers). Set in medieval Glasgow, they depict Scottish life lovingly and take religion seriously. The characters are both interesting and likable. What’s not to like? [2010 in books]
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