Graeme MaCrae Burnet

A brutal triple murder in a remote northwestern crofting community in 1869 leads to the arrest of a young man by the name of Roderick Macrae. There.s no question that Macrae is guilty, but the police and courts must uncover what drove him to murder the local village constable. And who were the other two victims? Ultimately, Macrae.s fate hinges on one key question: is he insane? ?A story ingeniously recounted through the accused.s memoir, trial transcripts and newspaper reports, His Bloody Project is a riveting literary thriller that will appeal to fans of Hannah Kent.s Buria

His Bloody Project

Wynter

For the life of me, I don't understand how this book made such a splash in literary circles upon its publication. In my opinion, His Bloody Project fails completely at utilizing an unreliable narrator to its advantage, and instead presents a story that is rather dull and straightforward. 

The novel begins with the murderer's own account of his life and events leading up to the tragic event. This part is fairly well-written, if somewhat Dickensian in its gloom and doom, and sets up certain expectations about Roddy's sincerity and motivations. Half-way through we are transported to his trial, and boy, the author is lucky I enjoy courtroom drama, because there is no merit to the last 100 pages whatsoever. Logically, this is where the reader should have been reeling in shock at some unexpected revelation, flipping the entire narrative upside down. To be fair, there is a small revelation that exposes Roddy's manipulation of certain facts, but it basically has no impact on the overall outcome. What you read in the blurb is basically all you get. I can't say that I see a point in reading this novel beyond being a casual observer to a fictional murder trial.

1869 skedde ett kallblodigt trippelmord i de skotska högländerna. Mördaren, en 17-årig pojke, skrev ner sin historia som här varvas med vittnesmål, polisförhör, frenologisk rapport m.m. Ett blodigt verk är en psykologisk thriller som utger sig för att vara en sann berättelse. Huvudpersonen, Roderick Macrae, är en ung torparson. Han är född utan framtidsutsikter, men med ett intellekt som skiljer honom från de andra byborna i det lilla kustsamhället i de skotska högländerna. Men det är annat som också gör att han inte tycks passa in. Bybornas åsikter om honom går isär. Det enda alla vet säkert är att han på ett mycket brutalt sätt berövade tre människor livet. Frågan är varför? och kommer han att avrättas? Graeme Macrae Burnet föddes 1967 i Kilmanrock, Skottland och har studerat litteratur vid Glasgow University. Han har arbetat som lärare och inom media. Ett blodigt verk är hans andra bok och den nominerades till det prestigefyllda Man Booker Prize.

Ett blodigt verk : dokument rörande mördaren Roderick Macrae

Emelie

Summer Stanley

The concept was unusual, well-thought out, and perfectly executed. To be cliche, I couldn't put it down. This book left just enough unanswered to leave you thinking without being dissatisfied.

Alexia

This shortlisted book for the 2016 Man Booker Prize was different because it reads like a true account of real events, somewhat like a documentary. It is up to the reader to decide who and what to believe.  Thank you Netgalley and Skyhorse Publishing for the ARC.  Full review on my blog

Este libro es uno de los finalistas para el premio literario Man Booker del 2016 y es diferente a todo lo que leí este año porque parece un documental "basado en hechos reales". ¿Cuál será la verdad?  Reseña completa en mi blog

Alexandra P

Shreerag Plakazhi

Interesting. I want to thank my new book club for this suggestion. I don't think I would've picked it up if it wasn't for them. On to the review:

I remember reading In Cold Blood by Truman Capote almost vividly. It was a greulling task but one that is mighty satisfying. Capote manages to present all aspects of a real crime in the most neutral fashion possible. Burnet is able to replicate this neutrality, though Capote deserves a bit more credit as his work dealt with an actual True Crime.

His Bloody Project, as the book cover says, is a veritable puzzle. While its presented as non-fiction, something highly commendable I feel, it is in fact a work of pure fiction. It invites us into the role of judge and asks us - what really happened. I've had arguments of this nature with those around me - the only reports we can go on about a case as fact are accounts of the case. Are accounts reliable? One of the accounts in the book is the killer's own, can we believe it? Any verdict prononounced on the case is only one beyond reasonable doubt and not with utmost certainity, how could anyone be certain, no one passing judgement was present at the time of the crime. Burnet successfully portrays this phenomenon in his book.

Immense, entertaining and a terrific read.

Man Booker Prize Finalist, LA Times Book Prize Finalist, New York Times Editor’s Choice, and an American Booksellers Association National Indie Bestseller! Named a Best Book of 2016 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.

Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae (Man Booker Prize Finalist 2016)

Leafling

I've definitely been on a true crime kick these past couple months, and it was a delight to experience this fiction book that reads like bonafide true crime. His Bloody Project was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize in 2016, which I find to be a super interesting, and well deserved, pick. In it, we have a series of documents that all pertain to the case of Roderick Macrea killing a family in his village. There are neighbors' accounts, his own personal written account, and a transcript of the trial - all of which are biased. Roderick Macrae is such a fascinating guy to be in the head of - and to see from the outside after you know what's going on in his head. It's not a book where you come away knowing exactly what happened at the end of it. It's one that you'll keep thinking about, trying to puzzle out the details and decide who exactly to believe. Burnet places some amazing little hints throughout the book that close readers and true crime fans will be delighted by.

Full Review: Outlandish Lit

Laura Dobie

Compelling and expertly crafted, with an enigmatic unreliable narrator.

Gary Homewood

Strong and realistic first half, the confessional writings of a teenage crofter in the Scottish Highlands the 1860s, driven to a violent multiple murder. Subsequent trial and courtroom scenes well written and detailed but not as compelling or nuanced.

His Bloody Project

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