The Bookseller of Inverness: an absolutely gripping historical thriller from prizewinning author of the Seeker series

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What is to follow is a fantastic and intriguing 18th Century story about loyalty and betrayal, honour and cowardice between clans versus clans, where self-preservation for family and betrayal towards close friends are common, and retributions against traitors are necessary in certain situations, and all this in a bid to survive a time of turmoil and gruesome death during the Jacobite risings, and the subsequent brutal quelling of these risings by the Duke of Cumberland. At the beginning of the book you'll find a wonderful map of Inverness and its surroundings in AD1752, followed by an Introductory Note and a Main Character List. 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. The reading around the Jacobite cause and history has been very intense and there isn’t a happy ending to it. Surprisingly this was my first experience of S. G. MacLean’s writing although I have heard many good things.

Now S G MacLean, who is the niece of author Alistair MacLean, has her head in a snowy 17th Century York with a follow-up to her Damian Seeker series. Mary Paulson-Ellis was born in Glasgow and studied Politics and Sociology at Edinburgh University. She worked for several years in arts administration before giving it all up to become a writer. She began with an evening class as part of the Edinburgh … Excellent historical fiction dealing with Bonnie Prince Charlie's attempts to retake the throne in 1745 and its years-long aftermath.And yet, such is the strength of his father’s belief in the cause that Iain finds himself hoping against hope that all may not be lost. It’s a departure from her previous Alexander Seaton and Damian Seeker series, and the first time she’s written a novel so close to home. 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.

With his badly damaged face Iain found it difficult to court women and had given up any thought of a family of his own in the future. His grandmother Mairi Farquharson brought him up when his mother ran away to France when he was a child and he still lived in her house. A staunch Jacobite, Mairi was known in Inverness as one of the Grande Dames, three elderly women and inveterate Jacobite rebels, who seemed to know everything that was going on in their town. At the end of the book you'll notice a well detailed Author's Note, where the important historical details, concerning this period of history, are superbly documented. But by the time I’d finished the last Seeker book I really felt I wanted to write about my own history, my own place and I started working on another book, a book set in Cromarty in the 19th Century.” Shona (S.G.) MacLean was born in Inverness and brought up in the Scottish Highlands. She obtained an MA and PH.D. in History from Aberdeen University. She began to write fiction while bringing up her four children (and Labrador) on the Banffshire coast. She has now returned to live in the Highlands. Her first book, 'The Redemption of Alexander Seaton' was short-listed for both the Saltire first book award and the CWA Historical Dagger; she has won the Historical Dagger twice - in 2015 for 'The Seeker' and in 2019 for 'Destroying Angel'. 'The Bear Pit' has been long-listed for both the 2020 CWA Gold Dagger and Historical Dagger.She’ll be appearing alongside Christopher Brookmyre, Douglas Skelton, G.R. Halliday, Michael Malone and Neil Lancaster.

There’s a couple of chapters set in Castle Leod at Strathpeffer which wasn’t yet open, so I had to write the chapters with what I could glean from the internet. This was an amazing historical fiction that captivated me right from the start and was a superb well paced tale that also managed to keep me wanting to know more. 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. During her on-the-spot research, Shona was caught up in serious floods, having to bale out of her hotel as the river rose, and witness very old buildings pump out water.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. The idea didn’t find favour with Shona’s publisher as it was non-fiction, therefore a change of genre for S G MacLean. Leakey’s was said to be haunted by their ghosts, and I couldn’t quite shake off the idea that maybe the spirit of the Jacobites were retained there.”