The Rough Collier

Gil Cunningham #5

by Pat McIntosh

When the peat-cutters came to report the dead man, Gil Cunningham was up in the roof-space of his mother's house, teaching his new young wife swordplay.

They believe the corpse to be that of a local missing man. His wife and the widow who runs the local coalmine are sure the body belongs to someone else, but then they find themselves accused of having killed him by witchcraft.

And if the corpse is not the missing man, who is it?

Gil and Alys try to get to the heart of the matter. Together they uncover more murders than they bargain for, and encounter the chilling secret at the heart of the mystery.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical, Medieval, Scotland, Crime

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

McIntosh was born and raised in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Having begun to write at age seven, she credits the author who inspired her to write as "probably Angus MacVicar!" She lived and worked in Glasgow for many years before moving to the west coast of Scotland. Prior to making her mark as an author, she worked as "a librarian, a receptionist for an alternative therapy centre, taught geology and palaeontology, [and] tutored for the Open University."

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2010, and its the 5th volume of the wonderful "Gilbert Cunningham" series.

In this mystery Gilbert and Alys will get entangled in a murder case that will involve a lot of investigating.

A certain man is reported dead by peat-cutters, and believing the man to be the local missing one.

Soon enough the man's wife and a widow who runs the local coalmine are accused of witchcraft.

Convinced of the women's innocence, Gilbert and Alys will need to get to the heart of the matter, before they can accuse someone.

But when more murders are discovered, it will make the case much ore complicated, but after some twists and turns, followed by a superbly executed plot Gilbert and Alys will get to the chilling heart of these secret killings, and in the end they will be able to identify and bring the culprit to justice.

Highly recommended, for this is another marvellous addition to this brilliant series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "An Amazing Collier Murder Mystery"!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still loving this series and enjoying the increasing level of participation in solving mysteries by Gil's new bride Alys. This one had no presence of her father who played such an important role in previous books. There is a generous good will touched with loving humour as the author depicts life and peoples of rural areas in the 15th Century. Suspicion of witchcraft was one element dealt with as well as many discussions and descriptions of peat - all greatly amusing to me.

[Sadie Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rough Collier is the fifth of Pat McIntosh's mysteries set in fifteenth-century Scotland. In this one, Gil Cunningham and his wife Alys are staying at his mother's house in the Lanarkshire countryside when a body is discovered buried in a peat-bog, sparking an accusation of witchcraft against a local woman and leading Gil to begin an investigation into the identity of the corpse and the whereabouts of another man who has been missing for five weeks. I really like Gil and Alys and enjoyed seeing how their relationship has developed after five months of marriage, and the mystery was entertaining enough even if I had spotted the murderer by the end of chapter 2 and found Gil and Alys's continuing failure to suspect them somewhat frustrating.

[Penny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a historical mystery set in Scotland, out in the countryside.

I have not read any others of this series but I will. The book zips along following the disappearance of a man who collects rents from the surrounding area on behalf of his employer. There are a lot of characters to get straight but the writing is clear and the evoking of rural mediaeval Scotland is well done. There is a wonderful collection of totally odd words and phrases that I've never heard but that you work out from the context.

Within its genre it is a good read. I wouldnt place it above C J Sansom but for a fairly short mystery with historical setting it does very well.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hated the first chapter of the book and I almost put the book down... but I'm glad I didn't.

From the inside flap:
"1493. When the peat-cutters came to report the dead man, Gil Cunningham was up in the roof-space of his mother's house teaching his new young wife, Alys, swordplay.

The finders believe the corpse in the peat to be that of Thomas Murray, missing from the coalmine on the estate of Sir James Douglas, Gil's godfather. Murray's wife and the autocratic widow who run the coalmine are sure it is someone else, but Sir James's steward, the officious (idiotic zealot) David Fleming, accuses them of having killed Murray by witchcraft. And if the corpse is not the missing man, who is it?

Gil, trying to establish the truth of the matter is helped by an old acquaintance from Glasgow, hindered by the steward, and finds himself dealing with the peat-cutters and salt-boilers, colliers and priests, and five verra different women of the missing man's family."

Another problem I have w/ the author is that she switches back and forth, often in the same paragraph, of her characters speaking in a thick Scots accent and regular English, which ye ken, makes for difficult reading.

I learned a bit about salt and yew... and I figured out Murray & who done it. What was never revealed was, who the body in the peat was...

But after the first chapter I was able to settle in & finish the book.

[Sarah Hearn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story, set in 1493 Scotland. It avoids having characters speak "foresoothly" although the author does have everyone speaking in broad Scots. She effectively brings in the history of the time, the relevant influences, e.g., the Maleus Maleficarum (the "Witch-hunters' guide" of the 16th century), and she has given no one has knowledge that was not extant at the end of the 15th century. Since I am a medieval historian, things like this are I portant to me. The story of the simultaneous appearance of a stranger buried in the peat and the disappearance of the grieve at the local coal mine (called "the coal heuch") leads Gil Cunningham and his new wife, Alys, onto the path of a mysterious murderer, all the while being pursued by the local priest crying "Witch! Witch!". It's a twisting tale, difficult to follow sometimes, but satisfactorily resolved.

[tommie chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twists and Turns

Although I usually feel satisfied when I reach the end of a Pat Mcintosh book, along the way I have been irritated by the pace of Gil Cunningham getting to his truth. But I do love the collection of characters as they have evolved as new books have appeared, and I find the handling of the relationship of Alys and Gil very appealing and refreshing. The use of the Scottish setting adds extra appeal for me, and the late medieval time frame is an era the novels have persuaded me to inquire into more thoroughly. Time spent in Gil Cunningham's world as projected by Mcintosh is enjoyable.

