7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Five stars, with a few caveats, September 21, 2010
This review is from: Pig of Cold Poison: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery (Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries) (Hardcover)
I very, very much enjoyed this book. Here are the caveats, though: 1. I've read all the books in the series, and I would say that anyone who hasn't would find themselves clueless in medieval Glasgow. Having said that, I highly recommend starting at the beginning with The Harper's Quine. You are in for a treat, if you like this genre. 2. Even though I have some familiarity with McIntosh's Glaswegian Chamber of Commerce (among whom this mystery is set), I actually had to write down notes for the cast of characters to keep them straight. McIntosh introduces almost the entire ensemble in the first chapter AND they are almost all related in some degree of kinship AND the use of nicknames is right up there with Tolstoy AND the custom of women taking their husband's surnames was still rare, further confusing who is connected to which spouse and/or offspring. Anyway, fair warning - you may want to take notes! 3. As the Booklist review notes, there are a lot of terms from medieval Scots. Most are understandable from their context, but some are truly obscure. McIntosh does not provide a glossary, so unless you are close to an internet connection, it could be frustrating. True, the use of the Scots lends to a feel of authenticity, but that is somewhat diluted by the unauthentic use of the "hours of the o'clock", e.g., "7 o'clock in the morning" - which was not extant in Northern Europe for at least another century. 4. Lastly, the identity of the perp (no spoilers here) is pretty apparent especially with any knowledge of medieval medicine, though there are some entertaining red herrings. That said, the highlight of this book isn't the mystery, it is the richly drawn characters, their intense interactions, and the colorful, mostly accurate medieval setting and medical practices. So, if you like this genre and you've read the prior books in the series, FIVE stars. If you don't like the genre and don't want to read the series...well, I would recommend reading something else.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Poysoned Player..., November 27, 2010
This review is from: Pig of Cold Poison: A Gil Cunningham Murder Mystery (Gil Cunningham Murder Mysteries) (Hardcover)
Gil Cunningham and his wife Alys go to his sister's house for a night of food and entertainment. The festivities are spoiled when one of the players is fatally poisoned the middle of a play. As everyone else has eaten from the same dishes, the poison is believed to be in the bottle that was a prop in the play--unfortunately given to the actor by his fellow player, a friend--and also a rival for a girl's affection. While the authorities a content to consider the case closed, friends of the accused are certain he is incapable of murder and they beseech Gil to look into the matter as Gil has been getting a name for being able to solve such dreadful events. The murder has Gil, his wife and her father questioning the guilt of the accused as well, so despite Gil's unofficial capacity, he begins to investigate on his own.
The few apothecaries of medieval Glasgow are a focus, particularly as the girl who the rivals were interested in is the daughter of one, the accused was one by profession, and other members were also present at the entertainment. And naturally, such individuals would most likely know of the unidentified poison that was used. Furthermore, the household of the girl turns out to be full of animosity and likely poisoners, and the girl herself is hiding some role played in the poisoning.
The mystery and what it reveals about medieval life and apothecaries, is interesting and involved. While the murderer seems fairly obvious towards the end, there are still twists and adventures to complicate it, and make it not quite so obvious a solution.
There are some bits of dialect and terminology that bring the period to life and may not be so easily understood by the modern reader, but I found it to be no bother, and one can figure things out easily enough by their context. The characters and the situations are very accessible, I thought.
This is the seventh? book in the Gil Cunningham series. I don't think the earlier books are totally necessary to have read to enjoy this book, but it's still recommended to read the earlier ones before tackling this one. Besides, the whole series is equally enjoyable and worth a look at.
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