--- product_id: 5200930 title: "The Blackhouse (The Lewis Trilogy, 1)" price: "€ 26.74" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/5200930-the-blackhouse-the-lewis-trilogy-1 store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # The Blackhouse (The Lewis Trilogy, 1) **Price:** € 26.74 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Blackhouse (The Lewis Trilogy, 1) - **How much does it cost?** € 26.74 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/5200930-the-blackhouse-the-lewis-trilogy-1) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Nominated for the Barry Award Best Mystery/Crime Novel of the Decade The first book in an enthralling mystery series from award-winning author Peter May. "A WRITER I WOULD FOLLOW TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH." --Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review "SHINES WITH INTRIGUE AND SUPERB PLOTTING." -- USA Today Every step toward solving the case brings Scottish detective Fin Macleod closer to a dangerous confrontation with the dark events of the past that shaped--and nearly destroyed--his life. When a grisly murder occurs on the Isle of Lewis that bears similarities to a brutal killing on mainland Scotland, Edinburgh detective and native of the Isle of Lewis Fin Macleod is dispatched to the Outer Hebrides to investigate, embarking at the same time on a voyage into his own troubled past. As Fin reconnects with the people and places of his tortured childhood, the desolate but beautiful island and its ancient customs assert their grip on his psyche. Review: A Superb and Evocative Mystery - The Black House is the first book by Peter May that I've read. It certainly won't be the last, as I've already downloaded the Kindle version of The Lewis Man, the second book in his novels about the island of Lewis, and am looking forward to Kindle publication of the third and final volume in the series. Let me state clearly at the outset: Readers looking for a plot-driven, linear mystery focused on detection and police procedures should think carefully before tackling the Black House. Yes, the book is put in motion by a grisly murder on Lewis, and yes, the mystery is resolved in the end. But what lies between the start and finish of the book is much more about Lewis itself and the hardy and "dour" people who eke out a living on the northern- and western-most of the Outer Hebrides islands, off the western coast of Scotland. Black House brilliantly captures the grit and near-poverty that impact the inhabitants and shape their lives. At the outset, Edinburgh detective Fin Mcleod is dispatched to his native Lewis to investigate the murder of a character from his past who was discovered hanged and disemboweled in a shed on the island. The murder bears a striking resemblance to an unsolved Edinburgh case Fin's in charge of (and has made little progress in solving). Fin's left a lot of personal baggage on Lewis, but he also brings a lot with him: his marriage is falling apart in the wake of the hit and run death of his young son. Devastated by his loss, Fin has been absent from work for so long that his boss basically tells him that solving the Lewis case is his last chance to stay on the force. As Fin goes about his work on Lewis, he finds the murder inextricably linked to his own childhood on the island, including a tragedy in his past that he has completely blocked out. In order to solve the case and apprehend the villain, Fin has to look deep within himself, his past, and the islanders he knew and loved (or hated) as a child and young man. The journey of self-discovery is absolutely integral to the novel, and through it we learn about Fin, Lewis, and the people who live there. The story is told both in third- and first-person narratives, which some readers may find off-putting. It took me a few chapters to adjust to the form, but I soon found myself immersed in the novel. May does an exceptionally fine job of vividly capturing the terrain, weather, and hardscrabble lives of the Lewis islanders. This is very much the novel's main focus, as the mystery is literally (and plot-wise) the means to return Fin to his roots and put him on the voyage to discover himself. It's beautifully done, particularly the scenes of the guga hunters on Sula Sgeir, where Lewis men to this day stubbornly maintain their hereditary rights to the annual gannet hunt. I have never been to Lewis but I have spent time on Skye, and May's depiction of the environment and particularly of the extraordinary quality and play of the light take me straight back to my own memories of the beauty and desolation of the western Highlands and Skye. Black House is much more than a mystery. It is a moving portrait of a way of life -- warts and all -- that is sustained in the face of many challenges. Through the narrative, we come to care deeply about Fin and his fellow Lewis islanders. It is an exceptional novel that happens to also be a mystery. It succeeds brilliantly on both counts. Review: A Thriller with Depth and Power. - I sat up and paid attention when The New York Times Book Review (Marilyn Stasio) raved: “Peter May is a writer I’d follow to