I just finished Entry Island by Peter May. I really enjoyed it. The story moves between a modern-day murder investigation in Canada, to the fate of the main protagonist's Scottish ancestor during the "Clearances" of the mid 19th century.
The historical elements were both fascinating and painful. Definitely a learning experience, as the events that were recounted were things I had known little to nothing about. I'm always delighted when I can learn new bits of history from a novel, and this book did a wonderful job of it.
The modern-day murder mystery parts were also well done - as a reader, I was just as befuddled about whodunnit as the investigator protagonist.
By the end of the book, the two strands of past and present had woven together to a nicely satisfactory conclusion. All in all, this book was a pleasure to read.
I've now started on the 8th and final book of the Inspector Shan Tibetan mystery series. I have a feeling that once I have finished this one, I may just turn right around and start the whole series over. These books have captured my heart like no other books have ever done.