THE BEST OF SCOTTISH BOOKS

‘The legendary Quintin Jardine . . . such a fine writer’ DENZIL MEYRICK’Scottish crime-writing at its finest, with a healthy dose of plot twists and turns, bodies and plenty of brutality’ SUNThe gripping new mystery in Quintin Jardine’s bestselling Bob Skinner series, not to be missed by readers of Ian Rankin and Peter May.’Another powerful tartan noir that packs a punch’ PETERBOROUGH EVENING TELEGRAPH’Incredibly difficult to put the book down . . . a guide through a world of tangled family politics, hostile takeovers, government-sanctioned killing, extortion and the seedier side of publishing . . . Quintin Jardine should be . . . your first choice!’ SCOTS MAGAZINE’Well constructed, fast-paced, Jardine’s narrative has many an ingenious twist and turn’ OBSERVER

She was lying in the road when he found her, crumpled and broken, the car that hit her screaming away from the scene in haze of tyre smoke and exhaust fumes…Jennifer MacKenzie being hit by a car was a tragic accident. Or so it seemed. Until Connor is summoned to a meeting his girlfriend’s dad, Duncan McKenzie. MacKenzie claims that Jen’s accident was actually a message intended for him – and a way to force him to kill his trusted lieutenant Paulie King, who has now mysteriously disappeared.His request to Connor is simple. Find Paulie and the men who hurt his daughter. Do whatever it takes.As an all-out gang war threatens to explode across Central Scotland, Connor begins a journey that forces him to confront some uncomfortable truths about his girlfriend and the family he is connected to through her. But Connor is also driven by a vow – to find Paulie. And when he does, no quarter will be given.

The follow up to the quarter of a million-copy selling, Sunday Times and New York Times #1 bestselling, Clanlands. Sam & Graham turn tour guides once again to bring listeners more epic tales from Scotland.A seasonal meander through the wilds of Scotland.’If Clanlands was a gentle road trip through Scotland, this Almanac is a top down, pedal to the metal up and down odyssey through the many byways of a Scottish year. An invitation to anyone who picks up the book to join us on a crazy camper van exploration over 12 glorious, whisky fuelled months. Mountains, battles, famous (and infamous) Scots, the alarming competitiveness of Men in Kilts, clans, feuds, flora, fauna, with a healthy sprinkling of embarrassing personal reminiscences thrown in. Much is explored, all is shared. It is a camper van cornucopia of all things Alba’.From First Footing to Samhain, Fringe Festival follies to whisky lore, Sam & Graham guide listeners through a year of Scottish legends, traditions, historical and contemporary events, sharing personal stories and tips as only these two chalk-and-cheese friends can.As entertaining as it is practical, The Clanlands Almanac is a light-hearted education in Scottish history and culture, told through the eyes of two passionate Scotsmen. The perfect escapist guide, The Clanlands Almanac is intended as a starting point for your own Scottish discoveries.(P)2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

In this new Selected Poems, Kathleen Jamie explores the multi-faceted world of George Mackay Brown’s Orkney, the poet’s lifelong home and inspiration. George Mackay Brown’s concerns were the ancestral world, the communalities of work, the fables and religious stories which he saw as underpinning mortal lives. Brown believed from the outset that poets had a social role and his true task was to fulfil that role. This is not the attitude of a shrinking violet, tentatively exploring his ‘voice’. Art was sprung from the community, and his role as poet to know that community, to sing its stories. But there was also room for introspection; the poet’s task was simultaneously to ‘interrogate silence’.

A poisoned breeze blows across the waves … Operation Cauldron, 1952: Top-secret germ warfare experiments on monkeys and guinea pigs are taking place aboard a vessel moored off the Isle of Lewis. Local villagers Jessie and Duncan encounter strange sights on the deserted beach nearby and suspect the worst. And one government scientist wrestles with his own inner anguish over the testing, even if he believes extreme deterrent weapons are needed. When a noxious cloud of plague bacteria is released into the path of a passing trawler, disaster threatens. Will a deadly pandemic be inevitable? A haunting exploration of the costs and fallout of warmongering, Donald S Murray follows his prize-winning first novel with an equally moving exploration of another little-known incident in the Outer Hebridean island where he grew up.

