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Why Not?: Scotland, Labour and Independence (Viewpoints #20)
by Jamie MaxwellIs Scottish independence incompatible with 'Labour values'?Are 'Labour values' being realised within the Union?How much really divides Yes campaigners from Labour voters?Why Not? Scotland, Labour and Independence is a passionate and often personal appeal to Labour voters (and other progressive Scots) to consider the social, economic and political gains that could be won with Scottish self-government. Bringing together a range of diverse voices - some from within the Labour Party, some from within the SNP, some from the non-aligned Left - it presents the social justice case for a Yes vote and argues that independence offers the clearest route forward for socialist and centre-left Scotland.Urgent, original and provocative, Why Not? is a vital contribution to the independence debate - and essential reading for all Scots.
Generation Scot Y (Open Scotland #6)
by Kate HigginsWhat is Generation Scot Y? Born in the 1980s and 1990s and comprising primarily of the children of the baby boomers, Generation Y is often perceived as being the generation that wants it all. Think you know what makes Scotland's 20-somethings tick? Knowing who Generation Y in Scotland - Generation Scott Y - is, matters for our economy, our society and our political culture. Generation has grown up with devolution: are they ready to embrace full nationhood? How has Scotland's independence referendum affected them and what does it mean for their future? In this book, political blogger at Burdz Eye View, Kate Higgins explores all this and more - Generation Scott Y's identity, influences, values, voting behaviours and aspirations. Far from being frivolous, this is a serious generation for serious times. This book only skims the surface but dip in and you'll discover something you never knew - I did and I'm the mother of one. And ultimately, you'll find that far from wanting to have it all, they just want a little of all that we've had. KATE HIGGINS
100 Days of Hope and Fear: How Scotland's Referendum was Lost and Won
by David TorranceWas it simply a victory for fear over hope?How did the Better Together campaign come so close to losing it?How did the Yes campaign come so close to winning it?What can the people of Scotland - and other aspirant nations - learn from this seismic democratic event? Scotland’s independence referendum on 18 September 2014 was the most significant ballot in Scotland’s history. The 100 days up to 18 September was the official campaign period and the world’s media was watching. David Torrance was there throughout, in front of the cameras, on the radio, in the newspapers, at the debates and gatherings, privy to some of the behind-the-scenes manoeuvrings.A passionate federalist at heart, described disparagingly by the outgoing First Minister as ‘Tory-leaning’, Torrance made a valiant attempt to remain ‘professionally neutral’ throughout. His commentary and analysis as the campaign went through its many twists and turns was always insightful, if not always popular.'Reading this diary back during the editing process it was clear that, like (Nate) Silver (the US polling guru whose view was that the Yes campaign had virtually no chance of victory), I got a lot of things wrong (including the likely margin of victory) but also many things broadly correct. At least I can plead, as journalists often do, that I was probably right at the time.'His diary is deliciously gossipy, entertainingly indiscreet, and a must-read for political geeks as well as those who want to see what goes on behind the scenes of Scotland's politics and media.STEPHEN DAISLEY, STVDavid Torrance has emerged as one of the campaign's most important commentators... [his] unauthorised biography of Alex Salmond, Against the Odds, has become the prescribed text for the flying columns of English-based and overseas journalists converging on Scotland in this our hour of destiny.KEVIN McKENNA, Scottish Review of BooksTorrance has secured himself a prominent position in the referendum debate, partly through the strategic use of nice jumpers and expertly crafted hair, but largely on merit ... [he deserves] far better than the lazy impossibilist critiques to which [his federalist] proposals have been subjected.RORY SCOTHORNE on Britain RebootedF*** sake... David Torrance on again. Is the greasy weasel never aff the telly?CALUM FINDLAY [on Twitter]
Wee White Blossom: What Post-Referendum Scotland Needs to Flourish (Viewpoints #21)
