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The Bookseller of Inverness

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S G Maclean's latest is a departure from the earlier series she has written. It is set six years after Culloden and its main character is Iain McGillivray, a maimed veteran of that battle, a Jacobite who is attempting to live a quiet life as a bookseller. While McGillivray tries to survive, there are shadowy forces gathering, seeking a restoration of Jacobite fortunes and revenge on those seen as traitors to the cause.

The author combines an exciting narrative with well drawn characters, and although her sympathies are most often with Scotland, not all the conquering English are bad. One of the aspects of the novel I liked best was the real sense of place it imparts, enough to want to go and retrace McGillivray's steps, but that is natural enough, as it is the author's home territory!

A recommended read once again.

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I absolutely loved this. I think it is this talented author’s best yet. This is a difficult and complex period of British history and yet it evoked the post Culloden Inverness and its inhabitants so clearly that I became totally engrossed. I loved all the characters too.

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Thank you to netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought I would like this book as a fellow Scot with all the history but I didn't. It just didn't grab, or hold,my attention at all. I tried putting it down and going back to it but unfortunately it just wasn't the book for me.

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Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This book is the first I have read by this author, and it is full of historical details around the Battle of Culloden, uprisings around this and events following the battle. There are many references to the cruelty of the redcoats (English), punishment inflicted, and feelings about 'traitors' i.e. those who did not follow the Stuart line, making the whole book very anti-English. I thought the narrative style was very wordy and somewhat strange, frequently referring to characters by their occupation rather than name ('the confectioner', 'the milliner' etc. and e.g. 'shrubs that no human hand had planted' - why not just say 'wild'?). I thought the plot progressed extremely slowly and the book was hard to follow because of the.number of characters, even with the list at the front of the book. I gave up at 60% through.

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Six years after Culloden, Iain MacGillivray is running a bookshop and bindery in Inverness. ‘Out’ for Charles Edward Stuart, Prince or Young Pretender depending which side is naming him, Iain was badly wounded in the battle that brought the 1745 Jacobite rebellion to its bloody end, but he was luckier than the many hundreds of men who perished during the battle or in the reprisals that followed it. An uneasy peace reigns in the Highlands now, enforced by the red-coated soldiers of the ruling Hanoverian King. But Jacobite hopes are still simmering, and those loyal to the cause constantly await word from France where Prince Charlie and his father live in exile, ready to raise the clans and fight again. When Iain opens his bookshop one morning and finds a man there, murdered, the Jacobite symbol of the white cockade tied to the hilt of the dagger that killed him makes it clear that the death is in some way related to the cause. And then Hector, Iain’s father, turns up, fresh from France where he is an agent of the exiled King…

Although I’m rather tired of the Scottish obsession with the Jacobites, MacLean handles the historical aspects excellently, weaving real history seamlessly into her fictional plot. She takes the Jacobite side, as is de rigueur in modern Scotland – a bit like the Spanish Civil War, this period of history has been written mostly by the losers, and we all now like to pretend we’d have been Jacobites for the romance of it, however ahistorical that might be. But MacLean shows that there were good people and bad on both sides of the divide, and that honour wasn’t the sole preserve of the Jacobites. In this sense, it reminded me rather of DK Broster’s wonderful The Flight of the Heron trilogy, also seen from the Jacobite side but which also recognises that there were honourable people on the Hanoverian side. This is not, however, as romanticised as The Flight of the Heron – MacLean’s characters ring truer and this makes the book feel more modern, not in an anachronistic sense but in that they think and act as normal flawed humans, rather than as the impossibly virtuous Highlanders of Broster’s creation.

The initial plot itself is probably the weakest part of the book, although it’s just about strong enough to carry it. It soon becomes clear that someone is seeking revenge against people who betrayed the Jacobite cause in the earlier rising, in 1715. Although we follow Hector’s and Iain’s investigations into this aspect, much is withheld from the reader, and indeed Hector withholds important information from Iain till late in the story. Oddly, despite this, I had a good idea of who both the avenger and the last victim were going to be, and I put this down to the fact that there weren’t enough credible possibilities. However, there’s a secondary plot which grows in importance as the book wears on, and this is much more successful, involving a possible new uprising and the fear that a traitor is still at work.

