A bog burst leaves a loch suddenly empty of water- and a
body is found by Fin Macleod and Whistler Macaskill. The
body is an old friend of theirs, a musician named Roddy
Mackenzie who disappeared seventeen years prior when his
flight suddenly vanished. When foul play is suspected,
Fin will have to resurrect memories in order to
understand what happened to Roddy. Fin suspects Whistler
knows something, but Whistler has become adept at keeping
secrets.
THE CHESSMEN is the third book in Peter May's Lewis
Trilogy. While the mystery surrounding the death is a
standalone story, there are other events that tie
directly into what happened in the prior book, The Lewis
Man. I would suggest reading at least The Lewis Man prior
to THE CHESSMEN in order to fully appreciate the ongoing
storyline involving Reverend Donald Murray.
As with the prior books in the series, THE CHESSMEN is
told through flashbacks as Fin remembers his past in
order to understand the current day events. Throughout
the series, we've come to know and love the various
people Fin has encountered in his life. Unfortunately,
this is exactly what made THE CHESSMEN a somewhat
disappointing finale to the series. The CHESSMEN
introduces us to a whole host of new characters rather
than focusing more on the characters we've grown to love.
Loose ends are neatly tied up, perhaps a bit too quickly
considering we've nurtured these relationships and
situations in the series as a whole.
Marilyn Stasio in The New York Times raved: "Peter May is
a writer I'd
follow to the ends of the earth." Among the many honors
received, The
Blackhouse, the first novel in May's acclaimed Lewis
trilogy, won the
Barry and Crime Thriller Hound awards.
Now, with The Chessmen, Peter May gives us a dramatic
conclusion to his
award-winning Lewis trilogy. Living again of the Isle of
Lewis, the ex-
Detective Inspector Fin McLeod is working as a security
officer for a
local landowner. While investigating illegal activity on
the estate Fin
encounters the elusive poacher and former childhood friend
Whistler
Macaskill.
But while Fin catches up with Whistler, the two witness a
freak natural
phenomenon--a 'Bog Burst'--which spontaneously drains a
loch of its
water, revealing a mud-encased light aircraft with a
sickeningly
familiar moniker on its side.
Both men immediately know that they will find inside: the
body of Roddy
Mackenzie, a friend whose flight disappeared more than
seventeen years
before. But when Whistler's face appears to register
something other
than shock, an icy chill of apprehension overtakes Fin.
What secret has
Whistler been hiding from him, and everyone else on the
island? Fin is
unprepared for how the truth about the past will alter the
course of
the future.
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