An interesting novel to be sure but wordy in the extreme as well as very difficult to understand. An heroic effort written in the vernacular of rural Scotland a century or two back, this novel would have been made much more accessible by the inclusion of a glossary. The characters were well-developed but frustratingly obtuse and the promised maelstrom of hypocrisy, etc. never quite materialized in the end. Mr. Benzie does have a talent for vivid and detailed description but perhaps in subsequent novels he will learn to apply this talent more judiciously and let his stories shine through with less to weigh them down.

Solid novel with unforgettable characters,universal material.Surprising and fluid narrative.