Scotch Rising

Markinch #1

by S.J. Garland

Edinburgh 1707. The English supporters in the Scottish parliament have narrowly signed the Act of Union. The controversial paper bringing England and Scotland together into one Great Britain will not be uncontested. From the Acts inception it appears doomed to carry the blood of Scots and Englishman alike. Esmond Clyde-Dalton returns to London a broken man after his wife’s death. He only seeks a dishonorable discharge. His superior Colonel Manner’s, known for his extensive spy network, has other plans. Sent to the highlands of Scotland to become an excise collector on Scotch. Esmond quickly becomes embroiled in solving the murders of two Scots men. As his investigation continues, Esmond soon realises life in Markinch is not all it seems. Esmond’s peaceful retirement turns to a fight to save not only his life, but also the lives of friends he has made in the highlands.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Scotland, Fiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2014

About the author

SJ Garland is a Canadian author residing in Singapore. She has published close to twenty books in several different genres, including Contemporary Romance under pen name P Nelson, Historical Romance and Historical Adventure.

Garland has spent over a decade living all over the world and is interested in learning people’s stories, sharing their history, and understanding their lives. Her historical adventure books are packed full of action and adventure, while her contemporary romance series is sultry and full of heart-warming happily ever after.

The Rebirth of Bao is her first foray into Magic Realism, incorporating her love of the mystical with a splash of Singapore.

Instagram: sjgarlandauthor

Facebook: @SJGarlandAuthor

Twitter: @SJGarland1

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all fairness, I should probably knock off a star for the at times truly atrocious editing, but I suppose I can make allowances for a self-published debut novel that was otherwise well written and quite gripping.
Set in Scotland in 1707, just as England and Scotland have been formally united into Great Britain, it follows Esmond Clyde-Dalton, a soldier newly returned from the American colonies in disgrace and still grieving his wife's death, who is sent to the Scottish highlands to serve as excise collector and soon stumbles across the bodies of two murdered men. These are not the only suspicious deaths troubling the small town of Markinch lately, as Esmond's predecessor too died under rather questionable circumstances.
The book starts out slow, but the suspense just creeps up on you, and soon enough I was thoroughly hooked. Will definitely check out the sequel.

[Susan Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I like this book. I do not love it but as I have found, drinking single malt is an acquired taste and it could be that the further adventures of our intrepid hero and his friends will grow on me much like the Highland Whiskeys.
Esmond, our hero, has returned from the New World in 1707 in disgrace. Not only did he marry a native woman but took out an entire militia singlehandedly when he returned home to discover she has been murdered. He blames the militia for her death and is "rescued" from the stockade by an offer to go to Scotland and find out what is happening in the illegal whiskey trade. His "rescuer" is less than upfront with what is going on and it is up to him to discover what happened to the last tax collector who ventured there and how it fits into the local intrigues.
The story is quite interesting and I found myself looking forward with anticipation to what would happen next. I did, however, twig to who was the villain quite early although not why he did what he did. There were surprises but the story flowed much the way I suspected it would as I was reading, which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Where I had some difficulties was in his backstory of the marriage to the native woman. I am not sure why I had a problem other than I didn't feel that it rang true. Further, it bothered each time he was set upon and injured as he was supposedly a highly trained soldier who survived the New World but he stumbled about the Highlands with a target on his back. It is a small matter but one that kept me from loving the book more. It almost felt like it was a forced contrivance rather than something organic to the story. It was the difference between a blend and a single malt.
Having said that I do want to learn more about Esmond, Phil and Keiran- three of the major characters in the tale. I liked the supporting "cast" as well and will look forward to reading the further adventures that will be coming out later this year.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting historical novel set in 1707 in Scotland. A British soldier who has served in the American colonies reluctantly takes a position as a tax collector for scotch. He is mourning the loss of his Native-American wife and her unborn child.
The narrator has to adapt to his new job and home while enforcing the power of the crown. There are power struggles as the effects of the English Civil War are still felt. The Act of Union is new, and many people on both sides of the border are far from happy with it.
The use of the Scottish dialect takes some getting used to but adds to the believability of the story.
I like the first-person narration and the many details of time and place.
The pacing drags a bit though.
History lovers would enjoy this book.
***I received a copy from Netgalley for an honest review.***

[Helen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Edit: Even if a person is self publishing you should be required to have a competent person do a basic edit. Punctuation is an on again off again concept and the idea of having a complete sentence is totally foreign to this author. At one point we have 'reign' instead of 'rein' and the name of a character gets lost (he should decide who Lindsay is). Eventually you either throw the book away or ignore all the sloppiness.

