THE BEST OF SCOTTISH BOOKS

How do we live at the end of the world?

Over the course of one claustrophobic week, in an eerie, sweltering English summer somewhere in the near-future, Anna meets Ava. As Anna grieves her dead daughter, a dying landscape and a future they might have shared, Ava’s mysterious pull swallows her whole. But what does Ava really want? Who are they both, really? And what are they to each other?

Braiding climate chaos, lust, politics, poetry and violence, Ava Anna Ada is a contemporary, dystopian fable, which asks us: what if the apocalypse has been and gone, and nobody noticed?

Will DI Clare Mackay end up with blood on her hands?

A young man is found dead near a nightclub. He has marks on his neck, the signature of the Choker, a killer who has been targeting gay men across the country. Now, it seems he’s in DI Clare Mackay’s territory.

She discovers this victim has links to notorious criminals in the area. Is it possible his death was at the hands of someone else?

More men, including ones linked to the victim, are attacked and left injured. It’s only a matter of time before someone else is killed. But Clare’s desire for justice leaves her with blindspots which put her job – and her life – at risk.

Book 9 of 9 in the DI Clare Mackay series

YOU CAN’T SAVE YOUR KIDS… BUT CAN YOU STOP THEM?

It’s a week before the presidential elections when a bomb goes off in an LA shopping mall…

In London, armed police storm Heathrow Airport and arrest Sajid Khan. His daughter Aliyah entered the USA with the suicide bomber, and now she’s missing, potentially plotting another attack.

But then a mysterious woman called Carrie turns up at Sajid’s door after travelling halfway across the world. She claims Aliyah is with her son Greg, and she knows where they could be.

Back in the US, Agent Shreya Mistry is closing in on the two fugitives. But the more she investigates, the more she realises this case is far from as simple as it seems.

Hunted by the authorities, the two parents are thrown together in a race against time to find their kids before the FBI does and stop a catastrophe that will bring the world to its knees.

Peri LOVES dancing and dinosaurs. So when she tags along to her sister’s ballet class and the teacher asks everyone to pretend they are dancing with a beautiful creature, Peri knows the perfect partner. But Miss Tippytoes is furious! “Never dance with a dinosaur!” she says.

But does Peri listen? She does NOT – and what happens next is a boogying, bashing, shimmying, crashing, waltzing whirlwind!

The stunning debut picture book from Jackie Kay, one of the UK’s foremost poets, rooted in familiar folk songs, and injected with gloriously lyrical old Scots.

When Shona was a wee bit bairn
Her daddy would sing Coorie Doon,
Till she cooried doon and fell asleep
Under the huge eye o’ the moon.

Every night, Shona is tucked into bed by her loving parents, who sing her old and familiar folk songs: Tiree Love Song; Goodnight, Irene and Will Ye Go, Lassie, Go? And as Shona sleeps, we follow the people and places that drift into her dream world: her best “fiere”, Ali, her dog, Marley, her cat, Flo… Then, years later, we meet Shona when she is sixty – actually sixty years old! – as she tucks her daddy, now an old man, into bed. And it is her turn to sing to him: “Coorie Doon, Coorie Doon, wee Daddy”. Magnificently illustrated by Jill Calder, this is a truly original picture book that celebrates the small, perfect rituals of childhood and how they become a vital part of who we are. The book also includes a QR code to scan that will link through to a video from Jackie Kay and free audio recordings of songs from the book from legendary folk singers Peggy Seeger, Claire Brown and Suzanne Bonnar.

A memoir and investigation exploring loss, community and the climate crisis in the Shetland Islands by environmental journalist Marianne Brown.

How do we balance our needs with the needs of the natural world around us?

How can we have nuanced conversations and debate in a time of extreme activism or extreme denial?

How can we begin to understand the complexities of a subject as enormous as climate change?

And how can we change the way we live to save our lives?

