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His Bloody Project

Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae : a Historical Thriller
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1 to 16 of 16 items
Nov 03, 2023ushi rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Loved it, still vivid almost a year since I read it. If you liked "Alias Grace" this is a treat.
Jul 06, 2019Katie_____ rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Interesting historical crime novel. First half of the book is the killer's autobiography. One cannot help but be sympathetic for him and his sad life of crushing poverty. Second half is a doctor's report and his trial. After discovering…
htliang
May 30, 2019htliang rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Totally felt like I was reading a true-crime historical novel. I was a bit disappointed in the ending because I hoped for more of a twist - perhaps something the old woman witnessed and was suddenly lucid enough to recount? Great book!
Nov 19, 2018becker rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
This is crime fiction that is written in a style that purposely feels more like journalism. It uses a series of reports,documents and witness accounts to unravel the mystery of a gruesome murder. It was a fast read and the structure was…
Apr 27, 2018ArapahoeAnnaL rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A detailed picture of rural life in mid 19th century Scotland where tenant farmers were allowed to farm hereditary portions of the lord's estate. The book provides a fascinating glimpse of the poverty and powerlessness of the farmers and…
Nov 30, 2017empbee rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Interesting and captivating description of rural life in the second half of 19th century Scotland. A good psychological and social thriller.
Nov 03, 2017tjdickey rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
There is pointedly no omniscience in "His Bloody Project." The set of historical "documents" sets up a particularly obscure camera through which we can view the cottage life, the rude surroundings, the insolence of office, and the brutal…
Jul 19, 2017lukasevansherman rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
I'd called this a murder mystery, but you already know who committed the murder. Scottish author Graeme Macrae Burnet's second novel is striking in two ways: it's set in rural 19th century Scotland and it's presented as a series of…
Feb 27, 2017toby65 rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Great read! If you are at all interested in Scottish history, or even if you are not, this unusual novel is definitely worth your time.
Feb 13, 2017lbeast rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I highly recommend this book. I've gotten into reading lots of historical fiction mysteries from many eras of British history (Roman, Elizabethan, Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian) but this is a slightly different animal. Written as if it's…
Feb 02, 2017uncommonreader rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
In this historical fiction novel masquerading as an account of the crime of a 17 year old boy in 1869 Scotland, the author provides an indictment of the exploitation of the crofting community by unscrupulous landlords. While it was…
Jan 20, 2017JCLAmandaW rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
The difference between the story told by a criminal and the story told by the evidence can be interesting. This book examines that in a way that causes you to remind yourself (at least in the first part) that this is, in fact, a fiction…
Jan 03, 2017Chapel_Hill_MaiaJ rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Although this isn't the type of book I'd normally pick up, I thought I'd give it a look because it was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize, and it didn't fail to impress. The author does such a good job getting into the different…
Nov 30, 2016
The best crime books and thrillers of 2016 The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/nov/30/the-best-crime-books-and-thrillers-of-2016?CMP=share_btn_tw "The usually mystery-sniffy Man Booker prize shortlist found a place for…
Nov 23, 2016KateHillier rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I knew this was fiction going in but there were still points I had to remind myself of the fact. It reads very much like a true crime book, especially when we get to trial transcripts. The whole thing is very, very readable even as we move…
Nov 18, 2016ready2read rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
This novel was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize in 2016 and, although it didn't win, there has been oodles of publicity and interest. It is difficult to categorize but I will agree with the author who said "it is a novel about a crime…