Layout: I'd like the formal title page with all the publishing/copyright data on the back to follow the first title page, then the dedication page with its back blank and the story begins on the right hand page always.

That being said, the story itself was interesting and a slightly different take on the run up to the 1715 rebellion. Probably because the edit was so sloppy I wondered about the factual accuracy and have yet to research the people used as tax collectors in the distilling industry. The apparent culture of the book feels more like early Victorian rather than early Georgian. I did like the introduction of the Royal Society and the mathematical obsession of the previous agent.
One very interesting thing the author did was to take the whole period of the captain's activity in the Boston area as understood so we get the background in bits and pieces as relevant. It works. Mr. Garland knows what he is about when he is telling the story, it's just with the basics that he falls down. I loved his hunting gear. I am ashamed to say that I will probably order volume 2. I really hope it is better edited.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the writing was good and liked the general story. I wish there had been a few longer more detailed flashbacks of his time in the new colony with his Indian wife - I think that would have helped us understand and sympathise with the main character more. There were a few points where I thought there was too much telling rather than showing but overall a good story.

[Meg Koch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclosure: my friend wrote this book and I was really, really nervous that I wouldn't like it at first, as I don't tend to read a ton of historical fiction. I was so relieved that that wasn't the case! I really, really enjoyed the book...and couldn't put it down towards the end. Even contemplated missing my stop on the way to work, so I could continue reading...

SJ garland really brings the characters and village to life, and while I was worried about the Scottish accent form of writing at the beginning, it was easy to read and didn't discourage me from continuing (unlike some other books I've read in the past, which just ended up annoying me in the end, so I gave up and never finished reading them).

I found myself really cheering for the captain at the end, and am already looking forward to reading the sequel!

[Mystica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The period in history and the turbulent times between Scotland and England was new to me. The storyline apart from the history was also very interesting. By bringing in the personal element and especially of a character who was not only distraught over the un-necessary death of a beloved wife and trying to come back to the land of the living, it made one look at the conflict from a different angle altogether, not just mere history.

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scotch Rising by S.J. Garland

I received a copy from NetGalley for review. I was not disappointed.



Initially the dialect was difficult to process but as I continued reading the story, the hook was sunk deeply into my flesh & I no longer found it challenging. There were a few words I was able to discern by usage like 'couthy' being friendly, but others like the following sentences I had to look up.

"It is the new gauger, how ready Her Majesty is when there is coin tae be collected, even all the way up in the Highlands, taken from the pockets ay honest folk, I should give ye a creesh."

A Glossary of Words and Phrases Pertaining to the Dialect of Cumberland by William Dickinson (1880) http://www.lexic.us/definition-of/creesh (1) sb. a punishment of an uncertain kind...."

"Logan, you've caused enough tranchie fur one evening," I could not find 'tranchie' anywhere online in a search but guessed it means trouble or mischief.

"I canna believe yer standing in the middle ay the drawing room completely unfleggit, nae mind tae mah purpie-smiles," At first I thought 'unfleggit' was being undressed but a search revealed it meant unafraid. As for purpie-smiles it seems to mean her embarrassed purple-red face.

"'I never dance, Captain. As a confirmed blue stocking I will hae ye know, I am terrible and all my partners limp away with sore feet.'"

From the Oxford English Dictionary: “bluestocking” usually associated with overly-intellectual women, traces back to those who attended salons in England.

