Scan barcode
anukritimalik_'s review
4.0
Bloody Scotland , as the name suggest is a collection of 12 short crime stories by some fine writers of Scotland.
I am a die hard crime fiction lover and I absolutely loved this book. Every story begins somewhere in Scotland and with a pictorial representation which makes the story all the more interesting. I , as a reader could fairly well imagine how the whole story was taking place.
To avoid the review to be very long , I’m extensively reviewing only one of my favorite from the twelve which was hands down Nemo Me Inpune Lacessit by Denise Mina.
--> Nemo Me Inpune Lacessit by Denise Mina
Nemo Me Inpune Lacessit translates to “Cross me and Suffer”. The story revolves around the life of Jake , an eleven year old mysterious boy and his family. Jake is not normal and his family feels he is possessed or mentally ill. The CCTV cameras in the house often show him standing next to the bed of his parents in the middle of the night , staring them for hours. Once they found a hammer near the bed and on checking the recordings they found him practice-swing it at his mother Audrey’s head and laugh to himself.
The family – Jake , his mother Audrey , father Pete , six year old brother Simon and seven year old Hannah are on a visit to the Edinburgh Castle. Jake , who always acts in a weird and strange manner is rather calm and excited to visit the castle. His parents are amused at his behavior but are happy than suspicious. They enter the castle and stroll through the dungeons and suddenly Jake goes missing. His parents are on a lookout and in the blink of an eye , Simon and Hannah disappear. Where did the kids go?
The story leaves you in a fit. It gives a paranormal effect and I loved it.
Recommended for all the crime and short story lovers out there.
Orkahaugr by Lin Anderson
Ancient and Modern by Val McDermid
Kissing the Shuttle by E S Thomson
Painting the Forth Bridge by Doug Johnstone
The Last Siege of Bothwell Castle by Chris Brookmyre
Sanctuary by Sara Sheridan
Stevenson’s Candle by Stuart MacBride
History Lesson by Gordon Brown
Come Friendly Bombs by Louise Welsh
The Twa Corbies of Cardross by Craig Robertson
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit by Denise Mina
The Return by Ann Cleeves
I am a die hard crime fiction lover and I absolutely loved this book. Every story begins somewhere in Scotland and with a pictorial representation which makes the story all the more interesting. I , as a reader could fairly well imagine how the whole story was taking place.
To avoid the review to be very long , I’m extensively reviewing only one of my favorite from the twelve which was hands down Nemo Me Inpune Lacessit by Denise Mina.
--> Nemo Me Inpune Lacessit by Denise Mina
Nemo Me Inpune Lacessit translates to “Cross me and Suffer”. The story revolves around the life of Jake , an eleven year old mysterious boy and his family. Jake is not normal and his family feels he is possessed or mentally ill. The CCTV cameras in the house often show him standing next to the bed of his parents in the middle of the night , staring them for hours. Once they found a hammer near the bed and on checking the recordings they found him practice-swing it at his mother Audrey’s head and laugh to himself.
“I’m finished too , Mum.”
The family – Jake , his mother Audrey , father Pete , six year old brother Simon and seven year old Hannah are on a visit to the Edinburgh Castle. Jake , who always acts in a weird and strange manner is rather calm and excited to visit the castle. His parents are amused at his behavior but are happy than suspicious. They enter the castle and stroll through the dungeons and suddenly Jake goes missing. His parents are on a lookout and in the blink of an eye , Simon and Hannah disappear. Where did the kids go?
The story leaves you in a fit. It gives a paranormal effect and I loved it.
Recommended for all the crime and short story lovers out there.
anunande's review against another edition
Bloody Scotland, an anthology of stories by twelve of the best Scottish crime writers., was published in September 2017 by Historic Environment Scotland, and the beauty of these stories is that each writer is given one architectural structure from the country and uses the dark side of its heritage to fuel the heart of their narrative.
Overall, this collection has a high writing and storytelling standard through its twelve different styles; There was also beautiful, atmospheric writing about the Scottish landscape which makes me want to return and explore outside of Edinburgh. The stories explore a range of emotions – love, family, grief, revenge, hope – and we are introduced to a variety of characters in wide-ranging situations, whether a gripping hostage scenario, or a Nordic noir setting on the Scottish coast, or a nail-biting adventure at a lighthouse in the middle of a storm, or simply that of an estranged father trying desperately to reconnect with his daughter.
The full review here:
https://anushreenande.com/bloody-scotland-a-review
Overall, this collection has a high writing and storytelling standard through its twelve different styles; There was also beautiful, atmospheric writing about the Scottish landscape which makes me want to return and explore outside of Edinburgh. The stories explore a range of emotions – love, family, grief, revenge, hope – and we are introduced to a variety of characters in wide-ranging situations, whether a gripping hostage scenario, or a Nordic noir setting on the Scottish coast, or a nail-biting adventure at a lighthouse in the middle of a storm, or simply that of an estranged father trying desperately to reconnect with his daughter.
