On finishing the book, it came as no surprise to learn that the author is the great-niece of acclaimed Scottish storyteller Alistair MacLean.
The Jacobite rebellions revealed a divided Scotland and old fears, resentments and paybacks lingered in the Highlands long after the Battle of Culloden in 1746. This historical crime novel captures that unsettled period. It focuses on Iain MacGillivray, a bookseller in Inverness, and the impact that a murder on his premises and a hidden book have on his friends and family.
The author has certainly done her research and I loved the textured detail. The characters are clearly depicted, the plot gripping and I found it easy to envisage the different scenes, from the horrors of the battlefield to the popular Assembly Ball.
This was Waterstone’s Scottish Book of the Year in 2023; I would certainly recommend it.
