On Hist Fic Saturday
Let's go back to...1743
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| Alligin Books February 2020 My thanks to the author for my ecopy of this book |
Edinburgh, December 1743: Redcoat Captain Robert Catto is between the Devil and the deep blue sea. His investigations have turned up compelling evidence of a real threat posed to the House of Hanover by a plan to restore the House of Stuart to the British throne. His duty is to draw out as many Jacobites as he can find in Scotland's capital and gather evidence against them, their names to be handed over to Duncan Forbes of Culloden, Lord President of the Court of Session, and Catto's mentor. Two of those dedicated Jacobite plotters are Patrick Rankeillor, surgeon-apothecary, and his daughter Christian Rankeillor. Yet with every day that passes and despite their very different and deeply held views, Robert and Christian are falling ever more deeply in love. How is he to reconcile doing his duty with his feelings for Christian Rankeillor?
What did I think about it..
Those who have read this author's previous historical novel will be familiar with the Storm over Scotland series which features Redcoat Captain, Robert Catto, and his growing attraction to the rather unconventional, Christian Rankeillor, a young woman, who, with her passionate zeal for the Jacobite cause, has a distinct knack of being caught up in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
The story begins immediately where Gathering Storm left off and continues in the same theme with Robert Catto doing all he can to discover the activities of those Jacobite followers who would seek to plot against the Hanoverian crown, but in doing his undercover work, Catto continually puts himself and his friends and associates in grave danger. I particularly enjoyed reading of Catto's relationship with young Geordie Smart, who, it must be said, doesn't have an easy time of it in this novel.
The author knows more than most about the Jacobite history of Scotland having written non- fiction books about the subject and writes with great enthusiasm bringing a wealth of historical knowledge to her stories. This continues in Dance to the Storm where the general air of unease continues to threaten, and as the mystery surrounding the Jacobite plotters grows ever deeper, so the hint of danger to both Catto and Rankeillor continually threatens to engulf them.
It has been interesting to travel back in time to these rather dark days of Scottish history, when the political intrigue was at its height, and when the Jacobite cause was just starting to gain momentum in the city which would see much political upheaval in the following few years.
I am sure that the author will continue to explore this theme in the Storm over Scotland series.
Those who have read this author's previous historical novel will be familiar with the Storm over Scotland series which features Redcoat Captain, Robert Catto, and his growing attraction to the rather unconventional, Christian Rankeillor, a young woman, who, with her passionate zeal for the Jacobite cause, has a distinct knack of being caught up in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
The story begins immediately where Gathering Storm left off and continues in the same theme with Robert Catto doing all he can to discover the activities of those Jacobite followers who would seek to plot against the Hanoverian crown, but in doing his undercover work, Catto continually puts himself and his friends and associates in grave danger. I particularly enjoyed reading of Catto's relationship with young Geordie Smart, who, it must be said, doesn't have an easy time of it in this novel.
The author knows more than most about the Jacobite history of Scotland having written non- fiction books about the subject and writes with great enthusiasm bringing a wealth of historical knowledge to her stories. This continues in Dance to the Storm where the general air of unease continues to threaten, and as the mystery surrounding the Jacobite plotters grows ever deeper, so the hint of danger to both Catto and Rankeillor continually threatens to engulf them.
It has been interesting to travel back in time to these rather dark days of Scottish history, when the political intrigue was at its height, and when the Jacobite cause was just starting to gain momentum in the city which would see much political upheaval in the following few years.
I am sure that the author will continue to explore this theme in the Storm over Scotland series.
About the Author
Maggie Craig writes Scottish historical fiction and non-fiction. As the author of the ground-breaking and acclaimed Damn' Rebel Bitches: The Women of the '45, she is the acknowledged expert on the women who supported - and some who opposed - Bonnie Prince Charlie and the Jacobites of 1745.
Hi Jo, Thanks for this lovely review. I'm currently writing book 3 and it's going well. Pretty sure this is going to be a quartet now.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the audio version of Dance to the Storm, which will be released on Amazon Audible very soon. The reader is Steven Worsley and he sounds like Robert to me!
That's good news about the quartet! And that you have found the voice of Robert Catto in your audible narrator:)
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