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The Cromarty Library Circle: From the author of The Bookseller of Inverness comes an atmospheric and immersive historical novel
From the bestselling author of The Bookseller of Inverness comes the unforgettable story of a Scottish town on the cusp of change and the group of townspeople whose lives will be irrevocably altered over the course of one tumultuous year.
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'Shona MacLean's novels are smart, soulful and deeply engrossing. An exceptional, wise and compassionate storyteller, she can make any 'historical period sing with life' Antonia Hodgson
'Superbly researched, entirely convincing, very clever and at times unbearably poignant. I loved it.' Andrew Taylor
Cromarty, The Black Isle, 1831.
As seagulls shriek and rise on the coastal winds, a circulating library in the bustling port town of Cromarty is meeting for the first time.
Ostensibly united by a love of books, the demands of social convention have brought together a disparate group of people. Charlotte Mackenzie, the remote and fragile wife of the local laird, seeks an escape from a loveless marriage; her best friend, Rachel Mackay, a former governess who is ardently in love with her own older husband, the town's minister; the young schoolmaster, John Learmonth, newly arrived from Edinburgh with secrets in tow; and the gentle bank clerk, Ludovic Cameron who dreams of a new life across the ocean, far from his erstwhile schoolmate, the malevolent Farquhar Hossack. When the laird befriends a wounded officer, a chain of events is set into motion that threatens to upset the delicate equilibrium of the community.
Against the backdrop of mass emigrations, an encroaching cholera epidemic, political unrest and the campaign to abolish chattel slavery in the British Caribbean, the people of Cromarty must negotiate their new world and each other, flitting in and out of each other's lives through one extraordinary year.
The Cromarty Library Circle is a richly woven and immersive portrait of connected lives, changing fortunes and the often-unseen forces that shape our destinies.
----------------------------------------------------------
Praise for Shona MacLean
'MacLean can make any period sing with life' Antonia Hodgson
'An excellent work of historical fiction' Literary Review
'A wonderful storyteller' The Times
'Well-researched and fascinating' Guardian
----------------------------------------------------------
'Shona MacLean's novels are smart, soulful and deeply engrossing. An exceptional, wise and compassionate storyteller, she can make any 'historical period sing with life' Antonia Hodgson
'Superbly researched, entirely convincing, very clever and at times unbearably poignant. I loved it.' Andrew Taylor
Cromarty, The Black Isle, 1831.
As seagulls shriek and rise on the coastal winds, a circulating library in the bustling port town of Cromarty is meeting for the first time.
Ostensibly united by a love of books, the demands of social convention have brought together a disparate group of people. Charlotte Mackenzie, the remote and fragile wife of the local laird, seeks an escape from a loveless marriage; her best friend, Rachel Mackay, a former governess who is ardently in love with her own older husband, the town's minister; the young schoolmaster, John Learmonth, newly arrived from Edinburgh with secrets in tow; and the gentle bank clerk, Ludovic Cameron who dreams of a new life across the ocean, far from his erstwhile schoolmate, the malevolent Farquhar Hossack. When the laird befriends a wounded officer, a chain of events is set into motion that threatens to upset the delicate equilibrium of the community.
Against the backdrop of mass emigrations, an encroaching cholera epidemic, political unrest and the campaign to abolish chattel slavery in the British Caribbean, the people of Cromarty must negotiate their new world and each other, flitting in and out of each other's lives through one extraordinary year.
The Cromarty Library Circle is a richly woven and immersive portrait of connected lives, changing fortunes and the often-unseen forces that shape our destinies.
----------------------------------------------------------
Praise for Shona MacLean
'MacLean can make any period sing with life' Antonia Hodgson
'An excellent work of historical fiction' Literary Review
'A wonderful storyteller' The Times
'Well-researched and fascinating' Guardian
532 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 26, 2026
56 people are currently reading
499 people want to read
About the author
Shona MacLean
4 books139 followersAka: S.G.MacLean
Biography:
I was born in Inverness and brought up in the Highlands where my parents were hoteliers. I went to school in Dingwall. I have an M.A. and Ph. D in History from the University of Aberdeen. I am maried with four children and currently living in Banff on the Moray coast.
About writer's work:
I write historical crime fiction, and am currently working on my third book featuring my fictional seventeenth-century academic, Alexander Seaton. The first book in the series, The Redemption of Alexander Seaton, was shortlisted for both the Saltire First Book of the Year Award (2008) and the Ellis Peters Award 2009).
Biography:
I was born in Inverness and brought up in the Highlands where my parents were hoteliers. I went to school in Dingwall. I have an M.A. and Ph. D in History from the University of Aberdeen. I am maried with four children and currently living in Banff on the Moray coast.
About writer's work:
I write historical crime fiction, and am currently working on my third book featuring my fictional seventeenth-century academic, Alexander Seaton. The first book in the series, The Redemption of Alexander Seaton, was shortlisted for both the Saltire First Book of the Year Award (2008) and the Ellis Peters Award 2009).
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
October 17, 2025
This is Scottish historical fiction at its finest! Each page is so richly steeped in history, transporting you back to that time. I loved the references to places I've been and lived, being able to visualise it all through the characters eyes.
And the characters were wonderful! I could have read a thousand more pages by their side, hopefully as part of the library circle. The writing fully absorbed all my thoughts, as I immersed myself in their lives through the words.
Also a very special nod to the mention of particular 'Bookseller of Inverness' which made me smile to see.
Now 'The Cromarty Library Circle' must do its rounds through our little bookselling circle because I am desperate to talk about it to everyone!
And the characters were wonderful! I could have read a thousand more pages by their side, hopefully as part of the library circle. The writing fully absorbed all my thoughts, as I immersed myself in their lives through the words.
Also a very special nod to the mention of particular 'Bookseller of Inverness' which made me smile to see.
Now 'The Cromarty Library Circle' must do its rounds through our little bookselling circle because I am desperate to talk about it to everyone!
