A bit superficial, but entertaining enough. I got frustrated at the lack of depth when there was some good stuff to get your teeth in. ( )

You'd think that not believing in God would hinder someone wishing to become a Minister of the Church of Scotland - but it never stopped Gideon Mack. This book, supposedly written by Mack, tells the story of his life, from his early years, his marriage, disappearance, his meeting with the Devil and the events following this meeting.

I guess the story is about belief, or non-belief - and about people's ideas about the truth. Mack is ostracised by the village, the church and his friends, when he decides that it is important for him to 'tell the truth' about is disappearance and subsequent meeting with the Devil.

This is one of the most wonderful, folk/fairy tales that i've read for sometime - a modern folk tale with engaging characters and a storyline that you just can't help being dragged along by. Told mainly by Mack (his 'testament') the story starts with a prologue from the publisher setting out how the book came to be published, and then ends with an epilogue including 'interviews' with the key people of the village Monimaskit.

I heard a tiny snippet of this book on Radio 4 a couple of years ago, as it was book of the week - and it tweaked my curiosity - although it's taken me a while to get round to reading it, it was well worth the wait. Although slow to get started, it's a satisfying yarn, well worth the effort. ( )

An intriguing story where you are never quite sure whether to believe that the minister met the devil, or if he simply imagined the whole thing.

The characters are well-rounded and the plot moves along at a good pace. ( )

This is a very unlikely story yet the novel's structure and sense of immediacy manages to make it credible, gripping, entertaining and thought provoking. It tackles some big issues – life after death, faith/belief, the forces of evil, assessment of sanity/insanity, truth, Christianity and the supernatural.

It is firmly rooted in rural Scotland – there's plenty of rain, cold, woods, whisky and Scottish brogue - by the end of the novel I felt like I'd been tramping the moors for quite a while - and enjoyed the journey. ( )

A vicar meets the devil and spirals downward. Wonderful book. Read it quick and really enjoyed it. Quality fiction. ( )