Richard Strachan – författare

Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize'Impressive' Sunday Times'Audacious' Scotsman 'Beautifully written' Michelle PaverWhat 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….Both unsettling and evocative, deeply atmospheric and brilliantly engaging The Unrecovered is an unforgettable historical debut inspired by a real life legend and marks the arrival of an outstanding new talent.'Stunning' Rebecca Netley'Eerie' Naomi Kelsey'Compelling' Martin MacInnes

Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize'Impressive' Sunday Times'Audacious' Scotsman 'Beautifully written' Michelle PaverWhat 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….Both unsettling and evocative, deeply atmospheric and brilliantly engaging The Unrecovered is an unforgettable historical debut inspired by a real life legend and marks the arrival of an outstanding new talent.'Stunning' Rebecca Netley'Eerie' Naomi Kelsey'Compelling' Martin MacInnes

Shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut prize 'Beautifully written' Michelle Paver'I devoured this' Rebecca Netley'A rare gem of gothic literature' A. M. ShineAt a Scottish manor house requisitioned as a temporary hospital during the First World War, Esther works as a volunteer nurse while dreaming of becoming a poet. With her husband and beloved father both dead, she knows that if the war ever ends she must build a very different life for herself. Meanwhile, on the coast beyond her new home lies Gallondean Castle, a gloomy near-ruin that has been unhappily inherited by Jacob. Jacob is already haunted by his own demons but as he uncovers details of the castle's past, the shadows only seem to be growing darker around him. However it is Daniel, one of the soldiers who appears to have received only a minor, yet mysterious, injury, whose life will come to connect with both Esther and Jacob in horrifying and unexpected ways...Unsettling and evocative, deeply atmospheric and brilliantly engaging, The Unrecovered is an unforgettable historical debut inspired by a real life legend and marks the arrival of an outstanding new talent.

'Emotionally affecting and astute' The Scotsman'Every page, every sentence bears a remarkable intelligence, curiosity and sympathy' Martin MacInnes'Exquisitely written' Lucy RibchesterIn the skies above war-torn Europe, Stanley Wake and his fellow aircrew at Bomber Command risk their lives on missions that are incredibly dangerous and highly pressured. As the strains of their work press on him, Stan is beginning to suspect that either their plane is haunted or Stan himself may be haunted by his part in bringing about death and destruction to so many.On the ground in Lincoln, Abby Sallow is desperately trying to keep her own ghosts at bay. Working in a factory dismantling wrecked aircraft, Abby struggles to escape the nightly visions of her only son, who was killed at the very outset of war. While Stan longs to live, Abby seems intent on bringing about her own death. And for intensely superstitious Harry Culpepper, one of Stan’s crewmates, it is only the Fates can keep him alive. He has crafted a talisman – a bird skull – that he is convinced will guarantee his safety. But as the bombing intensifies and the crew count down towards 30 flights completed – the point at which they will be given a reprieve from their deadly work – all three characters will discover whether they can find a chance of peace amongst the devastation of war, and whether the ghosts that haunt them can ever truly be laid to rest.Moving, evocative and beautifully written, Night Fire establishes Richard Strachan as a major new name in historical fiction.'Exquisitely crafted and compelling' COURIER