Nicholas Feast (Gil Cunningham Murdr Mystery 2) [Hardcover]

Pat Mcintosh (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 2005 | Series: Gil Cunningham Murdr Mystery 2

Glasgow 1492. Gil Cunningham remarked later that if he had known he would find a corpse in the university coalhouse, he would never have gone to the Arts Faculty feast. But then, as Alys his betrothed replied, he would never have met Socrates. In this mysterious adventure Gil Cunningham returns to his old university for the Nicholas Feast, where he and his colleagues are entertained by a play presented by some of the students. One of the actors, William Irvine, is later found murdered and Gil, fresh from his success in solving the murder of the harper's quine, is the obvious person to investigate. Assisted by Alys and her French stone-mason father, Pierre, he begins to disentangle a complex web of espionage and blackmail involving William's tutors and fellow students. First one chamber and then another is ransacked and Gil himself is attacked. It appears someone is looking for missing papers and suspicion falls on the University chaplain, a Dominican priest. Oddly, William's wolfhound pup Socrates now becomes a focus for attention and matters are further complicated by the arrival of Gil's formidable mother who is determined to inspect his betrothed. Little do Alys and Gil realise that it will be she who provides the final, vital key to unmask the murderer and lay his motives clear.

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

Pat McIntosh, like Gil Cunningham, is a graduate of Glasgow University. Born and brought up in Lanarkshire, for many years the author lived and worked in Glasgow and is now settled on the West Coast with a husband, three cats and a daughter.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Robinson Publishing (June 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841198242
• ISBN-13: 978-1841198248
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,946,547 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.