"'Thank you, my dear boy, please forgive me if I dinnae stand, these bones became tae auld years ago,' I could see tiredness creeping into his eyes. 'I am well canty ye decided tae join us fur the celebrations, I dinnae think Mr. Turner thought much ay parties.'"

Canty is defined as excited or energetic.

"Sassenach" was often a disparaging use for an English inhabitant of the British Isles. It comes from Sassenaugh the Gaelic word for Saxons.

After I figured out what those meant, here is how I felt.



The story is told from the point of view of Captain Esmond Clyde-Dalton who has returned from Boston (the New World) to England in disgrace. He had married a native woman & she was killed because the Militia he served did not protect the Indians while he was off serving in another area. He attacked the Commander with full intent to kill him & injured several men in the process. He was confined to the stockade. After he was released he shaved his head to be rid of the problem with lice. Upon his return to England he refused to wear the
current wigs in style.



He went to Colonel Manners with the hope of leaving the military with a dishonorable discharge.

"'I cannot say I imagine fate would bring you through my door in such a sorry state, my boy,' he drank deeply from the liquid, watching as I contemplated my own glass. 'Your bald, head, is it the result of some mourning ritual for your dead Indian wife?'

"I held my breath as red mist distorted my vision, the bones in my knuckles showed through the skin, every muscle in my body tightened and I fought the urge to throw myself over the desk. I could feel my hands around the old man's neck, they would be stiff, as they were now. I had killed too many to count, I could gladly kill one more. I mentally stumbled and finally caught the last of my control before it slithered away; I looked steadily into Manners' face and saw not a disgusted or contemptuous look, but one of pity, of understanding."

Instead of being relieved of duty he received another military assignment where he was sent as an excise tax collector in Scotland in the Highlands. Unknown to Captain Clyde-Dalton, there is one of Colonel Manners spies already in place in that community. England was an unstable time and ripe for rebellion. The hope was to avoid a civil war.

Scotland animated gif Mel Gibson is blue faced riding into battle, a clip from Braveheart.

The town of Markinch in Scotland was his destination. He arrived at The Thistle and Rose, a drinking house which also served food and had rooms to rent.

Inside he viewed a man with a commanding attitude. He wore a "red pleated kilt, one side draped over his heart and pinned with a silver brooch."

Here's a photo of a man wearing a kilt. Draping a kilt over the left shoulder like a tartan sash is worn by the Scottish chieftan.


Captain Clyde-Dalton ended up with several misadventures in which he was injured or became ill. I was surprised that with his extensive military service that others seemed to get the best of him.

After a round of drinking with the manager of the whiskey still Deoch-an-Dorus, Beathen Clune, at his castle, he stumbles home. He hears an explosion & wanders off the path into the fen, aka bog.



He had been told how dangerous it was but ignored the caveat. In his stumbling around in the dark, he discovers two bodies half submerged in the peat bog. He pulls them out only to fall in himself and was sinking fast. He had just taken his first underwater breath only to be jostled on his only hand out of water with a stick and rescued by
Kieran, Logan's ten year old son, who was old for his age.


The Captain is interested in finding the murderer of the previous tax collector who was found hanging. There are rumors that he killed the two men found in the bog. There was a coded diary that he hopes will solve the murder. Philomena, Beathen's unmarried sister helps him decode the diary.

After that there is another attempt on the Captains life & he narrowly escapes being shot in the head. He is shot in the arm & develops another weakening bout of fever.

He recovered & felt a part of the community with the celebration of New Years, called Hogmanay. This was something he had missed his entire life. As bouts of grief over his slaughtered Indian wife begins to lessen he's begins to find Philomena attractive.


I've revealed enough spoilers so will conclude by saying, I liked the second half of the book better than the first. That's saying a lot since I gave this a 5 star review when I was half way through.

I grew quite fond of Captain Esmond Clyde-Dalton, Philomena & Kieran. I look forward to their ongoing adventures in the pending second volume, Pretender at the Gate due to be released in November 2014.



This photograph of a man wearing a kilt also showed a Scottish Thistle. Here's a bit of information about that.