the ends of the earth.” So, of course I added this author to my TBR list. The Blackhouse is the first in a trilogy based in the Scottish Hebrides and featuring Edinburgh cop, Fin Macleod. Finn is sent to his childhood home on Lewis where a grisly murder on the isolated island seems to be a copy of a murder he has been investigating in Edinburgh. Our detective is somewhat relieved to leave Edinburgh, as he grieves over the death of his young son, while half-heartily trying to prevent his marriage from crumbling. But first a few warnings: If you’re at all squeamish, you’ll have to tiptoe through; 1) a full and grisly autopsy, and 2) an honored, traditional, but gruesome, gannet hunt on a small island. If you’re expecting a standard police procedural, you’re happily in for more than you bargained for ~~ this thriller has depth and power. Now that you have read the Book Barmy safety warnings, fasten your seatbelts, because you are in for a great mystery read. Mr. May is an extraordinary writer, able to take us seamlessly between two narratives. Masterfully moving from first person to develop Fin’s story growing up on Lewis, and then the third person to tell the current day story– Fin’s broken, disillusioned adult childhood friends, the crime, and its resolution. Mr. May has a gift for developing his characters, all of which are remarkable, but Fin is an especially likeable hero. Having the grand experience of staying in the Outer Hebrides many years ago, I can attest that he also gives the reader unbelievably lovely descriptions of the harsh life in the Outer Hebrides — bleak, windy, and yet starkly beautiful. The plot is a compelling mix of retribution, revelations, and intrigue. High accolades for what turns out to be not only a tightly plotted thriller, but an insightful treatise on growing up, moving away, then coming home — one you thought you’d moved beyond. From the introduction: Three things that come without asking: fear, love and jealousy. A Gaelic proverb And thank you Mr. May for a brilliant ending. See more at BookBbarmy(dot)com ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #158,548 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #855 in International Mystery & Crime (Books) #2,459 in Suspense Thrillers #2,778 in Murder Thrillers | | Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 19,144 Reviews | ## Images ![The Blackhouse (The Lewis Trilogy, 1) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/719oqzCONmL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Superb and Evocative Mystery *by D***N on October 15, 2014* The Black House is the first book by Peter May that I've read. It certainly won't be the last, as I've already downloaded the Kindle version of The Lewis Man, the second book in his novels about the island of Lewis, and am looking forward to Kindle publication of the third and final volume in the series. Let me state clearly at the outset: Readers looking for a plot-driven, linear mystery focused on detection and police procedures should think carefully before tackling the Black House. Yes, the book is put in motion by a grisly murder on Lewis, and yes, the mystery is resolved in the end. But what lies between the start and finish of the book is much more about Lewis itself and the hardy and "dour" people who eke out a living on the northern- and western-most of the Outer Hebrides islands, off the western coast of Scotland. Black House brilliantly captures the grit and near-poverty that impact the inhabitants and shape their lives. At the outset, Edinburgh detective Fin Mcleod is dispatched to his native Lewis to investigate the murder of a character from his past who was discovered hanged and disemboweled in a shed on the island. The murder bears a striking resemblance to an unsolved Edinburgh case Fin's in charge of (and has made little progress in solving). Fin's left a lot of personal baggage on Lewis, but he also brings a lot with him: his marriage is falling apart in the wake of the hit and run death of his young son. Devastated by his loss, Fin has been absent from work for so long that his boss basically tells him that solving the Lewis case is his last chance to stay on the force. As Fin goes about his work on Lewis, he finds the murder inextricably linked to his own childhood on the island, including a tragedy in his past that he has completely blocked out. In order to solve the case and apprehend the villain, Fin has to look deep within himself, his past, and the islanders he knew and loved (or hated) as a child and young man. The journey of self-discovery is absolutely integral to the novel, and through it we learn about Fin, Lewis, and the people who live there. The story is told both in third- and first-person narratives, which some readers may find off-putting. It took me a few chapters to adjust to the form, but I soon found myself immersed in the novel. May does an exceptionally fine job of vividly capturing the terrain, weather, and hardscrabble lives of the Lewis islanders. This is very much the novel's main focus, as the mystery is literally (and plot-wise) the means to return Fin to his roots and put him on the voyage to discover