‘Such as?’ Morag asked.
‘Well, sexual shenanigans for starters. The Corlin-MacLeods are splitting up, because Esther has been having an affair with Councillor Charlie McDonald. Apparently he had taken solace in golf and the Padre has acquired a new parishioner. Hamish McNab has also been a bad lad and has been using his mistress, Doreen McGuire to spy on McDonald’s daughter and gain whatever dirt she could about Charlie. There may be financial irregularities and unscrupulous behaviour over properties and licensing to be investigated.’
The bell from the front door rang and Ewan leaped to his feet to go through to see who had come in.
A moment later he came back in. ‘Look who’s here.’
The Padre walked in with a beaming smile. ‘No, he didn’t mean me. She wanted to surprise you so she called me to pick her up from the ferry on the Ariel.’
Lorna walked in and went straight to Torquil and they exchanged polite air kisses, knowing that they would exchange them for the real thing once they were alone.
‘Superintendent Lumsden sent me over. He said you’d need some help picking all the pieces up. He almost seemed human.’ From a shoulder bag she drew out a bottle. ‘Look what he sent for the wedding guests to enjoy at the wedding. It’s a 50-year-old malt whisky. A good one from Cambeltown.’
‘Whisky!’ Torquil said. ‘Look, about that, Lorna, I’ve been thinking. I’m not so sure that whisky would be right for the wedding favours.’
‘Oh, that’s a change of heart. And what about that other question. Have you decided?’
Torquil grinned. He knew she was referring to his choice for best man. ‘Actually, I have. There are going to be five of them!’
***
Join our mailing list for the latest releases, eBook deals, author news, and much, much more!
SIGN UP HERE
A NOTE TO THE READER
Dear Reader,
Thank you for taking the time to read my novel, I hope that you enjoyed reading about the dark things that can happen on my idyllic little Scottish island on the edge of the world.
It is true that characters in a novel often take on a life of their own. That happened several times in this novel, when the story did not follow the path that I had imagined it would take. The characters felt so at home on the island of West Uist that they felt empowered to pay the piper to play their macabre tune.
I have been a lifelong fan of crime fiction, but to my mind the use of the laboratory and the revelations that DNA testing can instantly give, somehow rob many modern crime novels of their sense of romance. That was why I set my story on the remote Hebridean island of West Uist, so that it would be far removed from the modern forensic crime thriller. Also, because the island has the smallest police force in the country, it would not be another gritty, urban police procedural. Crimes would have to be solved in a very old-fashioned manner.
I studied medicine at the University of Dundee and did some of my training in the highlands. I loved the sense of community in villages and determined that if I ever wrote a crime novel it would feature a Scottish detective working in a remote place, aided by friends, family and the local newspaper. Years later when Inspector Torquil McKinnon walked into my imagination I set about learning to play the bagpipes, although unlike Torquil, the winner of the Silver Quaich I have never been anything other than dire. Nonetheless, playing around with my pipes helps me as I am working out my plots.
Since golf is also a hobby and I had played on the remotest Hebridean courses, those sheep-nibbled links complete with dive bombing gulls had to appear in the stories. When I venture onto my local golf course I imagine the Padre, a steady 8 handicapper, playing alongside me, advising me on how to hit the green, sink a putt — or solve the newest clue.
If you have enjoyed the novel enough to leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads, then I would be truly grateful. I love to hear from readers, so if you would like to contact me, please do through my Facebook page or send me a message through Twitter. You can also see my latest news on the West Uist Chronicle Blog and on my Website.
Keith Moray
keithmorayauthor.com
ALSO BY KEITH MORAY
FICTION
The Torquil McKinnon Investigation Series
The Gathering Murders
Deathly Wind
Murder Solstice
Flotsam & Jetsam
Death in Transit
The Pardoner’s Crime
Fool’s Folly
As Keith Souter:
The Curse of the Body Snatchers
As Clay More:
Raw Deal at Pasco Springs
Judge on the Run
Double-Dealing at Dirtville
A Rope for Scudder
Stampede at Rattlesnake Pass
Dry Gulch Revenge
Adventures from the Casebook of Dr Marcus Quigley
The Doctor’s Bag
The Doctor
The Apothecary’s Quest
Redemption Trail
The Pest House
Wanted Dead or Revived
NON-FICTION
As Dr Keith Souter:
Homoeopathy for the Third Age
Homoeopathy: Heart & Soul
Cure Craft — Traditional Folk Remedies and Treatment from Antiquity to the Present Day
Get Well Soon
Not Just a Room With a Bath
The Art of Homoeopathy
Doctor’s Latin
50 Things you can do today to manage back pain
Coping with Rheumatism and Arthritis
Understanding and Dealing with Stroke
Understanding and Dealing with Depression