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Sir John Appleby #3
Lament for a Maker
When mad recluse, Ranald Guthrie, the laird of Erchany, falls from the ramparts of his castle on a wild winter night, Appleby discovers the doom that shrouded his life, and the grim legends of the bleak and nameless hamlets, in a tale that emanates sheer terror and suspense.
282 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
95 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Michael Innes
117Ìýbooks87ÌýfollowersMichael Innes was the pseudonym of John Innes MacKintosh (J.I.M.) Stewart (J.I.M. Stewart).
He was born in Edinburgh, and educated at Edinburgh Academy and Oriel College, Oxford. He was Lecturer in English at the University of Leeds from 1930 - 1935, and spent the succeeding ten years as Jury Professor of English at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.
He returned to the United Kingdom in 1949, to become a Lecturer at the Queen's University of Belfast. In 1949 he became a Student (Fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford, becoming a Professor by the time of his retirement in 1973.
As J.I.M. Stewart he published a number of works of non-fiction, mainly critical studies of authors, including Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling, as well as about twenty works of fiction and a memoir, 'Myself and Michael Innes'.
As Michael Innes, he published numerous mystery novels and short story collections, most featuring the Scotland Yard detective John Appleby.
He was born in Edinburgh, and educated at Edinburgh Academy and Oriel College, Oxford. He was Lecturer in English at the University of Leeds from 1930 - 1935, and spent the succeeding ten years as Jury Professor of English at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.
He returned to the United Kingdom in 1949, to become a Lecturer at the Queen's University of Belfast. In 1949 he became a Student (Fellow) of Christ Church, Oxford, becoming a Professor by the time of his retirement in 1973.
As J.I.M. Stewart he published a number of works of non-fiction, mainly critical studies of authors, including Joseph Conrad and Rudyard Kipling, as well as about twenty works of fiction and a memoir, 'Myself and Michael Innes'.
As Michael Innes, he published numerous mystery novels and short story collections, most featuring the Scotland Yard detective John Appleby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
August 5, 2018
I have been, very slowly, making my way through the Inspector Appleby mysteries and this is the third in the series. With modern novels, I often bemoan the role of the publisher, and editors, in particular. So many modern novels seem to have similar themes � a plethora of dual time frame historical novels, which crop up like buses, or a similarity in psychological thrillers. Older novels, I tell myself, are more individual and author’s had more control. Well, in this case, I possibly owe editor’s an apology � this mystery, published in 1938, needed one.
This is a story about a reclusive miser, one Ranald Guthrie, who falls from the battlements of Castle Erchany one winter’s night. His loss is not mourned. He opposed the marriage of his niece, terrified his servant, Isa Murdoch, who fled the castle in the night, chased off the representatives of his American cousins and turned out his tenant farmer, Rob Gamley, after his young twins teased the laird. However, the beginning of this mystery is a long, meandering narrative, by Ewan Bell, in � at times � almost indecipherable Scots dialect. Don’t get me wrong � I love Scotland as a place and I love the people and the accent. However, trying to wade through pages of regional dialect was so difficult that I would have given up, had this not been a book club read.
Inspector Appleby appears briefly, almost three quarters of the way through the mystery. I will read the next Appleby novel, but this seemed to me an interesting idea, which just did not work.
This is a story about a reclusive miser, one Ranald Guthrie, who falls from the battlements of Castle Erchany one winter’s night. His loss is not mourned. He opposed the marriage of his niece, terrified his servant, Isa Murdoch, who fled the castle in the night, chased off the representatives of his American cousins and turned out his tenant farmer, Rob Gamley, after his young twins teased the laird. However, the beginning of this mystery is a long, meandering narrative, by Ewan Bell, in � at times � almost indecipherable Scots dialect. Don’t get me wrong � I love Scotland as a place and I love the people and the accent. However, trying to wade through pages of regional dialect was so difficult that I would have given up, had this not been a book club read.
Inspector Appleby appears briefly, almost three quarters of the way through the mystery. I will read the next Appleby novel, but this seemed to me an interesting idea, which just did not work.
August 5, 2018
I have read other mysteries told from multiple points of view, but none as perfect, and perfectly riveting, as this one. The author, Michael Innes (in real life the don J. I. M. Stewart), has more brilliance in his little finger than any writer of popular fiction I have encountered could muster in his whole head. His mysteries are literary--though in this, his third entry in the John Appleby's series, he has tamed his show-off impulses and put literature very satisfactorily into service to the plot.
The story takes place in the wilds of Scotland and the depths of winter, and features an intriguing mix of sweet young people and horrifyingly eccentric elders. Ranald Guthrie, the laird of Castle Erchany, is a man haunted by passions he cannot explain; from rifling scarecrows for coins to his incessant chanting of a grim Dunbar poem he seems gripped by madness. When he falls from the castle's tower on Christmas Eve it is unclear whether he jumped, slipped, or was pushed. The story is gothic and melodramatic but not preposterous.
Each narrator in turn tries his hand at explication, and each constructs a logical scenario only to have it blasted to smithereens by the next. It is remarkable how many plausible explanations there are for (mostly) the same set of facts, though some revelations along the way do help the proliferation of theories. Any flimsy moments are minimal and incidental to this tightly woven plot.
Each narrator has a distinctive voice, the first one especially. I found the first narrator's Scottish brogue pretty daunting to read and was relieved when the next character took his turn, though the first narrator's testimony is crucial to understanding the rest, so don't skip or skim. If Innes's first two mysteries were tours de force of erudition, this one is a tour de force of language control. I followed meekly in his wake, flattered to be able to keep up.
