'His Bloody Project' by Graeme Macrae Burnet is a historical crime novel set in the Scottish Highlands during the late nineteenth century. The book takes the unique form of a collection of documents, including witness statements, confessions, and trial accounts, all related to the brutal murder of three members of the Mackenzie family. Through these various documents, the author explores themes of poverty, class distinctions, religion, and the harsh realities of life in a rural Scottish community. The novel delves into the motivations behind the murders, the mental state of the accused, and the impact of the trial on the small village of Culduie.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The content includes high triggers for violence, murder, and themes of mental illness, typically sensitive subjects.
From The Publisher:
Man Booker Prize Finalist. LA Times Book Prize Finalist. New York Times Editor's Choice. American Booksellers Association National Indie Bestseller! Named on "Best Book" lists by Newsweek, NPR, The Guardian, The Telegraph, and The Sunday Times!
In the smash hit historical thriller that the New York Times Book Review calls "thought provoking fiction," a brutal triple murder in a remote Scottish farming community in 1869 leads to the arrest of seventeen-year-old Roderick Macrae.
There is no question that Macrae committed this terrible act. What would lead such a shy and intelligent boy down this bloody path? And will he hang for his crime?
Presented as a collection of documents discovered by the author, His Bloody Project opens with a series of police statements taken from the villagers of Culdie, Ross-shire. They offer conflicting impressions of the accused; one interviewee recalls Macrae as a gentle and quiet child, while another details him as evil and wicked. Chief among the papers is Roderick Macrae's own memoirs where he outlines the series of events leading up to the murder in eloquent and affectless prose. There follow medical reports, psychological evaluations, a courtroom transcript from the trial, and other documents that throw both Macrae's motive and his sanity into question.
Graeme Macrae Burnet's multilayered narrative-centered around an unreliable narrator-will keep the reader guessing to the very end. His Bloody Project is a deeply imagined crime novel that is both thrilling and luridly entertaining from an exceptional new voice.
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About the Author:
Graeme Macrae Burnet has established a reputation for smart and literary mystery writing with his highly praised novel, His Bloody Project, which was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize and the Los Angeles Times Book Award. He was born and brought up in Kilmarnock and has lived in Prague, Bordeaux, Porto, and London. He now lives in Glasgow, Scotland.
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