I was just settling in to S.G. MacLean's historical thriller The Bookseller of Inverness when illness struck the wider family and I found myself with little time to read and much less concentration than usual. Nevertheless, the excellent, elegant writing kept the pages turning, and distractions notwithstanding (I managed none of my customary note-taking for this book!) I was quickly immersed in an intriguing and very satisfying tale of Jacobites and Hanoverians set in Inverness in 1752.
The bookseller of the title is Iain MacGillivray, survivor of the battle of Culloden, a man doing his best to lead a quiet life - despite his family's tumultuous past. When a curious stranger is found dead in the bookshop, his throat cut apparently by a sword bearing a Jacobite emblem, Iain finds himself at the heart of a mission to settle old scores.
Time and place are recreated here in fine style, Highland culture brought vividly to life. You'll find yourself wanting to visit Inverness and follow in Iain's footsteps around the wild and beautiful northern landscape. My mother's family hails from Easter Ross - no great distance from where the novel is set - and so I recognised many of the Gaelic words, phrases, speech patterns the characters use as authentically of the place.
Taken altogether, this is a rich and beautifully made book, a gripping story, and an effortless history lesson. I enjoyed it greatly; do give it a try!
2 copies here in East Sussex. Reservation placed. Thank you, always good to find a new author who comes via a trusted recommendation. Historical fiction is my preferred genre at present, offering much needed distraction from the present times.
Posted by: Fran H-B | 21 March 2023 at 07:04 AM
I'm with you, Fran, looking for transporting fiction at the moment. I hope you will enjoy The Bookseller as much as I did, and I'm pleased to see that SG MacLean has several more books to seek out.
Posted by: Cornflower | 22 March 2023 at 01:22 PM
I've just started to read a historical fiction by John Sayles that seems a match for the same time period. The title also happens to include a MacGillivray. It is "Jamie Macgillivray: A Renegade's Journey."
Coming over the Pond in a couple of weeks, so will keep a look out for the MacLean book.
Posted by: Mary | 25 March 2023 at 11:56 AM
Excellent! Enjoy your trip, Mary!
Posted by: Cornflower | 25 March 2023 at 02:15 PM
I listened to this read by David Monteith on Audible and really loved it. His narration is incredible. It was so good that I want to read it as well.
Posted by: Victoria | 01 April 2023 at 04:52 PM
That's great, Victoria!
Posted by: Cornflower | 02 April 2023 at 10:05 AM