This story offered me the purest satisfaction that the mystery genre allows.
The story takes place in the wilds of Scotland and the depths of winter, and features an intriguing mix of sweet young people and horrifyingly eccentric elders. Ranald Guthrie, the laird of Castle Erchany, is a man haunted by passions he cannot explain; from rifling scarecrows for coins to his incessant chanting of a grim Dunbar poem he seems gripped by madness. When he falls from the castle's tower on Christmas Eve it is unclear whether he jumped, slipped, or was pushed. The story is gothic and melodramatic but not preposterous.
Each narrator in turn tries his hand at explication, and each constructs a logical scenario only to have it blasted to smithereens by the next. It is remarkable how many plausible explanations there are for (mostly) the same set of facts, though some revelations along the way do help the proliferation of theories. Any flimsy moments are minimal and incidental to this tightly woven plot.
Each narrator has a distinctive voice, the first one especially. I found the first narrator's Scottish brogue pretty daunting to read and was relieved when the next character took his turn, though the first narrator's testimony is crucial to understanding the rest, so don't skip or skim. If Innes's first two mysteries were tours de force of erudition, this one is a tour de force of language control. I followed meekly in his wake, flattered to be able to keep up.
This story offered me the purest satisfaction that the mystery genre allows.
August 6, 2009
I read this about nine months ago. I love Innes' mysteries, especially the earlier ones, and this one is just astonishingly well-crafted. He uses many different voices, and the mystery goes through at least three different valid and convincing solutions. He possesses such a brilliant mastery of his craft... terrific stuff.
March 9, 2022
I really can't give this more than two stars. Five different narrators giving rise to six changes in narrative voice for a short mystery novel? Too many. Particularly as the author starts by writing the first long section in Highland dialect! It dragged.
1. Highland Cobbler
2. London Lounge Lizard
3. Fussy Elderly Solicitor
4. Inspector Appleby (who turns up very near the end)
5. The Man of Mystery
6. Highland Cobbler (reprise)
Like a 1970s concept album. Shades of "Days of Future Passed"--an album by one of my favourite groups, but I only liked parts of it, and sitting through the whole thing was rather a chore. So was finishing this book. I don't know if Innes couldn't find a narrative voice that pleased him, if he was experimenting, or if he was just messing with the reader. He does have a fondness for obfuscation, and by composing his book of "written testimony" in six sections, it is ALL tell-not-show, which deadens everything by putting it at one remove (at least). How can you deaden a madman hurling himself from a tower in a snowstorm? Innes manages it! He can't decide if he's writing a mystery novel or a gothic romance, and in trying to do both achieves neither.
Another problem common to British writers of the period is the use of American characters, coupled with the inability to write convincing American dialogue. Sylvia goes from using slang, "I'll say!" to stilted formal "I knew I hadn't any business to penetrate to this remote study" in the very next sentence. Yeah, because all Americans talked like that in the thirties, especially those who used phrases like "I'll say!" Surely she would have said, "I knew I didn't have any business in his private room". Then she comes out with, "It was so frightfully ill-bred!" Less American, more Celia-Johnson-with-a-stick-up-her-butt.
Then there's the Lounge Lizard. Nice enough fella, but his parents would have loved Sesame Street, as their son was obviously "brought to you by the letter Y": Noel Yvon Meryon Gylby!! So, so believable.
The ending was a huuuuge disappointment. After trudging through the winding, obfuscated text we are handed a double portion of the tired old sibling meme, served up with a side order of Innes' particular brand of psychoanalysis (or whatever). I was thoroughly tired of the whole business by the time I got to the end.
ETA: I just listened to a radio drama which made a great deal more sense, until the train wreck ending, which was for some reason still tell-not-show. I guess because otherwise Appleby wouldn't even have been a character. In any case he was totally unnecessary. And why is the word Maker pronounced Makker? And what does it mean in the context of the story?
1. Highland Cobbler
2. London Lounge Lizard
3. Fussy Elderly Solicitor
4. Inspector Appleby (who turns up very near the end)
5. The Man of Mystery
6. Highland Cobbler (reprise)
Like a 1970s concept album. Shades of "Days of Future Passed"--an album by one of my favourite groups, but I only liked parts of it, and sitting through the whole thing was rather a chore. So was finishing this book. I don't know if Innes couldn't find a narrative voice that pleased him, if he was experimenting, or if he was just messing with the reader. He does have a fondness for obfuscation, and by composing his book of "written testimony" in six sections, it is ALL tell-not-show, which deadens everything by putting it at one remove (at least). How can you deaden a madman hurling himself from a tower in a snowstorm? Innes manages it! He can't decide if he's writing a mystery novel or a gothic romance, and in trying to do both achieves neither.
Another problem common to British writers of the period is the use of American characters, coupled with the inability to write convincing American dialogue. Sylvia goes from using slang, "I'll say!" to stilted formal "I knew I hadn't any business to penetrate to this remote study" in the very next sentence. Yeah, because all Americans talked like that in the thirties, especially those who used phrases like "I'll say!" Surely she would have said, "I knew I didn't have any business in his private room". Then she comes out with, "It was so frightfully ill-bred!" Less American, more Celia-Johnson-with-a-stick-up-her-butt.
