Posts Tagged ‘reviews’
Fascinating mystery to be solved in the Cairngorms
Of Stone and Sky is a book for inquisitive minds. The mysterious disappearance of shepherd Colvin Munro and a trail of his twelve possessions leading into the Cairngorms is one that tickles the brain cells. Foster sister Mo and brother Sorley are keen to find Munro and discover why he disappeared. Glover, who has lived…
Read MoreA fascinating insight into the routes of the Highlands
This could be seen as a ‘hitchhiker’s guide to the Highlands’. A valuable addition to the trip for tourists thinking of driving through the Highlands, it traverses the main routes north that cover beautiful landscapes, including the North Coast 500. Using a balance of old photographs and new, Simpson illustrates the changes that have taken…
Read MoreThis book is a joyous journey of discovery
Ever felt that your life is unfulfilled? Well, so does Carole Gunn. Everyday Magic focuses on Carole, the Scottish mother to a teenage daughter and a wife to a distant husband who spends the majority of his time in New York. Carole feels that she is stuck with mediocrity. Fed up with daily life and…
Read MoreSpooky 19th century tales from a Scots writer
As Halloween approaches, we all like a little bit of a scare. Despite being a household name during the latter half of the 19th century, few today are aware of the thrilling tales of Margaret Oliphant, and yet they are ripe for rediscovery. From suspenseful hauntings to strange tales of afterlife and the emotional echoes…
Read MoreShort story collection is a great little read
Edinburgh Shorts is a collection of 16 short stories set in the city of contrasts that is Edinburgh. The characters and their lives are as varied as the setting and the versatility of the stories holds the interest of the reader with ease. The charm of this book is that the stories are short enough…
Read MoreThe Stillman is a novel packed with dark humour
The Stillman is Tom McCulloch’s first novel and the characterisation of protagonist Jim Drever surely draws on the author’s upbringing in the Highlands. We’re in 2010, the worst winter in years, and Jim, stillman at a Highland distillery, has just turned 50. His obsessions are his comfortingly predictable job, and the movies, full of fictional…
Read MoreA gripping mystery full of historical facts
Original Death is the third book in Eliot Pattison’s colonial mystery series – following on from Bone Rattler and Eye Of The Raven. It sees exiled Scottish clan chief Duncan McCallum attempting to solve the murder of an entire village of Native Americans during the pre-revolutionary era. Pattison’s writing incorporates historical fact and is all…
Read MoreChile: Where quality needn’t cost the earth
Chile once again demonstrates that it can produce high-quality wines at affordable prices, as Peter Ranscombe samples bottles from stablemates Santa Rita and Carmen. GAZE along the bottom shelf of most supermarket wine aisles and two countries’ bottles will jump out at you – Chile and South Africa. Both nations are renowned for producing cheap…
Read MoreA fascinating look at the churches of Glasgow
Anyone who walks around Glasgow can’t fail to be impressed with its architecture. Despite being someone who has lived in the west of Scotland for the vast majority of his life, there are times when I forget to look around me and appreciate the beautiful buildings which are there. Some of the most impressive of…
Read MoreHome is where the heart is – and is full of emotion
John Mackay’s latest novel, Home, is the definition of the phrase ‘home is where the heart is.’ It centres around one family over a century, beginning with a simple man called Faroe who built a house on a Hebridean island for his family. Faroe and his wife had seven children, who grew up and had…
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