Entry Island

Good stuff!

Any additional comments?

Before I review this book, I think we should get the question styled reviews outlawed, this is not a book club, like this review if u agree!

Great book, great characters, different storyline and I'd read again gladly. This cleverly written novel goes back and forth between two story lines; a murder set in the present day and how the detective's ancestors are linked with the victim's wife.
This book had me hooked from the start and I must have finished it in less than five sittings. I loved how the author came up with the history of the ancestors to the main police officer, insomniac and Scottish born Sime Mckenzie, and how this re;lated to a recent murder on the mysterious and desolate Entry Island. It had me hooked and guessing and I was pleasantly surprised with the ending. Sometimes the ending can be a disappointment when the story has been built up throughout the book with so many possible outcomes, but I was very pleased in this case and I would recommend this book to anyone!

42 of 43 people found this review helpful

A wonderful way to start a new year

I am so glad that I listened to this book rather than read it. Peter Forbes is excellent at portraying the characters and evoking the mood of the time. On the frigid Canadian prairie where the wind chills went to -50c this past week, it made for perfect listening. A profoundly moving book that brings to life what horrors must have been endured during the Highland clearances and also as waves of Scots made their forced voyage to Canada.

18 of 19 people found this review helpful

I didn't want it to end

Where does Entry Island rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely in my top five listens, it was one of those books which had me wondering about the characters even when I wasn't listening and couldn't wait to get back to it each day.

What other book might you compare Entry Island to, and why?

The Killing which also had me gripped from the start.

What about Peter Forbes’s performance did you like?

Everything, his accents were believable, each character was so easy to identify, one of the best narrations I have listened to. A poor narrator can occasionally spoil an otherwise good listen but Peter Forbes was exceptionally good and I will look forward to his reading again.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not really no, just a thoroughly enjoyable tale.

Any additional comments?

I was really surprised to see one very negative comment published, for me anyway this is probably the best book for 2013.

20 of 22 people found this review helpful

Another stoater!,

Having read the most excellent Blackhouse, The Lewis Man and the Chess Men trilogy I thought I would give this a go as it's by the same author. He did not disappoint I loved this. I could listen to this narrator forever his accents are phenomenal.
The story is based on the terrible injustice suffered by the people in the north of Scotland after the Highland Clearances their voyages by sea to settle far from home in Canada and what happened thereafter.
You can't go wrong with this author - could you just hurry up and write some more as I have to keep re reading these books!

13 of 15 people found this review helpful

Exceeded our expectations!

Where does Entry Island rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very close to the Bob Skinner series! The mental pictures of the couontry side, both on the Isle of Lewis and on the Entry Island in Canada brought back powerful memories of our visits to both places in our younger days!It does take a wee while to "get into the story" but, it is well worth it!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sime Mackenzie both the detective and the historical figure with the same name is my favourite character.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

The scene we most enjoyed was the sailing ship at the Glasgow docks in the 1800s, where the two young people were running away, to make a new life together. We could "see" the bustling crowds and "hear" the sounds of a busy port.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

By the end, it was one of the few books which we intended to listen to again, in one sitting to make sure we didn't miss anything! Our start was a little bit here and a little bit there - which made it a bit disjointed as the story moved from the past to the present.

Any additional comments?

The characters came to life in the reading by Peter Forbes. Scottish, Canadian, Gaelic, men, women and children were all seamlessly woven together as the fabric of the story!

12 of 14 people found this review helpful

Atmosphheric, melancholy and moving

If you've listened to/read Peter May's Lewis trilogy you'll know how the author can create a powerful atmosphere as a backdrop to a story. Entry Island starts as a modern crime story set in a sparsely populated French-speaking island but then the narrative switches back and forth to the time of the Highland clearances in the Western Isles. Gradually parallels between the two main characters in Canada and two in the 19thC Scotland emerge underlined by them having the same names, which does slightly confuse at times, though the narrator helps a lot by changing from Canadian to Scottish accents. It's a book that gets better as one gets drawn into the atmosphere of the islands and the lives of the people. Melancholy pervades the book: the modern characters through failed relationships and the earlier generation struggling against the weather, isolation, poverty and injustice. The sections dealing with the cruelties of the Highland Clearances are particularly grim. Though not a happy book it is well worth listening to as it is not just another crime story but a multi-layered novel combining history, geography and vicissitudes of human experience.

33 of 40 people found this review helpful

A GOOD READ

Any additional comments?

I can't stand these "Question" style reviews. This is NOT a reading group.
After reading the Lewis trilogy, I acquired all of Peter May's books, and have almost read them all. This book is just as well written as the others, and the plot is OK. But for some reason, it lacked the intensity of the others. Still worth reading though. Narrator was excellent.

13 of 16 people found this review helpful

Another classic.

Any additional comments?

I LOVED this book - both the story and the fantastic narration. When's the next one coming out?

9 of 11 people found this review helpful

Brilliant

What made the experience of listening to Entry Island the most enjoyable?

Really enjoyed the past and future intertwining, was done very well good atmosphere and well paced.
Felt like you moved quickly and easily across continents and centuries with intelligent narrative and a beautifully painted picture of each area.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes listened to it very quickly, disappointed it was over.

8 of 10 people found this review helpful

A Mystery that spans decades & 2 continents.

I love Peter May's writing, he has such a great way of gliding back & forth seamlessly through the decades whilst still keeping you glued. I especially like hearing the gaelic & the descriptions of the Scottish highlands and highlanders. The primary mystery becomes almost secondary to the mystery of Sime's ancestor & what connection this has (if any) to the murder he is investigating. Peter Forbes narration once again is superb he breathes life into all the characters & his accents & intonations especially with the gaelic are perfect. A thoroughly enjoyable story as always from Peter May & a great audio book. Wholeheartedly recommended.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful