≡ Download Free Hue Cry A Hew Cullan Mystery Shirley McKay 9781846971310 Books

Hue Cry A Hew Cullan Mystery Shirley McKay 9781846971310 Books

Download As PDF : Hue Cry A Hew Cullan Mystery Shirley McKay 9781846971310 Books

Hue Cry A Hew Cullan Mystery Shirley McKay 9781846971310 Books

Some books strike me in such a way that I positively hate having to put them down to tend to daily life. This was definitely such a novel. Set in 1579 in St. Andrews, Scotland, I was exceedingly glad to see that this author did not focus so much attention on the basic cleanliness issues as much as some books covering the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries often seem to. This was a novel with much to teach the patient reader and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hew Cullen is the main character and he had spent many years away from home completing his studies. Now he has come back to St. Andrews to his father and sister to begin to settle down and make a choice of his career. I appreciated Hew's character traits of sensitivity and compassion which led him to try to solve problems for his friends and family. It was quite refreshing to read about a character who was actually bothered by the cruelty and suffering he saw around him. When a young boy was viciously killed what little evidence there was seemed to point to the boy's tutor, but Hew knew that Nicholas would never have harmed the thirteen year old boy. Through the process of untangling exactly what had happened in this murder Hew encounters accusations of witchcraft, corrupt university officials, and over zealous religious leaders.

The information conveyed in this story regarding herbs and medical practices was fascinating to me. I think the author did a wonderful job of letting the reader understand that quick cures were definitely not possible in these times. Medicine was still viewed with suspicion. A hue and cry regarding witchcraft could be made on the flimsiest of excuses. The attention to detail author Shirley McKay paid to the weaving and dyeing of woolen cloth was informative and interesting to me. This novel covers approximately the span of a year which emphasized the fact that Hew was having to gather all the evidence himself, the town officials were not interested in solving the case since they had made up their minds as to who was guilty. As an overall opinion I would say this book appealed to me because it had substance and depth which allowed me to more fully understand the environment in which the main character existed. It was a fascinating world I found described here and I am most definitely ready to continue on with the second book in the series, Fate & Fortune. And thank you, Ms McKay, for sparing me from having to constantly read about the weather. I've found that some novels concentrate on rain, some on heat and some on cold. They sometimes sorely try my patience while making me wonder if the author couldn't think of any other material to use to add to their story. Highly recommended for readers of historical mysteries who like to learn about the daily lives and trades existing and even flourishing during this hard period in history.


Tags : Hue & Cry: A Hew Cullan Mystery [Shirley McKay] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. 1579, St. Andrews. A thirteen-year old boy meets his death on the streets of the university city of St. Andrews and suspicion falls upon one of the regents at the university,Shirley McKay,Hue & Cry: A Hew Cullan Mystery,Birlinn Ltd,1846971314,Crime,Mystery & Detective - General,Detective and mystery stories.,Lawyers;Scotland;St. Andrews;Fiction.,Scotland;History;James VI, 1567-1625;Fiction.,Fiction,Fiction Crime,Fiction Mystery & Detective General,Fiction-Mystery & Detective,Great BritainBritish Isles,TEXT

Hue Cry A Hew Cullan Mystery Shirley McKay 9781846971310 Books Reviews

I read historical novels because I like the information about the times that they contain. This novel does a very good job with that. The dialogue seems true to the period as do the circumstances surrounding the characters. Combine that with a good murder mystery and this novel is a winner.
I've just finished reading this book. I'm a great fan of historical mysteries, but for me they must be true to their period, not a bit of research filled with modern characters. This book was satisfying in every way, with well-drawn characters, a complex plot, and a realistic setting that all worked well together. I intend to look for more books by this author!
Undecided about the future he will choose, young Hew Cullan returns to St. Andrews after his studies in France to a father who expects him to follow in his own footsteps and become a lawyer, a little sister who has grown into a very skilled gardener and healer , and old friends at the college - who soon involve him in a murder mystery. I have read many works of historical fiction but few have painted such a detailed and fascinating picture of a time and place as this series does. I have enjoyed the first three books and look forward to the rest.
I enjoy historical fiction, especially when it has been research and gives a good description of the time period. I was a little concerned with the book taking place in Scotland. The last mystery I read set in Scotland used so much brogue that I had a difficult time understanding the dialog. That wasn't the case in this book. The author has made the language reflect the time period, but not to the point it is difficult to comprehend.

The main character, Hew Cullen, is a lawyer who doesn't like the law. The author portrays and era when little investigation of a crime occurred. A quick solution to the crime was more important that actually proving the accused party was guilty.

I have read the first three books in this series and will purchase the fourth when it is released.
Shirley McKay has created an appealing medieval mystery in Hue and Cry. The book's plot is well constructed, but the feature that most stands out is the author's use of double (and triple) meanings in the title and the table of contents. Few modern works of fiction are able to intrigue their readers with this type of table of contents, and Ms. McKay should be commended for her efforts (which seem effortless) in creating this start to her novel.

The weaving and dyeing guilds are important components of the plot and Ms. McKay reveals one surprising ingredient used in sixteenth century dyes. Like most of the other interesting details that she divulges about sixteenth century St. Andrews, this ingredient is not included in the book just as an example of the author's scholarship, but as an essential element of the plot.

The vocabulary of this novel is another example of the research and/or the extensive knowledge of the author. Some of the words used in this book were not in my vocabulary, but when I looked them up; I found that several of them, such as whisht, had origins that were distinctly Scottish and/or distinctly16th century British. I also appreciate the author's ability to use figures of speech to make situations come alive. One example is "His news had gone flat like a bladder the schoolboys pricked with a pin."

The church/kirk was a more significant part of daily life in the sixteenth century than it is today. The author's treatment of the institution is balanced. Although some officers of the Church of the Holy Trinity are portrayed as overly zealous in their pursuit of perpetrators of witchcraft, sodomy, and fornication, the minister is shown to be compassionate.

The links at St. Andrew was a very small part of the plot; but, as an American who has had the privilege of playing the Old Course, I enjoyed reading about residents using the links for recreation without having to book tee times several months in advance.
Some books strike me in such a way that I positively hate having to put them down to tend to daily life. This was definitely such a novel. Set in 1579 in St. Andrews, Scotland, I was exceedingly glad to see that this author did not focus so much attention on the basic cleanliness issues as much as some books covering the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth centuries often seem to. This was a novel with much to teach the patient reader and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hew Cullen is the main character and he had spent many years away from home completing his studies. Now he has come back to St. Andrews to his father and sister to begin to settle down and make a choice of his career. I appreciated Hew's character traits of sensitivity and compassion which led him to try to solve problems for his friends and family. It was quite refreshing to read about a character who was actually bothered by the cruelty and suffering he saw around him. When a young boy was viciously killed what little evidence there was seemed to point to the boy's tutor, but Hew knew that Nicholas would never have harmed the thirteen year old boy. Through the process of untangling exactly what had happened in this murder Hew encounters accusations of witchcraft, corrupt university officials, and over zealous religious leaders.

The information conveyed in this story regarding herbs and medical practices was fascinating to me. I think the author did a wonderful job of letting the reader understand that quick cures were definitely not possible in these times. Medicine was still viewed with suspicion. A hue and cry regarding witchcraft could be made on the flimsiest of excuses. The attention to detail author Shirley McKay paid to the weaving and dyeing of woolen cloth was informative and interesting to me. This novel covers approximately the span of a year which emphasized the fact that Hew was having to gather all the evidence himself, the town officials were not interested in solving the case since they had made up their minds as to who was guilty. As an overall opinion I would say this book appealed to me because it had substance and depth which allowed me to more fully understand the environment in which the main character existed. It was a fascinating world I found described here and I am most definitely ready to continue on with the second book in the series, Fate & Fortune. And thank you, Ms McKay, for sparing me from having to constantly read about the weather. I've found that some novels concentrate on rain, some on heat and some on cold. They sometimes sorely try my patience while making me wonder if the author couldn't think of any other material to use to add to their story. Highly recommended for readers of historical mysteries who like to learn about the daily lives and trades existing and even flourishing during this hard period in history.