The strength of the book is in the characterisation, especially of Iain but of all the other main characters too, and in the portrayal of the town and the historical setting. Iain’s grandmother is one of the “Grandes Dames”, a small group of old ladies who have lost husbands, brothers and sons in the earlier rebellions, but who still have absolute loyalty to the King Over the Water, and who provide the backbone that keeps the spirit of the cause strong even during these years of oppression. There are younger women too – Julia, a young lady of twenty-seven, whose mother is frantic to marry her off before she is irrevocably classed as a spinster; and Ishbel, one of the many Highlanders who were forcibly transported to America and the West Indies following the failed rebellion to serve as indentured servants – slaves, essentially, but with the possibility of freedom after serving for a period of years. Ishbel has now returned, accompanied by a mixed race child whom she is bringing up as her son, and who is an enjoyable and mischievous character in his own right. MacLean mentions in her notes that it was around this time that black people began to be mentioned in Scotland’s historical records, as Highlanders’ initially enforced connections with the slave-owning colonies were formed.

Hector is the most enjoyable character – a kind of adventurer, good-looking and charming and with an eye for the ladies, who have an eye for him too! Although he’s been an absent father for most of Iain’s life, they still have a strong bond of love, and Hector’s arrival stirs Iain back to life from the kind of dull stagnation he has felt since the defeat at Culloden. The latter stages of the book take on aspects of the thriller, and again MacLean handles this very well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one and found it a quick read which kept me turning those pages enthusiastically. I’m not sure whether there will be a follow up – it ends quite neatly – but if there is, I’ll certainly be reading it!

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The Bookseller of Inverness is historical fiction at its best. Iain MacGillivray fought at Culloden, was injured but survived and is now running a bookshop in Inverness. He just wants to live quietly and mind his own business. One evening, a customer is searching for a book that had belonged to Lord Lovat, but will not say why. He is reluctant to leave, but is found murdered the next morning with a white cockade beside his body. Iain is surprised when his father turns up as he was presumed dead at Culloden. Hector has to stay out of sight as he would be arrested (or worse) if caught by the redcoats. The missing book contains the names of six traitors, and someone is picking them off one by one. Iain is once again embroiled in intrigue as they try to find the book, work out the code, and warn the others before it is too late.
This story is a masterful blend of fact and fiction. The author’s notes at the end of the book detail just how much research was involved, but it never feels obvious. Shona McLean paints a wonderfully realistic picture of everyday life in mid-eighteenth century Inverness and the surrounding countryside. You feel as if you are there in the middle of it all. The characters are well drawn and entirely believable. I especially liked the curmudgeonly bookbinder Donald Mòr and his cat Morag. The descriptions of his work sound amazing.
I found it hard to read about the occupation of Scotland by the English redcoats and their unnecessarily brutal treatment of the Jacobite sympathisers – as a Scot myself it felt strangely personal. I have not read any other books by Shona McLean, but as I found the Alexander Seaton series already on my kindle, that’s what I’ll be reading next. Thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for a digital copy to review.

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A really wonderful book from an excellent author. This captures the essence of Inverness, as well as the strength of feeling for the Jacobite cause in the HIghlands.

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The Bookseller of Inverness is SG MacLean’s first standalone novel. I’m a huge fan of her Seeker books, which are fast paced, intense and brilliant.

This new novel feels a lot slower, smaller in scope and possibly less ambitious. However that’s not to say it’s not good, because it’s still a very good read. I enjoyed the dark Scottish setting, which MacLean portrays so vividly and beautifully. The cast is small, and the plot is concise, which allows hr story to flow.

I feel that mystery element wasn’t has exciting and surprising as that of her Seeker novels, but it didn’t limit me enjoyment of the book.

As ever I cant wait for whatever MacLean produces next.

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After a bit of a slow start (there's a lot of information in the opening pages), I got my teeth into this and loved it. I've only read one of the Seeker series by the same author and wasn't as enamoured of it as I was with this one (that could have something to do with the fact that I've only read one Seeker novel and I think it was No 4, so arcs were already complete, and I missed a lot not reading the previous books).

