Highland & Islands Detective Thrillers Series

A body holding a spade in the sand amidst tales of a missing gem. An old boy’s network whose members are rapidly becoming extinct. Can Macleod solve the gamester’s clues before the club players are liquidated and the prize is gone forever? In the sixth major case of Macleod and McGrath’s partnership, a deadly game is being played in the search for a long-stolen jewel of fantastic wealth. Whilst former friends dispatch their new enemies, DI Macleod hunts the pieces of parchment that will lead him to the resting place of a Sultan’s pride and joy, and the killers who cannot live without it. Will the pirate king emerge triumphant, or can the Inspector run their plans asunder? When precious things seem out of reach, death may be the only compromise.

A body discovered by the rocks. A broken detective returns to a scene of past tragedy. Will the pain of the past prevent him from seeing the present? Detective Inspector Macleod returns to his island home twenty years after the painful loss of his wife. With a disposition forged in strong religious conservatism, he must bond with his new partner, the free-spirited and upcoming female star of the force, to seek the killer of a young woman and shine a light on the evil beneath the surface. To do so, he must once again stand in the place where he lost everything. Only at the water’s edge, will everything be made new. The rising tide brings all things to the surface

A dreich day for a crossing and a small ferry packed to the gills. A fracas when off loading leads to blood and tears. And one man sits dead at the wheel of the last remaining car. Macleod and McGrath return to Cromarty when a man is found dead at the wheel of his car on the small, local ferry. As the passengers are identified, the trail extends across the highlands and islands as past deeds are paid back in full. Can the now seasoned pair hunt down a killer before their butchery spreads across the land? "The Small Ferry" is the fourth Highlands and Islands Detective thriller and brings the odd pair back to the Black Isle when the quiet routine of the Firth is broken apart by a strange death. If you like murder mysteries set amongst the beautiful north of Scotland and its wild coastline and islands, then you'll love the adventures of Macleod and McGrath. When there's so much going on, it can be hard to see what's happening!

Two bodies in a burnt out love nest. A cultish lifestyle and children moulded by domination. Can Macleod unravel the Black Isle mystery before the killer dispenses judgement again? DI Macleod heads for the Black Isle as winter sets in to unravel the mystery of two lovers in a burned out bothy. With his feisty partner DC McGrath, he must unravel the connection between a family living under a cultish cloud and a radio station whose staff are being permanently retired. In the dark of winter, can Macleod shine a light on the shadowy relationships driving a killer to their murderous tasks? Forgetting your boundaries has never been so deadly!

A landmark cricket club is formed in the heart of the Western Isles. A gala opening leaves a battered body in the changing room when stumps is called. Can Macleod and McGrath find the killer before the rest of the team are bowled out? In the fifth outing of this tenacious pair, Macleod and McGrath return to the Isle of Lewis when the first match of the newly formed cricket club ends in murder. Uncovering the tensions in the fledgling organisation, they must sort sporting angst from deadly intent if they are to uncover the true reason for the formation of this strange enterprise. Can they discover what bloody crimes sully the perfect whites of the starting XI? Don’t step beyond your crease or you might just be stumped!

A last-minute replacement on a role-playing weekend. One fatal accident after another. Can Macleod overcome the snowstorm from hell to stop a killer before the guest list becomes obsolete? Detectives Macleod and McGrath join a bizarre cast of characters at a remote country estate on the Isle of Harris where fantasy and horror are the order of the day. But when regular accidents happen, Macleod sees a killer at work and needs to uncover what links the dead. Hampered by a snowstorm that has closed off the outside world, he must rely on Hope McGrath before they become one of the victims. It’s all a game..., but for whom?

An airport coach blown apart. A full passenger load gives a vast list of suspects. With mounting media pressure to name a killer, can Macleod dig deep into a gang war to find a deadly hitman? When an airport bus is blown apart on the main road out of Inverness, DI Macleod finds a press backlash when they name their own suspect. With the undercurrent of an ongoing drug war upping the ante, Macleod must rely on his Sergeant Hope McGrath to infiltrate the organisations and help bring the real killer to the light. Don’t miss your stop on the way to boomtown!

