His Bloody Project, Graeme Macrae Burnet
His Bloody Project, Graeme Macrae Burnet
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His Bloody Project
Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae; A Novel

Author: Graeme Macrae Burnet

Narrator: Antony Ferguson

Unabridged: 10 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/25/2016

Synopsis

In the smash hit historical thriller that the New York Times Book Review calls “thought provoking fiction,” 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 author, His Bloody Project opens with a series of police statements taken from the villagers of Culdie, Ross-shire. They offer conflicting impressions of the accused; one interviewee recalls Macrae as a gentle and quiet child, while another details him as evil and wicked. Chief among the papers is Roderick Macrae’s own memoirs where he outlines the series of events leading up to the murder in eloquent and affectless prose. There follow medical reports, psychological evaluations, a courtroom transcript from the trial, and other documents that throw both Macrae’s motive and his sanity into question.Graeme Macrae Burnet’s multilayered narrative centered around an unreliable narrator will keep the listener guessing to the very end. His Bloody Project is a deeply imagined crime novel that is both thrilling and luridly entertaining from an exceptional new voice.

About Graeme Macrae Burnet

Graeme Macrae Burnet is the author of several works of mystery and historical mystery. His highly praised first novel, The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau, was featured in the List’s Top Scottish Books of 2014. He was born and brought up in Kilmarnock, Scotland, and has lived in Prague, Bordeaux, Porto, and London.

About Antony Ferguson

Antony Ferguson, Earphones Award–winning narrator, was born in London. He has performed successfully on both sides of the Atlantic and has played many leading roles in theater, film, and television.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jibran on September 23, 2019

An excellent novel not just for its fascinating historical setting, but for the novelty of its form and its delicate coverage of the larger social, political, and personal themes that blend seamlessly into a topnotch criminal investigation. I am not qualified to opine on its historical authenticity,......more

Goodreads review by Debra on October 13, 2024

4.5 stars His Bloody Project was bloody good! Starting the book, I had no idea I would like it as much as I did. I read most of the book today. The book reads (and feels) like a memoir. This book feels as if it is a "true crime" non-fiction book. This is a novel - but the beauty of it is that it feel......more

Goodreads review by Candi on May 09, 2017

4.5 stars! "The accounts presented here contain various discrepancies, contradictions and omissions, but taken together they form a tapestry of one of the most fascinating cases in Scottish legal history." Presented in the fashion of a true crime case, His Bloody Project is in fact a fictional, histor......more

Goodreads review by Esil on October 20, 2016

I was surprised at how much I ended up enjoying His Bloody Project. It is on the shortlist for the Booker prize this year. When I looked through the list of nominees, it was the one book that appealed the least to me based on the description. But then I read an enthusiastic review written by GR frie......more

Goodreads review by Paul on April 27, 2017

Well, this is more like it! A grim, propulsive story, a weird and kind of loveable murderer, a sharp, poignant light shone on an obscure period of human suffering (Scottish crofting), a meticulous picture of what real human oppression looks like from the ground up, a meaty villain who so deserved wh......more

Quotes

“Burnet makes such masterly use of the narrative form that the horrifying tale he tells…seems plucked straight out of Scotland’s sanguinary historical archives.” New York Times Book Review

“Burnet is a writer of great skill and authority…Few readers will be able to put down His Bloody Project as it speeds towards a surprising (and ultimately puzzling) conclusion.” Financial Times (London)

“A truly ingenious thriller as confusingly multilayered as an Escher staircase.” Daily Express (London)

“Psychologically astute and convincingly grounded in its environment, this study of petty persecution and murder is a fine achievement from an ambitious and accomplished writer.” National (Scotland)

“Brings an extraordinary historical period into focus…This is a fiendishly readable tale that richly deserves the wider attention the Booker has brought it.” Guardian (London)

“An intoxicating read.” Crime Reads

“Fascinating…Sly, poignant, gritty, thought-provoking, and sprinkled with wit.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The Man Booker judges got it right: this really is one of the most convincing and engrossing novels of the year.” Scotsman (Edinburgh)

“A finalist for the Man Booker Prize 2016, this uniquely constructed, fast-paced historical crime novel…is clever and gripping, delivering a viable feel for the time and place.’” Library Journal (starred review)

“A masterful psychological thriller.” Ian Stephen, author of A Book of Death and Fish

Awards

  • Glasgow Herald Pick
  • Man Booker Prize
  • New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice
  • Guardian Best Book of the Year
  • Newsweek Best Book
  • NPR Best Book
  • Los Angeles Times Book Prize
  • CrimeReads Pick
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