by Lesley RiddochSo stands Scotland where it did? Not on your nelly.The professional classes in Scotland may be busy with Commissions, vows, deals, submissions and General Election planning but the wider Yes Movement is busy with huge spontaneous meetings involving hundreds, even thousands of people - gatherings like birds flocking before winter or starlings swooping to throw shapes into darkening skies. Because they can.Wee White Blossom is a post-indyref, poppadom-sized version of Blossom for folk who've already sampled the full bhuna. It updates Blossom with a new chapter on Scotland's Year of Living Dangerously. Lesley Riddoch shares her thoughts on the Smith Commission, the departure of Gordon Brown, the return of Alex Salmond and the latest developments in land reform and local control. She considers the future of the SNP, the Radical Independence Campaign, Common Weal, Women for Independence and Scottish Labour in the aftermath of the referendum. This is a plain-speaking, incisive call to restore equality and control to local communities and let Scotland flourish.Wee White Blossom is the ideal companion volume to Blossom, whether you want an update on the first edition or an appetiser before delving into the pages of the original.The most influential, passionate and constructive book to appear during the referendum campaign. Blossom seized readers because it argued for independence as means to an end - restoring control over their own lives to Scottish communities so disempowered by top-down authority that they had no real experience of democracy.NEAL ASCHERSONA brilliant, moving, well written, informative, important and valuable piece of work.ELAINE C SMITHNot so much an intervention in the independence debate as a heartfelt manifesto for a better democracy.ESTHER BREITENBACH, Scotsman
Blossom: What Scotland Needs to Flourish. 2nd edition. (Viewpoints Ser. #10)
by Lesley RiddochBlossom is an account of Scotland at the grassroots through the stories of people I’ve had the good fortune to know – the most stubborn, talented and resilient people on the planet. They’ve had to be. Some have transformed their parts of Scotland. Some have tried and failed. But all have something in common – they know what it takes for Scotland to blossom. We should too… Weeding out vital components of Scottish identity from decades of political and social tangle is no mean task, but it’s one journalist Lesley Riddoch has undertaken. Dispensing with the tired, yo-yoing jousts over fiscal commissions, Devo Something and EU in-or-out, Blossom pinpoints both the buds of growth and the blight that’s holding Scotland back. Drawing from its people and history as well as the experience of the Nordic countries, and the author’s own passionate and outspoken perspective, this is a plain-speaking but incisive call to restore equality and control to local communities and let Scotland flourish.
From #Indyref to Eternity: The battle for a nation, and how proud Scotia came within a whisker of breaking free.
by Douglas LindsayThe repercussions of Scotland's indyref will echo down the years, for evermore, for proud Scotia's sons and daughters, from here to eternity.DR IAN SHACKLETON, 19 SEPTEMBER 2014From David Cameron striding across the border, wearing nothing but a kilt and brandishing a claymore soaked in the blood of his enemies, to Alex Salmond's naked mud wrestling bout with Alistair Darling, the campaign to win Scotland's independence from the Evil Empire in Westminster had everything.Now, with in-depth analysis from renowned political expert, Dr Ian Shackleton, and relying on actual quotes from friends of sources close to aides to senior Holyrood insiders, From #Indyref To Eternity tells the true story of the momentous political event, that historians will call 'that vote about the thing that happened in Scotland in 2014.'
Five Million Conversations: How Labour lost and election and rediscovered its roots
by Iain WatsonOn the eve of the general election, Ed Miliband declared that Labour had won the ‘ground war’. He proclaimed that his activists had been in touch with many more voters than his opponents: ‘We have had five million conversations. This will go to the wire.’ Yet the Conservatives went on to win a majority for the first time in more than two decades - while Labour lost seats in England, and were all but wiped out in Scotland. How could they get it so wrong? Iain Watson followed the Labour campaign around Britain, and now he examines what its senior politicians are now calling the party’s ‘political and organisational failures.’ He exposes the high-level divisions over when to rule out a deal with the SNP, the gulf between perception and reality over Labour’s level of support, and looks at the more successful campaigns of the Conservatives and Scottish Nationalists. He sets out the challenges for the next Labour leader, having had his own conversations with voters, activists and senior party figures, and discovers there is no easy solution to the party’s problems.
