Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Coffin Road

Coffin Road
Coffin Road
Author: Peter May
Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Book Type: Hardcover
eadieburke avatar reviewed on + 1639 more book reviews


Book Description
In his latest mystery set in Scotland and the Outer Hebrides, award-winning author Peter May spins a tale about three disparate cases that may or may not be linked...

On the remote Isle of Harris in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, a man washes up on a deserted beach, hypothermic and completely disoriented. He has no idea who he is or how he got there. The only clue to his condition is a map of the island showing a desolate, ancient path called the Coffin Road. With a sense of dread and no clear idea what lies at the other end, he knows he must follow the trail if he has any hope of discovering his identity.

Meanwhile, homicide detective George Gunn makes the rough ocean crossing to a remote, sea-battered lighthouse on a rock in the northern Atlantic, twenty miles west of the Outer Hebrides, to investigate a brutal murder. Despite its isolation, the tiny island has seen its share of tragedy: more than a century earlier, three lighthouse keepers disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again. And now there is a new tragedy, and Gunn must figure out what happened.

At the same time, a teenage girl lies in her Edinburgh bedroom, desperate to discover the truth about her father's death. Two years after the discovery of the pioneering scientist's suicide note, Karen Fleming still cannot accept that her father would willingly abandon her. And the more she discovers about the nature of his research, the more she suspects that suicide had nothing to do with it.

My Review
Peter May is one of my favorite authors. He is an excellent writer and brings The Hebrides to life for all his readers. In your mind's eye you can see and feel what it's like to live on one of these islands as you read his books. He characters are very realistic and their lifestyle plays a very important part in the intricacy of his plots. The book was a page turner and held my interest to the very end. Learning about the cycle of bees was an added plus to the story. I highly recommend this book to those who love Scottish mysteries and I look forward to reading more from Peter May in the near future.