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Douglas Watt

    This author delves into the depths of Scottish history, bringing the turbulent 17th century to life through compelling crime novels. Their works serve not merely as thrilling narratives but as explorations of the era's intricate paradoxes, where superstition intertwined with the nascent sparks of the Enlightenment. Through their characters, readers embark on a journey through a Scotland rife with witch hunts and religious fanaticism, all while witnessing the very germination of modern society. With a profound grasp of historical context, the author masterfully weaves the suspense of the detective genre with the rich tapestry of the past.

    Pilgrim of Slaughter
    A Killing in Van Diemen's Land
    The Unnatural Death of a Jacobite
    Testament of a Witch
    Death of a Chief
    The Price of Scotland
    • The Price of Scotland

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading

      The Price of Scotland covers a well-known episode in Scottish history, the ill-fated Darien Scheme. It recounts for the first time in almost forty years, the history of the Company of Scotland, looking at previously unexamined evidence and considering the failure in light of the Company's financial records. Douglas Watt offers the reader a new way of looking at this key moment in history, from the attempt to raise capital in London in 1695 through to the shareholder bail-out as part of the Treaty of Union in 1707. With the tercentenary of the Union in May 2007, The Price of Scotland provides a timely reassessment of this national disaster.

      The Price of Scotland
    • Death of a Chief

      • 256 pages
      • 9 hours of reading

      Mystery surrounds the murder of Sir Lachlan MacLean, an impoverished Highland laird with many enemies. Lawyer John MacKenzie and scribe Davie Scougall turn investigator to try to track down the murderer.

      Death of a Chief
    • Testament of a Witch

      • 256 pages
      • 9 hours of reading

      Set in 17th century Edinburgh, John MacKenzie investigates the murder of a woman accused of witchcraft but he must act quickly when the same accusations are made against the woman's daughter.

      Testament of a Witch
    • It's 1689 and the body of a young lawyer has been discovered near Craigleith Quarry, Edinburgh. Meanwhile, in the Highlands, an army is trying to crush the government in the hope of restoring James Stewart to the throne. Bonnie Dundee is at the head of an army in the Highlands looking to crush the government forces and help restore James Stewart. Was the discovered body anything to do with the rise of the Jacobites? Or was it simple the result of an office rivalry? Did the young man perhaps have connections to criminals in the city? Investigative lawyer John MacKenzie and his assistant Scougall search for the truth in this gripping new instalment of Douglas Watt's John MacKenzie series.

      The Unnatural Death of a Jacobite
    • A Killing in Van Diemen's Land

      • 224 pages
      • 8 hours of reading

      Set in Edinburgh in 1690. The body of a wealthy merchant is discovered in his home in the city centre. Was his killing the result of a robbery gone wrong? The vicious mode of his death seems to suggest otherwise. Scotland is in upheaval as political and religious tensions boil, and there is mystery concealed behind the walls of Van Diemen's Land. MacKenzie and Scougall investigate.

      A Killing in Van Diemen's Land
    • Pilgrim of Slaughter

      • 192 pages
      • 7 hours of reading

      Scotland in 1688 - a nation bitterly divided by religion and politics where the King's pro-Catholic policies have unleashed the sectarian hatred of extreme Protestants. Edinburgh is a powder-keg, packed with plotters planning revolution.

      Pilgrim of Slaughter