Naw First Minister!: Irascible Big Nellie Nellis Becomes Scotland's First Minister... pity help Scotland!
by Allan MorrisonWith no party having a majority it was decided the position of First Minister should go to neutral, AGSTLO (Ah m Gonnae Sort This Lot Oot party) MSP, Big Nellie Nellis, a controversial imposing lady with the relics of beauty still on her face, unapologetically long legs which look as though they could stretch into different time zones, and bosoms requiring their own postal codes. Her over-bearing appearance and vibrancy, assisted by a continually refilled hip flask of single malt, make her formidable to all and sundry. Forget Mrs Thatcher, Mrs Merkel, Mrs Gillard, Mrs Meir and Ms Sturgeon. These women were absolute softies compared to Big Nellie. When Big Nellie Nellis bounds into Scottish politics after a fish supper and a cockup too far, her brash reason wins an electorate weary of the pointless jabbering of a divided Parliament. However, shaking up the status quo of Holyrood sets some slippery MSPs delving into Nellie s past to uncover the truth about Scotland s least likely political leader.
EU Referendum 2016: A Guide for Voters
by David TorranceShould the United Kingdom remain a part of the European Union or leave the European Union? This is the question we will have to answer on 23 June, when we head to the ballot boxes to cast our votes in the in/out referendum on EU membership. It’s a complicated issue. What, exactly, would the much discussed ‘Brexit’ mean for the UK? With varied opinions on the EU from all over the political spectrum, do you know enough to make an informed decision? This non-partisan guide features chapters on the history of Britain in Europe, the ‘Remain’ and ‘Leave’ campaigns, and the likely timelines following both a ‘In’ and an ‘Out’ vote. With maps illustrating the EU and EEA membership and clear exposition of issues key to the debate by journalist and broadcaster David Torrance, author of guides to the 2015 General Election and the Scottish Independence Referendum, this is the only guide to 2016’s referendum you will need.
A Utopia Like Any Other: Inside the Swedish Model (A Utopia Like Any Other)
by Dominic HindeDoes a utopia really exist within northern Europe? Do we have anything to learn from it if it does? And what makes a nation worthy of admiration, anyway? Since the ’30s, when the world was wowed by the Stockholm Exhibition, to most people Sweden has meant clean lines, good public housing, and a Social Democratic government. More recently the Swedes have been lauded for their environmental credentials, their aspirational free schools, and their hardy economy. But what’s the truth of the Swedish model? Is modern Sweden really that much better than rest of Europe? In this insightful exploration of where Sweden has been, where it’s going, and what the rest of us can learn from its journey, journalist Dominic Hinde explores the truth behind the myth of a Swedish Utopia. In his quest for answers he travels the length of the country and further, enjoying July sunshine on the island of Gotland with the cream of Swedish politics for ‘Almedalan Week’, venturing into the Arctic Circle to visit a town about to be swallowed up by the very mine it exists to serve, and even taking a trip to Shanghai to take in the suburban Chinese interpretation of Scandinavia, ‘Sweden Town’, a Nordic city in miniature in the smog of China’s largest city.
Roch Winds: A Treacherous Guide to the State of Scotland
by Cailean GallagherDid Scotland’s rough wind become something more after the referendum, as so many hoped it would, or did it blow itself out? What power can pessimism have in a nation of newfound self-confidence? A generation ago, the socialist poet Hamish Henderson forecast that ‘mair nor a roch wind’ - more than a rough wind - would rush through the great glen of the world as empires and nations collapsed. In Roch Winds, three young radicals pick through the rubble left in the wake of the storm that propelled the Scottish National Party into a position of unprecedented political dominance in Scotland. This darkly humorous book dissects the rise of the SNP and the fall of Labour during the months leading up to 2014 Independence Referendum and beyond. Drawing on their involvement in the Yes campaign for independence and the Labour Party, the authors cast their eyes to Scotland’s future and to radical horizons. Fluent, funny and full of fighting talk, this book is for everyone who has ever wondered what lies behind the tartan curtain of Scotland’s new establishment.