The full review here:
https://anushreenande.com/bloody-scotland-a-review
shelfadmirer's review against another edition
3.0
|3.5 stars|
Bloody Scotland is a collection of 12 short stories that revolve around 12 famous Scottish monuments and has a murder element in it.
While I loved a few stories, the other fell flat to my taste. It’s difficult when an author is constrained and isn’t allowed to think out of the box. That is what I believe happened to this collection.
Orkahaugr by Lin Anderson: The first story is about the curiosity of a man for the monument called Maeshowe. It talks about Norse Mythology and death.
Ancient and Modern by Val McDermid: A revenge planned around The Hermit’s Castle.
Kissing the Shuttle by E S Thomson: A plot revolving around sexual abuse in the Stanley Mills.
Painting the Forth Bridge by Doug Johnstone: A fathers love for his daughter and to be with her, no matter the costs. Set in The Forth Bridge.
The Last Siege of Bothwell Castle by Chris Brookmyre: A tale involving a siege of Bothwell Castle, staged by some local Mafia.
Sanctuary by Sara Sheridan: Involves the Kinneil House and is a horror story. Revolves around ancient paintings and murals.
Stevenson’s Candle by Stuart MacBride: A psychological thriller, well written and gripping. Set in the Kinnaird Head Lighthouse
History Lesson by Gordon Brown: Talks about a father-son relationship and involves the Crookston Castle
Come Friendly Bombs by Louise Welsh: Talks about war-ridden Scotland and the solace provided by Crossraguel Abbey
The Two Corbies of Cardross by Craig Robertson: Two thieves, the ultimate goal is survival. Their favorite spot being St. Peter’s Seminary, Cardross.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit by Denise Mina: Mental illness and consequences. Set in the famous Edinburgh Castle.
The Return by Ann Cleeves: Deception and murder in the Mousa Broch.
My most favorites are Nemo Me Impune Lacessit, Stevenson’s Candle and The Return. These were exceptionally written with an impressive plot and well-written characters. The thriller in most of the stories was great, but a few felt forced, especially when drawing a connection with the monuments. A few weren’t related at all.
A short description of each monument has been provided at the end, along with the author introduction.
What overpowers everything is the fact that each monument has been described beautifully. Their grandeur and history have all been told along with the story.
This collection can be thought of as an insight into the writing style of some great Scottish authors and I have chosen a few whose work I would like to read further.)
Bloody Scotland is a collection of 12 short stories that revolve around 12 famous Scottish monuments and has a murder element in it.
While I loved a few stories, the other fell flat to my taste. It’s difficult when an author is constrained and isn’t allowed to think out of the box. That is what I believe happened to this collection.
Orkahaugr by Lin Anderson: The first story is about the curiosity of a man for the monument called Maeshowe. It talks about Norse Mythology and death.
Ancient and Modern by Val McDermid: A revenge planned around The Hermit’s Castle.
Kissing the Shuttle by E S Thomson: A plot revolving around sexual abuse in the Stanley Mills.
Painting the Forth Bridge by Doug Johnstone: A fathers love for his daughter and to be with her, no matter the costs. Set in The Forth Bridge.
The Last Siege of Bothwell Castle by Chris Brookmyre: A tale involving a siege of Bothwell Castle, staged by some local Mafia.
Sanctuary by Sara Sheridan: Involves the Kinneil House and is a horror story. Revolves around ancient paintings and murals.
Stevenson’s Candle by Stuart MacBride: A psychological thriller, well written and gripping. Set in the Kinnaird Head Lighthouse
History Lesson by Gordon Brown: Talks about a father-son relationship and involves the Crookston Castle
Come Friendly Bombs by Louise Welsh: Talks about war-ridden Scotland and the solace provided by Crossraguel Abbey
The Two Corbies of Cardross by Craig Robertson: Two thieves, the ultimate goal is survival. Their favorite spot being St. Peter’s Seminary, Cardross.
Nemo Me Impune Lacessit by Denise Mina: Mental illness and consequences. Set in the famous Edinburgh Castle.
The Return by Ann Cleeves: Deception and murder in the Mousa Broch.
My most favorites are Nemo Me Impune Lacessit, Stevenson’s Candle and The Return. These were exceptionally written with an impressive plot and well-written characters. The thriller in most of the stories was great, but a few felt forced, especially when drawing a connection with the monuments. A few weren’t related at all.
A short description of each monument has been provided at the end, along with the author introduction.
What overpowers everything is the fact that each monument has been described beautifully. Their grandeur and history have all been told along with the story.
This collection can be thought of as an insight into the writing style of some great Scottish authors and I have chosen a few whose work I would like to read further.)
literatigeek's review against another edition
4.0
I ended up really liking it, and the concept behind it was equally interesting. Each story was written by a celebrated Scottish crime author who each wrote a story containing one major Scottish national or historic site. Thank goodness they provided a map and brief history of each site in the back or I’d be a bit lost to the more obscure sites. I also enjoyed the fact that it was a pretty well balanced mix between men and women writers.
Check out my blog to read the full review: https://theliteratigeek.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/mini-review-bloody-scotland/
Check out my blog to read the full review: https://theliteratigeek.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/mini-review-bloody-scotland/