In 1984, Derek Reilly was just another teenage nerd growing up in middle England. But his love of D&D caused him to fall afoul of the Laundry, a government agency tasked with suppressing supernatural threats. It turns out that sometimes ninth level wizard spells drawn on the back of your maths textbook can look suspiciously like actual magic…

Decades later, Derek is a long-term inmate at Camp Sunshine, a centre for deprogramming captured cultists. But Derek finally has reason to escape, and an escape plan to out into action: he wants to attend his first gaming convention. While Derek’s D&D games were fictional, a game at the con really is a dread ritual designed to summon a great evil into our world, and it’s up to Derek and his players to stop them.

The fate of the world may depend on the contents of Derek’s dice bag.

Book 13 of 14 in the Laundry Files series.

Will they get a second chance at first love?

When newly divorced Tara McTaigh spots an advert for a studio to let in Castle Coorie’s craft centre, she packs up her Edinburgh life and moves to the Isle of Skye, eager for a fresh start.

Little does she know that the castle’s estate manager, single dad Calan Fraser, is the man who broke her heart back at university. Even as the two overcome past hurts, their present lives don’t allow for romance. Cal’s focus is on his young daughter, while Tara is healing from her recent divorce.

When a surprise storm puts Tara’s life at risk, will Cal make it to her in time? And will Tara learn too late that she can’t spend her days afraid of love?

Book 1 of 2 in the Coorie Castle Crafts series.

Meet Tommy Bruce – he’s washed-up already, marooned in a ramshackle hotel inherited from dead parents in the armpit of Perthshire, that’s just too far off the main tourist trail to be viable. He’s too young to be middle-aged, but too old to be what you could call young (and too lazy to care about it, really). Saddled with debt, grotty premises that are falling down around him and a crippling loneliness, Tommy is slowly but determinedly drinking himself and his business out of existence. Until one day into the lounge-bar, and out of the blue, walks Fiona McLean. And before long she’s moved behind the bar, into the hotel and (remarkably) into Tommy’s bed. Fiona blows into Tommy’s life and through the hotel, and with the light she brings, Tommy’s fortunes might just be turning around; but in her wake has also slipped in darkness – names and faces from the past who mean Tommy no goodwill at all, criminal forces that threaten to ruin him, the hotel and what little happiness he’s managed, haplessly, to cobble together.

This, dear reader, is the story of my Resurrection.

Edinburgh, Scotland, 1828. Naïve but determined James Willoughby has abandoned his posh, sheltered life at Oxford to pursue a lifelong dream of studying surgery in Edinburgh. A shining beacon of medical discovery in the age of New Enlightenment, the city’s university offers everything James desires–except the chance to work on a human cadaver. For that, he needs to join one of the private schools in Surgeon’s Square, at a cost he cannot afford. In desperation, he strikes a deal with Aneurin “Nye” MacKinnon, a dashing young dissectionist with an artist’s eye for anatomy and a reckless passion for knowledge. Nye promises to help him gain the surgical experience he craves–but it doesn’t take long for James to realize he’s made a devil’s bargain . . .

Nye is a body snatcher. And James has unwittingly become his accomplice. Intoxicated by Nye and his noble mission, James rapidly descends into the underground ranks of the Resurrectionists–the body snatchers infamous for stealing fresh corpses from churchyards to be used as anatomical specimens. Before he knows it, James is caught up in a life-or-death scheme as rival gangs of snatchers compete in a morbid race for power and prestige.

James and Nye soon find themselves in the crosshairs of a shady pair of unscrupulous opportunists known as Burke and Hare, who are dead set on cornering the market, no matter the cost. These unsavory characters will do anything to beat the competition for bodies. Even if it’s cold-blooded murder . . .

Exquisitely macabre and delightfully entertaining, The Resurrectionist combines fact and fiction in a rollicking tale of the risks and rewards of scientific pursuit, the passions of its boldest pioneers, and the anatomy of human desire.

Newly assigned to CID, Detective Constable Elizabeth Burnet needs to prove herself more than most. In an era rife with misogynistic attitudes, some see her as little more than a pretty face hired to make the department more palatable to the public, giving her the nickname ‘The Friday Girl’.

So when she stumbles across evidence of a nascent serial killer – dubbed “The Werewolf” by the local press – her theories are dismissed as the product of an overactive imagination, and the more she tries to persuade people of the truth, the more she’s alienated from her colleagues. But the killer is out there, hunting for their next victim in the Templeton Woods.