Then there's the Lounge Lizard. Nice enough fella, but his parents would have loved Sesame Street, as their son was obviously "brought to you by the letter Y": Noel Yvon Meryon Gylby!! So, so believable.
The ending was a huuuuge disappointment. After trudging through the winding, obfuscated text we are handed a double portion of the tired old sibling meme, served up with a side order of Innes' particular brand of psychoanalysis (or whatever). I was thoroughly tired of the whole business by the time I got to the end.
ETA: I just listened to a radio drama which made a great deal more sense, until the train wreck ending, which was for some reason still tell-not-show. I guess because otherwise Appleby wouldn't even have been a character. In any case he was totally unnecessary. And why is the word Maker pronounced Makker? And what does it mean in the context of the story?
November 8, 2020
I found the only other Innes I'd read, Appleby's End, insufferably arch and whimsical. So my hopes weren't too high for this one, despite its classic reputation. But it is, as the back cover says, a tour de force. For a while I thought it might be the best mystery I'd ever read, and, even with the somewhat over-Freudian sections near the end, I'd still rank it quite high. It puts me in mind of my favorite mystery (and book),The Nine Tailors, with its snow, and spooky atmosphere, and villagers, and the dodging of suspects in the tower. This one is more godless, unless your god is psychology. But the multiple narrators add humor and Scottishness and keep the story moving breathlessly.
The one downside is that this Collier edition has the worst playing-card-like binding. I must get a solider copy, because I know I will reread it.
The one downside is that this Collier edition has the worst playing-card-like binding. I must get a solider copy, because I know I will reread it.
March 2, 2019
A rather neat mystery thriller with a twist at the ending. The radio adaptation is good too and adds to the story by recreating the ambience wonderfully.
My Rating - 4/5
My Rating - 4/5
December 19, 2024
Maybe 3.5? Maybe just 3. Liked some of the gothic stuff and characters, excessive number of twists at the end
February 15, 2021
3.8 rounded up to a 4.
full post here:
Right at about page 165 of this book I stopped and made a comment on my goodreads group's "currently reading?" thread in which I said that it seems that everything has been laid out by now, and I'm stumped. Looking back on it now, it turns out that I may have jumped the gun a bit there thinking I had all pertinent information, but I still had no clue, and continued to remain in the dark until the very end. This book is hands down one of the twistiest and strangest crime novels I've ever read, which is a good thing; at the same time, I had to really work at this one which raised my level of frustration more than once.
The title of this book derives from a poem written by William Dunbar, one of "a group of medieval Scots poets known as the makars" -- or "makers", and according to the niece of the Laird of Echany, it was often chanted by her uncle as he roamed about his castle prior to his death. The haunting last line of each stanza "Timor mortis conturbat me" (fear of death disturbs me") adds to the already Gothic-ish atmosphere provided by the setting, the overall strangeness that pervades this novel, and even the sighting of ghosts by various people. While it was written during the Golden Age, it comes across as an example of an atypical story of this time, which I actually prefer. For me it's a case of the stranger the better.
I quite enjoyed Lament for A Maker which aside from its bizarre story appealed to my puzzle-solver self who loves a challenge, and I definitely got that here. I will also admit that the joke was on me more than once when I thought I had figured it out and hadn't, but I'd much rather things go that way than actually solving a mystery early on. Aside from Innes' The Mysterious Commission which wasn't a John Appleby novel, I haven't read any of his other books, so I'm pretty stoked to read more right now. Yet, as noted earlier, I did have to put a lot of effort into this one. My main issue with this book is that it's not often that I sit with my iPad at the ready while reading a mystery novel -- that's usually what I do while reading nonfiction or more esoteric, out-there kind of books -- but here it was almost a necessity, at least at first, since the entire first chapter was offered in a Scots dialect causing much frustration and necessitating multiple google visits. It took me a while to warm up to this story, but in the long run, it was well worth it.
Readers who make it through that first chapter will find a fine puzzler here, so don't give up.
full post here:
Right at about page 165 of this book I stopped and made a comment on my goodreads group's "currently reading?" thread in which I said that it seems that everything has been laid out by now, and I'm stumped. Looking back on it now, it turns out that I may have jumped the gun a bit there thinking I had all pertinent information, but I still had no clue, and continued to remain in the dark until the very end. This book is hands down one of the twistiest and strangest crime novels I've ever read, which is a good thing; at the same time, I had to really work at this one which raised my level of frustration more than once.
The title of this book derives from a poem written by William Dunbar, one of "a group of medieval Scots poets known as the makars" -- or "makers", and according to the niece of the Laird of Echany, it was often chanted by her uncle as he roamed about his castle prior to his death. The haunting last line of each stanza "Timor mortis conturbat me" (fear of death disturbs me") adds to the already Gothic-ish atmosphere provided by the setting, the overall strangeness that pervades this novel, and even the sighting of ghosts by various people. While it was written during the Golden Age, it comes across as an example of an atypical story of this time, which I actually prefer. For me it's a case of the stranger the better.
I quite enjoyed Lament for A Maker which aside from its bizarre story appealed to my puzzle-solver self who loves a challenge, and I definitely got that here. I will also admit that the joke was on me more than once when I thought I had figured it out and hadn't, but I'd much rather things go that way than actually solving a mystery early on. Aside from Innes' The Mysterious Commission which wasn't a John Appleby novel, I haven't read any of his other books, so I'm pretty stoked to read more right now. Yet, as noted earlier, I did have to put a lot of effort into this one. My main issue with this book is that it's not often that I sit with my iPad at the ready while reading a mystery novel -- that's usually what I do while reading nonfiction or more esoteric, out-there kind of books -- but here it was almost a necessity, at least at first, since the entire first chapter was offered in a Scots dialect causing much frustration and necessitating multiple google visits. It took me a while to warm up to this story, but in the long run, it was well worth it.
