The Nicholas Feast: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery [Paperback]

Pat McIntosh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2007

Glasgow, 1492: Gil Cunningham returns to his old university for a night of food, theater, and revelry, only to find one of the actors dead in the coal house, and becomes tangled in a web of espionage and blackmail.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'McIntosh's characterisations and period detail are first rate and bode well for future entries in this series.' Publishers Weekly 'The next Cunningham adventure is to be welcomed.' Historical Novels Review" --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Like her protagonist Gil Cunningham, Pat McIntosh is a graduate of Glasgow University. She lives in Glasgow, Scotland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf (September 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786719974
• ISBN-13: 978-0786719976
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,480,547 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not as good as the first book in the series, November 13, 2005

By 

Rebecca A. Baillie "rab10" (Woodland, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nicholas Feast: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery (Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries) (Hardcover)

While I liked this book, I did not feel it was as well written as the first book in the series. It felt as though the author was pushed to have a second in the series too fast to do as complete a job. Hopefully, the next book will match the quality and detail of "The Harpers Quine."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A feast for sore eyes?, August 11, 2006

By 

Billy J. Hobbs "Bill Hobbs" (Tyler, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nicholas Feast: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery (Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries) (Hardcover)

"Oh what a tangled web we weave," Shakespeare would write some 100 years later. In the meantime, Pat McIntosh gives us a taste of what he might have meant in her second of a series featuring Gil Cunningham in "The Nicholas Feast."

Set in 1492 (a convenient year for any historical writer!), "The Nicholas Feast" finds young (and still single) Mr. Cunningham, student of law and nephew of a local official, embroiled in solving his second murder in less than a month (The first being "The Harper's Quine"). Gil is on hand to observe academic ceremonies of his alma mater during this church holiday and it's now time (hardly before lunch) that a murder is committed. Young William Irvine, one of the students and an actor at the pageantry observance, is found in the coal house with lots of clues and non-clues scattered about his person. He is the bastard son of the influential Montgomery family and Gil discovers that he is even more than that. He's a 16-year-old extortionist, who many at the school would have motive for his death. Complications, indeed, arise. And Gil is given two days to solve the case. Or else.

McIntosh clearly demonstrates her knowledge of historical Glasgow (which apparently was no more beautiful than it is now) and following the success of her first Cunningham novel knows how to create a readable historical murder mystery. Her style is terse and moves quite easily--except for the fact that, in order to accentuate the local color, she drops into too much Scots dialect for most American readers, anyway. Some would be fine, but too much is, well, too much and it becomes a stumbling block at times.

The plot moves quite well, despite that, until the climactic scene (ah, yes, Ms McIntosh has read all of Agatha Christie's works, it seems) and relies upon the old "gather everyone in parlor and I'll tell solve the crime while surrounded by all the characters who COULD have done the deed." Sigh, indeed.

Character-wise, though, the author gets a good mark here. Clearly, she's entranced by her central character (as she should be) and Gil Cunningham has the makings of a fine 15th century sleuth and academic. His romantic interest, Alys, though comes across a bit syrupy but credit goes to the author for providing us with a 15th century woman, ready to jump into the 20th century: she can read; she has a mind of her own; she's ready to act independently; and she's also likeable. I suspect Ms McIntosh will wed the two sooner of later.

A third in the series is already out (a good sign). "The Nicholas Feast" is a good read. ([e-mail])

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Endlessly boring, October 8, 2010

By 

Srdjan Pesic (Minneapolis, Mn United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Nicholas Feast: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery (Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries) (Hardcover)

The sub-genre of historical mystery is a tough nut to crack. The writer has to be careful not to drown the story with the details of the period, or color the characters with the too modern traits. And lets not forget the whole point of this genre- the puzzle.
Pat McIntosh unfortunately fails miserably on all accounts. Far too many characters, the thick Scotish brogue, and realy bad dialogue. By the end I couldn't care less who kiled who and why. As a compulsive buyer of mysteries, I am stuck with two more hardcovers by this author. Serves me right.