A cliché it may be, but I genuinely begrudged putting this down when I had to go and do other things. As is often the case with Peter May’s novels, there are two strands to this story and the narrative switches back and forth between them. Firstly, there is Neal McLean who washes up on a beach on the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides, unable to remember who he is or how he got there but with a nagging sense that something terrible has happened. He quickly learns that he is a novelist who has been living on the island for 18 months while writing a book about an old mystery connected to one of the nearby islands, and that he is having an affair with a married woman, Sally Harrison, who lives in one of the cottages near his own. As he tries to piece together his past and re-learn who he is, it becomes clear to him that, whoever he is and whatever his reason for being on Harris, he has been lying about it to those around him. This does nothing to alleviate his sense of unease. Seventeen year old Karen is haunted by the suicide of her scientist father and wracked with guilt for her own behaviour before it. When she learns that her father might not be dead after all, she sets out to find him, unaware of the danger she is putting herself and others in. Slowly the two stories come together, with a very ‘edge of the seat’ climax. Along the way there are many twists and turns and there were quite a few times when I thought I had it all worked out only to be proved wrong. This is something that May is very good at. The descriptions too are something that those familiar with Peter May’s work will have come to expect, with much of the believability of the narrative being due to the attention to detail. May obviously knows the landscape well and he skilfully relays that knowledge to the reader in, at times, quite a poetic way. The narrative switches between first person, present tense for those chapters involving the main character, Neal McLean to third person, past tense for the other chapters. This is not to everybody’s taste but I didn’t find it particularly noticeable after a while. Finally, it is worth mentioning that the plot also deals with the subject of declining bee population, bee colony collapse and the use of neonicotinoids. This aspect of the story is well researched and quite interesting in its own right. I really can’t recommend this one enough.

Set on the Isle of Harris Coffin Rd grips the reader from the opening sentence. A man washed up on a beach after a storm with no memory of who he is or how he got there, but a feeling that someting is very wrong. May builds the tension and we can feel his frustration not knowing who he is. Each chapter asks more questions and you are drawn into the story. Then we jump to Edinburgh where an angry young girl grapples with the knowledge her scientist father committed suicide. A Body is found on Flanna Isle, where 3 lighthouse keepers had dissappeared over a hundred years ago DS George Gunn must cross the sea to find out who he is who murdered him and why. May skillfully draws the strands together for a thrilling climax. I really enjoyed this book, I have read the Lewis series and this is equally as good if not better. Peter May knows the Isles and his narrative invokes the harshness and the beauty of the landscape. A Really Good Read

A fantasic and uncomplicated thriller, well worth getting your teeth into if your a fan of thrillers. From a main character who has no idea who he is, a teenage girl whos dad has died and a police officer called in to investigate a crime the sense of forboding washes over the entire book. captivating and great read from start to finish!

I was very excited to receive a review copy of Peter May's latest novel from RealReaders and it hasn't disappointed me one bit. It gripped from the beginning and had my brain whirring the whole time trying to work out what was going on. The storyline is excellent being told by three different characters, it could have been confusing but it was done very well and the plot moving quickly. The main characters felt like real people to me and I really wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I thought I knew who was who but was still surprised by a couple of the characters. I think this is one of the best books written by the author, not as dark as the Lewis Trilogy, and it certainly makes me want to read more.

Peter May does his magic again. In Coffin Road we are teased into the mystery when a man is washed up on a deserted beach with no memory of who he is or how he ended up there. The plot thickens when a dead body is discovered on a small island that the man is known to have visited and the evidence starts to build up which suggests he may be the murderer. Meanwhile a teenager, Karen Fleming, in Edinburgh is still questioning her father's alleged suicide. After receiving a letter prematurely from her father, she flees her home and mother to search for him as she believes he is still alive. The reader is transported to the Scottish islands through May's expert descriptions of the rugged landscape. As each chapter concludes he leaves you desperate for answers as the story twists and unravels to the climatic end. If you are looking for a book which keeps you enthralled and guessing until the end, then you should read Coffin Road.