McSmörgåsbord: What post-Brexit Scotland can learn from the Nordics
by Lesley RiddochThe Nordic countries have a veritable smörgåsbord of relationships with the European Union, from in to out to somewhere in between. So, what does that mean for Scotland? Well, somewhere in this incredible diversity of relationships with Europe is an arrangement that’s likely to be good for Scotland too – strangely enough, maybe more than one. Inside or outside the UK, Scotland wants to keep trade and cultural links with Europe – that much is clear. But is the EU really the best club in town for an independent Scotland? Or would Scots benefit from ‘doing a Norway’ – joining the halfway house of the EEA and keeping the Single Market but losing the troublesome Common Fisheries and Agriculture Policies? Would an independent Scotland need the support and shelter of another union – or could the nation stand alone like the tiny Faroes or Iceland? These tough questions have already been faced and resolved by five Nordic nations and their autonomous territories within the last 40 years. Perhaps there’s something for Scotland to learn? The unique combination of personal experience and experts’ insights give this book its hands-on character: pragmatic and thought-provoking, challenging and instructive, full of amazing stories and useful comparisons, enriching the debates about Scotland’s post-Brexit future as a Nordic neighbour. Scotland’s response to Britain’s divided Brexit vote has been positively Nordic – Scots expect diversity and empowerment to be entirely possible – whilst Westminster’s reaction has been decidedly British. One singer – one song. One deal for everyone – end of. Lesley Riddoch Of course, the majority of Nordic nations are eu members. But perhaps the eea is a closer fit for Scotland? Perhaps, too, a viable halfway house option would boost support for Scottish independence? Especially since Holyrood may not automatically retrieve powers from Europe post Brexit. Paddy Bort
Scotland, the UK and Brexit: A Guide to the Future
by Gerry Hassan Russell GunsonThe unexpected outcome of the 2017 UK general election means that the UK Government lacks a clear mandate on Brexit and also that the Scottish Government lacks a clear mandate on holding a second Independence Referendum consequent to the material change in circumstance which will be brought about by Brexit. We are in for a bumpy, unpredictable ride, one with profound consequences for the people of Scotland and the UK.In this collection of essays from a wide range of leading political specialists, journalists and academics, Hassan and Gunson have assembled a comprehensive guide to Brexit for the UK as a whole, and its constituent parts.From fisheries and agriculture to higher education and law, the whys and how of Brexit are challenged from all angles. Particular attention is paid to how Brexit will impact Scotland and the viability of a future independent Scotland.
A Nation Changed?: The SNP and Scotland Ten Years On
by Gerry Hassan Simon BarrowA Nation Changed? Provides the first detailed and wide-ranging analysis of the SNP in office. It looks at how Scotland has changed and not changed during that time, and the challenges that lie ahead. The book examines the SNP's record, its role as a government and as a party, detailed policy issues such as education and health, the Brexit conundrum and independence.Offering insights and suggestions for further action and reform, A Nation Changed? brings together an unparalleled range of knowledgeable and expert voices all of whom care deeply about Scotland, public policy, the state of democracy, and the future of our nation. Irrespective of your political views or allegiance, this groundbreaking study offers fresh thinking, food for thought and ideas for debate concerning the changing terrain of Scottish politics.
Women Workers & The Trade Unions
by Sarah BostonIn this highly-praised history of women’s battles in the workplace, Sarah Boston explores how women workers have often had to challenge their male co-workers and union organisers, as well as managers. Sarah Boston recounts the story of women workers from the early nineteenth century to the present day: the struggles and strikes, successes and failures in their strenuous efforts to organise and win recognition from employers and male trade unionists. Women Workers and the Trade Unions – now republished with the addition of two new chapters covering the period from 1987 to 2010 – is the only comprehensive account of this neglected overlap of women’s history and labour history. Sarah Boston argues that male trade unionists’ exclusionary treatment of women workers contradicted not only the socialist aims of most trade unions but also the very logic of trade unionism itself. The account is essential reading for anyone concerned with the history of industrial relations, but also with the history of feminism and of women in the workplace. Includes a new preface by TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady.
