This fascinating murder mystery that is part memoir and part trial. The structure of this novel is unique and inventive. The author leads with a preface claiming that what follows is the memoir of the murderer who is standing trial for the bloody murder of three people. This is no ordinary whodunit, but rather a revealing glimpse into the lives and grievances of the inhabitants of a small Scottish highlands village in 1869. I was drawn in from page one. This novel barrels its way to the very last page.
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2016 BY NEWSWEEK, NPR, THE GUARDIAN, THE TELEGRAPH, AND THE SUNDAY TIMES
A NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS' CHOICE
"THOUGHT PROVOKING FICTION"-THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
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…
This masterful, shape-shifting novel starts out modestly with the gathering of three siblings and the new girlfriend of the eldest. But it's not that simple. Just when I thought I knew what the novel was about, it veered into new territory--more than once. Right after I finished, I reread the first chapter to see how the author planted seeds for what was to come. This is a thought-provoking read that lingers long.
Longlisted for the 2025 Aspen Words Literary Prize • A Best Book of 2024: Time, Kirkus Reviews, BookPage, The Sunday Times (London)
“Remarkable…Compelling…Fine and taut…Indelible.” —The New York Times • “Moving, unnerving, and deeply sexy.” —Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with the Pearl Earring • “A brilliant debut, as multi-faceted as a gem.” —Kirkus Reviews
A “razor-sharp, perfectly plotted” (The Sunday Times, London) tale of desire, suspicion, and obsession between two women staying in the same house in the Dutch countryside during the summer of 1961—a powerful exploration of the legacy of…
This is a great story of people on a train facing danger--although only the perpetrator knows what's in store. Donoghue's story evokes wildly disparate characters and brings Paris and France to life. I loved immersing myself in the lives of these varied people.
It's 1924 Brooklyn, and Celia and Ed Cooney embark on a crime spree. As the pair's robberies become more audacious and the police bungle their attempts to nab them, the papers have a heyday with the police department's ineptitude. Increasingly humiliated, the police commissioner gives the order to shoot to kill. Will Celia and Ed elude the deadly dragnet of Brooklyn's men in blue?
"Gun Girl and the Tall Guy is a gripping historical novel based on the true story of Celia and Ed Cooney. Through vivid, evocative prose and a cinematic storytelling style, Maryka Biaggio captures the grit and tension of 1920s Brooklyn, immersing readers in a world where love and crime collide." ~ Elizabeth Mahon, author of Scandalous Women and Pretty Evil New York
