Books
A look at the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction finalists
Thirteen novels are in contention for this year’s Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The competition celebrates outstanding historical novels published in the UK, Ireland and the Commonwealth, with a £25,000 prize for the winner, with settings spanning from the 8th century BC up to the 1960s, and from all four nations of the United…
Read MoreAn essential guide to some outstanding bakes
Calling all budding bakers across the land, this one’s for you. Based in Muir of Ord, Bad Girl Bakery – a name that pokes fun at anyone who disapproves of a little indulgence – has become an institution for weary wanderers seeking a dose of sheer sugary glee. (It is, after all, impossible to eat…
Read MoreSam Heughan’s book nominated for an Audie Award
Scots actor Sam Heughan is in good company, with former President Barack Obama and media mogul Oprah Winfrey as a finalist at the Audie Awards this year. The Audio Publishers Association’s finalists for the 2022 awards programme have been revealed, celebrating the best titles in audio publishing and spoken-word entertainment, honouring a varied group of…
Read MoreEvil is just one floor away in a pacey read
Setting aside associations of Edinburgh’s cobbled streets with one ‘Boy Wizard’, Anthony O’Neill has crafted a rather more sinister reality. ‘In Edinburgh, evil is just one floor away,’ he writes. Protagonist Cat Thomas relocates to the capital’s Dean Village to flee death threats related to her job as a fraud investigator, only to find that…
Read MoreA travelogue of Britain’s most notorious climb on Skye
Simon Ingram is not alone in his fascination with the mighty Cuillin, but this breeze-block-sized tome is a veritable paean to the Skye mountain ridge that sits among the clouds. Broken into three sections – ascent, traverse, and descent – it is primarily a travelogue of Ingram’s own battle to conquer Britain’s most notorious climb.…
Read MoreSeminal Scots work given audiobook treatment
Over many years, people have asked writer Billy Kay why he had not recorded an audio version of his classic book Scots: The Mither Tongue. Knowing what a huge undertaking it would be, he always cited time and other commitments as the main reasons. The Covid lockdown changed everything, so he finally decided to commit…
Read MoreWalter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction finalists unveiled
The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, which celebrates outstanding historical novels published in the UK, Ireland and the Commonwealth, has announced its 2022 longlist. Thirteen novels are in contention for the £25,000 prize, with settings spanning from the 8th century BC up to the 1960s, and from all four nations of the United Kingdom…
Read MoreNew crime thriller gets ready for release
A Scots crimewriter’s latest novel is set to be released next month. The Blood Tide by Neil Lancaster, who lives in the Scottish Highlands, is publishing in hardback on March 31 with HQ Digital. This is the second stunning thriller in the incredible DS Max Craigie series – the first, Dead Man’s Grave, was longlisted…
Read MoreA real life adventure story that sounds like a movie
Do you fancy abseiling into an erupting volcano? Living off two sea slugs and a crab for a week? How about being locked in a bunker for ten days without so much as a sliver of daylight? Me neither. These impossibly testing environments may seem fit for Tom Cruise’s next Hollywood blockbuster, but in reality…
Read MoreA celebration of countryside mysteries
John Wright clearly knows his stuff and his knowledge and enthusiasm come across clearly in this thoroughly engaging book. A Spotters Guide to Countryside Mysteries will add to any time spent rurally or just outside, whether it be woods, fields or coast. It asks and answers questions that you probably never thought of until you…
Read More