What do you think?
Rate this book
Smouldering Fire
Iain stood for a few minutes on the little bridge that crossed the burn and looked at the house--he felt that he had betrayed it. No people save his own had ever lived in the house, and now he had sold it into slavery. For three months it would shelter strangers beneath its roof, for three months it would not belong to him.
Despite his passionate love for Ardfalloch, Iain has been driven to let his home and estate to Mr Hetherington Smith, a wealthy London businessman, and his kindly wife (who was, truth be told, happier when they were poor).
MacAslan stays on in a cottage by the loch, aided by his devoted keeper Donald and Donald's wife Morag. But he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Linda Medworth and her young son, invited to Ardfalloch by Mrs Hetherington Smith. Lush Highland scenery and a ruined castle set the stage for a mystery, and tension builds to a shocking conclusion.
Smouldering Fire was first published in the U.K. in 1935 and in the U.S. in 1938. Later reprints were all heavily abridged. For our reprint, Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press have followed the text of the first U.K. edition, and are proud to be producing the first complete, unabridged edition of the novel in eighty years.
"A charming love story set in the romantic Scottish highlands, with plenty of local colour, a handsome hero, a lonely, lovely heroine and a curious mystery into the bargain." Sunday Mercury
"A tale in which those who love the Highlands will delight, for the minor characters are gloriously alive and the atmosphere is profoundly right." Punch
Despite his passionate love for Ardfalloch, Iain has been driven to let his home and estate to Mr Hetherington Smith, a wealthy London businessman, and his kindly wife (who was, truth be told, happier when they were poor).
MacAslan stays on in a cottage by the loch, aided by his devoted keeper Donald and Donald's wife Morag. But he finds himself irresistibly drawn to Linda Medworth and her young son, invited to Ardfalloch by Mrs Hetherington Smith. Lush Highland scenery and a ruined castle set the stage for a mystery, and tension builds to a shocking conclusion.
Smouldering Fire was first published in the U.K. in 1935 and in the U.S. in 1938. Later reprints were all heavily abridged. For our reprint, Furrowed Middlebrow and Dean Street Press have followed the text of the first U.K. edition, and are proud to be producing the first complete, unabridged edition of the novel in eighty years.
"A charming love story set in the romantic Scottish highlands, with plenty of local colour, a handsome hero, a lonely, lovely heroine and a curious mystery into the bargain." Sunday Mercury
"A tale in which those who love the Highlands will delight, for the minor characters are gloriously alive and the atmosphere is profoundly right." Punch
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1935
About the author
D.E. Stevenson
68 books660 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
Dorothy Emily Stevenson was a best-selling Scottish author. She published more than 40 romantic novels over a period of more than 40 years. Her father was a cousin of Robert Louis Stevenson.
D.E. Stevenson had an enormously successful writing career: between 1923 and 1970, four million copies of her books were sold in Britain and three million in the States. Like E.F. Benson, Ann Bridge, O. Douglas or Dorothy L. Sayers (to name but a few) her books are funny, intensely readable, engaging and dependable.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
Read
October 24, 2022I feel mildly cheated by this DE Stevenson. I read her for comfort but this one turned out to be DE Does Angst, including a violently abusive ex husband threatening a child with physical and emotional abuse, a scathing look at the ghastly divorce laws, a rejected love interest who gets unfairly short shrift, a parent with dementia, and a disturbingly chillaxed approach to cold-blooded murder. Also extremely frank about sex in DES terms, ie it exists and is hinted at and everything.
I would probably have enjoyed this more if I'd come to it on those terms, as it does good psychodrama and the story is compelling, but I was rather hoping for something a bit fluffier. That said, there is a lovely secondary story of a middle aged couple, a businessman and his wife. They have come up from a lower-class background and are pretending to be posh despite really being common as muck, and the wife is fat. This would normally make them figures of fun at best: here Mrs Hetherington Smith is the only truly unselfish character, deeply kind, her husband is a man who listens to experts and respects them, and they repair their faltering relationship in a way that definitely involves middle aged sex. Kind of wish they'd been the central characters instead of Drama Iain and his romance.
I would probably have enjoyed this more if I'd come to it on those terms, as it does good psychodrama and the story is compelling, but I was rather hoping for something a bit fluffier. That said, there is a lovely secondary story of a middle aged couple, a businessman and his wife. They have come up from a lower-class background and are pretending to be posh despite really being common as muck, and the wife is fat. This would normally make them figures of fun at best: here Mrs Hetherington Smith is the only truly unselfish character, deeply kind, her husband is a man who listens to experts and respects them, and they repair their faltering relationship in a way that definitely involves middle aged sex. Kind of wish they'd been the central characters instead of Drama Iain and his romance.
