The Scottish author SG MacLean is best known for her Seeker series and before that, the Alexander Seaton series originally published under the name Shona MacLean. I haven’t read any of those books (although I do own The Redemption of Alexander Seaton), but when I saw that her new novel, The Bookseller of Inverness, was a standalone, it seemed like a good place to start.
Set in Scotland in the aftermath of the 1745 Jacobite Rising, the ‘bookseller’ of the title is Iain MacGillivray, a survivor of the Battle of Culloden. Six years have now passed since he was wounded on the battlefield and although he escaped with his life, his face has been left badly scarred. Still traumatised by the death of his cousin Lachlan, Iain has been living quietly since the failed rising, selling books and running a small public library in Inverness. One day, Iain notices a stranger searching through the shelves, opening and closing books; he won’t tell Iain what he is looking for and only leaves when the shop is shut for the night.
The next morning, Iain opens up the shop again to find the stranger dead on the floor, his throat cut and beside him a sword with a white cockade on the hilt – the symbol of the Jacobites. The murder coincides with the reappearance of Iain’s father Hector, a prominent Jacobite who fled Scotland years earlier but still hasn’t given up hope of seeing a Stuart king on the throne once more. When more murders follow, Iain and Hector begin to search for a missing book containing the names of traitors to the Jacobite cause – a book they believe could hold the key to finding the killer.
Although the search for the book and the murderer drives the plot forward, I didn’t think the mystery was a particularly strong one. I was more interested in the historical detail, the descriptions of everyday life in 18th century Inverness and the insights into the mood, politics and changing loyalties in the years following Culloden. I’ve read about the Jacobites many times before and would prefer authors to explore other periods of Scottish history, but MacLean’s enthusiasm for this subject and setting shine through and her very detailed author’s note shows that a huge amount of research went into the writing of this novel. I’m glad I already had some knowledge of this period, though, as I think I might have found the twists and turns of the story a bit difficult to follow otherwise. MacLean also incorporates some subplots that touch on wider topics such as the slave trade and indentured servitude.
Most of the characters in the book are fictional, although many of them, as I discovered from the author’s note, are based on the lives and experiences of real people. One historical figure who plays an important part in the story without actually appearing in it is Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat – known as the ‘Old Fox’ – who readers of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series will remember as Jamie Fraser’s grandfather. Iain MacGillivray himself is an engaging character with an interesting past; I enjoyed getting to know him and reading about the work he and his assistants put into collecting, restoring and selling – or lending – books to the people of Inverness.
I’m pleased to have finally read something by MacLean. The Redemption of Alexander Seaton will be next!
Thanks to Quercus Books for providing a copy of this book for review via NetGalley.
This is book 50/50 read for the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2022.
She Reads Novels 
I’ve just finished this. I read a couple of the Seeker series, but somehow they didn’t grab me, and though I enjoyed this one, it didn’t really grab me either, I’m not sure why – like you, I thought the mystery a bit weak, and I wasn’t greatly enamoured of the main characters. In addition, I find the Jacobites a bit tedious now – they take Romantic But Wrong to a whole new level!
It sounds as though we had similar feelings on this one, then – enjoyed it but didn’t love it. The Jacobites have definitely been overdone in historical fiction, which is a shame when there are so many other interesting periods to write about!
I agree, lots of other interesting periods out there! It seems to be the same phenomenon as has happened around the Tudors – one author has fabulous success writing about the subject, and everyone else climbs on the bandwagon and does it to death. If I never read another book about Henry VIII’s wives, it won’t be a day too soon!
Like you I have bought a copy of some of the Seeker series after meeting the author in Inverness several years ago. I think I have read one! I really enjoyed this standalone book and discovered a lot about the post Culloden history of the area, and thought it was filled with excellent characters – especailly the Grande Dames!
I’m glad you enjoyed this one. I did find it interesting that the focus was on the post-Culloden years rather than the rising itself.
Sounded promising but maybe not.
It was interesting but didn’t really work as a mystery.
Yes, not too promising.
I liked The Redemption of Alexander Seaton but abandoned The Seeker. I think it’s because of something you mention about this one – that it helps if the reader already knows something about the history. I didn’t in The Seeker, and found she didn’t really explain it well enough. I have this one so I’m hoping I’ll get on better with it since I know the period, but like you I wish people would write about something other than the Jacobites!
I’m looking forward to the Alexander Seaton book as I remember it got great reviews when it first came out and I don’t know why it’s stayed unread on my TBR for so long! With your knowledge of the Jacobites, I’m sure you’ll find this one easier to follow than The Seeker, but she doesn’t really explain things very well in this book either and I think without that knowledge it would probably be quite confusing!
I have this one on my TBR so when I get to it, I’ll be back to read your review. (Sometimes I need to do that with a book).
I hope you enjoy it, Lisa.
The time period and setting alone make me want to give this one a try.
Yes, it’s a fascinating period and setting, even though I feel I’ve read about it too often!
I had more or less the same experience. It was not bad, but it isn’t memorable. And I think you already need to know a bit about the Jacobite risings to get into the story.
Yes, it was interesting enough but not particularly memorable. If I had never read about the Jacobites before I think I would have found it confusing.
Although I know far less about the Jacobites than I should, you haven’t sold this one to me. It sounds as though there are better books to ge a bit of history -on-the-sly from.
I found it quite entertaining in parts, but not really a must-read. It didn’t help that it was marketed as a historical mystery but there was actually very little mystery involved.
You had me with the words bookseller, Inverness and Jacobite!
Thanks for sharing this review with the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Those are the things that attracted me to this book, although I wish other periods of Scottish history would get more attention too.