Readers who make it through that first chapter will find a fine puzzler here, so don't give up.
September 7, 2018
I have previously read 3 of Michael Innes' novels featuring Inspector Appleby, and thoroughly enjoyed them. Although they required careful attention throughout, I found their combination of ingenious plotting and a touch of theatrical whimsy very appealing. Unfortunately this novel proved a challenge too far, and it was only after taking a break of a few days that I was able to steel myself to finishing it.
The concept is clever - the mystery around a Scottish laird who falls to his death is revealed by various participants in the events, and each presents these events through a different lens so that only when they are all put together is the truth revealed. However, the first section of narrative is so tortuous and full of digressions and allusions, that it soon becomes very wearing. It is also written with a plethora of Scottish expressions - while this adds authenticity and was not particularly difficult to understand in itself, it also adds another layer of obfuscation that frustrates rather than entertains.
The descriptions of the dilapidated rat-infested castle and the bitter winter weather are excellent, and the last third of the book picks up the pace considerably. I was glad in the end that I persevered, but frustrated that the author had demanded that level of perseverance of me. Unfortunately, I can't recommend skipping through the first section as an alternative, as it contains various key pieces of information that explain later revelations. So this is a book to be read when your brain is at its most alert and capable.
I will read more of Innes' work, but this one wasn't enough fun to justify the wading through treacle at the start.
The concept is clever - the mystery around a Scottish laird who falls to his death is revealed by various participants in the events, and each presents these events through a different lens so that only when they are all put together is the truth revealed. However, the first section of narrative is so tortuous and full of digressions and allusions, that it soon becomes very wearing. It is also written with a plethora of Scottish expressions - while this adds authenticity and was not particularly difficult to understand in itself, it also adds another layer of obfuscation that frustrates rather than entertains.
The descriptions of the dilapidated rat-infested castle and the bitter winter weather are excellent, and the last third of the book picks up the pace considerably. I was glad in the end that I persevered, but frustrated that the author had demanded that level of perseverance of me. Unfortunately, I can't recommend skipping through the first section as an alternative, as it contains various key pieces of information that explain later revelations. So this is a book to be read when your brain is at its most alert and capable.
I will read more of Innes' work, but this one wasn't enough fun to justify the wading through treacle at the start.
December 31, 2017
I ended up really enjoying this book, in spite of finding the first long chapter in partial Scottish dialect very hard going. I persevered out of curiosity as to how the story was to be constructed and the various voices managed. I’m so pleased I did. The writing is, as expected, impeccable and engaging (once you pass the test of the deliberately laboured first chapter). The plot construction is, however, so clever that it made me laugh in admiration -and read on to find the next twist in the seemingly resolved mystery.
I was not even vaguely tempted to try to solve the mystery - although the clues are laid for those who so desire. I was content to follow a succession of increasingly intelligent and dispassionate detectives reasoning their way to the truth and peeling back the layers of complexity. It makes a fine point of the complexity of human behaviour and motivation - the difficulty and absolute necessity of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Brilliant.
I was not even vaguely tempted to try to solve the mystery - although the clues are laid for those who so desire. I was content to follow a succession of increasingly intelligent and dispassionate detectives reasoning their way to the truth and peeling back the layers of complexity. It makes a fine point of the complexity of human behaviour and motivation - the difficulty and absolute necessity of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Brilliant.
February 13, 2023
This 3rd book in the Inspector Appleby series is very different in style from the first two. This style is similar to Wilkie Collins; the story is told in a series of first person narratives. Unfortunately, the first narrative by Ewan Bell is written in a Scots English that almost made me give up on this before I had read 25 pages. I am so glad that I didn't! The case kept getting more and more complex and the ending was a great surprise - Innes really came up with a wonderful plot.
February 9, 2013
When I first started reading this book I wasn’t sure whether I was ever going to finish it as I just couldn’t get into it. But I persevered having enjoyed the first two books in the Appleby series and I did find it interesting a well written. It is not a conventional crime novel and is nothing like the first two books in the series. It is narrated in seven sections by some of the people involved in the story � one of which is Appleby himself though he only makes a brief appearance in the second half of the book.
Ranald Guthrie is a miser and lives in a remote and dilapidated castle. No one really likes him and when it appears that he has thrown himself off the battlements to his death there are not too many people who feel any regret about his passing. But that is far from being the end of the story and many people will be suspected of a possible murder before the end of the book and many revelations will be made before the case is solved.
I think what put me off at first was the language in which the first part was narrated which involved many Scots phrases and expressions which at times forced me to go back and read sentences again and again until I understood their meaning. The book was worth reading in the end and I did enjoy it but I found it hard work.
Ranald Guthrie is a miser and lives in a remote and dilapidated castle. No one really likes him and when it appears that he has thrown himself off the battlements to his death there are not too many people who feel any regret about his passing. But that is far from being the end of the story and many people will be suspected of a possible murder before the end of the book and many revelations will be made before the case is solved.
I think what put me off at first was the language in which the first part was narrated which involved many Scots phrases and expressions which at times forced me to go back and read sentences again and again until I understood their meaning. The book was worth reading in the end and I did enjoy it but I found it hard work.