I loved this one, taking place in the Highlands of Scotland a few years after the Battle of Culloden has left the area and its people, devastated, the Highlanders under the unwelcome rule of the English, whose red-coated soldiers are everywhere.

Iain MacGillivray, terribly wounded at the battle of Drummossie Moor, his cousin Lachlan killed, has returned to Inverness and taken on the job of bookseller in the small town. One morning he arrives at work to find a dead body, that of a mysterious man who had been in the shop the previous evening, the murder weapon left in front of him: a sword with a white cockade on the hilt, indicating that it is Jacobites responsible for this. But who? And why?

The answer to this question takes Iain across the Highlands, part of it on a journey with his estranged father (who is supposed to be dead), searching for a traitor amongst the followers of Prince Charles Edward Stewart, the erstwhile king, currently in exile across the Channel in France.

The complex mystery is full of twists and turns, the characters are wonderful and sympathetic, and I thoroughly enjoyed this intelligent story. The author notes at the end were really interesting to me as well - I love understanding where ideas come from and find a home. Fascinating!

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Excellent piece of historical fiction, with the epic backdrop of Culloden casting a long shadow. A page-turner with a human heart. 4 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

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This book embodies well-researched material covering traumatic events in Scotland and is written with polished prose and conviction. A brilliant story well told, even though the historical content is difficult to read about.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

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Set in Scotland in the aftermath of the 1745 Jacobite Rising, the ‘bookseller’ of the title is Iain MacGillivray, a survivor of the Battle of Culloden. Six years have now passed since he was wounded on the battlefield and although he escaped with his life, his face has been left badly scarred. Still traumatised by the death of his cousin Lachlan, Iain has been living quietly since the failed rising, selling books and running a small public library in Inverness. One day, Iain notices a stranger searching through the shelves, opening and closing books; he won’t tell Iain what he is looking for and only leaves when the shop is shut for the night.

The next morning, Iain opens up the shop again to find the stranger dead on the floor, his throat cut and beside him a sword with a white cockade on the hilt – the emblem of the Jacobites. The murder coincides with the reappearance of Iain’s father Hector, a prominent Jacobite who fled Scotland years earlier but still hasn’t given up hope of seeing a Stuart king on the throne once more. When more murders follow, Iain and Hector begin to search for a missing book containing the names of traitors to the Jacobite cause – a book they believe could hold the key to finding the killer.

Although the search for the book and the murderer drives the plot forward, I didn’t think the mystery was a particularly strong one. I was more interested in the historical detail, the descriptions of everyday life in 18th century Inverness and the insights into the mood, politics and changing loyalties in the years following Culloden. I’ve read about the Jacobites many times before and would prefer authors to explore other periods of Scottish history, but MacLean’s enthusiasm for this subject and setting shine through and her very detailed author’s note shows that a huge amount of research went into the writing of this novel. She also incorporates some subplots that touch on wider topics such as the slave trade and indentured servitude.

Most of the characters in the book are fictional, although many of them, as I discovered from the author’s note, are based on the lives and experiences of real people. One historical figure who plays an important part in the story without actually appearing in it is Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat – known as the ‘Old Fox’ – who readers of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series will remember as Jamie Fraser’s grandfather. Iain MacGillivray himself is an engaging character with an interesting past; I enjoyed getting to know him and reading about the work he and his assistants put into collecting, restoring and selling – or lending – books to the people of Inverness.

I’m pleased to have finally read something by S.G. MacLean and am looking forward to reading her earlier novels.