March 17, 2026
Cromarty’s Circulating Library, on the north east coast of Scotland, is a-rip with talk of book choices and the Great Reform Bill in 1832. There is plenty to discuss as the members gather together to pool financial resources and select titles which they pass round between themselves and meet to share options about. Once the door is open into Cromarty society the characters reveal themselves, their mysteries, passions, problems and relationships. There is the mysterious Miss Juniper, a teacher and author who once wrote a tell-all book about her neighbours and paid a high price for it. The minister, Alasdair Mackay and Rachel, his young and lovely second wife - how did that come about? The local laird, Sir William Mackenzie, and Charlotte, his fine, your wife; the two women being former pupils of Miss Juniper. Fachie, the local bad boy; Ludo - his favourite victim; John Learmouth the new school teacher; a Polish count; two spinster sisters; the ministers from the neighbouring parish; and many more. They’ll charm you into wanting to know what happens next; just like the books they read.
Shona MacLean has produced a wonderful expose of town life in the 1830s. It’s richly detailed but hugely readable and her characters are realistic and absorbing. The social issues of the day - burkings (body snatching and murders for anatomical research), enslavement, abolition, the advancing cholera epidemic (scarily like Covid-19), relationships, morality, religion and many more are fascinating to read about. It’s a long book with a strong sense of time and place, but there’s a lot going for it as a reading group pick. The book put me in mind of older works, where there’s a focus on character and often small events which go on to be key catalysts to understanding more major plot lines.
What is incredible is, of course, the author’s research notes show that much of the story is based on true characters and events. Shona MacLean has burrowed down into archives and libraries, old books and diaries to find the details - all waiting for the right author to piece them together into a first rate read.
A note on public libraries in Scotland. Public Libraries were not always ‘there’, the public library legislation was not passed until 1853 (three years after England). Scotland has a long tradition of libraries, like Innerpeffray (1680), the Leighton Library (1684) in Dunblane, and the circulating miners’ libraries in Leadhills (1725) and Wanlockhead (1756). The oldest public library in Scotland, in the sense we would understand it,is the Biblioteka of Kirkwall (1684). Books were and expensive and highly prized commodities. No wonder people found ways to secure access affordably.
Shona MacLean has produced a wonderful expose of town life in the 1830s. It’s richly detailed but hugely readable and her characters are realistic and absorbing. The social issues of the day - burkings (body snatching and murders for anatomical research), enslavement, abolition, the advancing cholera epidemic (scarily like Covid-19), relationships, morality, religion and many more are fascinating to read about. It’s a long book with a strong sense of time and place, but there’s a lot going for it as a reading group pick. The book put me in mind of older works, where there’s a focus on character and often small events which go on to be key catalysts to understanding more major plot lines.
What is incredible is, of course, the author’s research notes show that much of the story is based on true characters and events. Shona MacLean has burrowed down into archives and libraries, old books and diaries to find the details - all waiting for the right author to piece them together into a first rate read.
A note on public libraries in Scotland. Public Libraries were not always ‘there’, the public library legislation was not passed until 1853 (three years after England). Scotland has a long tradition of libraries, like Innerpeffray (1680), the Leighton Library (1684) in Dunblane, and the circulating miners’ libraries in Leadhills (1725) and Wanlockhead (1756). The oldest public library in Scotland, in the sense we would understand it,is the Biblioteka of Kirkwall (1684). Books were and expensive and highly prized commodities. No wonder people found ways to secure access affordably.
March 27, 2026
I couldn’t see any plot coming along, found the characters not that interesting, and didn’t like the bits of history almost added on to what story there was e.g. the Polish revolt against the Russians.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
In "The Cromarty Library Circle," Shona MacLean turns away from the pursuit-driven plotting that marked much of her earlier fiction. Instead, she builds a novel out of proximity, routine, and social pressure. Set in the Black Isle town of Cromarty during 1831–32, the book takes as its structural premise a circulating library—an actual historical institution drawn from archival records—and uses it as a lens through which to examine a community at a moment of moral and political strain.
What distinguishes the novel is not its historical backdrop—though that backdrop is meticulously realized—but the way MacLean allows large historical forces to exert pressure without dominating the narrative. The Great Reform Bill, the approach of cholera, debates over abolition, and the lingering trauma of the Highland Clearances all shape the characters' choices. Still, they do so indirectly, through anxiety, argument, and silence rather than spectacle. Cromarty is depicted not as an isolated village, but as a port town deeply entangled in global systems of trade, empire, and belief, whether its residents acknowledge those connections or not.
The circulating library functions as a sophisticated narrative device. Rather than merely serving as a genteel backdrop for literary discussion, it serves as an instrument of social exposure. Who is permitted to read, which books are deemed acceptable, and how those books are discussed all reveal the town's rigid social hierarchy. The library's minute book, arranged by "order of precedence," quietly enforces a ranking system that governs everything from seating in the kirk to who is believed when scandals eventually arise. MacLean is particularly effective in showing how these hierarchies are maintained not only by authority figures but by communal habit and mutual surveillance.
The novel's strength lies in its characters, who feel convincingly of their time. Lady Charlotte Mackenzie's sense of entrapment within marriage is rendered with restraint, avoiding melodrama while still conveying the cost of a life lived under constant observation. Ludovic Cameron's gradual movement from passivity toward moral agency is equally well handled, shaped as much by friendship and reading as by overt political awakening. MacLean doesn't offer her characters escape from their constraints, only the possibility of choosing how to live within them.
MacLean doesn't romanticize the Highlands, and it's one of the book's most serious achievements. Cromarty's prosperity is explicitly linked to Caribbean plantations, and the novel insists on acknowledging Scotland's participation in systems of enslavement that are often treated as external, abstract, or blatantly ignored. The character of Hester, in particular, embodies this reckoning. A formerly enslaved young woman brought to Cromarty from Demerara, Hester represents the children of plantation owners and enslaved women who were sometimes brought back to the Highlands. She is neither a symbol nor a narrative device to educate other characters; she is allowed interiority, anger, and judgment. Her presence unsettles the town's moral self-image in ways that are quietly devastating.