The only person who believes Burnet is a recently dismissed detective with his own agenda: exposing corruption within Tayside Police. Working together, they soon realise that some within the police force may have their own reasons for covering up the recent deaths. And as the killer is exposed, Burnet uncovers the mind of a monster pushed to the edge.

The second Ally McCoist thriller.

DCI Alison McCoist is back: newly promoted and even less popular. Chuck Gardner is the proud owner of both a confidential paper-shredding business and a serious betting habit. When Chuck finds some scandalous paperwork and McCoist investigates a rat-nibbled corpse under a flyover, they are both sucked into a deadly stramash of gangland wars and police corruption. Can Chuck solve his gambling and gangster problems before some heed-banger feeds him into his own shredder? And can McCoist claw herself out of this latest shitemire without her own shady dealings coming to light? It might depend on how far she’s prepared to go…

The debut cookbook from Scottish bakery Twelve Triangles.

‘We want this book to be a well-thumbed friend that feels safe and comforting and from which you know you can always make something delicious that feels like home. Our love of food and cooking began at our kitchen tables and we want to share this passion with you, to bring to yours.’

This beautiful book weaves together recipes and stories – inspired by Emily and Rachel’s cookery journey, relationships with producers and communities, and their love of food since they were small. The recipes lovingly compiled in this book are all truly accessible for the home cook, inspiring the reader to learn new skills if they wish, or simply return to comforting classics, always ensuring quality ingredients and delicious results that you’ll want to share!

With over 90 sweet and savoury recipes, the book is built around the kitchen table – for creating, feasting, coming together, having quiet moments and joyous celebrations. Structured around key ingredients and techniques, the chapters cover: Butter, Milk and Cream, Bread, Fruit, Olive Oil, Chocolate, Nuts, Spices, Herbs & Coffee, Eggs, Salt & Vinegar.

With recipes including: Brown Butter Apple Buns, Dauphinoise pie, Focaccia, Whey Brined Roast Chicken, Honey Tart with Apricot Jam, Kimchi, Tiramisu, Cocoa Roasted Squash, Pickles, Burnt Honey Custard, Salsa Verde, Fresh Peas, Broad Beans, Almonds & ricotta, Coffee & Cardamom loaf cake and many more.

‘Simple things made well’ will always come back to the best possible ingredients you can get your hands on, then with a little time and care, creating food that isn’t showy, but tastes incredible.

Gerard is twelve. He hates his name, but loves flying round the streets of Glasgow on his bike, or mucking about with his gang, the Broncos. He’s a bright kid, but trouble seems to follow him. No one really knows what it’s like at home for Gerard; he’s used to carrying a lot on his small shoulders.

Gerard doesn’t always make good decisions. And on one April morning, in the blink of an eye, he makes a very bad one – one that will upend his whole world.

Now, he faces a bewildering stream of concerned adults clutching files, unfamiliar streets to navigate, a strange bed to sleep in, and the very real chance he won’t see his wee brother and sister again.

Heartbreaking and yet brimful of humour, compassion and hope, This Bright Life is a story about messy lives, second chances and the many hands it takes to build a boy.

The first book in the Raskine House Trilogy.

The deaths of a series of young Eastern European women in Glasgow leads to a stately home in the Scottish countryside, and back to the Second World War, where a group of young soldiers made their own, shocking rules…

Glasgow, 1966: Stevie ‘Minto’ Milloy, former star footballer-turned-rookie reporter, finds himself trailing the story of a young Eastern European student whose body has been found on remote moorland outside the city. How did she get there from her hostel at the Sovereign Grace Mission, and why does Stevie find obstacles at every turn?

Italy, 1943: As the Allies fight Mussolini’s troops, a group of young soldiers are separated from their platoon, and Glaswegian Jamesie Campbell, his newfound friend Michael McTavish at his side, finds himself free to make his own rules…

Glasgow, 1969: Courtroom sketch artist Donald ‘Doodle’ Malpas is shocked to discover that his new case involves the murder of a teenage Lithuanian girl he knows from the Sovereign Grace Mission. Why hasn’t the girl’s death been reported? And why is a young police constable suddenly so keen to join the mission?