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The Bookeseller of Inverness is a new historical thriller by S.G. MacLean who is rapidly becoming one of my favourite writers. This time it’s all about the Jacobite and rebellion and which side you’re on and is that the right side and who says if that is the right side? It’s a whole complicated mess of history. The preface alone has a thirty year time jump. Iain MacGillivray fought at Culloden and almost lost his life now six years later he lives a quite life running a bookshop in Inverness. Until one morning he opens his door to find a man with his throat cut and Jacobite symbol left on the murder weapon. Needless to say it’s all down hill from there as plots are discovered, old family return under cover of darkness and Iain is dragged in to the mess whether he likes it or not.
This was so good, she’s always good, There is a lot of complicated history to grapple with here and MacLean does a pretty good job of wrestling with it. I did think it came a Iain’s expense I wasn’t entirely sure he was or where his localities lay. At times he was the totally jaded old soldier but as we moved on you could have seen him as an optimistic youth full of patriotism and ready to follow his chosen king into battle. I loved the Grand Dames! And Iain’s father in his stolen Italian suit (how could anyone resist?) and I want to know all about Iain flighty mother than ran off to Italy never to be seen again but occasionally sends outlandish gifts. So much to love.

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I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is a fabulous book and beautifully written by a skilled and talented author whose historical research is absolutely perfect.

Set after Culloden, this story explores so much of Scottish history and combines a story of fascinating characters with an impeccably accurate distillation of Scottish history and culture. Cannot recommend this enough.

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My thanks to Quercus Books for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Bookseller of Inverness’ by S. G. MacLean.

This is a standalone historical thriller set in Scotland during the 18th Century. It’s focus is upon the aftermath of the failed 1745 Jacobite Rising that sought to restore the House of Stuart.

Following the battle of Culloden, Jacobite Iain MacGillivray had been left for dead on Drumossie Moor. The wounds he sustained there have left him with deep scars upon his face.

Six years later and the Highlands have been subsumed into the British state and Iain lives a quiet life working as a bookseller in Inverness. One evening as he is about to close, he notices a stranger poring over a specific collection. The man refuses to say what he’s searching for and only leaves under protest.

When Iain opens up his shop the next morning he finds the stranger dead, his throat cut. The murder weapon is laid out with a white cockade, the emblem of the Jacobites, on its hilt. Obviously there is no sign of the killer and soon Iain finds himself entangled in a web of deceit. There are further revelations to come as well as more

I was impressed by the level of research that went into this novel. It opens with an informative Introductory Note to place the novel in its historical context and the closing Author’s Note provides background on various aspects of the novel.

I was especially interested in the Grande Dames, that while fictional did reflect the important role that women played in the Jacobite cause. MacLean also noted various nonfiction works that would be useful for further reading.

Surprisingly this was my first experience of S. G. MacLean’s writing although I have heard many good things.

Overall, I found this a well paced and deeply engaging work of historical fiction. With ‘The Bookseller of Inverness’ proving such a positive experience, I definitely will be reading more of MacLean’s novels.

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Iain McGillivray is one of the survivors of Culloden, scarred but unrepentent he lives a quiet life in Inverness. However the latest Jacobite plot is about to arrive on his doorstep and Iain is swiftly involved. A man is found dead in his shop and then his long-lost father turns up with a tale of treachery. The betrayal hits deep and close to Iain.
MacLean is a terrific writer of historical fiction and for this novel returns to Scotland and jumps to a period of the Highland Clearances and Cumberland's butchery. There is lots of wonderful research here and a plot which is complex enough to challenge but writing which really engages. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

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The Bookseller of Inverness by S.G. MacLean is a thoroughly enjoyable and intriguing historical thriller set in Inverness in the years shortly after the Battle of Culloden.

In Inverness, Iain MacGillivray, a survivor of Culloden, is living a quiet life as a bookseller, until a stranger appears in his shop, looking for a particular book although he refuses to say the title. The next morning Iain finds the customer with his throat cut and a Jacobite sword and a white flower next to the corpse. What follows is a frantic hunt for the coded book that will name the remaining traitors of the Jacobite movement – and a growing list of victims. Iain’s father, long-thought to have been killed, appears and whisks Iain along on an exciting search for the book while trying to avoid capture by the English Redcoats.

I utterly enjoyed this book. The characters are wonderfully created, especially a grumpy drunkard bookbinder and the rascal boy who plays the role of sneaky messenger to perfection. The occasional use of language from the time, detailed descriptions of the houses, the food, and street-life added to the overall historical effect. The occasional boat rides and treks through the Highlands were realistic and tension-filled. The plot is well-paced keeping the reader enthused and intrigued and guessing in equal measures. Politics and nascent revolutions are a dangerous and complex business and keeping up with the changing loyalties is near-impossible. That’s what this story is about and the author captures the dynamism of the time well.