MacLean's prose is disciplined and attentive to material detail. Domestic labor, trade goods, and everyday speech patterns are integrated naturally, grounding the reader in place without halting the narrative for explanation. The use of period-accurate language, including terminology that is now rightly uncomfortable, is handled with care and contextual clarity. It serves to illuminate social realities rather than provoke or soften them.
If the novel has a limitation, it is that its deliberate pacing may test readers expecting a conventional historical thriller. Moments of violence and revelation are present, but they are subordinated to character and consequence. This is a book more interested in how a community absorbs disruption than in the disruption itself. That choice will not suit every reader, but it is a coherent and, ultimately, rewarding one.
"The Cromarty Library Circle" is a novel about how people live alongside knowledge—what they read, what they refuse to see, and what eventually forces itself into view. MacLean demonstrates that historical fiction need not rely on grand events or famous figures to feel consequential. By focusing on a single town and a single year, she reveals how history is often experienced: not as turning points, but as pressure, accumulation, and quiet reckoning.
This review is of an advance reader's edition provided by NetGalley and Quercus. The book releases on February 26, 2026.
What distinguishes the novel is not its historical backdrop—though that backdrop is meticulously realized—but the way MacLean allows large historical forces to exert pressure without dominating the narrative. The Great Reform Bill, the approach of cholera, debates over abolition, and the lingering trauma of the Highland Clearances all shape the characters' choices. Still, they do so indirectly, through anxiety, argument, and silence rather than spectacle. Cromarty is depicted not as an isolated village, but as a port town deeply entangled in global systems of trade, empire, and belief, whether its residents acknowledge those connections or not.
The circulating library functions as a sophisticated narrative device. Rather than merely serving as a genteel backdrop for literary discussion, it serves as an instrument of social exposure. Who is permitted to read, which books are deemed acceptable, and how those books are discussed all reveal the town's rigid social hierarchy. The library's minute book, arranged by "order of precedence," quietly enforces a ranking system that governs everything from seating in the kirk to who is believed when scandals eventually arise. MacLean is particularly effective in showing how these hierarchies are maintained not only by authority figures but by communal habit and mutual surveillance.
The novel's strength lies in its characters, who feel convincingly of their time. Lady Charlotte Mackenzie's sense of entrapment within marriage is rendered with restraint, avoiding melodrama while still conveying the cost of a life lived under constant observation. Ludovic Cameron's gradual movement from passivity toward moral agency is equally well handled, shaped as much by friendship and reading as by overt political awakening. MacLean doesn't offer her characters escape from their constraints, only the possibility of choosing how to live within them.
MacLean doesn't romanticize the Highlands, and it's one of the book's most serious achievements. Cromarty's prosperity is explicitly linked to Caribbean plantations, and the novel insists on acknowledging Scotland's participation in systems of enslavement that are often treated as external, abstract, or blatantly ignored. The character of Hester, in particular, embodies this reckoning. A formerly enslaved young woman brought to Cromarty from Demerara, Hester represents the children of plantation owners and enslaved women who were sometimes brought back to the Highlands. She is neither a symbol nor a narrative device to educate other characters; she is allowed interiority, anger, and judgment. Her presence unsettles the town's moral self-image in ways that are quietly devastating.
MacLean's prose is disciplined and attentive to material detail. Domestic labor, trade goods, and everyday speech patterns are integrated naturally, grounding the reader in place without halting the narrative for explanation. The use of period-accurate language, including terminology that is now rightly uncomfortable, is handled with care and contextual clarity. It serves to illuminate social realities rather than provoke or soften them.
If the novel has a limitation, it is that its deliberate pacing may test readers expecting a conventional historical thriller. Moments of violence and revelation are present, but they are subordinated to character and consequence. This is a book more interested in how a community absorbs disruption than in the disruption itself. That choice will not suit every reader, but it is a coherent and, ultimately, rewarding one.
"The Cromarty Library Circle" is a novel about how people live alongside knowledge—what they read, what they refuse to see, and what eventually forces itself into view. MacLean demonstrates that historical fiction need not rely on grand events or famous figures to feel consequential. By focusing on a single town and a single year, she reveals how history is often experienced: not as turning points, but as pressure, accumulation, and quiet reckoning.
This review is of an advance reader's edition provided by NetGalley and Quercus. The book releases on February 26, 2026.
March 9, 2026
Shona MacLean’s prose is rich and warm. Her character portraits sing with the understanding of human foibles, and her splendid descriptions of the Cromarty countryside are evocative.
The novel is against the introduction of the Whigs’ Reform Act, which extended the voting franchise, though not, of course, to women, protests around the abolition of slavery and a rising cholera threat, coming ever nearer to the Cromarty coast.
The Cromarty Library Circle is a group who come together to choose which books will be bought for the local circulating library. The Circle is dominated by the great and the good, and though there are women in the Circle, the genteel ladies of Cromarty are expected to have their books chosen for them, lest they read anything that might upset their delicate dispositions.
The Circle is, in fact, a microcosm of the way the town works, with the Minister and the landed gentry in charge, with input from the schoolmaster and a few select others.
Lady Charlotte Mackenzie is the wife of Sir William, the local laird, and her friend, Rachel, is married to the town’s minister. John Learmonth is the schoolmaster, fresh from Edinburgh, and with a past that remains to be revealed. Ludovic Cameron is a bank clerk, who dearly wants to see more of the world beyond the Black Isle. Farquhar Hossack is the only surviving son of a prominent local businessman who supplies rope to the ships trading with the Caribbean. Brash and bullying, he is a man who, while he may have a good conceit of himself, sees no one as his superior.
While the Circle meetings are primarily to discuss book choices and an opportunity for each present to show off their erudition, as they champion their chosen works of literature, they are also a place to exchange local news and discuss the happenings of their friends and neighbours. They discuss romances and relationships and all the usual gossip of the day.
