Posts Tagged ‘reviews’
A mystery disappearance in Aberdeenshire
When her mother mysteriously and suddenly disappears, Ellie Rook returns from travelling the world to her family home in rural Aberdeenshire. Unwilling to accept what the rest of her family quickly believe, Ellie desperately searches for answers. Clouded by thoughts of an ancient legend, Ellie must determine fact from fiction while battling her grief. A…
Read MoreThe latest mystery for the ladies’ detective agency
The 20th book published in the much-loved series The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is a story of mystery, community and of course, friendship. Alexander McCall Smith injects the usual levels of intelligent charm and wit along with beautifully detailed descriptions of the Botswanian landscape. As ever the question of the female identity is explored as…
Read MoreDiscover the Jacobites from outside of Scotland
When contemplating the subject of the Jacobites, thoughts turn to Bonnie Prince Charlie, Culloden and more recently, the hunky but fictional Jamie Fraser from Outlander. What many people – historians included – have often failed to consider is that not all Jacobites were Scottish. In this book Desmond Seward attempts to reveal a much more…
Read MoreHow Scotland fared during the Cold War
A detailed examination of Scotland’s role during the period of the Cold War and the probable outcomes facing our nation had WWIII broken out. Trevor Royle’s use of recently declassified official information and interviews with many of the key players at the time, make this a fascinating while occasionally unsettling journey into history. Between the…
Read MoreShe had to endure the neighbour from hell
When Cat Thomas moves from Florida to Edinburgh, her dreams of living in her idyllic wee flat in the Dean Village are soon shattered by her disrespectful and inconsiderate neighbour. At her wits’ end she’ll do anything to restore the peace. O’Neill creates a real sense of Edinburgh through his descriptions of its architecture. A…
Read MoreScottish recipes adapted for a vegan palate
With many of Scotland’s traditional recipes being laden with meat, butter and lots of other animal based ingredients, you’d be forgiven for assuming a Scottish vegan cookbook was impossible. Packed with nutritional side notes and lovely food photography, Jones offers vegan alternatives for breakfast staples like black pudding and lorne sausage. I’m yet to be…
Read MoreScottish folk tales from the best storytellers
Just looking at the cover of this book makes me want to curl up with a mug of something hot and dive into all the tales it has to tell. Put together by Scotland’s Storytellers and The History Press, this collection includes legends from all over the country, with each chapter signalling a change of…
Read MoreWar through the eyes of a Scottish conscript
The Adventures of a Highland Soldier, 1808-1814 reveals how the Peninsular War was seen through the eyes of an ordinary Scottish conscript. Few men from the 71st Highland Light Infantry who sailed with Wellington to Portugal returned six years later. The new rendition of this honest tale, edited by Paul Cowan, includes little-known diary entries…
Read MoreThe perfect book for the Scottish film buff
The evolution of Scottish film culture resides in industrial, creative and critical changes since the 1970s. Reconsidering well-known films, such as The Last King of Scotland, as well as uncovering the overlooked, this refreshingly readable, if surprisingly expensive, book explores the diversity of Scottish culture portrayed in film. An essential for any student of British…
Read MoreThe perfect book for the deer stalker
Ingeniously combining facts, trivia, advice and personal observation with fictional short stories, this is the perfect book for every deer stalking enthusiast. Covering everything from recipes to stalking techniques this book will surprise even the most well-versed deer aficionado while being easy going enough for the newly enthused novice. The Deerstalker’s Bedside Book, by Charles Smith-Jones,…
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