March 2, 2017
Muy buen policial, intrincado, pero muy bueno.
Esta historia esta marcada por tener 5 narradores distintos, los que, con su estilo personal, narran los diferentes sucesos dentro y fuera del castillo de Erchany. A medida que van pasando los narradores salen a la luz muchos detalles que se deberán tener en cuenta para resolver el misterio, tanto por parte del lector como por los mismos personajes que se van añadiendo a la historia junto con sus respectivos relatos.
Aquà aparece un punto que puede gustar o no: tiene muchas idas y vueltas sobre la trama, muchos giros inesperados, esto debido a que cada personaje/narrador trae consigo un conclusión propia y más detalles, y llega a cierto punto en que parece algo forzado, innecesario por parte del autor construir una trama tan intrincada, sin embargo, esa es la idea de esta historia, dejar sin respiro al lector, al igual que a los personajes; a mi este detalle me gustó mucho, me dejó desconcertado, pero me gustó, de otra forma hubiera sido un policial más.
Esta historia esta marcada por tener 5 narradores distintos, los que, con su estilo personal, narran los diferentes sucesos dentro y fuera del castillo de Erchany. A medida que van pasando los narradores salen a la luz muchos detalles que se deberán tener en cuenta para resolver el misterio, tanto por parte del lector como por los mismos personajes que se van añadiendo a la historia junto con sus respectivos relatos.
Aquà aparece un punto que puede gustar o no: tiene muchas idas y vueltas sobre la trama, muchos giros inesperados, esto debido a que cada personaje/narrador trae consigo un conclusión propia y más detalles, y llega a cierto punto en que parece algo forzado, innecesario por parte del autor construir una trama tan intrincada, sin embargo, esa es la idea de esta historia, dejar sin respiro al lector, al igual que a los personajes; a mi este detalle me gustó mucho, me dejó desconcertado, pero me gustó, de otra forma hubiera sido un policial más.
May 14, 2017
La verdad que es un libro muy complicado. Me gustó, pero tuve que leer muchas partes varias veces porque no entendÃa que pasaba. Es muy enroscada la manera en la que se revela el misterio, y me resultó muy complicado entenderlo. Me parece que si se hubiera escrito de otra manera lo hubiera disfrutado más.
Me gustó mucho que esté narrado desde tantas perspectivas tan diferentes, porque cada uno da sus puntos de vista de los personajes.
Supongo que si no hubiera sido tan tan complicado, me habrÃa gustado muchÃsimo más. Es un buen libro de misterio, y el personaje principal es muy inteligente, pero todo el misterio en sÃ, que al principio parece bastante común, terminó siendo de una manera que nunca me imaginé. Y eso que yo soy muy complicada, pero fue un poquito demasiado.
Me gustó mucho que esté narrado desde tantas perspectivas tan diferentes, porque cada uno da sus puntos de vista de los personajes.
Supongo que si no hubiera sido tan tan complicado, me habrÃa gustado muchÃsimo más. Es un buen libro de misterio, y el personaje principal es muy inteligente, pero todo el misterio en sÃ, que al principio parece bastante común, terminó siendo de una manera que nunca me imaginé. Y eso que yo soy muy complicada, pero fue un poquito demasiado.
August 23, 2016
I read a lot of Michael Innes' books about 30 years ago and recently decided to start on them in order from the beginning. This is the third in the John Appleby series although Appleby comes into the narrative only late on. As others have mentioned, the style is reminiscent of Willie Collins' Woman in White in its use of multiple narrators. Some readers seem to have found this off-putting - I found it added to the enjoyment. Each narrator has their own distinctive voice. This is a mystery set in Scotland but is a million moles away from Tartan Noir. It is a Gothic fantasy (again similarities with Collins) and the plot twists and turns like a Highlands road. If you like Golden Age detective stories with literary allusions and a tongue in the cheek, then this is highly recommended.
July 28, 2016
El principal problema que encontré en esta novela es que la primera mitad es muy aburrida con algún que otro momento que resulta entretenido. La segunda mitad se vuelve entretenida pero... ¿en serio Innes hacÃa falta lo de la rata y luego lo del hielo al final que parecen como fuera de lugar en la novela? ¿Acaso con menos giros no se hubiese obtenido un resultado mayor? Porque en un momento los giros me comenzaron a cansar e incluso, alguno que otro, quedo forzado.
March 16, 2015
Genre: Golden Age Mystery
Rating: Convoluted and Intriguing.
Third in the John Appleby mystery series.
As with all the Appleby books, extremely literary and quite convoluted. Quite a few twists and turns I did not see coming.
I do enjoy the series, even if it shows up my poor literary education. ;)
Rating: Convoluted and Intriguing.
Timor Mortis conturbat me.
Third in the John Appleby mystery series.
As with all the Appleby books, extremely literary and quite convoluted. Quite a few twists and turns I did not see coming.
I do enjoy the series, even if it shows up my poor literary education. ;)
August 13, 2018
After a very annoying beginning narrative (the Scottish dialect was unintelligible to me) this turned into an interesting story. I enjoyed the different views of the situation as each narrator arrives on the scene. The plot has an incredible number of twists, each plausible.
October 31, 2017
3 stars
Michael Innes was a fantastic author. But this book is not one of my favorites. The book was well written, as is Mr. Innes� usual style. However, the story seemed to meander � at least for me. Some of the Scottish words I couldn’t grasp, although I usually enjoy books written in the local dialect.
