There is something about Scotland that makes a good thriller. It might be the atmosphere, the endless days of rain, the fog, the isolated villages in the north. There are many an example of a good Scottish thriller, and this is one of them. In some way, it reminds me of the movie Calibre by Matt Palmer, which I recommend. The plot couldn’t be more different, but there are some aspects of two stories which I found incredibly interesting.

All and all, if you love a good thriller, The Mash House should be on your list. One of the things I appreciated the most about this novel is how much it takes its distance from the classics of the genre. Forget a traditional investigation with a dead body at the centre of the narration, there’s certainly a death involved, but the narrative is not solely fixated on it. It’s much more of a psychological thriller, focused on the mind of the characters. The large cast of people that makes this novel is certainly its strongest suit. Each and every character we meet has its lights and shadows, they are difficult to like sometimes, but wonderfully written and constructed. This made the book hard to put down, as I kept asking myself: will every character face the consequences of its actions? The answer is: only some of them do.

The village where the story takes place that might be familiar to most of us, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone since birth, the kind of place where everyone is family and nothing bad could ever happen. However, underneath the façade it presents to the world, Cullrothes is not the tranquil and isolated paradise it seems to be. The distillery owned by the Flecks has become the centre of a drug dealing business, which will unsettle the life of everyone involved (or not involved.)

One of the most interesting characters of the novel is Alice Green. Just like Cullrothes, she presents a façade to the world which does not quite match the inside. Her beauty and gentleness hide a sort of rotten interior. Her difficult life – after the murder of her mother – might be the reason behind her behaviour, but how far ca we go as readers to excuse how she behaves? There is a point in which her behaviour becomes downright abusive, especially as it starts to have an impact on the young children she teaches to every day. However, she is also a fantastic example of Gillespie’s masterful writing, as he presents a complex, three-dimensional character which challenges the reader.

Mystery / thriller set on a Scottish island, with the owners of the local distillery and hotel as the focal point for local crime and drugs. Gillespie introduces a broad selection of characters- all interlinked given the small community - very few of which are particularly sympathetic or really that engaging. Without wanting to come over as someone who has to ‘like’ a character, some empathy would be helpful, and I’m afraid it wasn’t working for me.

Gillespie’s prose reminded me a little of Jon McGregor’s in the stark simplicity of description and dialogue, but without the warmth that he generates for both location and personality.

There’s a degree of heightened, absurdist reality which I quite enjoyed despite the complaints above - whilst I was never fully absorbed i did want to know how the narrative was going to be resolved. An interesting effort.

Brilliant! This is an intense and incredibly satisfying novel about a corrupt and toxic small town in the Scottish highlands. The sense of isolation and rot within the place is so profound right from the start. Told via a wide ranging cast of characters, this builds into a picture of a community rocked by scandal and tragedy. I particularly loved how twisted some of the characters were, you could tell the author had a lot of fun writing them - it was a lot of fun reading them too. Thoroughly enjoyed this, thanks so much for the copy to read and review.

Set in the early Noughties, "The Mash House" is an exciting debut. Alan Gillespie is a gifted writer, excelling at descriptive, cinematic prose which transports the reader. You can virtually smell the amber nectar emanating from the pages.

The book cover is stunning, and an accurate depiction of the contents within. The story centres around fictional Cullrothes, and is beautifully evocative of Scottish village life. There's something recognisable in each of the characters, authenticated by their dialogue. The book hosts quite a big cast of characters and it's interesting to discover how they all contribute to the overall plot. I particularly loved the relationship between Jessie and Grandpa. I loved to hate the absolute horror that is Alice - queen of the micro-aggression. The opening chapter will stay with me for quite some time! There's also some wicked, pitch black humour scattered throughout, plus a hilarious (and unexpected) nod to one of comedian Limmy's iconic creations. Can you spot it?

This is a book I found hard to put down as I was so drawn into the narrative. Alan Gillespie is an exciting new Scottish novelist. He perfectly portrays the isolation, and contrasting claustrophobia, of island life. "The Mash House" is as darkly addictive as village gossip. I loved it!

Phew, what a journey you go on with this one. From feeling pure hatred with some characters to adoring others.
Its twists and turns kept me thoroughly entertained throughout. Particularly Jessie and her relationship with her Grandpa really moved me.
If you are an animal lover be warned that some scenes from the off may bother you.
There are some truly graphic scenes that are described to such minute detail that this is not for the faint hearted,
The crime list stacks up as more secrets are revealed, wondering who you can really trust- if anyone.
Gripping, thrilling, dark.