Books
Debut novel explores life by the seaside
Charlotte Runcie’s debut novel explores the effect that the Scottish seaside has had on her life, spanning from child to adulthood, and how the loss of her grandmother and the addition of a baby to her life have only exacerbated the pull she feels to the sea and the natural wonders that surround it. Runcie…
Read MoreMysteries and short stories in Bloody Scotland
Bloody Scotland is a fitting celebration of the buoyant tartan noire genre. This collection of chilling short stories sees 12 of Scotland’s best crime writers come together to write Bloody Scotland. Each author taps into the rich heritage of Scotland, focusing their story on one of its historic buildings, giving them a new lease of…
Read MoreThe tragic story of a World War I Scots soldier
Two siblings made a fascinating discovery when they opened a chest in their mother’s loft, which they found to be full of an Edinburgh soldier’s writings from World War One. The chest, which had lain unopened for 100 years, contained diaries, letters and poetry from the late Hamish Mann’s time in the trenches. Robert and…
Read MoreOriginal 1970s novel given a tweak by its author
There are many things I never thought I’d do, and giving a Peter May book a review riddled with caveats is one of them. Ever since my first encounter with the sublime Lewis Trilogy, the arrival of May’s latest novel has been an eagerly awaited highlight of my year, and the great man rarely disappoints.…
Read MoreA fascinating year as the ethical carnivore
Over the course of a year, former Scottish Field staff writer Louise Gray decides to only eat what she has killed, a task that sounds impossible but is achieved with a gritty determination. Gray faces a variety of challenges – like the fact she might not be a very good shot – and overcomes these…
Read MoreWriters setting forth on a voyage of Discovery
The Voyage Out is an international anthology of writing, art and science. It compares the act of creating something on a blank page to the voyage of RRS Discovery into the white spaces of the Antarctic. The authors of these diverse journeys include actor Brian Cox writing on performance, Sue Black talking about forensic anthropology…
Read MoreScotland’s museum gems highlighted in book form
From Pictish Stones to Dolly the Sheep, this selection of over 100 items from the National Museum of Scotland is but a fraction of the veritable treasure trove it stores for the nation. Published to mark the 150th anniversary of the museum, the book roams through different departments such as Scottish history, archaeology, world cultures…
Read MoreA pacy thriller that will keep you gripped
In this first book of a new series, Alan Murray combines the seemingly disparate events of a devastating Luftwaffe strike on 1940s Clydebank with a killing linked to the IRA. The two Military Intelligence officers charged with tracking down German informants race against time to unravel a shocking international conspiracy. Heavy on authentic military history…
Read MoreCampaign bids to get all of Scotland talking
Val McDermid, patron of Scottish Book Trust and award-winning crime writer, has today launched the search for real-life stories from the people of Scotland. The Blether campaign seeks submissions from all backgrounds and experiences, whether in written, audio or video form. Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, is searching…
Read MoreAn insight into the lives of our working dogs
Given his 40 years of experience as a gamekeeper in Scotland, John Cowan is ideally placed to provide an informative account of the strengths and weaknesses of the different breeds of working dogs. He systematically describes their respective traits and passes on his extensive knowledge on how to train dogs for their working life on…
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