Published by Matador, 1 October 2013.
ISBN: 978-1-78306-111-2
New Yorker Chrissie Fersen, who only a few months
previously was pregnant and in love, has now travelled to Glasgow in Scotland
with her brother Edward for a break, following a traumatic time. When Edward is
called into work, Chrissie continues her sightseeing alone and wonders into a
neighbourhood of elegant three storey houses. Staring at the buildings she
experiences a feeling of familiarity. Then in a basement window she sees what
can only be a woman being murdered. Running to escape the sight and sounds that
surely must be in her head she finds herself in front of a library. She starts
by researching murders in Sauchiehall Street going back 50 years.
In
the library she meets Billie Vane who helps her by producing back copies of the
Glasgow Herald. Eventually Chrissie
tracks the murder back to 1862, and the death of a servant girl. But what has a murder more than a hundred
years ago got to do with her? How can
she recognise a house in Glasgow when she has never visited Glasgow before?
These two unlikely people seek the truth to the murder. But as they investigate
to find the truth they put themselves in danger. Could the events of the past
have tentacles linking to the current day?
This
intriguing and absorbing this mystery contains a fey element that captivated
this reader’s attention. Well-written with good characterisation this
fascinating mystery will keep you turning the pages. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Hayes
Alan Veale was born in 1952 in Manchester. He spent most of his formative years (from age 20 to 60) as a
thespian and/or working in the civil service. As a teenager he discovered the
joy of creative writing and applied his energies in that direction mainly to
theatre scripts. His first novel The Murder Tree was published in
October 2013, and he has just released a more personal story about his parents’
experience of emigrating in 1949 (A Kangaroo in My Sideboard). Written
in his mother’s words and based on original letters she wrote during her
adventure, it is a heart-warming tale of ambition versus adversity in a
pre-internet world.
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