Edinburgh Twilight by Carole Lawrence was a series of images painted with words. Normally, I dislike books that include excessive details about unimportant things, but for some reason the extra details just added to this one. Maybe it was because it was audio? I have a harder time with aural comprehension, but this was appropriate for me to listen to in the car with my 7 year old present. I found myself sucked into this dirty, smoky version of of the city. Scenes in Hamilton’s home with the mouse and cat served to further the reader’s understanding of the man himself, separate from the detective that fills most the pages.
There were some complaints about the accents in reviews, but as an American, I felt they added a lot and felt key to the story. There was a definite difference between the Highland, Glasgow, and Edinburgh accents. Also, Irish, upper English, and various other English accents were used, giving each character their own voice. It all mixes together to show a background of a city that is a melting pot of the British Isles.
Usually, understanding who the killer is early in the book causes me to become disinterested in furthering the story. Crime thrillers often rely on the “whodunnit” mystery to help further the story. Lawrence lets you know early who the killer is, but the story continues with excellent amounts of tension and cat-and-mouse chases through the streets. Lawrence really manages to convey the atmosphere of the time, with no lapses in language or technology. Social attitudes are conveyed through supporting characters while Hamilton adds his own thoughts and feelings in his head. His own struggles with his family and history are not glossed over and often come to the forefront in his investigation.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable story to listen to and kept me engaged (and awake while driving) from start to finish. I initially started listening on Kindle Unlimited, but when I let that lapse, I was so interested in finishing that I purchased the book and the audio book.
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