Brought to you by Penguin.Award-winning writer Abir Mukherjee is back with another brilliant mystery novel in the Raj-era Wyndham and Banerjee series.*A SUNDAY TIMES BOOKS OF 2021 PICK*Calcutta, 1923When a Hindu theologian is found murdered in his home, the city is on the brink of all-out religious war. Can officers of the Imperial Police Force, Captain Sam Wyndham and Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee track down those responsible in time to stop a bloodbath?Set at a time of heightened political tension, beginning in atmospheric Calcutta and taking the detectives all the way to bustling Bombay, the latest instalment in this ‘unmissable’ (The Times) series presents Wyndham and Banerjee with an unprecedented challenge. Will this be the case that finally drives them apart?(c) Abir Mukherjee 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021

For a decade, while she was Poet Laureate, Carol Ann Duffy gifted her thousands of readers an illustrated poem every Christmas, transporting them in one year to a seventeenth-century festival on the frozen Thames, in another to Western Front to witness the famous 1914 truce, then to a sweet winter’s night in the South of France with Pablo Picasso and his small dog.Christmas Poems showcases Duffy’s bold and innovative voice, alongside gorgeous artwork from Rob Ryan, David De Las Heras and Lara Hawthorne, amongst others. These ten much-loved poems are gathered together for the first time in this compendium to make a perfect gift for old friends celebrating a decade’s tradition or those experiencing the magic of Duffy’s festive verse for the first time.

When an onslaught of revelations brings chaos to Mila’s life she’s left distraught and confused. In the explosive fall-out, her parents jet from LA to join her in Tennessee. Entangled in their marital conflicts – and blindsided by past secrets – Mila can’t help but question everything she thought she knew about her family and herself.Betrayed and knocked for six, she turns to Blake, the one person she feels she can trust. And, amid the turmoil, their connection grows ever stronger. But Blake has his own crisis to deal with. Not least when his long-absent dad reappears on the scene, guitar slung over his back. Soon Blake and Mila face pressure to pick sides in the drama unfolding between their two families. Pressure mounts and other romantic interests enter the fray, testing Mila and Blake’s flourishing relationship to its very limits.

From Julia Donaldson, the bestselling author of The Gruffalo, comes Princess Mirror-Belle, the exciting adventures of a mischievous princess.Full of black-and-white illustrations by Lydia Monks, Princess Mirror-Belle is perfect for fans of this bestselling picture-book team and who are beginning to read on their own. It contains six delightful stories that children will come back to again and again.Ellen’s life is turned upside down by the hilarious Mirror-Belle, a spirited princess who claims to be from somewhere mysterious and far away. She appears out of mirrors to tell Ellen magical stories and take her on exciting escapades. From battling with Dragon Pox to helping out with the local pantomime, celebrating birthdays, having fun at the fair and starting at a new school, there are always adventures to be had!This book contains the following stories:Dragon PoxEllen’s CastleSnow White and the Eight DwarfsParty HoppersWobblesdayLove-Potion Crisps

John Buchan (1875-1940), author of over 100 books including The Thirty-Nine Steps, was a stealth writer of supernatural and Weird fiction. From the beginning of his career to his last works, he brought supernatural elements into his narratives to test his characters and thrill his readers.His 1932 novel The Gap in the Curtain was his last full-length work devoted to exploring a supernatural theme: if you were able to see one year into the future, what would you do with that foreknowledge? And what would it do to you?The novel tells the story of five country-house guests who are trained by the ailing Professor Moe, an Einsteinian mathematician who has devised a way of seeing into the future. These five guests gain one piece of knowledge from the experiment, and have to decide how to act on it. The episodes vary from high drama to social comedy, and use Buchan’s skill in writing political intrigue and adventure abroad. This is a novel that showcases Buchan’s talents as a storyteller, and is a thoroughly satisfying read.The Introduction is by Kate Macdonald, author of John Buchan. The Mystery Companion and many other works on Buchan’s writing.