Against this backdrop, Shona MacLean’s intricately researched and detailed novel carefully shows us the world through the eyes of these characters and some others. Miss Juniper is a governess with two young women in her care, both hoping to marry rather higher than their present station.
Miss Elspeth Rose leads the organisation of vitals and medicines, in preparation for the coming plague. Hester is a maid in the Cameron household. Once enslaved, she has come to Cromarty from Demerara. Her presence in the story, as the Slavery Abolition Act is being debated, makes some in the town uncomfortable. Shona MacLean’s storytelling shows us the impact of world events in the town and does not shy from considering Scotland’s role in the slave trade.
The Cromarty Library Circle contains many stories, some delightful, some scandalous, one especially brutal. The characters are beautifully drawn, and as we learn more about the town and its key members, we feel the tension growing as events unfold.
Verdict: Fascinating, immersive, rich and historically accurate, I loved this book. Though there is an element of thriller to it, don’t come for that; come for the wonderful characters and the (almost) comedy of manners. Come for an understanding of how deeply Scotland was involved in the trading of enslaved people and for a rewarding portrait of the Black Isle in the early 1830’s.
The novel is against the introduction of the Whigs’ Reform Act, which extended the voting franchise, though not, of course, to women, protests around the abolition of slavery and a rising cholera threat, coming ever nearer to the Cromarty coast.
The Cromarty Library Circle is a group who come together to choose which books will be bought for the local circulating library. The Circle is dominated by the great and the good, and though there are women in the Circle, the genteel ladies of Cromarty are expected to have their books chosen for them, lest they read anything that might upset their delicate dispositions.
The Circle is, in fact, a microcosm of the way the town works, with the Minister and the landed gentry in charge, with input from the schoolmaster and a few select others.
Lady Charlotte Mackenzie is the wife of Sir William, the local laird, and her friend, Rachel, is married to the town’s minister. John Learmonth is the schoolmaster, fresh from Edinburgh, and with a past that remains to be revealed. Ludovic Cameron is a bank clerk, who dearly wants to see more of the world beyond the Black Isle. Farquhar Hossack is the only surviving son of a prominent local businessman who supplies rope to the ships trading with the Caribbean. Brash and bullying, he is a man who, while he may have a good conceit of himself, sees no one as his superior.
While the Circle meetings are primarily to discuss book choices and an opportunity for each present to show off their erudition, as they champion their chosen works of literature, they are also a place to exchange local news and discuss the happenings of their friends and neighbours. They discuss romances and relationships and all the usual gossip of the day.
Against this backdrop, Shona MacLean’s intricately researched and detailed novel carefully shows us the world through the eyes of these characters and some others. Miss Juniper is a governess with two young women in her care, both hoping to marry rather higher than their present station.
Miss Elspeth Rose leads the organisation of vitals and medicines, in preparation for the coming plague. Hester is a maid in the Cameron household. Once enslaved, she has come to Cromarty from Demerara. Her presence in the story, as the Slavery Abolition Act is being debated, makes some in the town uncomfortable. Shona MacLean’s storytelling shows us the impact of world events in the town and does not shy from considering Scotland’s role in the slave trade.
The Cromarty Library Circle contains many stories, some delightful, some scandalous, one especially brutal. The characters are beautifully drawn, and as we learn more about the town and its key members, we feel the tension growing as events unfold.
Verdict: Fascinating, immersive, rich and historically accurate, I loved this book. Though there is an element of thriller to it, don’t come for that; come for the wonderful characters and the (almost) comedy of manners. Come for an understanding of how deeply Scotland was involved in the trading of enslaved people and for a rewarding portrait of the Black Isle in the early 1830’s.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I wish this book had been published 15 years earlier, when we were in Cromarty and the Black Isle on our distillery tour, it would have answered so many questions about that remote area.
Cromarty is a typical fishing village with cottages that run parallel to the sea, to offer some protection from the severe gales up there, but the biggest surprise for us was the large and very grand mansions that were scattered around , occupying a prime position on higher ground.
We guessed wealthy ship owners carrying expensive goods over from Glasgow or Edinburgh, but the style and grandeur of such buildings didn’t seem to fit. We knew the Highland Clearances would have increased the amount of sheep, and the fishing fleet would have brought in some extra income to the inhabitants, but these mansions still felt like an anachronism,
When this book hinted at a slave trade, that involved Cromarty and the Caribbean sugar plantations, that was jaw dropping news, it came as an absolute shock, so many questions came to mind, and as we tried to work out the sheer logistics involved, we made very good use of our Ordnance survey maps.
Those sea journeys were immense to comprehend even nowadays.
This book is set in 1830’s Scotland, a time of unsettling social change and upheaval, both for Scotland and worldwide.
Emancipation of slaves is being widely discussed, the overriding concern is not for the welfare of these people, but how much compensation will be paid to these slave owners.
There are riots around due to the Reform Act , votes will be granted to certain landowners, but women are excluded from such decisions.
There are also outbreaks of Cholera and Typhus, so ships travelling to Cromarty with slaves aboard have to be quarantined in the bay.
The actions of the Resurrectionists in Scotland did help to solve the mystery of why there were so many morte safes in these burial grounds.
Trigger points include mentions of mental illness, predatory sexual behaviour and language and terminology that was once accepted, but is now offensive.
The story of Scottish slavery is so interesting, I found the library to be almost unnecessary, but it is used to create a reason why so many people of different social classes would be allowed to gather under one roof for intellectual improvement and perhaps gossip?
The research is through, and casts a light upon this embarrassing situation that has been largely forgotten. Absolutely fabulous read, and the recommendations for further reading look interesting.
Cromarty is a typical fishing village with cottages that run parallel to the sea, to offer some protection from the severe gales up there, but the biggest surprise for us was the large and very grand mansions that were scattered around , occupying a prime position on higher ground.