Communism and Democracy: History, debates and potentials (PDF)
by Mike Makin-WaiteOn the centenary of the Russian Revolution of 1917, Mike Makin-Waite surveys the history of the communist movement, tracking its origins in the Enlightenment, and through nineteenth-century socialism to the emergence of Marxism and beyond. As we emerge from the long winter of neoliberalism, and the search is on for ideas that can help shape a contemporary popular socialism, some of the questions that have preoccupied socialist thinkers throughout left history are once more being debated. Should the left press for reform and work through the state or should it focus on protest and a critique of the whole system? Is it possible to expand the liberal idea of democracy to include economic democracy? Which alliances require too great a compromise and which can help secure future change?
Podemos: In the Name of the People (PDF)
by Inigo Errejon Owen Jones Chantal MouffeÍñigo Errejón, Political Secretary of Podemos, discusses with political theorist Chantal Mouffe the political strategy that underpinned the development of Podemos in Spain, and explores the possibilities for a new left politics that might emerge out of these developments.
100 Acts of Minor Dissent
by Mark Thomas100 Acts of Minor Dissent is a hilarious account of an entire year spent living provocatively. From successful campaigns against Royal Parks and multinationals, to arts and crafts with porn mags, from annoying estate agents, to raising cinema workers' wages, comedian and campaigner Mark Thomas stopped at nothing.The Acts were sometimes bold, sometimes surreal. Many brought about change and others were done for the sheer hell of it. Whether at the gates of the Saudi Arabian embassy or the checkout at Tesco - people reacted with laughter, shock, outrage and occasionally anger. Sometimes all of the above.100 Acts of Minor Dissent makes for dangerously inspiring reading.Please note this is a fixed-format ebook with colour images and may not be well-suited for older e-readers.
If Women Rose Rooted: A Life-Changing Journey to Authenticity and Belonging
by Dr Sharon BlackieA life-changing journey from the wasteland of modern society to a place of nourishment and connection. Fifth anniversary edition, with new afterword for 2021.'Mind-blowing. An anthem for all we could be . . . I sincerely hope every woman who can read has the time and space to read it.' Manda Scott, author of Boudica and A Treachery of Spies'This is the core of our task: to respect and revere ourselves, and so bring about a world in which women are respected and revered, recognised once again as holding the life-giving power of the earth itself.'If Women Rose Rootedhas been described as both transformative and essential. Sharon Blackie leads the reader on a quest to find their place in the world, drawing inspiration from the wise and powerful women in native mythology, and guidance from contemporary role models who have re-rooted themselves in land and community and taken responsibility for shaping the future.Beautifully written, honest and moving,If Women Rose Rooted is a passionate song to a different kind of femininity, a rallying, feminist cry for the rewilding of womanhood;reclaiming our role as guardians of the land.'Powerful and inspiring.' Melissa Harrison, author of All Among the Barley
The Liar's Quartet: Bravo Figaro!, Cuckooed, The Red Shed - Playscripts, Notes and Commentary
by Mark ThomasFunny, provocative and moving, The Liar's Quartet includes the scripts with brand new commentary from Mark Thomas' most acclaimed comic, political theatre.'There is a battle of narratives. The working-class narrative is being erased. And as you erase that narrative, you erase truths with it.' Layered with political insight (and insult), and peppered with anecdote, The Liar's Quartet is a bravura performance in its own right. Each multi-award winning show examines Thomas' obsession with the bonds that bind us, those of family, friends and communities.Beginning with Bravo Figaro!, Mark puts on an opera in his dying father's living room (with the help of Royal Opera House singers) to explore their relationship. In Cuckooed, he unpicks the betrayal of a friend and a fellow activist who was in fact employed to spy for the UK's biggest arms company, BAE systems. And in The Red Shed, Mark returns to his political roots to harness the power of collective memory and celebrate the importance of working-class struggles and narratives in a story he describes as 'a topical tale about the miners' strike'.Laughter, anger and connection. Mark Thomas is more essential than ever ...
