A Killing in Van Diemen’s Land

About the Book: 

Edinburgh, 1690. Jacob Kerr, a wealthy city merchant and church elder, has been found stabbed to death in his own home. Is it a routine robbery gone wrong, as the evidence suggests?

John MacKenzie is dragged from happy retirement by the irresistible pull of a murder that is not as simple as it seems. With King William and James Stewart about to do battle in Ireland, the Scottish people are in a frenzy of doubt and paranoia. The family who reside behind the mysterious walls of Van Diemen’s Land are no exception. Can MacKenzie and Scougall cut through the fog of fear to reach the truth of the matter?

Reviews: 

Praise for the series:

'Watt conjures up a pungent atmosphere of darkness and period detail.' The Herald

'A whodunnit satisfyingly rich in unfamiliar period detail.' Morning Star

'Paints the period vividly in a gripping read.' Edinburgh Evening News

About the Author:

DOUGLAS WATT was born in Edinburgh and brought up there and in Aberdeen. He was educated at Edinburgh University where he gained an MA and PhD in Scottish History. Douglas is the author of a series of historical crime novels set in late 17th century Scotland featuring investigative advocate John MacKenzie and his side-kick Davie Scougall. He is also the author of The Price of Scotland, a prize-winning history of Scotland’s Darien Disaster. He lives in Midlothian with his wife Julie.