We guessed wealthy ship owners carrying expensive goods over from Glasgow or Edinburgh, but the style and grandeur of such buildings didn’t seem to fit. We knew the Highland Clearances would have increased the amount of sheep, and the fishing fleet would have brought in some extra income to the inhabitants, but these mansions still felt like an anachronism,
When this book hinted at a slave trade, that involved Cromarty and the Caribbean sugar plantations, that was jaw dropping news, it came as an absolute shock, so many questions came to mind, and as we tried to work out the sheer logistics involved, we made very good use of our Ordnance survey maps.
Those sea journeys were immense to comprehend even nowadays.
This book is set in 1830’s Scotland, a time of unsettling social change and upheaval, both for Scotland and worldwide.
Emancipation of slaves is being widely discussed, the overriding concern is not for the welfare of these people, but how much compensation will be paid to these slave owners.
There are riots around due to the Reform Act , votes will be granted to certain landowners, but women are excluded from such decisions.
There are also outbreaks of Cholera and Typhus, so ships travelling to Cromarty with slaves aboard have to be quarantined in the bay.
The actions of the Resurrectionists in Scotland did help to solve the mystery of why there were so many morte safes in these burial grounds.
Trigger points include mentions of mental illness, predatory sexual behaviour and language and terminology that was once accepted, but is now offensive.
The story of Scottish slavery is so interesting, I found the library to be almost unnecessary, but it is used to create a reason why so many people of different social classes would be allowed to gather under one roof for intellectual improvement and perhaps gossip?
The research is through, and casts a light upon this embarrassing situation that has been largely forgotten. Absolutely fabulous read, and the recommendations for further reading look interesting.
November 19, 2025
A wonderful story of people and places in a time of turmoil.
"The Cromarty Library Circle" opens on The Black Isle in Autumn of 1831. We are immediately introduced to a large number of characters, from a maid to a teacher, to members of the landed gentry. And to the wild, windy and magnificent place that is Cromarty.
We soon learn that the inaugural meeting of the Cromarty Library Circle is about to take place. The Good and the Great have come together to choose which books to include in the library, each picking a favourite. Among them, Charlotte, wife of the local laird, her friend, Rachel, a former governess now deeply in love with her husband the town's minister. John Learmonth, the young schoolmaster, newly arrived from Edinburgh and bank clerk, Ludovic who dreams of a new life across the ocean. Oh, and Miss Juniper, governess, with a murky background, and completely my favourite character in the book.
The meeting is a delight to witness, as each member promotes their choice, while clearly displaying their superior knowledge and wisdom where enlightened reading is concerned. Books were expensive, procuring them was expensive, and so the choices were accompanied by profound arguments.
But soon events take place that threaten to throw the wider community into turmoil, and it's the interplay between characters that make this book so entertaining. Set against the backdrop of political unrest and societal change, (the Great Reform Bill was about to be debated), mass emigrations, a cholera epidemic sweeping across Europe, and a campaign to abolish slavery in the British Caribbean, the story reflects fears and beliefs of a society in microcosm, in just a single year.
Fans of Shona MacLean's previous books, the Seaton series and the Seeker series, will find something totally new in this book. The beautifully described background of Cromarty with its windswept and wild scenery, and the fully-realised characters all come together to form a technicolour display of life in the early nineteenth century.
Heartily recommended.
"The Cromarty Library Circle" opens on The Black Isle in Autumn of 1831. We are immediately introduced to a large number of characters, from a maid to a teacher, to members of the landed gentry. And to the wild, windy and magnificent place that is Cromarty.
We soon learn that the inaugural meeting of the Cromarty Library Circle is about to take place. The Good and the Great have come together to choose which books to include in the library, each picking a favourite. Among them, Charlotte, wife of the local laird, her friend, Rachel, a former governess now deeply in love with her husband the town's minister. John Learmonth, the young schoolmaster, newly arrived from Edinburgh and bank clerk, Ludovic who dreams of a new life across the ocean. Oh, and Miss Juniper, governess, with a murky background, and completely my favourite character in the book.
The meeting is a delight to witness, as each member promotes their choice, while clearly displaying their superior knowledge and wisdom where enlightened reading is concerned. Books were expensive, procuring them was expensive, and so the choices were accompanied by profound arguments.
But soon events take place that threaten to throw the wider community into turmoil, and it's the interplay between characters that make this book so entertaining. Set against the backdrop of political unrest and societal change, (the Great Reform Bill was about to be debated), mass emigrations, a cholera epidemic sweeping across Europe, and a campaign to abolish slavery in the British Caribbean, the story reflects fears and beliefs of a society in microcosm, in just a single year.
Fans of Shona MacLean's previous books, the Seaton series and the Seeker series, will find something totally new in this book. The beautifully described background of Cromarty with its windswept and wild scenery, and the fully-realised characters all come together to form a technicolour display of life in the early nineteenth century.
Heartily recommended.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Cromarty Library Circle opens on the Black Isle in the autumn of 1831, immediately immersing the reader in the wild, windswept atmosphere of Cromarty itself. From the outset, we are introduced to a wide and carefully drawn cast of characters, ranging from servants and governesses to ministers, teachers, and members of the landed gentry. The setting is as much a character as the people who inhabit it, vividly evoking life in a small Highland seaside town.
At the heart of the novel is the inaugural meeting of the Cromarty Library Circle, where the “good and the great” gather to decide which books should be purchased for the community library. Each member champions a favourite text, revealing as much about their own beliefs, ambitions, and insecurities as about literature itself. Among them are Charlotte, the laird’s wife; her friend Rachel, a former governess now married to the town’s minister; John Learmonth, an idealistic young schoolmaster newly arrived from Edinburgh; Ludovic, a bank clerk dreaming of emigration; and Miss Juniper, a governess with a shadowy past and, for me, the most compelling character in the novel.
The library meeting scenes are particularly enjoyable, capturing the performative nature of “enlightened” debate at a time when books were expensive and access to them deeply political. However, beneath the civility lies tension, and events soon unfold that threaten to disrupt the fragile balance of the community.
