Actual rating 4.5 stars. 
 I found the concept of this wildly fascinating and utterly unique. Presented as a collection of 'found' documents concerning one of Graeme's own long-lost ancestors, this satires non-fiction in an incredible fashion. Indeed, I was entirely convinced whilst reading this that it was, indeed, entirely authentic. 
 The text concerns the fictional account of the like of Roddy Mcrea and is primarily focused on the murders he committed. The book binds a series of documents from a transcript of his hearing, to an essay on lunacy and Macrea's own account of his life. Whodunnit is immediately evident, but the whydunnit remains to be discovered. 
 I enjoyed this far more than I initially thought I would. I anticipated a dusty and dated feel to the writing and thought it may appear a little too factual and inaccessible. The nature of the discourse, however, led to this becoming a thrilling and chilling read, which has continued to haunt me after I turned the final page. 
 I can see why this has garnered so much early hype and accolade as it truly is an innovative and clever depiction of 20th century Scotland. By using fictional accounts and presenting them as fact, Macrae Burnet has clever woven the two into a realistic and accurate representation of the struggles and discrimination felt by the inhabitants of rural Britain.