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Content Warnings

While this is a historical fiction book, there is still many descriptions of war, death and executions. Plus slavery, indentured servitude and the extreme cruelty employed to subjugate a nation after rebellion.

Blurb…

“After Culloden, lain MacGillivray was left for dead on Drumossie Moor. Wounded, his face brutally slashed, he survived only by pretending to be dead as the Redcoats patrolled the corpses of his Jacobite comrades. Six years later, with the clan chiefs routed and the Highlands subsumed into the British state, lain lives a quiet life, working as a bookseller in Inverness. One day, after helping several of his regular customers, he notices a stranger lurking in the upper gallery of his shop, poring over his collection. But the man refuses to say what he's searching for and only leaves when lain closes for the night. The next morning lain opens up shop and finds the stranger dead, his throat cut, and the murder weapon laid out in front of him - a sword with a white cockade on its hilt, the emblem of the Jacobites. With no sign of the killer, lain wonders whether the stranger discovered what he was looking for and whether he paid for it with his life. He soon finds himself embroiled in a web of deceit and a series of old scores to be settled in the ashes of war.”

I could not wait to read this book. I grew up with a dad that was obsessed with Scotland and it’s history, thanks in part, to the fact that our family has ancient roots in Scotland, and we came down to Bolton with Bonnie Prince Charlie as part of his Jacobite army. It just seems like we decided to stick around rather than following him to our deaths! I suspect we got sidetracked in the (Ye Olde - modern addition to the name!) Man and Scythe! So, I spent most childhood holidays in some part of Scotland, and fell in love with it myself. In particular, I fell in love with Inverness and the surrounding area, with my favourite place in the world, Rosemarkie, across the water from the huge fort that is being built in this book, Fort George. I’ve also visited Culloden multiple times, and felt the eeriness throughout the site of the last pitched battle on British soil. The air is heavy, almost muffled, as you walk through the stones which mark the dead of the Highland Clans who went out for Prince Charles Edward Stuart, the Young Pretender, who had shocked everyone with his attempt to retake the throne for the Stuarts, and his father, James Stuart, the Old Pretender who had led the Jacobite rising in 1715. As you look over the battlefield on Drummossie Muir (Moor is used in the book, but I was always told it was Muir) there is a haunting stillness, as you contemplate the enormity of the task that faced the exhausted and malnourished Jacobites - who had marched through the night to Nairn, in the hopes of ambushing the Duke of Cumberland’s army while they slept, but failed to reach the camp before dawn so had to March right back to Inverness. They faced approximately 9,000 government troops, well trained and fed, with around 5,400 tired, dejected and starving troops who were mostly tenant farmers and clan members that were obligated to fight. When the battle ended, the government army had lost around 50 men, and around 300 men were injured. The Jacobites came off much worse, with approximately 2,000 men dead or injured, with another 376 captured. You can feel all that at the site. It’s a sobering place to visit, but I advise anyone who goes to Inverness to stop and visit the place where Highland culture died.

Sorry for the history lesson…I am a history nerd! I studied history at the University of Liverpool, but I couldn’t complete my final year because that’s when my chronic illnesses reared their ugly head. So maybe I’m just a frustrated historian now! Now, onto the book…

I can’t say it was an enjoyable read, mostly because of the subject matter, but I did love the book. The world building was wonderful. I’m not sure if it’s because I have prior knowledge of the area and because I know the history of the ‘45 Jacobite Rising, but I was immediately in the book. I haven’t been able to go back to Inverness and Culloden for over 20 years, but I was immediately able to journey there in my mind, and imagine Inverness as a small town under the control of the English. After the last rising in 1745, the Highland way of life was decimated in order to prevent future risings, and it’s in this world that the book is set. With a mixture of fact and fiction, MacLean manages to weave a story of trauma, subjugation, revenge and an uneasy peace, that is threatened by old grudges and new.