Set against the backdrop of major social and political change- the impending Great Reform Bill, cholera outbreaks, mass emigration, debates over slavery, and the looming shadow of the Highland Clearances- the novel reflects a society in microcosm over the course of a single year. What stands out most is how these global forces seep into everyday lives through the seemingly modest lens of a reading circle. This is a beautifully observed, slow-burning, and thought- provoking historical novel that blends community drama, literary charm, and a subtle darkness to great effect.
At the heart of the novel is the inaugural meeting of the Cromarty Library Circle, where the “good and the great” gather to decide which books should be purchased for the community library. Each member champions a favourite text, revealing as much about their own beliefs, ambitions, and insecurities as about literature itself. Among them are Charlotte, the laird’s wife; her friend Rachel, a former governess now married to the town’s minister; John Learmonth, an idealistic young schoolmaster newly arrived from Edinburgh; Ludovic, a bank clerk dreaming of emigration; and Miss Juniper, a governess with a shadowy past and, for me, the most compelling character in the novel.
The library meeting scenes are particularly enjoyable, capturing the performative nature of “enlightened” debate at a time when books were expensive and access to them deeply political. However, beneath the civility lies tension, and events soon unfold that threaten to disrupt the fragile balance of the community.
Set against the backdrop of major social and political change- the impending Great Reform Bill, cholera outbreaks, mass emigration, debates over slavery, and the looming shadow of the Highland Clearances- the novel reflects a society in microcosm over the course of a single year. What stands out most is how these global forces seep into everyday lives through the seemingly modest lens of a reading circle. This is a beautifully observed, slow-burning, and thought- provoking historical novel that blends community drama, literary charm, and a subtle darkness to great effect.
December 5, 2025
This is historical fiction at its best. Set in Cromarty in the Highlands of Scotland on the tip of The Black Isle; the harbour and town nestle in a background of mountainous hills: sounds of gulls cries and winds in squally weather. Shona Maclean’s descriptive narrative is beautifully atmospheric and brings the story to life.
It opens with the carefully chosen members of the library circle meeting to share and debate their individual choices of books; they are expensive to buy and need the approval of everyone as each member gets to read them in turn. Through this meeting we are introduced not only to the club members but also begin to make the acquaintance of the many other residents of the town.
The intertwined stories of everyday lives of the folk who live in and around the town play out with the ever-looming threat of cholera slowly creeping up from Europe through England, political unrest, the campaign to abolish slavery and mass emigration. More than one person is hiding a secret and there is a build up of tensions as revelations lead to dramatic endings which make for a gripping read. I enjoyed it enormously.
Thank you so much to Shona Maclean, Quercus and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.
It opens with the carefully chosen members of the library circle meeting to share and debate their individual choices of books; they are expensive to buy and need the approval of everyone as each member gets to read them in turn. Through this meeting we are introduced not only to the club members but also begin to make the acquaintance of the many other residents of the town.
The intertwined stories of everyday lives of the folk who live in and around the town play out with the ever-looming threat of cholera slowly creeping up from Europe through England, political unrest, the campaign to abolish slavery and mass emigration. More than one person is hiding a secret and there is a build up of tensions as revelations lead to dramatic endings which make for a gripping read. I enjoyed it enormously.
Thank you so much to Shona Maclean, Quercus and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an early copy of this book.
March 21, 2026
This was an unexpected treat - unexpected in the sense that it followed a completely different path to previous books by Shona MacLean (previous books were written by S. G. MacLean so I wonder if this change in direction led to publishing under her full name). I really enjoyed all her previous books and I absolutely loved this one. Set in the 1830s in Cromarty - a town on the tip of the Black Isle in the Highlands of Scotland - it uses the library circle (a means of bringing books to a community that could be shared around) as a tool for us to get to know the various inhabitants of Cromarty and its environs. It's a story that brings in plague (cholera), the status of women, the expectations and privilege of men, the Reform Act, the invasion of Poland by the Russians, the clearances, the role of the Kirk...as well as love stories, deceit, feckless callow youths etc.. In it all, the authors research is worn lightly - it supports the narrative really well without showing off or drowning it out! The author has a captivating writing style, with a great sense of pace and plot. One of those books where you stop reading sooner than you want as you do not want it to end. Bravo. I am already looking forward to the next one.
March 26, 2026
Shona MacLean's substantial knowledge of everyday village life and morals in Scotland in the 1800s is clearly evident in this novel.
I would recommend readers to bookmark the list of characters at the start of the book as there are many - I found it necessary to refer back frequently to work out who was who. I felt that these characters could have been given more distinct physical descriptions to keep them clear the readers' mind's eye while reading (initially I thought this might be a sequel and that I was lacking familiarity with the characters - although I believe this is a stand-alone). A good deal of the first few chapters is taken up by establishing the relationships amongst the various townsfolk.
Despite the favourable reviews I struggled with the motivation to keep coming back to the story and gave up about a third of the way through - perhaps I'll come back to it again on the strength of her earlier work and the favourable reviews. On saying that I can thoroughly recommend Shona MacLean's Redemption of Alexander Seaton (written under the name SG MacLean) which was a hugely satisfying read.
My thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for an advance review copy.
I would recommend readers to bookmark the list of characters at the start of the book as there are many - I found it necessary to refer back frequently to work out who was who. I felt that these characters could have been given more distinct physical descriptions to keep them clear the readers' mind's eye while reading (initially I thought this might be a sequel and that I was lacking familiarity with the characters - although I believe this is a stand-alone). A good deal of the first few chapters is taken up by establishing the relationships amongst the various townsfolk.
Despite the favourable reviews I struggled with the motivation to keep coming back to the story and gave up about a third of the way through - perhaps I'll come back to it again on the strength of her earlier work and the favourable reviews. On saying that I can thoroughly recommend Shona MacLean's Redemption of Alexander Seaton (written under the name SG MacLean) which was a hugely satisfying read.
My thanks to Quercus and NetGalley for an advance review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really struggled to get into this book. There are a huge amount of characters to keep track of and I kept getting them mixed up which didn't help.
