Published by Headline in London and St Martin's Press in New York in 1994, For I Have Sinned attracted the following notices:
* A real tear-jerker — Oxford Mail
* Fans of this type of yarn will enjoy it, although I can't say sagas are my favourite kind of fiction — Manchester Evening News
* Macdonald's plot twists are deftly placed, and his female characters are especially well drawn, but much of this is slow going, with many of the scenes and subplots lacking compelling historical detail ... doesn't measure up to [his] usual fast-paced historical fiction — Publishers Weekly
* Macdonald does a splendid job of creating a fascinating character in tune with the turn of the [19th] century — US Booklist
And—of Macdonald himself:
*He is every bit as bad as Dickens – Martin Seymour-Smith