INCLUDES ‘PREQUEL’ THE TOWER THE FIELDS THE TRANSMITTERS’This book spoke, it said “read me” from the very first sentence as if it were alive, it gave me visceral joy’ Kim Gordon’Reading [Xstabeth] feels like being cut open to the accompanying sound of ecstatic music’ Edna O’Brien’Prepare for more of that inimitable Keenan narrative voodoo brilliance’ Wendy ErskineIn St Petersburg, Russia, Aneliya is torn between the love of her father and her father’s best friend. Her father dreams of becoming a great musician but suffers with a naivete that means he will never be taken seriously. Her father’s best friend has a penchant for vodka, strip clubs and moral philosophy.When an angelic presence named Xstabeth enters their lives – a presence who simultaneously fulfils and disappears those she touches – Aneliya and her father’s world is transformed.Moving from Russia to St Andrews, Scotland, Xstabeth tackles the metaphysics of golf, the mindset of classic Russian novels and the power of art and music to re-wire reality. Charged with a consuming intensity and a torrential rhythm that pulses with music, it is an offering of transcendence and a love letter to the books of Chandler, Nabokov and Dostoevsky, by a writer who is rewriting the rulebook of contemporary fiction.

‘Utterly charming…an uplifting and optimistic story’ Hot Brands Cool Places on New Beginnings at Rose CottageIf you love Lucy Diamond, Phillipa Ashley, Sue Moorcroft and Holly Martin, you’ll LOVE Erin Green’s novels of love, life and laughter!’A perfect story full of hope, love and friendship’ 5* reader review’An uplifting, engaging and heart warming book. Loved it’ 5* reader review’An amazing book and makes you really think that your dreams of changing your life can really happen’ 5* reader review’The author has the knack of making her characters spring off the pages so real that you’ll care about them’ Peterborough TelegraphFriendship can be the greatest gift you’ll ever give…Verity is embarking on a better-late-than-never gap year now that her sons have flown the nest, and dreams of turning a lifetime’s hobby of knitting and crocheting into a profitable new enterprise at Lerwick Manor’s gallery.Nessie has returned to Shetland after two years spent retraining as a blacksmith on the Scottish mainland. She’s determined to do whatever it takes to reignite the traditional craft and prove that gender is no obstacle to taking on her family’s heritage.Isla is fresh out of catering college, but she is desperate to prove she has what it takes to run Lerwick Manor’s artisan cafe. Focused on perfecting her grandmother’s traditional recipes, Isla has no time for anything else – especially not her pesky ex.With the island’s Yule Day celebration fast approaching, it’s the ideal moment for their crafts to shine. But they can’t do it alone – and their friendship might turn out to be their greatest creation yet…Don’t miss Erin’s uplifting From Shetland, With Love – out now!You are invited to holiday at gorgeous Rose Cottage – where friendship, home comforts and romance are guaranteed… look for New Beginnings at Rose Cottage – out now!If you don’t ask you’ll never know… don’t miss Taking a Chance on Love – out now!

She was lying in the road when he found her, crumpled and broken, the car that hit her screaming away from the scene in haze of tyre smoke and exhaust fumes…Jennifer MacKenzie being hit by a car was a tragic accident. Or so it seemed. Until Connor is summoned to a meeting his girlfriend’s dad, Duncan McKenzie. MacKenzie claims that Jen’s accident was actually a message intended for him – and a way to force him to kill his trusted lieutenant Paulie King, who has now mysteriously disappeared.His request to Connor is simple. Find Paulie and the men who hurt his daughter. Do whatever it takes.As an all-out gang war threatens to explode across Central Scotland, Connor begins a journey that forces him to confront some uncomfortable truths about his girlfriend and the family he is connected to through her. But Connor is also driven by a vow – to find Paulie. And when he does, no quarter will be given.

Martin Moran was a man of the mountains, inspiring both as pioneer and leader. His is a story of life-changing adventures and dramatic, often near-death experiences, told with humour and verve.