However, about 40% in I found myself invested in the story. It's set in a small village community in Scotland and depicts life that is condensed and everybody knows everything about everyone. They are also ruled by the Kirk Sessions and any transgressions are brought up to be discussed here.
What a way to live!! Well it's not really living, it's conforming to rules and regulations that stop you doing anything different.
Overall I found the story depressing. There are a lot of small dramas occurring, nothing really momentous. There is one character who has absolutely no redeeming features and I read on to see what would be his outcome.
The story has a wealth of history which I loved learning about especially the Cholera epidemic.
This book certainly has it's fans so don't go by my review alone.
Many thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for an early copy.
However, about 40% in I found myself invested in the story. It's set in a small village community in Scotland and depicts life that is condensed and everybody knows everything about everyone. They are also ruled by the Kirk Sessions and any transgressions are brought up to be discussed here.
What a way to live!! Well it's not really living, it's conforming to rules and regulations that stop you doing anything different.
Overall I found the story depressing. There are a lot of small dramas occurring, nothing really momentous. There is one character who has absolutely no redeeming features and I read on to see what would be his outcome.
The story has a wealth of history which I loved learning about especially the Cholera epidemic.
This book certainly has it's fans so don't go by my review alone.
Many thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for an early copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I struggled with this one. 'The Cromarty Library Circle' is a historical fiction set in Cromarty, Scotland, in the mid-19th Century. It follows a large group of locals over the course of a year, detailing their daily lives and focusing in particular on those who set up a circulating library.
I found MacLean's writing to be persuasive, her characterisation strong, and her historicization highly convincing. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the concept of this book, I never truly got into it. I found the plot slow and lacking direction (until about 80% of the way through, when it got more exciting), and I wasn't too fond of any of the characters. Also, while it does mention historical events like Cholera, emigration, and slavery reforms, they never felt properly integrated into the novel.
It's unfortunate as I do think this is a good book. I just felt the same as I did while reading 'The Essex Serpent': I recognise this has beautiful writing and talented storytelling, it's just not for me.
I found MacLean's writing to be persuasive, her characterisation strong, and her historicization highly convincing. Unfortunately, while I enjoyed the concept of this book, I never truly got into it. I found the plot slow and lacking direction (until about 80% of the way through, when it got more exciting), and I wasn't too fond of any of the characters. Also, while it does mention historical events like Cholera, emigration, and slavery reforms, they never felt properly integrated into the novel.
It's unfortunate as I do think this is a good book. I just felt the same as I did while reading 'The Essex Serpent': I recognise this has beautiful writing and talented storytelling, it's just not for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Cromarty Library Circle is an atmospheric and engaging historical mystery that blends community drama, literary charm, and a touch of darkness in a wonderfully satisfying way. The setting is beautifully drawn—MacLean brings Cromarty to life with vivid detail, giving the town and its people real personality.
I especially enjoyed how the library functions as the story’s heart, pulling together a cast of complex characters whose relationships, secrets, and loyalties gradually unfold. The pacing is steady, with just enough mystery and intrigue to keep the pages turning without feeling rushed.
While a few sections moved more slowly than others, overall I found this to be a rich and rewarding read. Memorable characters, a strong sense of place, and layered storytelling make this a standout historical novel.
A lovely choice for readers who enjoy thoughtful mysteries, literary settings, and immersive historical detail. I’m glad I read it!
I especially enjoyed how the library functions as the story’s heart, pulling together a cast of complex characters whose relationships, secrets, and loyalties gradually unfold. The pacing is steady, with just enough mystery and intrigue to keep the pages turning without feeling rushed.
While a few sections moved more slowly than others, overall I found this to be a rich and rewarding read. Memorable characters, a strong sense of place, and layered storytelling make this a standout historical novel.
A lovely choice for readers who enjoy thoughtful mysteries, literary settings, and immersive historical detail. I’m glad I read it!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I quite understand why this is getting high ratings from other reviewers, and wouldn't want my low rating to put potential readers off. The writing is excellent and, as always, MacLean's historical setting is faultlessly accurate. However, the book lacks the one thing that is fundamental for me - namely, a plot. It is a slow description of the people living in a small community, with all the minor love affairs, rivalries and petty spites that go along with that. There is no drama, mystery, or sense of momentum - just the monotonous and repetitive details of daily lives. For a plotless book to hold my attention, it would have to have something else - a setting I didn't know, perhaps, or a historical period that was new to me. Unfortunately, I already have a good knowledge of this time period in Scotland - empire, abolitionism, clearances, cholera, etc. - and so am learning nothing new. Wrong reader, wrong book, but I'm sure that it will work well for the right reader.
March 2, 2026
In the small town of Cromarty in the North-East of Scotland, a group of local people have come together to form a library. This is 1830 and the Napoleonic Wars are still in people's minds but the ravages of cholera are of more concern. For unhappy wife, Charlotte, the lack of affection from her rich but distant husband is tempting her to stray with a disfigured, wealthy landowner. The son of the local manufacturer is out to cause trouble and an exiled Polish count is falling in love.
As a writer I have a lot of love for Maclean. It doesn't matter the period, her language and themes are spot on. Here there is an undercurrent about slavery as well as the Highland Clearances, with money from the plantations dwindling at the threat of emancipation and the waves of emigrations to Canada and America. At its heart this book is like Mrs Gaskell or Trollope, how big ideas impact local society and the scandals attached. It's a great read.
As a writer I have a lot of love for Maclean. It doesn't matter the period, her language and themes are spot on. Here there is an undercurrent about slavery as well as the Highland Clearances, with money from the plantations dwindling at the threat of emancipation and the waves of emigrations to Canada and America. At its heart this book is like Mrs Gaskell or Trollope, how big ideas impact local society and the scandals attached. It's a great read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This novel is set in the Black Isle in the Scottish Highlands during the late Georgian period, It is a great study of Highland village life and its hierarchical dynamics . Cromarty and rosemarkie are quite seaside villages and you can see there life through these villagers and there interactions. I will not layout the plot as many people have done a much better job than I can but what stands out for me is the impact real world events, from the cholera epidemic to debates on the abolition of slavery and the Highland clearances are impacting on the lives of these people through the lens of The Library reading circle. A lovely slow thought provoking read.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Quercus books and the Author Shona MacLean for the advance copy and the chance to read and review it
I would like to thank Netgalley, Quercus books and the Author Shona MacLean for the advance copy and the chance to read and review it
March 23, 2026
This has the feel of a slow burner at the start, but that's just the characters and context being fleshed out, with great descriptions.
