Coffin Road

Product Information

Extraordinary People (published in United States as Dry Bones by Poisoned Pen Press 2006), (Quercus, 2013) For the most part the characters are new, though the island copper does make a return appearance. This time the story focuses on a man who stumbles from the sea one wild and windy night. He’s soaked through, desperately cold and somewhat beaten up. Moreover, he can’t remember what happened to him or even who he is; he’s lost all memory of his history and his identity. As the story develops we get to experience his reactions to his circumstances real-time and through his eyes. It’s pretty well done, though I couldn’t help wondering why he remembered how to do certain things yet was he was unable to recall any details at all regarding his life to date. Is loss of memory this selective? Maybe, but I found it a bit distracting. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend to all those who thrive when reading the dark side of mysteries. One man is dead. A second man is presumed dead. A third man is alive but has no memory and no record of his true identity. Two of these men have bee stings. A teenaged girl wants to know more about her father and embarks, alone, on a perilous journey for answers. A non-profit director rages and threatens. A detective sergeant keeps an open mind and takes copious notes. And all the while, a squatter watches through binoculars. Then you have Neal’s lover. Now who is she? And what are all those bee stings about? Why, let’s have some excruciating exposition to explain and how a Swiss agribusiness is ruining the world for future tattooed, multiply pierced, dyed hair, promiscuous, ignorant wee lasses.

The light at Luskentyre is stunning. The wind is brisk but soft. The land has soaked up everything thrown at it last night by the storm. It has, it seems, an endless capacity to do so. The sky presents itself in torn strips of blue interspersed by teased-out cotton wool, and the sun reflects in countless shades of turquoise across an outgoing tide that leaves silver sands shining” He draws some marvellous word pictures: “Despite the absence of people, there were plenty of boats. Fishing boats and motor launches, a couple of sailing boats and a handful of rowing boats which had seen better days, all lined up side by side, nudging each other playfully in the wind” and “The sky is more broken now, the light sharp and clear, clouds painted against the blue in breathless brushstrokes of white and grey and pewter. Moving fast in the wind to cast racing shadows on the sand below” are examples. French Literary Prizes – Prix des Lecteurs du Télégramme". Letelegramme.com . Retrieved 20 June 2010.

Book Summary

The Killing Room (Hodder & Stoughton 2001), (St Martin's Press 2008) (Poisoned Pen Press 2009), (Quercus E-books 2012), (Riverrun 2016) Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year". Harrogateinternationalfestivals.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014 . Retrieved 10 July 2013.

In questa storia i misteri e le domande, a cui non seguono risposte adeguate, si susseguono incessantemente, creando una bella atmosfera fatta di suspense, rivelazioni e colpi di scena a più livelli. May touches on some interesting and very topical themes: the importance of bees in the world’s ecosystems; the devastating effect of reputedly harmless pesticides; the power of the large, multi-national agrochemical companies; and the concealment of unfavourable research results. May’s love of the Outer Hebrides is apparent in his wonderfully evocative descriptions: “…I can see the rain falling from it in dark streaks that shift between smudges of grey-blue light and occasional flashes of watery sunshine that burn in brief patches of polished silver on the surface of the sea”I have no idea where this is. And for the first time since consciousness has returned, I am aware, with a sudden, sharp and painful stab of trepidation, that I have not the least notion of who I am.

This is probably the best book I have read so far this year and really I shouldn't be surprised as I have never been disappointed by Peter May's story telling. Another suspenseful tale from Peter May, although not quite as enjoyable for me as his three previous Lewis novels. For those who have read May’s ‘Lewis Trilogy,’ Detective Sergeant George Gunn makes a reappearance in this standalone. He’s as seemingly bumbling as ever, and the big question is: Can he unravel this tangled mess without Fin Macleod? You’ll have to read to find out. 3 stars, because the Lewis books are better. But still, this is a very good crime novel. And as always with this author, I loved his superb landscapes of the Hebrides, a part of the world I hope to visit someday: Peter May knows the Hebrides Islands off the coast of Scotland and provides some beautiful descriptions of the land and the weather - neither of which is very hospitable on any given day. The book begins with a man washed up on the shore of the Isle of Harris. He does not know his name, or what happened to him. It's as if he just awoken and found himself in a place he has no idea of why he is there.

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

The third and final chapter of this series, The Chessmen, takes Fin on an investigation to solve an illegal game-hunting crime that reunites him with a face of his past, Whistler Macaskill, and leads him to discover pieces of the past that could destroy the future. The Enzo Files And lastly we have Karen Fleming, a young teenage rebel who since her father's death, has gone off the rails a bit, but after discovering some alarming information, wants to investigate her father's death, as she knows something isn't right.

Coffin Road is the eighth stand-alone novel by British author, Peter May. The audio version is narrated by Peter Forbes. A man wakes, washed up on a beach on the isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides: he doesn’t know who he is, where he is, or how he got there, but he has an overpowering feeling of dread about something that has happened. Instinctively, he does not reveal his amnesia to those around him, relying on the information he gleans from conversations and from items in his cottage to gain knowledge of who he is. Coffin Road by Peter May is another brilliant thriller by this author! Gripping and intense with a fast paced and definitely intriguing plot, I was fascinated by the storyline. I loved the previous standalone, Runaway and when I saw this one was coming out, knew I had to read it. Highly recommended. He does seem to be on good terms with the neighbouring couple, even forgetting he is having an affair with the woman, Sally, who is keen to carry things on, and despite not remembering, soon takes Sally to bed. The Runner (Hodder & Stoughton 2003), (Poisoned Pen Press 2010), (Quercus E-books 2012), (Riverrun 2017) Coffin Road is the eighth stand-alone novel by British author, Peter May. A man wakes, washed up on a beach on the isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides: he doesn’t know who he is, where he is, or how he got there, but he has an overpowering feeling of dread about something that has happened. Instinctively, he does not reveal his amnesia to those around him, relying on the information he gleans from conversations and from items in his cottage to gain knowledge of who he is.I find him an excellent writer who is very descriptive and paints a picture for the reader without boring them. The Enzo Files is set in France and is centred on the work of half-Italian, half-Scottish Enzo Macleod. This former forensic scientist, now working as a biology professor at a French university becomes involved in applying the latest scientific methods to solve cold cases. [14] According to Goodreads and my own somewhat-dilapidated memory, I’ve never read any books by France-based Scottish-born author Peter May. This surprised me as he has three series under his belt, a number of standalone novels and has been involved in writing for television in the UK. Coffin Road is an entertaining tale but it is sadly let down by its cliched dialogue and cardboard characters. The "us against the world" plot was a little trite and I suspect that the subject matter is something of a hobby horse for Peter May as he delivers a crusading tale about trying to save the world by ensuring the continued development of the bee species. Notice I did not resort to using the "bee in his bonnet" idiom! The scientists and bee fanciers along with Karen are responsible for the majority of the cringe-inducing dialogue, dropping in the casual swear words as May attempts to show us how "right-on" and modern they are. May explains the connections surrounding the scientific discoveries well and the theory all ties up, but I found it hard to summon up much enthusiasm or concern for the theme.