First published 2015
In the harsh Scottish Highlands of 1869, a young crofter named Roderick Macrae commits a shocking triple murder that will determine his fate. Arrested and facing certain execution, Macrae writes a detailed memoir explaining his actions—but the truth behind his violence remains maddeningly complex. As his trial approaches, legal experts and medical professionals dissect every aspect of his testimony, seeking to understand whether Macrae is a cold-blooded killer or a desperate man driven to violence by impossible circumstances. His only hope lies in the persuasive skills of his advocate, who must navigate a legal system eager to make an example of him. At stake is not just Macrae's life, but the very definition of justice in a brutal, unforgiving landscape.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, crime, thriller, 19th-century
Vibes: dark, emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Setting: Scotland
Period: 1869
282 pages · Paperback · Contraband
Content warnings: violence