The main character, Iain, is someone who has been scarred both physically and emotionally. He has survived the death of loved ones, disfigurement, arrest and conviction for his part in the ‘45, transportation to the colonies and a return to a home he no longer recognises. Having managed to build some semblance of a life as a bookseller in Inverness, he living in the house of his grandmother, herself a staunch Jacobite who was also involved in the 1715 rising along with his father Hector, and part of the fictional Grand Dames. Iain, who is still haunted by Culloden and it’s consequences, and has been left bitter and unfriendly, finds himself at the centre of a mystery that brings his father back into his life - which is a shock for him as he assumed his father was killed at Culloden! Hector is looking for a traitor in Prince Charles Edward Stuart’s circle, someone who could destroy the last Jacobite hopes if he isn’t stopped, but there’s an extra complication. A stranger who had an altercation with Iain is found murdered in Iain’s shop, with a Jacobite symbol left at the scene signifying a betrayal. The murders continue, with Hector and Iain playing catch up to a killer who is determined to eliminate anyone who betrayed the Jacobite cause.

MacLean has created wonderful, full characters, with palpable trauma coming from many, along with cruelty and kindness from others. Iain has grown up in the care of his formidable grandmother, deserted by his mother and losing his father to a lifetime dedicated to a king and a prince in exile. He has lost close family to the violence of the rebellions too, his grandfather dead for his part in the 1715 rising, his cousin Lachlan dead on Drummossie Muir, succumbing to his injuries while lay with Iain, playing dead to try and avoid the cruel government troops who were walking through the battlefield looking for injured Jacobites to kill. He must now live with his enemies, following their orders and forbidden from wearing his plaid or carrying his weapons. Yet even amongst the cruelty of the occupation, there is kindness and compassion, even from the English officers, and enough hope to keep going. As we know, despite the best efforts of the English government, the Highland way of life never fully died out. So, yay!! The English didn’t win completely!

This is a heart wrenching, but brilliant read, about a period of history that has only just started to become known, thanks to things like the Outlander books and their television adaptation - which are both wonderful by the way. It’s something that has always fascinated me, thanks to both the family link and my dad, and I wish it got more attention. As I said before, this is a mixture of fact and faction, but as the author’s note shows, much of the story is based of historical fact, or at least partly. An incredible amount of research went into this book, and I am seriously impressed with the book.

I couldn’t recommend this enough. If you like history, or even just a good mystery with a bit of depth, then this one is for you. A shining ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this book!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus books.

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I ended up waiting to read this book until I could buy the finished copy as the arc proved to be hard to read on kindle.

It was definitely worth the wait and I am already looking forward to the next installment. A riviting read, atmospheric setting, complex characters. S.G. MacLean keeps up her brilliant style and I am so glad to be back in Scotland with her fiction.

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Iain and his family fought for the Jacobites at the Battle of Culloden but now he tries to live a quieter life as the proprietor of a bookshop. His family still believe in the cause though and do what they can to support it without drawing attention to themselves under the watch of the occupying British army. When a man is found dead in Iain’s shop and his father Hector, who he believed dead, appears back in Inverness, it is clear that the war is not over. Iain and Hector set out to discover who remained loyal to the Jacobites throughout the uprisings and who may have been a traitor.

Although many clans picked a side and stuck to it,there were several clans who switched sides throughout the risings, as the clan chiefs fought for whichever side would offer them the best rewards. Mostly men supported the side they were fighting for, but not always, as they were forced to show allegiance to their clan chief, whichever side he was on. Much as today, where neighbours and family members can be on different sides of the political divide, so happened then. The difference was, it was far more dangerous in those days, and being on the wrong side could cost you your life.

I enjoyed reading about life in occupied Scotland following the 1745 uprising. I found it fascinating that Jacobites and Hanoverians would live side by side and the tensions this caused. It was also interesting to hear the hopes of the Jacobites (which came to naught) that another attempt would be made to put the prince on the throne.

The author has researched thoroughly and included many factual recollections throughout the book. There is no doubt that this book is well written, but I found it difficult to follow all of the intrigue and double crossing which went on. I also found it odd, considering the depth of feeling that Iain and Hector had for the Jacobite cause and family loyalty, that upon discovering who the final traitor was, that they would choose to let that person live.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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