Mary Rosie's War by Catherine M. Byrne

I wanted to like this book as it was set in the North of Scotland and it was historical fiction, but ultimately I was left a bit frustrated by the pace of the book and some of the characters decisions. But if you like a slow paced coming of age story, this one will be for you. I gave it 3 stars as it does have a lot of good points too. Here is the review and click on the pick to take you to Amazon.

This was a nice story set in the north of Scotland, England and France. Three young people: Mary, Johnny and Liesl find their lives irrevocably changed by war. We mostly follow Mary and her growth from a 17 year old Caithness country girl into a serious woman shaped by World War two. My problem with the book was mostly with pace. Mary to me wasn’t the most interesting person in the book. I found her mother far more intriguing. Her past was never fully developed and her budding romance with Sinclair again not quite fully explored. The relationship between Mary and Johnny was described at great length and its conclusion rather unsatisfying. (I don’t want to give the plot away, but the end left me a bit puzzled as to Mary’s decision.) Liesls time in Germany was dealt with in a chapter and Johnny’s time in France was equally quickly dealt with. For me they were exiting story lines with I would have liked to have seen much further explored. Gentle read for lovers of clean romance with just a little adventure.

Murder In The Bush: The Tale of William McDonald by Carmel McMurdo Audsley

I love historical fiction and non fiction. This was based on a true story but it reads like an adventure story and it should appeal to a broad readership. As it deals with murder and rape it is not for the younger reader. Five stars.
Click on the picture to take you to Amazon.

I read the undertaker by this writer, which I loved as it was set in Scotland and the historic background was meticulously researched. Apart from that, it was a great read so I was keen to read something by this writer again. I was not disappointed. It is clear the writer has a great love for Scotland and its history, as she has set the start of this story in the very north of Scotland. William’s journey from 1885 the north of Scotland all the way to Brisbane Australian is as harrowing (the conditions on board the ship) as it is fascinating.

William McDonald the hero of our story, we are told in the foreword was a real person that was murdered in the Australian outback. Both his story and the story of his murderer are chronicled.  Knowing the ending of a book is normally a big let-down when reading a book, but in this case the story was fascinating enough to not let it spoil my reading pleasure. It was a great window into 1880’s Australia and the dangers and hardships the early pioneers experienced. William McDonald died young, but is a perfect example of one of those pioneers that made Australia the place it is today; a modern prosperous country. Recommended.

Moristoun by Kevin McAllion

This was a wonderful and very Scottish book. I don't want to give any of the plot away because things are revealed slowly and I want any reader to be surprised like I was. Kevin McAllion has a journalistic background and it shows in the broad vocabulary and well crafted sentences. But the book is also dark and comedic and shows a great warmth and knowledge of human nature. One of my highlights so far. Click on the picture to take you to Amazon.

I loved this book; it is witty and very well written. The characters are well developed and not obvious. You don’t need to be Scottish to like this book but it will help a lot if you understand the vocabulary and get the cultural references. If you have been to one of the Scottish Islands you will get that they are one man’s paradise but another man’s desolate godforsaken rock in the Atlantic.  Henderson, McCall and more recently McSorley are happy just to prop up the bar at the Tortured Soul and ogle pretty barmaid Gail, while Buchan strives to find a way off the island. The story builds slowly and it is a fair bit in before you realise what Moristoun is all about. A wonderful story, dark, comedic and full of real characters, men and women you could find if you walked into any bar in Scotland. I read a lot, but this was one of the highlights of the year so far.

The Piper's Promise: Book 3 In The Ridge Walker Series (The Ridge Walker Adventure Series) by Alex Breck

I'm a sucker for a freebie and that's how the following book ended up in my lap. It is the third in the series. I don't think there is much point now of reading book 1 and two as the writer has given a few reminders about the previous books. Not enough for me to know exactly who every one is but enough to take the surprise out of the first. I gave it 4 stars and would urge anyone who likes high octane thrillers with a black ops plot to start at book one.

