Shirley McKay

Having already purchased a mystery featuring 16th-century lawyer Hew Cullan based in St. Andrews, Scotland, I decided to meet him for the first time in this novella. This didn't turn out to be one of my better impulses because I walked right into the middle of a story in which everyone else was well-acquainted with Hew and I was not. This put me at somewhat of a disadvantage, but I still enjoyed the slice-of-life historical aspects of the story. I did feel as though I were walking the streets of St. Andrews in 1588, and I did enjoy trying to deduce what happened to the missing Elspet. The vernacular that McKay uses in her dialogue was a bit confusing from time to time, but the author does include a glossary in the back which helped a great deal.

Will I be meeting Hew Cullan again in the future? Yes, I do believe I will.… (más)

1579 Hew Cullan has returned to St. Andrews after six years where he soon finds himself embroiled in a murder investigation when the body of thirteen year Alexander Strachan is discovered.
The main suspect is his old friend Nicholas Colp, Master of St Leonard's College.
He's decides he must investigate. But there will be more deaths, can he find the truth.
An enjoyable and well-written historical mystery, but also a view of Stuart St. Andrews and university life. A very good start to the series.… (más)

Hew Cullen has been studying in France for several years but is coming home to Scotland. On his return to St Andrews he finds himself embroiled in murder and corruption involving his friends, his University colleagues and even his family. in Scotland in the late 16th Century the Kirk holds sway and a terror of witchcraft means that many are vulnerable. The discovery of a dead boy at the weavers shop links commercial pressure with sin and also a scholarly scandal that Hew must unravel to save his sister and his former tutor.

What's good about this book is the plot. It's clever mix of murder and corruption which is not completely obvious but makes complete sense when revealed. Hew is not really an effective detective but does make connections and the device of using the King as the arbiter of justice is artfully written. The problem with the book is more about the sense of time and place. Great chunks of the book can be read without knowledge that this is taking place in Scotland, and even more without knowledge of the 1580s. The occasional bit of vernacular language drops in and reference to plaid/burn etc are not enough.

Having said that the book is an easy read and quite engaging, it wouldn't stop me carrying on to read others in the series.… (más)

Shirley McKay - 1588 A Calendar of Crime.
Latest in the Hew Cullan series of mysteries.
This is a lighter read than the crime I normally go for and I thoroughly enjoyed the change of mood. This book is a perfect fit for the lengthening chilly evenings and an ideal Christmas present for fans of historical murder mysteries.
'1588', is set in the year of the Armada, which forms some of the background to the stories, it is one of the themes that links the five stories here contained. The calendar is significant because the people of the time lived by the seasons and the stories are linked in the form of an almanac. It is this that gives the stories a loose feel of a novel although each of the tales have been published as individual e-Stories and can be read as such. This edition, elegantly presented for a standard hardback comes with a glossary of words and historical notes that provides a light guide to the background to the stories for those who want to learn more.
The crimes/tales are well crafted and entertaining. The stories themselves cover the death of a candle maker, Spanish ghosts, love as a destructive and redemptive force, false crimes, and personal peril for Hew Cullan.
I thoroughly enjoyed '1588 A Calendar of Crime'. McKay is well versed in the history of the time; the superstition and beliefs, the emerging scientific knowledge, the cyclical nature of life. She is also comfortable with her characters and these two things have enabled her to concentrate on bringing a fresh edge and invention to the stories here told. There are also little twists on the familiar that work well. I liked the Scottish burr and McKay's light way with the old language just enough to place the novel properly in its setting. There are some darker moments, after all these were perilous times, but I was more struck by the playful and witty tone that deftly underpins the stories. Some of the encounters between characters, their banter, misunderstandings and situations that arise made me smile, (McKay created a light air of farce in one or two places).
I didn't feel that not having read any of the previous Hew Cullan novels was a hindrance to enjoying this book, and I would not be averse to picking one up in the future if I was in the right mood. As good as Ellis Peters, Candace Robb, Paul Doherty for me.… (más)