A remote island community starts its new life. A dead body leads to locked doors and closed mouths. Can Macleod and McGrath find the killer hell bent on destroying paradise? Leaving behind the city of Inverness, DC Ross travel to the fledgling paradise of Morning Light to investigate a body found in the idyllic town square. When the power is lost from the island and someone starts killing the residents, Ross must stand on his own until help can reach him. Can Macleod reach Ross in time to prevent an entire community from becoming a graveyard? A generous dose of fear is the key to a happy town!

A former convict, hung, drawn and quartered. Macleod called by name for his former actions. Can the Lewis detective find the righter of wrongs before the killer executes those close to Macleod? As his partner recovers from a devastating accident, Macleod faces a hidden face from his past who is determined to see justice truly done. But as the killer punishes each justifiable victim, Macleod feels the target of the attacks is moving coming closer to home. In a devastating finale, Macleod must rely on his younger Sergeant, Hope McGrath, more than he has ever before. The pain you deal will be visited upon you tenfold!

A dead Santa Claus in a garden centre grotto. Underground fighting in the dark corners of the Highlands. Can Macleod and McGrath discover who is dispatching the strongmen of the ring in such a festive fashion? With Hope McGrath struggling to regain her confidence after a disfiguring injury, Macleod must encourage his protegee as they seek to discover the link between Grotto strangulations and an underground fighting promotion. But as the snow starts to fall and Yuletide celebrations turn sour, Macleod must look beyond the lights and fanciful characters to find the real murderer in their midst. Ho-Ho-Ho! This time, Santa better watch out!

A terrorist kills on the Caledonian Canal. Personal trauma takes Macleod out of the investigation. Can McGrath and the team strip away the killer’s masked agenda and prevent another murder? When terrorist attacks occur in the West of Scotland, Macleod and McGrath work amidst the multitude of agencies to uncover the organisation behind it. But just as Macleod makes a startling revelation, a crisis at home removes him from the team. With the country’s agencies chasing down a blind alley, can newly promoted DS McGrath pull her team together and stop one final killing? There’s no wilder face of terror than the one with a personal agenda!

A cryptic note to a long-retired policeman. A clergyman stabbed by a masked figure in public. Can Macleod and McGrath find the story behind the panic as it becomes open season on the church? When a note is delivered to a care home on the isle of Harris, it seems to be a joke in bad taste until the prediction comes true. As more notes are sent and clergy die, Macleod and his team have to open up a wall of silence regarding the reason for such hatred. In a trail that leads across all of Scotland, the DCI finds something more unpalatable than the murders before him. A wall of silence can only be broken by blood!

An auctioneer beaten to death with a gavel. An elaborate scam to undervalue the work of a genius. Surrounded by a world he doesn’t understand, can Macleod find the mysterious auction lot and bring a killer to justice? Waving goodbye to the canny DC Stewart, Detective Inspector Macleod finds himself understaffed and lacking inspiration as he is immersed in the shadowy world of ancient artifacts. With talk of tradition and fantastical powers imbued by the stolen piece, the Inspector must separate whimsy and bluff from pure greed in order to find the perpetrator of a string of murders. Going once - going twice - sold to the corpse in the corner!

A bag is found hanging on a lonely tree in an Inverness park. Inside, a morbid collection of fists tell a tale of murder and intrigue. Can Macleod find the killer and stop a second show of hands? Battle-weary Macleod must seek to understand a murderer’s obsession when a bag of appendages turns up in a local park. But as the links between the victims become more apparent, the possible identities of the killer increases. Can Macleod sift the wheat from the chaff and stop the killer before another bag is full? Don’t raise your hand if you know what’s good for you!

A youth is found dead at a children’s playpark. A stolen car burnt out with the joyriders inside. Can Macleod discover the avenging angel brutally restoring the highland’s peace and quiet? When a spate of deaths indicating teenagers as targets sends Macleod and McGrath into a very public hunt for killer, they must walk in view of the hottest debate of the day. But when Hope believes she sees an angle that points the blame at those who responsible for the nation’s safety, Macleod must trust his Sergeant’s instincts while dodging a career ending bullet. It was all easier back in the day, or was it?

