Scotland and the Scottish Diaspora
"It's part of me, Scotland. I'm still immersed in it even though I am not there." -- Irvine Welsh (1958 - ), Scots novelist, short story writer, playwright, author of Trainspotting among many other works).
All my life I have been interested in the history of Scotland and the profound consequences of the Scottish diaspora throughout the world. Scotland and the Scots are appealing in so many ways -- the beauty of the land- and seascapes, the food and drink, the extraordinarily resourceful and creative people, the dramatic history from antiquity to the present, the great literature and history and philosophy and religion. The subjects are themselves enough to inspire writing, but there is great satisfaction in the fact that the Scots have lived up to the subjects on their own writ.
Over many years I have researched the history of Cumberland Valley, and I have often talked about the Scots, the Scots-Irish, and the settlement of this part of the New World by these willing and not-so-willing exiles. In recognition of the history and significance of the Scots to our area, I fly the Saltire and carry these books and cds. I am always on the lookout for more.
P.S. Due to listing limitations, I have moved Ian Rankin and Denise Mina, two fine writers of the Scots Noir movement, over to our International Mystery page.
Of Books and Bagpipes: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery
Of Books and Bagpipes: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery
A small-town bookseller in search of a rare Scottish text finds herself in epic danger in Paige Shelton’s Of Books and Bagpipes: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery.
Always up for a literary adventure, Delaney Nichols left Kansas to pursue her dream job at the Cracked Spine, a Scottish bookshop specializing in rare manuscripts and other valuable historical objects. So when her boss asks her to retrieve a hard-to-find edition of an Oor Wullie comic, Delaney is only too eager to please. Even though her trip to Castle Doune, outside of Edinburgh, ends up being a lot more than she bargained for. . .
While viewing the Highlands from the castle’s ramparts, Delaney spots a sandal-clad foot at the other end of the roof―one that belongs to the now-deceased man in charge of bringing her the Oor Wullie. Delaney grabs the pages of the comic book and hides them under her jacket before rushing off to find the police. It’s not until she’s back in at the Cracked Spine that Delaney realizes just how complicated this story really is. Can she untangle the plot and figure out who the killer is. . .before getting herself booked for murder?