The Mystery of the Strange Piper

BY CHARLES E MCGARRY BACKPAGE £8.99 ★★★☆☆

Charles McGarry has used originality and a vivid imagination to craft a story which adds something refreshingly new to the Tartan Noir genre. His central character, Leo Moran, described by the Scot as ‘a private detective with a passion for fine food and wine’, is a unique addition to Scottish crime fiction, reinvigorating the usual format of dour detectives.

Set to investigate a curse which is said to haunt the beautiful Scottish Isle of Sonna, Leo Moran finds himself caught up in a mystery beyond his wildest imagination – and fears, especially when it becomes clear that his presence on the island is not all that welcome.

The inclusion of Scottish historical detail, inexplicable deaths, remote landscapes and aggravated dark forces makes for a dramatic and thrilling narrative, interspersed with moments of wry humour.