Reviews
A terrific tale with a time travelling teacher
Working at an elite school in Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish history master Mr Petrie has the gift of eternal life. He embarks on time-travelling missions where he is often met by famous and ruthless characters from history. Mr Petrie seeks out an apprentice to help him but the young boy’s past holds its own secrets.…
Read MoreLoss, trauma and familial relationships
Haunted by the disappearance of 13-year-old Lindsay Mathieson, a family is forced to deal with another crisis 30 years later. I felt drawn into this story right from the beginning as author Moira Forsyth manages to breathe life into her characters within the first few chapters. Faced with loss and the resulting trauma Forsyth examines…
Read MoreThe battle between progress and conservation
Born and brought up around Dalbeattie, Patrick Laurie shares his experiences of establishing himself as a farmer and the many challenges he and his wife faced along the way. Laurie carefully examines his own relationship with the changing landscape of Galloway. His fascination with the natural world leads him to focus particularly on the plight…
Read MoreThe freedom of a life in the countryside
Set in 1856, a young wife and her doctor husband have left the bustling city of Glasgow behind to live on the banks of Loch Katrine. While her husband is on hand to medically assist those working on a huge engineering project to bring water to Glasgow, Isabel Aird is drawn towards the freedom of…
Read MoreHandy guide to fascinating spots to visit in the Lothians
Being a tourist in your own country is woefully underrated, and Jack Gillon reminds us of that in 50 Gems of the Lothians. Taking the reader on a tour of The Lothians, he looks into the region’s extensive architectural and cultural heritage, delving into the history of much-loved landmarks like Edinburgh Castle as well as…
Read MoreA gripping tale with a murder mystery on Islay
A gripping, gruesome tale of five corpses that are dug up by a peatcutter on Islay. The pace of the first few chapters feels a little slow, owing to the characters’ extensive dialogue, and the flashbacks require some concentration, but stick with it – a grisly subplot surrounding the political landscape of Britain intertwines seamlessly…
Read MoreA memoir account of dealing with grief
Marram: Memories of Sea and Spider-Silk is a candid memoir of Leonie Charlton’s experiences in the Outer Hebrides in 2017. Seven years after her mother’s death, Marram is a heart-wrenching account of coming to terms with grief. But aside from her journey of acceptance lies her deep concern for wildlife, in particular for horses, and…
Read MoreA gripping thriller in the Scottish Highlands
Fantastically eerie and atmospheric, this Gothic thriller set in the Highlands had me hooked from chapter one. Following the life of ten-year-old Lauren, who lives with her father in the Highlands, she struggles to cope with the disappearance of her mother; a woman she greatly admires but has little memory of. On Halloween, a gaunt,…
Read MoreBilly Connolly – a life packed full of laughter
It has been a long time since I genuinely laughed out loud while reading a book – quite uncontrollably, I might add – and I should have known it would come from this hero of Scottish comedy. A master of storytelling, observation and digression, Connolly recently announced his retirement from live comedy after 50 years…
Read MoreTurning back the clock to Dundee’s tram years
I love looking at old photos that are full of character, and Lost Tramways of Scotland: Dundee is full of them. Dusting down historic images of Dundee’s tramways – which survived from the late-1800s until the mid-1950s, when their removal met substantial opposition – Waller’s book is largely a photographic record of the beautiful trams…
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