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I first picked up His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet on the recommendation of one of my university lecturers. At the time, I was working on a project with some thematic overlap, and, honestly, it felt like perfect timing. I’m still working on that project now, and reading this novel has been both inspiring and a bit of a wake-up call in terms of the level of detail and narrative sophistication you can achieve.
From the outset, Burnet draws you in with a deceptively simple setup: the story of a young man, Roderick Macrae, accused of a triple murder in a remote Scottish township in the 19th century. But what initially seems like a straightforward historical crime narrative soon unravels into something much more complex. The book is presented almost like a dossier, police reports, witness statements, and even fragments of Roderick’s own writing, and Burnet balances these various narrative voices with a real sense of authenticity. It feels like you’re piecing together the case alongside the investigators, which makes for an immersive, almost participatory reading experience.
What I found especially compelling was the way Burnet explores Roderick’s psychology without ever simplifying it. The novel doesn’t just ask what happened, it asks why it happened, and it does so in a way that feels empathetic rather than sensational. Even as you read the more brutal aspects of the story, there’s an underlying tension between judgement and understanding, and it’s this moral complexity that really elevates the book above your typical crime story.
The historical setting is another standout. Burnet clearly did his homework, and it shows: the depictions of Highland life, social hierarchies, and the creeping isolation of the township are vivid and nuanced without ever feeling like exposition. It’s immersive in a way that made me want to put the book down just to step outside and breathe, if only to recalibrate from the intensity of the story.
Honestly, I could go on about the structure alone – the blending of historical fiction with true crime conventions – but what really makes this five-star for me is how much it stayed with me after I finished it. It’s the kind of book that keeps echoing in your mind, prompting you to think about justice, society, and human nature long after the last page.
If you’re someone who enjoys crime novels with depth, historical texture, and morally challenging characters, His Bloody Project is absolutely worth your time. And if you’re working on something thematically similar (as I am), it’s like getting a masterclass in pacing, structure, and narrative perspective. I can’t recommend it enough.
Gareth Ellis - Author 