£14.99
This latest instalment in the Bob Skinner mysteries sees the Edinburgh sleuth plunged into a gruelling new case. The former Chief Constable has seen his fair share of crime scenes, but few affected him as much as the horrifying sight he finds stowed in the back of a stolen car that collides with his. As his former colleagues investigate, Skinner takes on an unusual commission of his own and the body count continues to rise. A PUPPY’S TALE BY ALAN WINDRAM, LITTLE DOOR BOOKS
£5.99
The author’s love of Argyll shines through as he takes both a geographical and biographical approach, and looks at the interplay of landscape and Christian belief through figures such as Columba, Carswell, sundry Campbells, George Matheson, George MacLeod and others. Drawing on original research and interviews, this is an enthralling and fascinating read for those interested in Scottish history and identity. THREE CRAWS BY JAMES YORKSTON, FREIGHT
£9.99
Johnny’s return from London to stay with best friend Stevie in rural Fife is the final admission that his dreams of being an artist are over. On the bus home he meets Mikey, a low-level dealer from the area. As Johnny tries to get his life on track, Mikey won’t leave the two men alone. Johnny tries to hang on to the only job he can get, but Mikey’s actions threaten his livelihood - and Stevie’s sanity. At times bleak, this book serves as an evocative portrait of modern rural life for those dealt a meagre hand. Cal Flyn was holidaying at her childhood home in the Highlands of Scotland when she stumbled upon a little-known, dark family secret.
The journalist discovered that her great-great-great uncle, Angus McMillan, who had been mythologised as a great explorer and pioneer of early Australia, had in fact been the leader of a number of gruesome massacres of indigenous people.
In 1843 he led a loosely formed ‘Highland brigade’, which was responsible for a series of assaults so ferocious the sites would ever after be synonymous with bloodshed: Butchers Creek, Boney Point, Skull Creek and Slaughterhouse Gully.
Angus McMillan, Cal learnt, was known by another name: the butcher of Gippsland. Driven to piece together his story and to investigate her own family history, Cal decides to retrace is journey, looking for answers. How could a man lauded for his integrity commit such appalling acts?
This is a compelling and beautifully written memoir about dark and shameful family secrets, the burden of inter-generational grief and one young woman’s pilgrimage to attempt to lay the past to rest.