No one seems willing to join the dots between the two cases, and how they link to Raskine House, the stately home in the Scottish countryside with a dark history and even darker present – the venue for the debauched parties held there by the rich and powerful of the city who call themselves ‘The Weekenders’.

Painting a picture of a 1960s Glasgow in the throes of a permissive society, pulled apart by religion, corruption, and a murderous Bible John stalking the streets, The Weekenders is a snapshot of an era of turmoil – and a terrifying insight into the mind of a ruthless criminal…

What the years have buried, is about to be exposed…

The gloomy fortress of Gallondean lies on the Scottish coast. Local legend has it that if the heirs to the house hear the howling of a spectral hound nearby, their death will quickly follow.

The current owner of the house is Jacob Beresford who, up until the unexpected death of his father, had never set foot within its crumbling walls. Jacob, already haunted by his own demons, has no need of more ghosts, but as the First World War staggers through its last terrible months and he uncovers unsettling details of his new home’s past, the shadows seem to be growing around him.

Then he meets Esther, a young volunteer nurse serving at nearby Roddinglaw, an elegant country house requisitioned for use as a temporary hospital ward. Esther, widowed in the early months of the war, dreams of being a poet as she assists the men around her, some of whom are struggling to come to terms with permanent, life-changing injuries. But is it one of the soldiers who appears to have only a minor injury, whose life comes to intersect with both Esther and Jacob in horrifying and unexpected ways.

Danger stalks the woods and coast around them, but it soon becomes clear that the gravest threats are within…

This is the story of a group of young men who enlist in a Scottish Infantry battalion in the nineteen eighties as their only escape from Thatcher’s wasteland.

This is the story of the loyalties and betrayals that they encounter during deployment in Germany and during the first Gulf War, treading a dangerous path between morality and rules in the pursuit of doing what they perceive to be right.

This is what you get when you tear apart our communities and leave us with no hope and little choice. This is what you get when you train us to kill and then throw us on the scrap heap. This is what you get when you mess with us.

At last, a supper for every week of the year!

From hearty Chicken Cacciatore and Sri Lankan-Style Dhal to Herby Rice and Citrus Prawns and Delicious Vegan Laksa, there is a supper to suit every season. These quick, no-fuss recipes span the seasons as well as the globe, offering inspired ideas for that last meal of the day no matter what the time of year.

Whether feeding a family or entertaining friends these creative recipes will delight and impress all who join you at your supper table.

Adventures are good things for people in books.

But I am not a person in a book. I am Kenzie. I like to READ about adventures, not actually have them.

A hillwalking expedition? With a group of strangers AND Sorley Mackay, the most annoying boy in the universe?

Bookworm Kenzie can’t believe her bad luck when her teacher announces plans for a joint hillwalking trip with other schools: a three-day hike into the Cairngorms. She tries everything to avoid going, but soon the group heads to the hills with mountain leader Bairdy and sets up camp for the night.

Bairdy’s stories of ancient magic fill Kenzie’s mind, but in the cold light of morning, they discover that the mountain leader has vanished, his tent left untouched. They are alone

There are some facts about the world that only your mother can teach you.
Marguerite had been confined for the sake of her wellbeing.
That’s what her mother had said.

Marguerite Périgord is locked in the attic of her family home, a towering Chelsea house overlooking the stinking Thames.

For company she has a sewing machine, Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management and a carrion crow who has come to nest in the rafters. Restless, she spends her waning energies on the fascinations of her own body, memorising Mrs Beeton’s advice and longing for her life outside.

Cécile Périgord has confined her daughter Marguerite for her own good.

Cécile is concerned that Marguerite’s engagement to a much older, near-penniless solicitor, will drag the family name – her husband’s name, that is – into disrepute. And for Cécile, who has worked hard at her own betterment, this simply won’t do.

Cécile’s life has taught her that no matter how high a woman climbs she can just as readily fall.

Of course, both have their secrets, intentions and histories to hide. As Marguerite’s patience turns into rage, the boundaries of her mind and body start to fray.

And neither woman can recognise what the other is becoming.