himself. It's beautifully done, particularly the scenes of the guga hunters on Sula Sgeir, where Lewis men to this day stubbornly maintain their hereditary rights to the annual gannet hunt. I have never been to Lewis but I have spent time on Skye, and May's depiction of the environment and particularly of the extraordinary quality and play of the light take me straight back to my own memories of the beauty and desolation of the western Highlands and Skye. Black House is much more than a mystery. It is a moving portrait of a way of life -- warts and all -- that is sustained in the face of many challenges. Through the narrative, we come to care deeply about Fin and his fellow Lewis islanders. It is an exceptional novel that happens to also be a mystery. It succeeds brilliantly on both counts. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Thriller with Depth and Power. *by B***Y on November 28, 2017* I sat up and paid attention when The New York Times Book Review (Marilyn Stasio) raved: “Peter May is a writer I’d follow to the ends of the earth.” So, of course I added this author to my TBR list. The Blackhouse is the first in a trilogy based in the Scottish Hebrides and featuring Edinburgh cop, Fin Macleod. Finn is sent to his childhood home on Lewis where a grisly murder on the isolated island seems to be a copy of a murder he has been investigating in Edinburgh. Our detective is somewhat relieved to leave Edinburgh, as he grieves over the death of his young son, while half-heartily trying to prevent his marriage from crumbling. But first a few warnings: If you’re at all squeamish, you’ll have to tiptoe through; 1) a full and grisly autopsy, and 2) an honored, traditional, but gruesome, gannet hunt on a small island. If you’re expecting a standard police procedural, you’re happily in for more than you bargained for ~~ this thriller has depth and power. Now that you have read the Book Barmy safety warnings, fasten your seatbelts, because you are in for a great mystery read. Mr. May is an extraordinary writer, able to take us seamlessly between two narratives. Masterfully moving from first person to develop Fin’s story growing up on Lewis, and then the third person to tell the current day story– Fin’s broken, disillusioned adult childhood friends, the crime, and its resolution. Mr. May has a gift for developing his characters, all of which are remarkable, but Fin is an especially likeable hero. Having the grand experience of staying in the Outer Hebrides many years ago, I can attest that he also gives the reader unbelievably lovely descriptions of the harsh life in the Outer Hebrides — bleak, windy, and yet starkly beautiful. The plot is a compelling mix of retribution, revelations, and intrigue. High accolades for what turns out to be not only a tightly plotted thriller, but an insightful treatise on growing up, moving away, then coming home — one you thought you’d moved beyond. From the introduction: Three things that come without asking: fear, love and jealousy. A Gaelic proverb And thank you Mr. May for a brilliant ending. See more at BookBbarmy(dot)com ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Love this book so much! *by M***R on March 9, 2018* Fin McLeod is an Edinburgh policeman who just lost his ten-year-old son, Robbie. Coming back from his leave, he is put back on the still-unsolved murder case he was investigating at the time of his son's death. A new similar murder returns him to the place he was raised, the Isle of Lewis, to see if there's any connection between the two crimes. As the investigation proceeds, Fin must confront his past, reliving it through many of the people who were is friends and acquaintances when he was growing up. The author alternates between Third Person POV for the murder and First Person for the flashbacks of Fin's past. The two are more connected than Fin realizes at first. While the Third Person chapters are a somewhat typical police procedural story, albeit very well-written, I really loved the stories of Fin's past. I've been to Stornoway (stayed at the Crown Inn where Fin resides during his visit) and visited many of the places mentioned in the book which was just an extra fillip of pleasure to me as a reader. I will quibble and say that I didn't find many places open in Stornoway on a Sunday, but otherwise, it's always fun to revisit real locations in a book. The writing, as I said, is excellent and captures the stark landscape of Lewis very well. The story itself is engrossing, filled with tension as Fin gets closer to the murderer and the resolution of his own past which is surprising and melds well together. The book deserves all the kudos it has received, and I can't wait to read the next book in the series. As is said in the book, though in a different context, "A journey that you would rather never end always passes quickly." The Black House finished all too quickly for me. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/5200930-the-blackhouse-the-lewis-trilogy-1](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/5200930-the-blackhouse-the-lewis-trilogy-1) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-05-18*