The Laird of Erchany Ranald Guthrie mysteriously dies after falling from the castle wall in a snowstorm. Was he murdered? Suicide? Haunted by ghosts? He is little mourned, for the village people did not like him. He lived in an old run-down castle filled with vermin and all kinds of filth. Some believed him to be out of his mind. This was mostly due to his eccentric behavior.
Inspector Appleby is called in to investigate the mishap. He finds the old castle distasteful, but goes about his investigation efficiently.
This story is told from several points of view which is a little confusing. All in all not too bad a story, but not this author’s best.
I want to thank NetGalley and Ipso Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read and enjoy.
Michael Innes was a fantastic author. But this book is not one of my favorites. The book was well written, as is Mr. Innes� usual style. However, the story seemed to meander � at least for me. Some of the Scottish words I couldn’t grasp, although I usually enjoy books written in the local dialect.
The Laird of Erchany Ranald Guthrie mysteriously dies after falling from the castle wall in a snowstorm. Was he murdered? Suicide? Haunted by ghosts? He is little mourned, for the village people did not like him. He lived in an old run-down castle filled with vermin and all kinds of filth. Some believed him to be out of his mind. This was mostly due to his eccentric behavior.
Inspector Appleby is called in to investigate the mishap. He finds the old castle distasteful, but goes about his investigation efficiently.
This story is told from several points of view which is a little confusing. All in all not too bad a story, but not this author’s best.
I want to thank NetGalley and Ipso Books for forwarding to me a copy of this book to read and enjoy.
July 14, 2020
Esta novela de Innes no es un policial clásico, al contrario: la narración del hecho criminal está cargado de dramatismo y referencias locales escocesas, con numeroso giros al final que pueden llegar a provocar mareo. Quizás por eso su lectura puede llegar a resultar tediosa para los que estamos habituados a los policiales tradicionales.
Sin embargo, creo que serÃa una excelente recomendación para quienes gustan de la literatura clásica y quieren adentrarse en las apasionantes narraciones criminales.
Sin embargo, creo que serÃa una excelente recomendación para quienes gustan de la literatura clásica y quieren adentrarse en las apasionantes narraciones criminales.
November 15, 2017
I was drawn by the description of this book but unfortunately I had to put it away after just a couple of pages. It is too confusing for me. Although I like reading (very) old books (I’m a big fan of Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins), this book was either too old for me or it’s just not for me.
I grade it three stars because it is not the authors� fault I made the mistake to request this book.
I grade it three stars because it is not the authors� fault I made the mistake to request this book.
February 14, 2012
The influence of Wilkie Collins is strong here; in its multi-voiced narrative structure it reminds me of The Moonstone, and in its intricate plotting and air of Gothic excess, it reminds me of The Woman in White. And I liked it very much--until I got to the narrative of Richard Flinders; that took me a plot twist too far, I'm afraid.
July 31, 2017
This book was not easy to read because some characters spoke in a Scottish dialect, using words that I never did figure out. But if you can hang in through that, the book is definitely worth reading. It's a complicated mystery, masterfully written.
October 8, 2014
Wow. This is a complex and intricately-plotted book--how had I missed Michael Innes until now? Murder in a snow-bound Scottish castle, wonderful narration, and I didn't see the ending coming.
Want to read
November 9, 2019Abigail Bok writes:
"Abigail rated it: it was amazing
I have read other mysteries told from multiple points of view, but none as perfect, and perfectly riveting, as this one. The author, Michael Innes (in real life the don J. I. M. Stewart), has more brilliance in his little finger than any writer of popular fiction I have encountered could muster in his whole head. His mysteries are literary--though in this, his third entry in the John Appleby's series, he has tamed his show-off impulses and put literature very satisfactorily into service to the plot.
The story takes place in the wilds of Scotland and the depths of winter, and features an intriguing mix of sweet young people and horrifyingly eccentric elders. Ranald Guthrie, the laird of Castle Erchany, is a man haunted by passions he cannot explain; from rifling scarecrows for coins to his incessant chanting of a grim Dunbar poem he seems gripped by madness. When he falls from the castle's tower on Christmas Eve it is unclear whether he jumped, slipped, or was pushed. The story is gothic and melodramatic but not preposterous.
Each narrator in turn tries his hand at explication, and each constructs a logical scenario only to have it blasted to smithereens by the next. It is remarkable how many plausible explanations there are for (mostly) the same set of facts, though some revelations along the way do help the proliferation of theories. Any flimsy moments are minimal and incidental to this tightly woven plot.
Each narrator has a distinctive voice, the first one especially. I found the first narrator's Scottish brogue pretty daunting to read and was relieved when the next character took his turn, though the first narrator's testimony is crucial to understanding the rest, so don't skip or skim. If Innes's first two mysteries were tours de force of erudition, this one is a tour de force of language control. I followed meekly in his wake, flattered to be able to keep up.
This story offered me the purest satisfaction that the mystery genre allows."
"Abigail rated it: it was amazing
I have read other mysteries told from multiple points of view, but none as perfect, and perfectly riveting, as this one. The author, Michael Innes (in real life the don J. I. M. Stewart), has more brilliance in his little finger than any writer of popular fiction I have encountered could muster in his whole head. His mysteries are literary--though in this, his third entry in the John Appleby's series, he has tamed his show-off impulses and put literature very satisfactorily into service to the plot.
