Richard Hannay is a wealthy Englishman who is bored until there is a murder in his apartment. The daughter of a missionary, Caird studied English Literature in Edinburgh before going on to the Sorbonne. Her mysteries are rich in Scottish atmosphere. At the turn of the century, a couple strives to escape the bleak mining town Pitmungo. The character of Father Francis, son of a fisherman, is strengthened by the hardship life offers in Scotland and on his mission to China.
Life is a struggle but has unexpected rewards.
This hugely popular new series begins in 1945 with Claire Randall's holiday with her husband. She deserted her throne for Elizabeth's England where she was ultimately beheaded. A young playwright goes home to Glasgow because of the death of his mentor a junkie who wrote The Book of Man. This winner of the 1992 Whitbread Award is an entertaining combination of the Pygmalion and Frankenstein themes with terrific illustrations and notes. This anthology begins with a story by Thomas the Rhymer who dies in 1297, and includes work by Robert Louis Stevenson and Arthur Conan Doyle as well as less famous writers like Neil Munto and W.E. Aytoun.