[Kathy Moberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This mystery got off to an oddly slow start for me. I think it was because there were so many characters to keep track of. The Scottish dialect seemed harder than usual to follow, too -- probably because I was distracted by so many characters. However, but the end, things were moving along very quickly and satisfyingly.

[Nance Roepke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like Gil and Elyse, I like the writing and the mysteries in the series and the time period and I plan to read the whole series. My reason for giving it a four is that it does not have the depth of best sellers like Nightingale or Where the Crawdads Sing.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good. This series can get you. Its characters are quite different from other medieval sleuth stories.

[Julie Durovchic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. The Gill Cunningham medieval mysteries continue, likable characters and interesting history.

[Graculus · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was once again a pleasure to return to this series of books, featuring lawyer and reluctant detective Gil Cunningham in book 5 of a consistently excellent series set in the unusual surroundings of medieval Scotland.

In 'The Rough Collier' Gil and his new wife are visiting Gil's mother when he's called to investigate a body that has been dug up from a local peat bog. The village priest is certain it's a missing man from the nearby colliery but Gil isn't so sure, particularly when the explanation given for how deep the body was found involves the use of witchcraft!

Sure enough, not only is there the mystery around the corpse itself to solve, hampered as much as helped by the curiosity of the local folk for this unexpected entertainment, there also proves to be a mystery around the missing collier as well. This time around, as before, both Gil and Alys play their part in solving both mysteries, even if some things don't work out quite how everyone had hoped...

Another enjoyable outing, which makes me look forward to the next book in the series - 'The Stolen Voice' - these books continue to be ones I'd recommend to anyone who likes historical detectives and is a little bored with the current overload of Elizabethan-focussed plots.

[Spuddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

#5 Gil Cunningham mystery set in 15th century Glasgow and environs. Gil and his bride Alys are off to visit his mother in the country and while there his expertise is sought when a corpse is found in a peat bog by peat cutters. At first they think it's a local who's been missing for a few weeks, but later it's determined that the body has been there much longer. However, Gil is curious as to why the hue and cry hasn't been officially raised about the man who's been missing some five weeks, and further investigation uncovers a lot of different reasons why he may have disappeared.

I really enjoy this series and the immersion into the culture of the place and time, the only drawback continuing to be the repeated use of the vernacular in the dialogue, which at times makes it difficult to understand since there isn't even much resemblance to modern-day Scots slang. I've had to stop and look up words that I'm not able to sort out even with context--which is distracting from the story itself. I don't mind learning new things, but most of the words I'll never have need of again so it seems a bit pointless. I complain about this every time and still I read on though--I do like the the characters and series otherwise and would give it 5 stars if it weren't for this one issue.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine late medieval/early renaissance mystery in the Gil Cunningham series. Gil and Alys, finally married, are really a great couple and this mystery, involving a body found in the peat bog, a missing husband, and a witch-hunting priest, is filled with interesting characters and historical facts. There is a section towards the end where you may get bored, knowing who the murderer is and wondering how there can be 70 more pages, but if you stick with it you will enjoy the surprisingly exciting ending.

[Mairi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that there's a mystery series set in 15th Century Glasgow. Sometimes, however, I'm a little disappointed with the books themselves. This one was slow going - it took me about 100 pages to really get hooked. From there on out I really enjoyed the story, and didn't guess what was going on until very near the end. Gil Cunningham is a very likeable character, as is Alys. I enjoy this series.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery. While Gil and his new bride are visiting his family estates a body is found by peat-cutters. Gil is pulled into the mystery when a local wise women is accused of witchcraft. A local man is missing but the corps seems much older. Gil discovers a tangled web of deaths and coverup.

[Lynne Tull · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am still liking the H/H and the mysteries. There was a little too much time spent on educating me about the mining of coal. Once I got past that I was into trying to figure out 'who done it'. I kind of had a guess, but was still surprised at the ending. Recommend the series-start with the first one: 'The Harper's Quine'.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best in this series of mysteries set in 15th century Scotland. A body is found in the peat, possibly a man missing from the village weeks ago, possibly a long-lost saint... It is up to Gil and Alys, now newly wed, to find out.

[Mary MacKintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I get so caught up in the characters and the world of 1400s Scotland that I forget to follow the clues to the murder(s) Gil Cunningham and his lady Alys are trying to solve! I really love to fall into a Pat McIntosh stirt!

[Mary]

I enjoy the Gil Cunningham series, good characters and brings the era alive.

[Maureen E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another Gil Cunningham mystery, this one perhaps a shade less impressive/interesting than the others.

[Rachel]

Picked up a couple of books at the Festival. I've never heard of the books or the authors but I was in the mood for a mystery and liked the cover art.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read - I did guess the murderer though which is always a little disappointing

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gil and his new bride Alys leave Glasgow to visit his mother when a body is foud in the peat. The investigation follows the usual path to a surprising twist. Enjoyable as usual.

[Donald · Rating 2 out of 5]

Totally agree with all the other reviews, the culprit was obvious from the start and the plot was simply playing catch-up, not a great addition to the series.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much - all of the Gil Cunningham books are great. And learning about medieval Scotland is a big plus!

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good characters and a nice 1400s Scotland period piece. And an interesting mystery, although I did struggle a bit with the many characters and the dialect.

[Bryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the peat bog one, and I don't remember much of it, although I seem to recall there's some very nice Alys parts.

[Judy]

Always enjoy this series!