The story takes place in the wilds of Scotland and the depths of winter, and features an intriguing mix of sweet young people and horrifyingly eccentric elders. Ranald Guthrie, the laird of Castle Erchany, is a man haunted by passions he cannot explain; from rifling scarecrows for coins to his incessant chanting of a grim Dunbar poem he seems gripped by madness. When he falls from the castle's tower on Christmas Eve it is unclear whether he jumped, slipped, or was pushed. The story is gothic and melodramatic but not preposterous.
Each narrator in turn tries his hand at explication, and each constructs a logical scenario only to have it blasted to smithereens by the next. It is remarkable how many plausible explanations there are for (mostly) the same set of facts, though some revelations along the way do help the proliferation of theories. Any flimsy moments are minimal and incidental to this tightly woven plot.
Each narrator has a distinctive voice, the first one especially. I found the first narrator's Scottish brogue pretty daunting to read and was relieved when the next character took his turn, though the first narrator's testimony is crucial to understanding the rest, so don't skip or skim. If Innes's first two mysteries were tours de force of erudition, this one is a tour de force of language control. I followed meekly in his wake, flattered to be able to keep up.
This story offered me the purest satisfaction that the mystery genre allows."
November 21, 2017
Having read the previous book in the Inspector Appleby series (Hamlet, Revenge!) I thought I knew what to expect from this one, but I was wrong � this book has a very different feel and structure and despite being published in 1938, it’s not a typical Golden Age mystery novel at all.
The title is taken from a 16th century Scottish poem by William Dunbar (the word maker, also spelled makar, means a poet or court poet). The Latin refrain Timor mortis conturbat me � fear of death disturbs me � is repeated throughout the poem and sets the tone for Innes� novel. Ranald Guthrie, the miserly laird of Erchany Castle has been killed falling from the ramparts of his own tower on a cold winter night, but was he pushed, was it an accident or could it have been a suicide attempt? If it was murder, then there is one very obvious culprit. There is much more to the situation than meets the eye, however, and as the story unfolds more suspects and possible scenarios begin to emerge.
The novel is written from the perspectives of several different characters who each take it in turns to narrate their part of the story. My favourite was the first, Ewan Bell, a shoemaker who lives in Kinkeig in Scotland. It is Ewan who sets the scene, introduces us to the other main characters in the novel and describes the events leading up to Guthrie’s death � all in his own distinctive voice, complete with plenty of Scots dialect! Lots of authors have written books with multiple narrators but I haven’t come across many (apart from Wilkie Collins) who actually succeed in giving each narrator a unique voice of their own. This is one of the best attempts I’ve read for a while. It’s not just the style and structure which make this such an enjoyable novel, though; the mystery itself is also a good one, with twist following upon twist as the end of the book approaches.
As for Inspector Appleby himself, he doesn’t appear until two thirds of the way through the book when the mystery is already half solved and theories have been suggested. Although the novel is clearly set in the 1930s, there are times when both the story and the book itself feel as though they belong to a much earlier period (it reminded me very strongly of The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson and it seems I’m not the only one to make that connection). This makes me wonder whether Innes may really have wanted to write a historical mystery but couldn’t as he needed to make it part of the Appleby series. That would explain why Appleby makes such a late appearance, almost as an afterthought. Anyway, Appleby or no Appleby, I loved this one and am looking forward to working through the rest of Michael Innes' novels.
The title is taken from a 16th century Scottish poem by William Dunbar (the word maker, also spelled makar, means a poet or court poet). The Latin refrain Timor mortis conturbat me � fear of death disturbs me � is repeated throughout the poem and sets the tone for Innes� novel. Ranald Guthrie, the miserly laird of Erchany Castle has been killed falling from the ramparts of his own tower on a cold winter night, but was he pushed, was it an accident or could it have been a suicide attempt? If it was murder, then there is one very obvious culprit. There is much more to the situation than meets the eye, however, and as the story unfolds more suspects and possible scenarios begin to emerge.
The novel is written from the perspectives of several different characters who each take it in turns to narrate their part of the story. My favourite was the first, Ewan Bell, a shoemaker who lives in Kinkeig in Scotland. It is Ewan who sets the scene, introduces us to the other main characters in the novel and describes the events leading up to Guthrie’s death � all in his own distinctive voice, complete with plenty of Scots dialect! Lots of authors have written books with multiple narrators but I haven’t come across many (apart from Wilkie Collins) who actually succeed in giving each narrator a unique voice of their own. This is one of the best attempts I’ve read for a while. It’s not just the style and structure which make this such an enjoyable novel, though; the mystery itself is also a good one, with twist following upon twist as the end of the book approaches.
As for Inspector Appleby himself, he doesn’t appear until two thirds of the way through the book when the mystery is already half solved and theories have been suggested. Although the novel is clearly set in the 1930s, there are times when both the story and the book itself feel as though they belong to a much earlier period (it reminded me very strongly of The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson and it seems I’m not the only one to make that connection). This makes me wonder whether Innes may really have wanted to write a historical mystery but couldn’t as he needed to make it part of the Appleby series. That would explain why Appleby makes such a late appearance, almost as an afterthought. Anyway, Appleby or no Appleby, I loved this one and am looking forward to working through the rest of Michael Innes' novels.