As you progress through the establishment of the library and the events of the time, the personalities become increasingly developed and you'll warm to some and feel indignation or frustration with others, as if they were real people you knew. The dialogue is akin to Jane Austen's but in this setting serves to highlight the social mores and cruelty of small town values.
The library circle serves as a device to allow the plots associated with the characters to be played out, and as wider politics and health worries emerge the stories converge to a wonderfully satisfying finale. Fabulous. Recommended without hesitation.
As you progress through the establishment of the library and the events of the time, the personalities become increasingly developed and you'll warm to some and feel indignation or frustration with others, as if they were real people you knew. The dialogue is akin to Jane Austen's but in this setting serves to highlight the social mores and cruelty of small town values.
The library circle serves as a device to allow the plots associated with the characters to be played out, and as wider politics and health worries emerge the stories converge to a wonderfully satisfying finale. Fabulous. Recommended without hesitation.
November 28, 2025
This is a lovely read, with well written characters that you feel you know by the end of the novel. The highlands of Scotland take a starring role too, with vivid descriptions of gull-squawking coasts, local mansions, shipping traffic and the tight-knit social rhythms of a small town. The variety of characters, with different backgrounds and secrets, means you need to pay attention to detail to appreciate how their paths converge, which sometimes requires a degree of patience and memory. With migration, disease, the legacy of slavery and social reform addressed during the story, this book reflects life in 19th century Scotland beautifully.
March 10, 2026
I’ve really enjoyed Shona Maclean’s Seeker series of books & the standalone Bookseller of Inverness. Her ability to summon up the past, coupled with deft plotting and strong characterisation, make her books a compelling read. This latest novel is in my opinion, her best to date.
Rather like Andrew O’Hagan’s “Caledonian Road” she has attempted to capture a society in amber. Where O’Hagan drew from Dickens, Maclean has taken Austen as her spirit guide. The result is a rich tapestry of people, politics and prejudice set in the Black Isle of Scotland in 1832. However this is not just a quaint period piece, there is much that resonates - pandemics, the treatment of outsiders, distorted views of hierarchy and hegemony. It’s only March but I’ve a feeling if I were to recommend one book in 2026, this may well be it.
Rather like Andrew O’Hagan’s “Caledonian Road” she has attempted to capture a society in amber. Where O’Hagan drew from Dickens, Maclean has taken Austen as her spirit guide. The result is a rich tapestry of people, politics and prejudice set in the Black Isle of Scotland in 1832. However this is not just a quaint period piece, there is much that resonates - pandemics, the treatment of outsiders, distorted views of hierarchy and hegemony. It’s only March but I’ve a feeling if I were to recommend one book in 2026, this may well be it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Richly absorbing historical fiction set in the Scottish Highlands in the early 19th Century. The members of a new library circle in Cromarty go about their daily lives, challenges, and joys, with the characters feeling real and authentic. Meanwhile real world events, from the cholera epidemic to debates on the abolition of slavery and the Highland clearances weave in and out of the story. A lovely read.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Loved this - full of pin-sharp details of people, place and time. I love SG Maclean's crime novels for her characterisation, and the cast, though very different people, are just as finely drawn here. The story blooms slowly and the tension crept up on me as I became more invested in the characters, leading to some moments of real alarm and heartfelt joy and sadness. The sense of place and time - the northern Scottish coast in 1831-2 - was superb. A true 'window into the past' book.
Big thanks to Quercus and Shona Maclean for the advanced review copy.
Big thanks to Quercus and Shona Maclean for the advanced review copy.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Set in Cromarty in the Scottish Highlands it tells the story of a, slightly snobbish, group of the great and good of the town who set up a library circle.
They buy the books then pass them onto each other and review them together.
However the group’s lives are more entwined and this social interaction both develops relationships and destroys them.
I’ve loved other SG MacLean novels but this is her best to date. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for this ARC.
They buy the books then pass them onto each other and review them together.
However the group’s lives are more entwined and this social interaction both develops relationships and destroys them.
I’ve loved other SG MacLean novels but this is her best to date. Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
fantastic work of historical fiction. the real standout part here is how it builds up the setting intricately. how do these characters develop? really well, actually, in a surprisingly effective way. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.
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March 23, 2026
I loved this book.
From the start I was drawn in by the soft, warm wash of narrative. Yet this narrative is also spare, so no long, romantic descriptions of landscape (easily done, given we're talking about beautiful Scotland) rather choice words which belong and explain the characters.
The pace was perfect. Time for thoughts, explanations, even twists, but without causing the storyline to stutter.
As an added extra, I even learned more about Scotland's political history.
From the start I was drawn in by the soft, warm wash of narrative. Yet this narrative is also spare, so no long, romantic descriptions of landscape (easily done, given we're talking about beautiful Scotland) rather choice words which belong and explain the characters.
The pace was perfect. Time for thoughts, explanations, even twists, but without causing the storyline to stutter.
As an added extra, I even learned more about Scotland's political history.
March 25, 2026
A departure from her usual her historical crime novels - and no doubt why she wrote it under the name "Shona" rather than "S.J". It is a meandering story which gives a snapshot of life in the Highlands at an important point in Scottish history - all seen from the perspective of a group of fictional characters living in Cromarty in 1831-32. I found it an entertaining read and got very invested in all the characters. A palatable way of learning some history.
March 12, 2026
This is well researched and written book. However, I wanted to like it more. I found myself struggling to get through or wishing to get back to it. It's also very difficult to pinpoint why...
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