The Blood Is Still

Written by Douglas Skelton

Narrated by Sarah Barron

When a man in eighteenth-century Highland dress is found dead on the site of the Battle of Culloden, where Bonnie Prince Charlie led his forces to a rout seared into Scottish memory, Rebecca Connolly takes up the case for the Chronicle. A controversial film about the rebellion and battle is being shot nearby, and it has drawn the ire of the right-wing nationalist movement Spirit of the Gael. Is there some link between the murder—the weapon used to impale the man leaves no doubt it was murder—and Spirit of the Gael or the shadowy militant group New Dawn, thought to be associated with them?



Meanwhile, in the working-class part of town, Rebecca's assignment to cover a protest against the placement of a convicted child molester into the community leads her to Mo Burke, the unlikely protest leader. Mo is a formidable woman, but she is also the matriarch of a known crime family and usually prefers to shun the spotlight. What has drawn her out? And what of her two grown sons, who share in the family business? The older one, Nolan, with Ben Affleck good looks, is clearly intrigued by Rebecca, as she is by him, despite her better instincts to steer clear of their dangerous, violent world.



And then another body is found, this one wearing the Redcoat uniform of the victorious British army.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Highbridge Company
• Release date: Oct 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781696609920

Douglas Skelton

Douglas Skelton was born in Glasgow. He has been a bank clerk, tax officer, taxi driver (for two days), wine waiter (for two hours), journalist, and investigator of real-life crime for Glasgow solicitors. He has written eleven true crime and Scottish criminal history books but now concentrates on fiction. His novels Open Wounds and Thunder Bay, the first Rebecca Connolly thriller, were longlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for best crime book of the year. He lives in southwest Scotland.

Reviews for The Blood Is Still

[n.w.moors-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rebecca Connolly is an investigative reporter for the Inverness Chronicle which is undergoing massive change as a result of the internet and changing times. When a body dressed in tartan and with a claymore through his chest is discovered on Culloden battlefield, Rebecca starts looking for clues. Meanwhile, there's trouble with the Burke crime family, one son of which is loosely affiliated with a white nationalist movement. The other son, Nolan, wants out of his life of crime and hopes a relationship with Rebecca might be the path out.
I found the pacing uneven; parts were very slow, but overall it's an interesting mystery. I liked the historical ties to the murders as well as the descriptions of Inverness and Scotland. I was surprised at the actual murderer but a bit disappointed with the ending, so a mixed bag for me. Still, I'd read more from this author.

[paperdolllady · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good murder mystery tale with a female journalist as protagonist, also a bit of history because of where the first body is discovered. Interesting and entertaining.