Urban Art Legends
by Alan KetUrban Art Legends is the perfect companion for anyone wanting to learn more about the vibrant, exciting and constantly evolving art form of street art.From being spray-painted onto walls and trains, to enjoying acclaim in galleries and museums, the graffiti movement has changed. Far from being viewed as mindless vandalism, graffiti, or urban street art, has become prized as a highly valued and socially relevant art form.Renowned graffiti artist KET selects 38 of the most influential and pioneering urban artists from around the world who have driven this transformation. Alongside selections of their artwork, KET explores their mediums, methods and backgrounds, and why they've chosen to challenge classical ideas of art to convey messages about urban culture. From well-known names such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey and Blek le Rat to superstars of the underground movement, these are artists who have moved far away from the clichéd lettering and tags to develop individual styles that reflect and critique modern life.
The Last Days of Disco (Disco Days #1)
by David RossEarly in the decade that taste forgot, Fat Franny Duncan is on top of the world. He is the undoubted King of the Ayrshire Mobile Disco scene, controlling and ruling the competition with an iron fist. But the future is uncertain. A new partnership is coming and is threatening to destroy the big man’s Empire ... Bobby Cassidy and Joey Miller have been best mates since primary school. Joey is an idealist; Bobby just wants to get laid and avoid following his brother Gary to the Falklands. A partnership in their new mobile disco venture seems like the answer to everything.The Last Days of Disco is about family, music, small-time gangsters … and the fear of being sent to the Falklands by the biggest gangster of them all. Witty, energetic and entirely authentic, it’s also heartbreakingly honest, weaving together tragedy and comedy with an uncanny and unsettling elegance. A simply stunning debut.‘There’s a bittersweet poignancy to David F. Ross’s debut novel, The Last Days of Disco’ Edinburgh Evening News’This is a book that might just make you cry like nobody’s watching’ Iain MacLeod, Sunday Mail‘Full of comedy, pathos & great tunes’ Hardeep Singh Kohli‘Warm, funny & evocative’ Chris Brookmyre‘Dark, hilarious & heartbreaking’ Muriel Gray‘Captures the time, the spirit … I loved it’ John Niven‘If I saw that in a store I would buy it without even looking at what was inside’ Irvine Welsh‘Like the vinyl that crackles off every page, The Last Days of Disco is as warm and authentic as Roddy Doyle at his very best’ Nick Quantrill
The Abrupt Physics of Dying (Claymore Straker #1)
by Paul E. HardistyOne man. An oil company. A decision that could cost his life.Claymore Straker is trying to forget a violent past. Working as an oil company engineer in the wilds of Yemen, he is hijacked at gunpoint by Islamic terrorists. Clay has a choice: help uncover the cause of a mysterious sickness afflicting the village of Al Urush, close to the company’s oil-processing facility, or watch Abdulkader, his driver and close friend, die. As the country descends into civil war and village children start dying, Clay finds himself caught up in a ruthless struggle between opposing armies, controllers of the country’s oil wealth, Yemen’s shadowy secret service, and rival terrorist factions.As Clay scrambles to keep his friend alive, he meets Rania, a troubled journalist. Together, they try to uncover the truth about Al Urush. But nothing in this ancient, unforgiving place is as it seems. Accused of a murder he did not commit, put on the CIA’s most-wanted list, Clay must come to terms with his past and confront the powerful forces that want him dead.A stunning debut eco-thriller, The Abrupt Physics of Dying will not only open your eyes, but keep them glued to the page until the final, stunning denouement is reached.‘A stormer of a thriller - vividly written, utterly topical, totally gripping' Peter James‘A page-turning adventure that grabs you from the first page and won’t let go’ Edward Wilson‘An exceptional debut, beautifully written, blisteringly authentic, heartstoppingly tense and unusually moving. Definite award material' Paul Johnston‘A thriller of the highest quality, with the potential to one day stand in the company of such luminaries as Bond and Bourne’ Live Many Lives‘A big, powerful, sophisticated and page-turning thriller – thought-provoking and prescient' Eve Seymour