George Orwell’s timeless novel Animal Farm, one of Time magazine’s 100 best English-language novels of all time, has been translated by Aonghas Padraig Caimbeul into Gaelic for the very first time.When the animals of Manor Farm revolt and take control from Mr Jones, they have hopes for a life of freedom and equality. However, when the pigs Napoleon and Snowball rise to power, the other animals discover that they may not be as equal as they had once thought. A tragic political allegory described by Orwell as being ‘the history of a revolution that went wrong’, this book is as relevant now – if not more so – as it was when it was first written.

Astrid is returning home from art school on Mars, looking for inspiration. Darling is fleeing a life that never fit, searching for somewhere to hide. They meet on Deep Wheel Orcadia, a distant space station struggling for survival as the pace of change threatens to leave the community behind.Deep Wheel Orcadia is a magical first: a science fiction verse novel written in the Orkney dialect. This unique adventure in minority language poetry comes with a parallel translation into playful and vivid English, so the reader will miss no nuance of the original. The rich and varied cast weaves a compelling, lyric and effortlessly readable story around place and belonging, work and economy, generation and gender politics, love and desire – all with the lightness of touch, fluency and musicality one might expect of one the most talented poets to have emerged from Scotland in recent years. Hailing from Orkney, Harry Josephine Giles is widely known as a fine poet and spellbindingly original performer of their own work; Deep Wheel Orcadia now strikes out into audacious new space.

A murder victim with celebrity connections spells trouble for DI Clare Mackay…Gaby Fox is known to many due to her successful TV career, so when her brother and his pals hire the salubrious Lamond Lodge for his birthday celebrations, it is noted by the St Andrews locals. A ripple of shock goes round the town when Russell Fox is gunned down on the premises.DI Clare Mackay is attending a wedding when she sees Gabrielle receive a phone call then flee. Soon after, Clare learns why when the news of the shooting reaches her. Instead of trying to enjoy the day – not easy when the groom is her ex-boyfriend – Clare is preoccupied.Clare gets to work on uncovering the facts surrounding Russell Fox’s death. The guests at the lodge have secrets to hide, but even when Clare begins to unravel the deceit, it doesn’t bring the answers. The detective can’t help but wonder why no one who knew Russell seems capable of telling the truth, and whether there is more than one person with a reason to want him dead…A thrilling addition to the much-loved and bestselling detective fiction series from a rising star in Scottish crime fiction. Ideal for fans of Alex Gray, D. K. Hood and Rachel Amphlett.

A beautiful story with a gentle mindfulness message – ideal for bedtime, and especially helpful for little ones who have trouble going to sleep.Arlo the lion is exhausted. He just can’t drop off, no matter what he tries. It’s either too hot, or too cold; too loud or too quiet. But then he meets Owl. She can sleep through the day, which isn’t easy when most other animals are awake! Will Arlo ever get any rest? Perhaps his new friend has some special tricks she can teach him . . .Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep is a gorgeous story from the Kate Greenaway Medal winner Catherine Rayner. This audio edition of the story includes a read-along track – perfect for listening to at home, in the car or at bedtime.

A charming new Nature Storybook all about looking after goldfish – inspired by the author’s own pet fish.My Pet Goldfish is a delightful picture book with facts by the Greenaway Medal-winning author-illustrator Catherine Rayner. The child narrating this story has been given their first ever pet: a tiny fish with shimmering scales and bright beady eyes… Their very own goldfish! Sitting alongside the gentle narrative and dynamic illustrations, the subtext introduces facts about goldfish and their care – some gentle, some funny, some fascinating – making this a perfect choice for first-time owners.”Catherine Rayner has a marvellous gift for capturing the souls of animals in a few, rich washes of colour.” Daily Telegraph

Organizations around the world are using Lean to redesign care and improve processes in a way that achieves and sustains meaningful results for patients, staff, physicians, and health systems. This book systematically describes how NHS Highland uses Lean principles and mindsets to improve safety, quality, access, and morale while reducing costs, and increasing capacity.Existing books often describe the gains obtained by using Lean methods, but often do not describe the underlying concepts and methods in details. Other books describe continuous improvement work, or specific techniques such as daily management in detail. This book seeks to occupy a middle space by providing an overview of the range of Lean ideas applicable to healthcare with sufficient examples and cases studies from NHS Highland and partner organizations so readers can see them in use and practice.