"Legend of the Thistle During the Middle Ages, as the story goes, the thistle flower saved Scotland from a brutal invasion by the Norsemen. In the hopes of ambushing the Scottish army, one of the Norse soldiers took his boots off to creep softly along the grass towards the unsuspecting Scots. When he stepped on a prickly thistle, he cried out in pain. Consequently, the noise alerted the Scottish army, which drove the would-be invaders out of Scotland. The thistle flower, therefore, became known as "The Guardian Thistle."

"History of the Thistle: The first issue of the thistle as the official royal emblem of Scotland occurred during the reign of James III in 1470 and was recognized as the royal badge of The Stuarts, the British monarchy who ruled Scotland from 1371 to 1714. By 1474, the image of the thistle flower was engraved on silver coinage. And by 1570, King James V established the most prestigious and noble honor of knighthood in Scotland, known as "The Order of the Thistle." Read more: http://www.ehow.com/about_6582570_nat...

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scotch Rising is an interesting selection of historical fiction taking place in Scotland in the early 18th century. Some of the storyline also refers to early America and the English Civil War. By the end of the book, I found myself rather attached to the main character though it had taken some time to warm up to him. This is a novel worth sticking with.

Captain Esmond Clyde-Dalton (maybe it's the name that takes some getting used to) has recently returned to England from the New World after a scandal that led to his imprisonment. While his backstory is slowly revealed, he is sent to Scotland to serve as excise officer in the Highlands. Once he is there, he becomes embroiled in murder investigations, betrayal, mystery, and rebellion - much more than he had in mind as a tax collector.

The characters that he interacts with include friendly Beathan, his strong-minded but petite sister Philomena, and lovable scamp Kieran. Each was developed into a realistic and enjoyable addition to the story . . . when I could understand what they were saying. Garland takes the Scottish dialect a little too far in his writing, making some excerpts almost imperceptible. For example: "och, here is the gauger newly from London, and we hae Clunes making couthy with him, nae respect fur the fact it's our labour going intae those taxes."

Yeah, that took a few rereads.

Other selections were lovely, but could have used a little bit of an edit: "The terrible days of civil war only lived in the memories of boys reading texts now, as the men who fought had taken their places in the grave. Families pitted against one another, the shame of regicide still hangs over our Parliament like a plague, a generation of honourable men dead, only to return a king to his thrown, a terrible waste."

The action moved a little slowly through the first half of this book, and Esmond's past was revealed at slightly awkward intervals. Other reviewers point out that he has a few too many close-call adventures. Maybe, but I enjoyed that part. The last 10% of this book was the most enjoyable for me and encouraged me to look for the next volume.

An well researched look into the early 1700s, Scotch Rising introduces a series with good potential. 3.5 stars.

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Clyde-Dalton is a broken man. Mourning the loss of his wife and unborn child, his only wish is to receive a dishonorable discharge from the British Military and disappear into the world.

Instead, he is ordered to Scotland as a spy -under the guise of excise tax collector on Scotch whisky; his duty, to keep a finger on the pulse of the people of Markinch and remain alert to any hints of unrest or talk of defection from the British throne.

Upon arriving, Dalton learns of the unfortunate demise of his predecessor, an apparent suicide, though the evidence does not quite add up. What’s more, the man has left behind a journal encrypted in a strange code that Dalton is determined to crack. But with each new discovery comes added danger, and time is running out for him to solve this mystery as Dalton’s life, and the lives of the people of Markinch, hang in the balance.

Scotch Rising examines this volatile point in history, where tensions are high between those loyal to the British rule, and those who seek a Stuart back on the throne. Rich in Scottish culture and history, author S. J. Garland draws the reader back in time in this fast-paced novel, offering a fascinating look into highland life in the 1700s, including the unique traditions of the region, as well as the whisky-making process of the time. With a colorful cast of characters (and a healthy dose of Scottish brogue), the author lays the ground for a challenging mystery, while also tackling controversial issues of the period, such as the place of women in science. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, as well as Scottish history.

Rating: 3.5 stars

I have received a free copy of this book from Smith Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Check out this review on my blog: EpicBookQuest.com

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, provided by the publisher through netgalley.

