7/25/2023 0 Comments Hue and cry shirley mckay![]() The backdrop for this story is Gladstone’s Midlothian Campaign and the run up to the General Election of 1880. A prostitute is murdered and her killing bears similarities to a series of brutal murders 30 years prior. McLevy is called upon to investigate. It’s worth it.įor the princely sum of 94p, why not immerse yourself in 19th century Edinburgh and the world of Inspector McLevy. Vail’s debut novel in his series featuring ex-soldier Sir Stephen Attebrook takes us back to the 13th century. A body is found floating in a river and a verdict of accidental drowning is recorded. It’s not until Attebrook is tasked with tracking down a runaway apprentice, who has eloped with his master’s daughter, that the man’s death is suspected to be far from accidental. When his master is murdered, the apprentice finds himself in the frame and Attebrook finds himself caught in a dangerous game of political intrigue whilst trying to prove the boy’s innocence. Some might view this as a risky buy as it’s a self-published book, but at 86p take our advice and give it a read. This is the first book in Parot’s series set in 18th century France, featuring Nicholas le Floch, a young recruit to the French police force. His first case begins as a search for another missing policeman, but soon turns into a murder investigation when an unidentified body is discovered. This is a book that will keep you guessing and at 99p, it’s a bit of a steal.Īt 98p, this is a worthwhile introduction to the Hew Cullan mysteries. Set in St Andrew’s, Scotland, towards the end of the 16th century, the series follows the investigations of young lawyer called Hew. When a 13-year-old boy is found dead, suspicion falls on Nicholas Colp, one of the University’s regents, and Hew finds himself being drawn into the machinations of the kirk and the university. If you like this book, you might also want to dip into Fate and Fortune, which is the second book in the series and at 99p is also a real bargain buy. The Châtelet Apprentice by Jean-François Parot However, if you’re on the hunt for a real bargain, and there are quite a few out there, you can’t go wrong with one of our top 5 picks: I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, it’s called Fate & Fortune.Historical crime fiction lovers are rather spoilt for choice when it comes to downloading your favourites onto your Kindle. Whether you’re a fan of Lindsey Duncan, Anne Perry, Candace Robb, CJ Sansom, Susanna Gregory, Edward Marston or any of the many other excellent wordsmiths in this genre, there is something to fit all of your historical tastes for around a fiver. I think that it would have been a good idea to have a map of St Andrews and environs, as Hew does a lot of stravaiging around the streets and it would have been useful for people who don’t know the area I’m sure. ![]() Otherwise this was a very enjoyable read, enhanced for me because all of the locations are very familiar to me. I was however perplexed by mention of ‘a bishop’ on page 257 as the religious upheaval of the Scottish Reformation was to get rid of bishops – which they did. The very young King James VI makes an appearance and given the date and location witches are mentioned. Hew is a great character, as is his sister Meg and there’s even some humour with Hew buying a ‘characterful’ horse. This makes it all sound quite grim but there’s a lot more to it of course. ![]() Hew has been shocked by the corruption at the university and also within the law courts, with nobody seeming to care if the actual culprit has been found, or just a handy fall-guy. There’s been gossip about Nicholas and as we know, mud sticks, especially in the atmosphere of strict Scottish Presbyterianism. Hew’s old friend Nicholas had been tutoring the victim as the father was hoping to get his son into the university, and suspicion falls on Nicholas. It’s thought that his father has probably beaten the young lad for some mistake he had made, but things take an ominous turn when his body is found. But he gets caught up in a search for a young boy who has disappeared from his father’s shop. ![]() Hew Cullan has just returned home after studying law in Paris, he’s keen to catch up with some of his old friends before travelling on to his father’s house. ![]() The town’s cathedral has long been wrecked by the religious reformers and many of the town’s newer buildings have been built using the robbed stone from it. It’s a murder mystery with a 16th century Scottish setting. Hue and Cry by Shirley McKay is the first book in the author’s Hew Cullan series. ![]()
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