Posts Tagged ‘review’
A murder mystery with humour and intensity
Bad Debt is a cracking crime novel with less gore, more intrigue. The storyline is a little far fetched – defence lawyer Robbie Munro’s wife is stalked by a witness in a trial that she is prosecuting, and Robbie is charged for the witness’ murder. But with Robbie’s first person narrative immersing the reader fully…
Read MoreProtecting the world from the Fae
Seeking to protect the world from the Fae, Scottish sigil agent Aloysius MacBharrais is eccentric. As a sexagenarian he is a welcome change from the tormented teenage protagonists that dominate fantasy genres. However, Hearne admits in the author’s note that he struggled with Glaswegians’ accent in real life. The characters’ Scottish accents feel laboured and…
Read MoreA murder mystery on the isle of Jura
We didn’t have to wait long for the next instalment of Inspector Angus Blue’s whodunnits, and it doesn’t disappoint. Called to Jura after an attempted assassination on a cabinet minister, the inspector finds himself in a series of fantastically eerie landscapes and is forced to overcome several unexpected hurdles. As with The Peat Dead, the…
Read MoreMore than Chariots of Fire to Eric Liddell
Running The Race is a wonderful ode to an athlete whose steadfast dedication to both sport and faith inspired a nation. While most have seen Eric Liddell’s life played out on the silver screen in Chariots of Fire, Keddie delves deep into the history books, further unravelling the Scot’s progression from young Christian to sporting…
Read MoreScotland’s lost railway to the north-west
Academic books needn’t be reserved for PhD students with a knack for deciphering dense text. Drummond’s style is highly accessible, yet informative. Delving into archives, he unveils the story of north west Scotland in the 1890s, explaining why a railway to Ullapool never came to fruition. It is a niche topic, but even a transport…
Read MoreAnother success from Alexander McCall Smith
It is a rarity to find each book in a long series as enjoyable as the last, and yet McCall Smith’s 21st instalment of his much adored No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency has captured the imagination once more. Grabbing the attention from the get-go in a stifling Gaborone setting, McCall Smith’s intelligent yarn is woven with…
Read MoreOpening our eyes to the wonders of the past
To see the world through the eyes of acclaimed archaeologist and television presenter Neil Oliver, if only for a day, would be a true gift – and this tome is about as close as it gets. It pays testament to Oliver’s enthusiasm for the history woven into every square inch of Scotland’s romantic landscapes, and…
Read MoreBeaver appeal raises £60,000
CONSERVATION charity Trees for Life has raised nearly £60,000 through a crowdfunding appeal to help protect Scotland’s beavers. The fundraising effort sets the scene for a court challenge to the Scottish Government’s beaver policy, which the charity claims is causing “needless loss of beavers’ lives”. Trees for Life and rewilding charity The Lifescape Project claim…
Read More12 Wines of Christmas: Argentina
Peter Ranscombe continues his journey through the 12 wines of Christmas with top-end bottles from Argentina. TAKE a walk along a supermarket wine aisle and it’s easy to dismiss Argentina as a land full of simple malbec. Row after row of cheap and usually very cheerful red wines demonstrate how the country and the grape…
Read MoreReview: Tigerlily’s festive afternoon ‘T’ service
AFTER an extremely tough year, there’s never been a better excuse to indulge in some epicurean delights. It’s one of the few things we’ve been able to enjoy in 2020 and, while we might not be able to dine exactly the way we’d like, there are a huge variety of businesses that have adapted to…
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