It takes a very specific period in history (really a slice-of-a-slice) as the reign of the Stuarts ends, and a very specific location in the Highlands of Scotland. There's no wandering through years of time, although we do learn more of the past, and many of the characters are very well drawn, not just the protagonist, which I really liked.

Queen Anne will be the last of the Stuarts to reign. Her only child to survive infancy died 7 years before and Queen Anne's health has never been robust. The German (outsider) Hanoverians are coming, but there is an alternative. The offspring of Queen Anne's deposed father, James Francis Edward, young, male, Catholic, is waiting over the seas.

In all this, the author creates a complex, interesting protagonist. Esmond is grieving for his wife, hacked to death in New England. His loyalties are primarily to himself, but he is not mercenary and has a sense of duty nonetheless which is compelling. He is also intelligent, but understands his limitations and is skilled at fighting. He is something of an oddball. There is practically nothing conventional about him at all.

This is the first book in a series, but it reads beautifully as a standalone. Having lived in Scotland, any book which attempts to write Scottish dialogue usually annoys me, but this one felt totally right. The small Scottish village feeling, the distrust of outsiders (especially the English), but the generosity and friendliness of the locals rang very true to me.

I can't wait to read the next one.

4 stars. I really liked it.

[John Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Scottish independence vote due in September, this novel set in 1707 when Scottish and English parliaments agreed to Union is very topical. Just returned from the new world Captain Clyde-Dalton is assigned a post as an excise collector in the highlands of Scotland. This post is punishment for his misdemeanors in the New World but turns quickly into a murder investigation. Battling against the local culture and weather the Captain starts to learn the murder of his predecessor is more complicated than the locals believe. His experience in the New World, as he finds out does not always translate to the village environment he is now in.

SJ Garland has tackled the Scottish language issue by using a set list of old Scottish words and a list of normal English words misspelt to portray the accent. It does not really work that well but it does convey the atmosphere of the setting very well. Markinch today is village in Fife and not the highlands however it does not really affect the story. It is a good story in a historical setting but with the thrills and twists of a good murder mystery.

[Katherina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scotch Rising is a historical mystery with a tiny bit of romance thrown in. The hero is world-weary. Having lost his wife and unborn child, he is without purpose in life. He feels obliged to live to honor his wife, but wallows quite “happily” in self-pity. He is send for a last assignment, before quitting the army, to Scotland. There, he stumbles into a murder mystery and by solving it, he slowly regains the will to live. The book itself was well written and I got to experience a time and location I didn’t know much about and I do very much like learning new things. My only complaint is that I felt the beginning was too long, I nearly gave up a few times reading the book before he reached Scotland. I’m happy I didn��t because the book is definitely worth reading to the end. I don’t think the whole London episode is required, everything happening there is explained later on anyway. Overall, it is a great historical novel and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Nicholas Aune · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first in what I hope to be an enjoyable series that I will return to, Scotch Rising tells the story of a disgraced British officer who is expected to redeem himself by taking up the post as an excise collector in a small village in the Highlands following the signing of the Act of Union. With Jacobites running about, his job becomes even more difficult when he stumbles upon a series of murders.

[Deb Novack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Dalton just returned to England from the New World after being imprisoned. The history of this is slowly brought to light, he is then sent to Scotland to be the excise tax man,
This was a refreshing story of Scotland, a big difference from England or America. The characters were well written as was the storyline. I enjoyed this book immensely .

***I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review***

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scotch Rising is an interesting read The story and characters are unique. It just has a slower pace than I like. I would still like to continue to read the series when they are available.
3 1/2 stars.

[Nim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to interview SJ Garland, please check it out here: http://www.thesil.ca/interview-sj-gar...

Happy reading!

[Maurice · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's a lot of Scotch being consumed. What's not to like?

[Debra Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

New author to the market that reads like she has been writing for years. What an amazing read. History and romance combining together to leave the author wanting more.

[Aspen Morrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read Captain Hawk and wanted more from this author. I have read them all and can't wait for more.