The Defenceless (Anna Fekete #2)
by Kati HiekkapeltoWhen an old man is found dead on the road – seemingly run over by a Hungarian au pair – police investigator Anna Fekete is certain that there is more to the incident than meets the eye. As she begins to unravel an increasingly complex case, she’s led on a deadly trail where illegal immigration, drugs and, ultimately, murder threaten not only her beliefs, but her life.Anna’s partner Esko is entrenched in a separate but equally dangerous investigation into the activities of an immigrant gang, where deportation orders and raids cause increasing tension and result in desperate measures by gang members – and the police themselves.Then a bloody knife is found in the snow, and the two cases come together in ways that no one could have predicted. As pressure mounts, it becomes clear that having the law on their side may not be enough for Anna and Esko.Chilling, disturbing and terrifyingly believable, The Defenceless is an extraordinary, vivid and gripping thriller by one of the most exciting new voices in crime fiction.‘Tough and powerful crime fiction’ Publishers Weekly'The Finnish Kati Hiekkapelto deserves her growing reputation as her individual writing identity is subtly unlike that of her colleagues' Barry Forshaw, Crime Time’There is something fresh and slightly subversive about Hiekkapelto’s writing in The Defenceless. there is something of that restless energy here, a nod to anti-authoritarian and countercultural ideas that makes the novel stand out from the pack’ Doug Johnstone, The Big Issue’A taut and provocative thriller with a raging social conscience … cements Kati Hiekkapelto’s position as one of Scandi-noir’s most exciting and important new voices’ Eva Dolan'Dark-souled but clear-eyed, Kati Hiekkapelto’s edgy, powerful novels grip your throat and squeeze your heart. Addictive.’ A. J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window‘An edgy and insightful chiller with a raw and brooding narrative. Skilfully plotted and beautifully written, Hiekkapelto has given us an excellent and suspenseful crime novel’ Craig Robertson‘A writer willing to take risks with her work’ Sarah Ward‘Seriously good! The taut elegance of the writing brilliantly contrasts the grit of the subject matter. Kati Hiekkapelto is the real deal’ Anya Lipska
The Man Who Loved Islands (Disco Days #3)
by David RossThe Disco Boys and The Band are back…In the early 80s, Bobby Cassidy and Joey Miller were inseparable; childhood friends and fledgling business associates. Now, both are depressed and lonely, and they haven't spoken to each other in more than ten years. A bizarre opportunity to honour the memory of someone close to both of them presents itself, if only they can forgive ... and forget.With the help of the deluded Max Mojo and the faithful Hamish May, can they pull off the impossible, and reunite the legendary Ayrshire band, The Miraculous Vespas, for a one-off Music Festival – The Big Bang – on a remote, uninhabited Scottish island?Absurdly funny, deeply moving and utterly human, The Man Who Loves Islands is an unforgettable finale to the Disco Days trilogy – a modern classic pumped full of music and middle-aged madness, written from the heart and pen of one of Scotland’s finest new voices.‘A real new talent on the Scottish literary scene’ Press & Journal‘By turn hilarious and heart-breaking, more than anything Ross creates beautifully rounded characters full of humanity and perhaps most of all, hope’ Liam Rudden, Scotsman‘… carved out an enduring place for himself among contemporary Scottish novelists’ Alastair Mabb, Herald Scotland‘The final novel in Ross’s Disco Days trilogy, this work is a warm, funny consideration of reconciliation between middle-aged friends and a celebration of music’s healing powers. Suggest to fans of Nick Hornby’ Library Journal‘Warm, funny and evocative. If you grew up in the eighties, you’re going to love this’ Chris Brookmyre‘Dark, hilarious, funny and heart-breaking all at the same time, a book that sums up the spirit of an era and a country in a way that will make you wince and laugh at the same time’ Muriel Gray‘An astonishing tour de force’ John Niven‘Full of comedy, pathos and great tunes’ Hardeep Singh Kohli