These Tiny Tales are packed full of character and charm

This book of Tiny Tales is easy to read, charismatic and charming. It convincingly demonstrates that length is by no means essential for a captivating read. The abundance of tales are collated into sections; from ‘kindness’ to ‘meeting in lifts’, and this is topped off with an ‘Amuse-Bouche’ which humorously compliments each collection. The same…

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Lin Anderson’s epic crime series returns in style

The Glasgow-based epic crime series, now fifteen instalments long, sees the return of Dr Rhona MacLeod and DS Michael McNab. Forensic scientist MacLeod, is called upon when eleven-year-old Mary McIntyre’s body is discovered after vanishing 45 years previously. Karen Marshall, Mary’s best friend, is still troubled by memories surrounding her disappearance and struggles to make…

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A helpful guide to training cocker spaniels

There has been a recent upsurge in the popularity of working cockers, but this hyperactive breed is not always the easiest to train. Author Janet Menzies has produced a really well written and helpful book aimed specifically at new owners, which takes the reader all the way through from the puppy stage to working the…

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Taking the plunge to enjoy the power of wild swimming

Heart-warming and fascinating, Taking the Plunge: The Healing Power of Wild Swimming for Mind, Body & Soul is fantastic. Written by two women who formed a bond through their love of wild swimming, reading this book feels like having a conversation with old friends. Deacon and Allan detail the lives of wild swimmers, showing how…

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Celebrating the British Army’s oldest regiment

Anyone with a keen interest in the history of the British Army will enjoy this well-illustrated book, which focuses on its oldest regiment. The Highland battalion, the kilted 9th Royal Scots, became affectionately known as the Dandy Ninth. Gilhooley carefully documents the formation and mobilisation of the regiment and the campaigns they fought including the…

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A 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,…

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Highland games postponed until bicentenary

The organisers of the annual Inverness Highland Games confirmed today that they have decided to cancel the event in 2021 – but aim to return for its bicentenary next year. The Inverness Highland Games committee said that the ongoing uncertainty around what COVID restrictions might be in place by the date of the event left…

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A gripping read with a contemporary feel

Stay Mad, Sweetheart’s synopsis didn’t sell it to me. Exploring issues of workplace discrimination and ‘the grey areas of consent’, Kist’s book is highly addictive thanks to a plot full of suspense and fascinating protagonists who face uphill struggles with gender inequality. Laura, a skilled yet modest data scientist, decides to put her technological know-how…

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Taking a look round a grave matter in Edinburgh

Across the centuries, countless notable (and less so) Scottish figures have been laid to rest in the capital. Golledge, a local historian, explores the individual history of sites such as St Cuthbert’s, Greyfriars Kirkyard and Old Calton Burial Ground, revealing both how losses were mourned and lives celebrated. An interesting insight into the connection between…

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Three women linked through time by prejudice

Anchored by the presence of the iconic Bass Rock, this novel by Evie Wyld is a catalogue of brutal male dominance, following the lives of three women separated by centuries but linked by prejudice. And while countless authors have written of female victims and male villains, Wyld’s thought-provoking plots separate this book from many others…

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