A routine call to muster on a North Sea oil rig. One man short and a body found hanging in the canteen. High above the raging sea, can Macleod and McGrath uncover the underbelly of fear to reveal a brutal killer? Six months into production and the death of a well-liked colleague rips apart the community on Scotland’s newest oil rig. But beneath the camaraderie and sense of loss, broods a sense of fear and control. As a killer extends their sights to multiple targets, can Macleod stop the murders before the shift completes its final day. When the sea becomes your cage there’s nowhere left to hide!

A glamorous retirement village on an isolated island. A brutal killer culls the elderly starting with the oldest resident. Can Macleod discover the murderous motive and prevent the island graveyard from overflowing? When the Isle of Eigg enjoys the opening of ‘The Singing Sands’ Later but Better Township’, little do they realise that death is only round the corner for the new arrivals. Joy turns to sorrow as old friends meet a bloody end, and DI Macleod and DS McGrath are dispatched to investigate. As a determined clientele and some unseasonal weather hamper the investigation, the detectives must look to the past to prevent the dispatching of those seen to be past their time. Even in paradise you’re only one step from the grave!

A dead controller killed alone in his tower. A climate of fear and coercion among employees and managers. Can Macleod enter the world of air traffic and bring a safe, orderly, and expeditious solution to the case? When a commercial turboprop is forced to go-around on losing communication with Mull tower, the operations team find their oldest controller dead at his post. Amidst a furore over a change of working, Macleod and McGrath find a company in turmoil and with grudges to settle. As the sides are unmasked and the stakes known, can the pair see through the anger and disgruntlement, to bring a brutal killer to justice? Silence is golden... unless you need to land!

An established coffee house with a reputation for excellence. A rapid surge in customers dying with froth on their lips. Can Macleod and McGrath discover the link between the clientele before the last cup is drunk? When Macleod is called back to his Isle of Lewis roots, he finds the most sedate murders he has ever known. But for all the quietness and beauty in the method of dispatch, an evil seeks to destroy the community. With a subtlety Macleod finds hard to expose, the killer follows their path of perfect destruction. Can the Inspector thwart his most taxing nemesis yet? Why take two shots when one will do?

A disturbed grave and a switched corpse. A new TV show and a quest for the truth. Can Macleod and McGrath bring an increasingly popular vigilante to justice before mob rule takes over? When the first episodes of a new programme coincide with the discovery of corpse switching, Macleod believes the gaudy production is merely fuelling high jinks from a disaffected community. But when the presenter becomes a spokesperson for the lack of justice, the Inspector finds his casebook increases with previously thought innocent suspects. Can the team discover the connection between the weekly show and the spate of new killings before a growing clamour for justice becomes the prelude to kangaroo courts? Make way for the public’s arbiter of justice!

A slaughter of innocents. A crazed public demands vengeance from any source. Can Macleod hold his poise amidst a cry for blood before justice? When a heinous crime against children provokes a national outcry, Detective Inspector Macleod and his team are under pressure for results like never before. As the murders continue, top brass demands a scapegoat at all costs. But when Detective Sergeant McGrath suspects evidence has been planted to sate the public’s bloodlust, can Macleod find the real killer before the public tears their sacrificial lamb apart? Today in the crucible, tomorrow the gallows.

Removed from his post and cast aside by his superiors. Without authority and any resources to call to hand. Can Macleod operate from the dark and hunt down the mysterious group before another child dies? Having been sidelined from the investigation and fast tracked for an early retirement, DI Macleod knows that the child killer is still on the loose. With the assistance of his injured Colleague, DS Urquhart, Macleod finds himself operating beyond the law for the first time in his career. With DS McGrath increasingly frustrated by the glory hunting DCI, Macleod must pull whatever resources he can to bring about the arrest of the dark band of brothers before another innocent suffers. With Hope removed, you need a rottweiler at your heels!