November 30, 2017
Lament for a Maker is a novel that will not appeal to a wide audience. ÌýThe first half is written in the local Scottish dialect. ÌýThis gives flavor and helps build the setting, but it also is hard going for readers. ÌýAs in the other novels that I’ve read by Michael Innes, Lament for a Maker takes its sweet time to reach the heart of the plot. ÌýI fear that many readers will be driven away by the difficult to read passages or worse - by boredom. ÌýOnce you reach the heart of the mystery, things quickly liven up and become far more twisted and interesting. ÌýIt’s obvious that Michael Innes revels in his cleverness, but his attempts at making things more real tend to be more offputting than immersive.
Inspector Appleby doesn’t enter until readers enter the latter half of the book. ÌýUnlike the majority of British Police Procedurals, the Inspector plays only a small role in the novel. ÌýPersonally I prefer more traditionally styled procedurals. Ìý
Is Lament for a Maker cleverly plotted and put together, yes. ÌýIs it entertaining - that’s a far more difficult question to answer. ÌýFor some, maybe. ÌýI can’t honestly answer yes.
3 / 5
I received a copy of Lament for a Maker from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom Ìý
Inspector Appleby doesn’t enter until readers enter the latter half of the book. ÌýUnlike the majority of British Police Procedurals, the Inspector plays only a small role in the novel. ÌýPersonally I prefer more traditionally styled procedurals. Ìý
Is Lament for a Maker cleverly plotted and put together, yes. ÌýIs it entertaining - that’s a far more difficult question to answer. ÌýFor some, maybe. ÌýI can’t honestly answer yes.
3 / 5
I received a copy of Lament for a Maker from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
--Crittermom Ìý
June 8, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up. Good heavens. The ending is wild, but it takes over 200 pages to get anywhere. Perhaps you'll think this is too harsh, and that's fine. But to call this a John Appleby mystery is rather misleading. He doesn't show up until over 200 pages into it, he acts like Captain Super Slueth and figures everything out in like two minutes without even doing any real investigating, and then the slam-bang ending pretty much wipes out everything, and so on.
Everyone in this book thinks he knows the solution, but frankly, we don't really care enough about the characters to even know what the mystery is or what is important. Most of it is Innes's attempt to channel his inner Walter Scott, which is only irritating because his first 2 mysteries are so good and this is something else entirely.
Don't get me wrong: I'm in favor of artists expanding and growing and following their artistic paths to new directions. But this is advertised as an Appleby mystery, and it's not, not really, so because I was expecting something else, it was tough to enjoy. If you think it's the cat's whiskers, fantastic.
Everyone in this book thinks he knows the solution, but frankly, we don't really care enough about the characters to even know what the mystery is or what is important. Most of it is Innes's attempt to channel his inner Walter Scott, which is only irritating because his first 2 mysteries are so good and this is something else entirely.
Don't get me wrong: I'm in favor of artists expanding and growing and following their artistic paths to new directions. But this is advertised as an Appleby mystery, and it's not, not really, so because I was expecting something else, it was tough to enjoy. If you think it's the cat's whiskers, fantastic.
November 8, 2023
Brilliantly immersive, and becomes almost a character study.
So, on the subject of the Scottish dialogue from our first witness, I was reminded of Dorothy L. Sayers own version of this in Five Red Herrings, but you will find this more intense, and thus less easy to 'work it out', but once I was into it, it became natural.
But as I had progressed further in, I was reminded of a conference paper by a new retired colleague. In the course of 30 mins, he held the audience rapt with classical Roman, Greek and more contemporary allusions, humour, technical content and pointers for his successors to ponder. This is something so rarely experienced - in some genres these literary and knowledge flourishes are not to be found, or else they are overdone, e.g. when the author maybe parading their own knowledge at the expense of the narrative or character development. In part this is probably attributable to the increasing lack of a a classical education, but perhaps maybe being knowledgeable has become something not to be aspired to.
That it is done so well here is not solely Innes ability, but also his judgment in knowing when to do this, and when not.
So, on the subject of the Scottish dialogue from our first witness, I was reminded of Dorothy L. Sayers own version of this in Five Red Herrings, but you will find this more intense, and thus less easy to 'work it out', but once I was into it, it became natural.
But as I had progressed further in, I was reminded of a conference paper by a new retired colleague. In the course of 30 mins, he held the audience rapt with classical Roman, Greek and more contemporary allusions, humour, technical content and pointers for his successors to ponder. This is something so rarely experienced - in some genres these literary and knowledge flourishes are not to be found, or else they are overdone, e.g. when the author maybe parading their own knowledge at the expense of the narrative or character development. In part this is probably attributable to the increasing lack of a a classical education, but perhaps maybe being knowledgeable has become something not to be aspired to.
That it is done so well here is not solely Innes ability, but also his judgment in knowing when to do this, and when not.
October 11, 2020
Enjoyable but ... I came up with the second solution, but not the third or fourth. One knew the first couldn't be right but then there were twists and turns and twists. I didn't love the plot device of telling the story from multiple points of view - the first narrator is an old Scots man, with an emphasis on the Scots. After a while I had to live with the fact that half the words I didn't really know, so if I could just get a sense of what was going on that would be enough. The second narrator I found engaging, and was a bit sad to leave him and go on to the third narrator - who turned out to be engaging in his own way. And the fourth was Appleby himself, finally dragged into the narrative as a minder for two who had run away as the murder happened ... At one point the narration goes off to Australia, and for a bit it turns into a very different adventure story. Death, madness, old families, loyalties, betrayal, love, seduction - it all plays a role in this mystery set in a dark, uncomfortable, rat-infested Scottish castle. Even the rats play a role in the solving of the mystery.
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