Undiscovered Scotland

 

This intriguing mystery is set on the Isle of Mull in early 2000 and brings together a disparate cast of fascinating and beautifully drawn characters. At the heart of the story is Sergeant Ivor Punch, a man who doesn't have his troubles to seek. Having said that, the character that truly dominates every element of the story is the Isle of Mull itself. This is a book with a remarkable sense of place and that adds hugely to the reader's enjoyment and ensures that you keep turning the page as the plot unfolds. It comes as no surprise to find that the author was raised on Mull and is deeply rooted there: to the extent that as a musician, he performs as "Mull Historical Society".

The story is told from a number of different viewpoints and moves back and forth in time. The effect is like watching a patchwork quilt being being constructed and the conclusion is all the more satisfying as the author's overall design becomes clear.

You get a good sense of the book from the publisher's description: "Burns Night, January 2000. In the early days of the new millennium, two burnt-out cars are discovered on a barren glen on the Isle of Mull. Inside them, only teeth and bones. Meanwhile, Ivor Punch is busy policing a protest when he meets a strange visitor purporting to be Robert Louis Stevenson, who speaks of an island that appears only twice a century. As smoke fills the air and bodies are discovered, Sergeant Punch searches for the crux of the mystery by looking to the past. Amid peculiar forces at play, a freshly moored ferry full of curious characters and a Burns Night play to set the evening alight, Punch needs to decipher what is real or imagined - before the island falls into chaos."