Undiscovered Scotland

 

Denzil Meyrick is best known as the author of the bestselling Detective Chief Inspector Daley series of contemporary crime novels set in the fictional town of Kinloch, based closely on the real Campbeltown near the southern end of Argyll's Kintyre peninsula.

"Ghosts in the Gloaming: A Tale from Kinloch" has the same setting, but transported back over half a century. This is the third in his series of short novels set in a Kinloch at a time that lies just about within the memory of some readers and it can be recommended for the same reasons as its predecessors. It is a beautifully written and superbly bound and presented book and the author's affection for his characters and his settings is clear to see.

You get a good idea of the story from the publisher's description of it: "It’s December 1968. Having cheated Sandy Hoynes out of a rowing race and navigation certificate when they were young, Dreich MacCallum makes an unexpected return to Kinloch. With the Girl Maggie up on the slip awaiting urgent repairs, Hoynes takes to his bed, the memory of it all too much. When first mate Hamish persuades his skipper to get up and put the fishing boat back into the water, there are unexpected consequences that put Hoynes’ liberty and reputation at risk. Has Dreich won the day again? But the spirits of the past have yet to have their say. Upon whom will the winter sun set?"

"Ghosts in the Gloaming" is, quite simply, a joy to read and a book we'd wholeheartedly recommend.