Ridge Walker finds himself in unfamiliar territory (Japan), when his friend Thad is accused of a murder he didn’t commit. He is out of his depth after making some questionable decisions and underestimating a ruthless killer. Luckily Thad has a powerful dad, but not even he can anticipate what waits for him in Japan. This was a high octane thriller with some nail biting scenes. I Liked the scenes set in Scotland, it is clear that the writer has a fondness of the Scottish Isles. The problem I had with the book was that I came into the series at book 3. I had not grown into the characters and some seemed to be a bit too unlikely, especially the diamond dogs. Alex Breck does fill us in about the characters pasts but a lot has happened in the previous books and I would recommend starting at book one.

The Elusive Highlander by Ju Ephraime

As a reviewer I read many books but not always are they my preferred genre. I have to admit that Romance and Sci-fi are not something that I love, but I have read some very good books in both genres. I know there is a large demand for Romance, especially the type that is bordering on the erotic. This one I picked as I love Scotland and History. It had both elements, but I think it will appeal more to the fans of the before mentioned books. I gave it 4 stars.

The story was a bit more complex than some other romances I had read. Two lovers denied their happiness by a treacherous poisoning. The mother of the murdered Highlander casts an ancient spell to keep him alive, but something is wrong and he wanders in time until he meets his love, in the shape of 21^st century Coira, again. This meeting sends them both back to 14^th century Scotland. There are a lot of elements to cope with in this book and some of it worked and some of it didn’t. As a romance this worked, there was enough sizzling dialogue between the characters and you could see why they would fall for each other. The history and the politics of the time was a suitable back drop. The descriptions of the beauty of the Scottish castles and scenery were lovely. Even the time travel element worked. The scattering of Gealic into the dialogue was just another distraction. I would have been happy if the mother was the only one to possess magic. To talk about Druids and Fae takes us in a whole other direction again.  It all was just a bit much to take in.

 If you like to learn a bit more about Scotland but find the history books a bit dry, try and absorb it via this steamy romance set against the back drop of Robert the Bruce and the wars of independence. Ju has changed a few details for the benefit of a good story but she fills us in on these changes at the end of the book.

Primed By The Past: Introducing Detective Annie Macpherson by Barbara Fagan Speake

As I'm still reeling from the Brexit vote, I'm trying to take my mind of it by reading and writing. I wonder what Detective Annie MacPherson would have made of it all. She and my husband are Scottish and I lived there for 20 years. Scotland voted overwhelmingly to remain, but will now see it selves being dragged out of Europe. Worrying times ahead for all of them. The Annie MacPherson is the heroine of the novel I'm reviewing and it was a great work. Full of surprises and a 5 star read.

Primed By The Past: Introducing Detective Annie Macpherson by Barbara Fagan Speake 

Annie MacPherson is a Scottish detective on an exchange program to the Westford Police department in the USA. She has broken off her engagement to her fiancee and is hoping to forget her heartbreak with a fresh start in a new country; a chance to learn and become a better Detective too. Her first case comes with some guilt: The victim who was beaten nearly to death had come to seek her help only a week before. As they delve into victim’s life, a number of suspects are questioned, but Annie feels there is a deeper, but yet unknown motive for the brutal attack. As the book goes on we discovering more and more information; I was hooked and on the edge of my seat by the time of the nail biting finish. This first book in the Annie MacPherson detective series is a promising start indeed. Gripped from start to finish I followed Annie about as she got to grips with her first case during her secondment. I think what makes her so likeable is that she is an ordinary woman; someone I could totally relate to. She has a few problems back at home. She is affected by them, but dedication to her work drives her on. Meticulous police work and trusting her instincts make her extraordinary. She is also a real woman, someone that cannot help herself from falling for the victim’s brother and feeling jealous when he grows close to the victim’s best friend. I feel I got to know this woman well and I want to find out where her work and love life will take her next. Bring on the follow up Programmed to Kill.