A clash of cultures at a golf club of distinction. The club secretary found sliced on the 15th tee box. Can Macleod and McGrath find the rogue player on the course before some else receives a two slash penalty? With the building of the new parkland course beside Newtonmoray’s famous old links, tensions rise in the realms of the club’s devoted golfers. But when there is talk of a professional tour event coming to the club and being switched to the new course, the gloves are off in a fight for the event. In the midst of the fervour, the club secretary is found dead over his golf trolley at the picturesque 15th hole. Can Seoras and Hope wade through the club politics and personalities to uncover a brutal killer, or will the clubhouse row lead to more patrons being teed up! The match might be dormie, but they’ll play to the death!

Join stalwart DI Macleod and his burgeoning new DC McGrath as they look into the darker side of the stunningly scenic and wilder parts of the north of Scotland. From the Black Isle to Lewis, from Mull to Harris and across to the small Isles, the Uists and Barra, this mismatched pairing follow murders, thieves and vengeful victims in an effort to restore tranquillity to the remoter parts of the land. Be part of this tale of a surprise partnership amidst the foulest deeds and darkest souls who stalk this peaceful and most beautiful of lands, and you’ll never see the Highlands the same way again.

A Coastguard’s nightmare repeats. The fledgling tourist season is in tatters. Can Macleod and McGrath find the killer amongst the hordes of holidaymakers? When the Coastguard note an increase in drownings from travellers falling overboard from passenger vessels, Macleod is called in to satisfy an itch that these may not be innocent accidents. When the victims are all found to be from troubled marriages, the team must seek the hidden orchestrator of spring mayhem. Can Seoras and Hope find the killer before widow maker of the seas strikes again? To jump or not to jump, sometimes it’s not a choice!

Foreign royalty found dead on an island estate. A fractious gathering provides a plethora of suspects. Can Macleod and McGrath sort the treasure from the driftwood to reveal who truly gains the most from the duke’s death? DI Seoras Macleod is ordered away from his recovering partner Jane, to investigate the suspicious death of a foreign duke at the estate of his mother. Found naked and deceased in a small loch near the family’s holiday estate, the duke is not short of enemies at the milestone gathering of his remaining parent’s birthday. Amidst bluster and genuine loathing, Macleod, and his faithful Sergeant McGrath, must hunt down a killer who seems ready to destroy an entire lineage. Blood runs thicker than water, every drop!

Cryptic clues beyond the newspaper crossword. Old cases that were pushed aside for all the wrong reasons. Will Macleod and McGrath prevail as the Avenging Angel seeks out larger conspiracies? Angry at the escape of the serial killers they pursued across Scotland, DCI Macleod and DI McGrath are assigned to the deaths of prominent business leaders at a conference. When evidence points to the return of the black clad group, the pair must go on a nationwide man-hunt before they strike again at the heart of the financial sector. Sometimes, we must all take the blame.

A recovery cruise turns into a work request. A mystery body leads to consternation for multiple passengers. Can Macleod discover the identity of the victim and unmask the killer before the passenger disembark forever? When Seoras Macleod’s holiday cruise turns into a work request, he is forced to balance his professionalism with tending to his unamused partner. As he uncovers the secrets the passengers have dragged on board, Macleod finds himself far from home with a killer on his back. Has he still got what it takes when his team are absent? Or will the killer remove the pesky investigator before he cracks the case wide open? Relaxation is so often a killer!

The public weeps as the killings begin again. With the chase now on, agendas are quickly accelerated. Can Macleod and McGrath pull together a ragged investigation to stop an unholy sacrifice? Reinstated but still under the public glare, DI Macleod knows that the dark cult responsible for the first deaths are now feeling the pressure. Tales of brutality and sacrifice run rife leaving Macleod to sort rumour from reality. As the true nature of what the cult intends to do comes to light, Seoras and Hope find themselves in a desperate race to find missing children and Ross’s adopted child. For the love of God, he has to find them!

Messages passed to a policeman in hospice care. Apocalyptic tales found in notes in his room. Is Macleod losing his mind as well as his health, or is there one last hurrah for a familiar foe? When Seoras Macleod believes he sees an horrific figure from the recent past he puts it down to a state of PTSD. But when the evidence at his care facility seems to confirm the visits of a recent killer, he cannot shake off the feeling that he is being warned of a disaster of the murderer’s making. Will the team trust their old mentor when he seems to be losing his mind? With old age comes wisdom, and not a little insanity!