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Ah, Scotland. Wonderful country side, lovely people, and the occasional murder. Would you like to accompany me on a trip? Very well then, and beware the pigs, please.
Heav’n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn’d, Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn’d
The Mourning Bride, Act III Scene 2, by William Congreve
I’m usually a fan of crime thrillers, but when I read the blurb to this cozy crime mystery, I couldn’t resist. It’s not everyday you get to read a book that starts with a wife murdering her abusing husband and feeding him to the pigs. That immediately reminded me of the 2000’s Guy Ritchie movie, Snatch. Which I loved, way back (even despite the fact that not a single word Brad Pitt said was understandable), and that set the bar for my expectations – a tale of dark humour. Well, maybe minus the diamonds and all the guns.
It soon turns out that most of the pigs in this Scottish countryside are rather of the two legged variety, and I’ll have to admit – seeing the women take care of each of their problems does feel a little bit like righteous revenge!
As a crime enthusiast, I’m well aware of the flaws in the actual killings; even if the first murder of the book is described as the perfect crime, that’s not true. (If you want to try it at home: bludgeoning someone to death with a frying pan is going to leave marks on the skull, which the pigs will NOT get rid off for you, and every coroner worth his salt should be able to find that discrepancy. That won’t look like he fell and hit his head.)
But that’s beside the point, because this is not a novel about the police catching the baddies. It’s about sweet revenge, served cold, with a side of British humour of the rather dark sort.
If I have to pick a point to criticize about, then it would be the pacing. The story is off to a good start, but falls into a ditch afterwards that lasts a little longer as the one third mark. I feel like the novel could have been trimmed a bit there without really losing anything, plot wise.
So, apparently turning to murder is all the rage in the countryside. The other half of the story is about turning your life around, starting anew – because every ending is a new beginning, it’s just that sometimes, that ending is the ending of another one’s life.
In the end, I’m going with 3.5 stars. It’s cozy, it makes you feel well, but there’s not much excitement. Then again, it’s a great read if you just want to snuggle in on a rainy day
Crossing the Pond Reviews 