Books
Social issues at the heart of new mystery novel
Runaway is the third installment of MacLeary’s Harcus and Laird series, and is a unique read for enthusiasts of crime fiction. Two ordinary middle-aged women attempt to run their own private investigative agency while balancing part-time jobs and family life, with their latest intriguing case revolving around a missing housewife who mysteriously disappears without a…
Read MoreAnother hit from Scotland’s romantic comedy queen
Jenny Colgan is Scotland’s queen of romantic comedy novels – after all, you don’t become a multiple best-selling author without a degree of talent. What she possesses is a skill to create real people, and place them in situations which we all know and recognise. For The Bookshop on the Shore, we meet London-based single…
Read MoreA fascinating story of love, affairs and royalty
This gripping tale of love, exile and conflict tells the story of sisters Isabella and Catherine de Valois. Isabella was married to Richard II, until his mysterious death forced her back to a fatally divided France, while her beautiful sister, Catherine, the bride of Henry V, had a passionate love affair with Owain Tudor, with…
Read MoreThis year’s Bloody Scotland has a Pointless guest
Scotland’s leading crimewriters are to be joined by debut author Richard Osman, from TV’s Pointless, as their year’s Bloody Scotland festival. David Baldacci, Denise Mina, Ian Rankin and Shari Lapena are among the other writers who will be attending, after Bloody Scotland revealed its 2019 programme today followed by a one-off performance by Val McDermid,…
Read MoreShipshape memoir of Scotland’s maritime industry
Stories of the shipbuilding industry are brought to life in Alexander M M Stephen’s book. Covering industrial relations, shipyard modernisation, ship design and contract negotiations, this fascinating memoir introduces readers to some of the most interesting yet barely known facts on industrial history. A seventh-generation shipbuilder, the author has extensive knowledge on the subject and…
Read MorePub owner and herbalist turns detective
Exploring village life in Scotland, this novel features Rosie McLeod, a pub owner and gifted herbalist. Suspicious of her husband Jack, Rosie sets out to discover if he is having an affair using the deductive powers of plants and herbs. But Rosie’s plan backfires when the sighting of a large, black cat sets off a…
Read MoreSet sail for fun adventures on a school ship
Follow the adventures of Ben and Fee MacTavish who go to an unusual school – the School Ship Tobermory, where young people learn to be sailors. When a film crew arrives on another ship, the Albatross, Ben is chosen to be one of their movie extras. But he soon becomes suspicious – is this film…
Read MoreLiving on St Kilda and researching its proud history
Aiming to challenge the popular belief that St Kilda is isolated from the rest of the world, two archaeologists spent more than nine months working and living on the island. Whilst there, they researched its outstanding history. The book includes a detailed survey and never-before-seen images of the archipelago and its people. St Kilda: The…
Read MoreRemembering the lives of brave military Scots
The Daily Telegraph’s collection of 100 military obituaries from the past 16 years, edited by David Twiston Davies, is both informative and moving. The obituaries have been featured in the broadsheet newspaper over the years, and include those celebrated for their great heroism and their involvement in major operations. Others have extraordinary stories to tell,…
Read MoreHistoric links between Scotland and China
The Chinese in Britain: A History of Visitors and Settlers celebrates the Chinese who immigrated and visited Britain. This book details notable Chinese people who settled in our country including students who came to Scotland to enrich their education, entrepreneurs who invested in the Bank of Scotland and sailors who worked on British ships. This…
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