January 4, 2016
What a hottie, eh?
This story is, at heart, a romance. I personally would have no issue with a romance featuring unattractive people, or old folks, but the character is described as the handsomest man at every gathering and I estimate that he can't possibly be over 40, probably well under. I don't know who selected that cover image. At least they're consistent, I guess:
She's supposed to be 31 or 32, a bit frumpy but not especially unattractive.
March 11, 2019
Not my favorite Stevenson, although the Dean Street Press kindle cover is gorgeous.
This book was classic D.E. Stevenson until about 75% - Iain MacAslan is the owner, and laird, of Ardfalloch, a Scottish estate and in the years after WWI, the finances of the estate have become increasingly untenable. As a result, MacAslan finds himself forced to rent Ardfalloch to a business man from London, Mr. Hetherington-Smith, for the shooting season. When Mr. Hetherington-Smith, and his wife, arrive at Ardfalloch, they bring with them some houseguests for a country house party, including Linda Medworth and her young son, Richard.
Iain is humiliated at having to rent out his beloved home, so he sends his mother and her companion/the housekeeper, Janet, off to London for the summer and he goes to live in the rustic, lochside cottage. While he is there, staying out of sight, he meets Richard Medworth, who helps him to repair a boat, and gives him the fairly adorable nickname of "Boatmender." He and Richard create an immediate bond of shared interest and affection, and when he finally meets Linda, he realizes that she is a woman that he met years ago in London, where he spent a few magical hours with her, and she has been the woman of his heart ever since.
Linda is married to a fairly awful guy named Jack, and is in the midst of a divorce.
There's a lot of drama that happens in a book where very little actually occurs - Linda and Iain end up being swept off to an island in the middle of loch during a story, and shelter overnight in an abandoned castle where they share confidences and generally begin to fall in love. Richard is a fragile child and Linda is worried because Jack views him as a possession and she is afraid that he will try to take Richard from her in order to bully him into being more like Jack. And Meg, a local girl, is brokenhearted because she has been in love with Iain for years.
I'm pretty sure that Meg shows up in a later book that I've already read, either Katherine Wentworth or The Marriage of Katherine.
Anyway, once we hit the 75% mark, things get pretty crazy.
I really didn't like the ending at all - it was cheap and deeply unsatisfying. I wanted Jack and Linda to overcome this adversity on their own, and the deus ex machina removal of the problem rang really hollow to me.
There were a number of characters that I did really like, especially the two Hetherington-Smiths. They had both grown up in fairly impoverished circumstances, and Mr. Hetherington-Smith was a self-made millionaire who made his money in trade. He is constantly making gaffes and is worried about being the butt of the joke among the more "well-born" contemporaries when he has double the character of any of them. In addition, Mrs. Hetherington-Smith was a very likeable woman, who still feels a bit "fish out of water" in her current affluence, and who sort of wishes that she could just hang out with people she understands. She develops a close relationship with Linda and is a pretty awesome character over all.
Elements of the plot were definitely a departure from Stevenson books I've previously read, and I didn't really think it worked as a whole, although I generally enjoyed most of the book.
This book was classic D.E. Stevenson until about 75% - Iain MacAslan is the owner, and laird, of Ardfalloch, a Scottish estate and in the years after WWI, the finances of the estate have become increasingly untenable. As a result, MacAslan finds himself forced to rent Ardfalloch to a business man from London, Mr. Hetherington-Smith, for the shooting season. When Mr. Hetherington-Smith, and his wife, arrive at Ardfalloch, they bring with them some houseguests for a country house party, including Linda Medworth and her young son, Richard.
Iain is humiliated at having to rent out his beloved home, so he sends his mother and her companion/the housekeeper, Janet, off to London for the summer and he goes to live in the rustic, lochside cottage. While he is there, staying out of sight, he meets Richard Medworth, who helps him to repair a boat, and gives him the fairly adorable nickname of "Boatmender." He and Richard create an immediate bond of shared interest and affection, and when he finally meets Linda, he realizes that she is a woman that he met years ago in London, where he spent a few magical hours with her, and she has been the woman of his heart ever since.
Linda is married to a fairly awful guy named Jack, and is in the midst of a divorce.
There's a lot of drama that happens in a book where very little actually occurs - Linda and Iain end up being swept off to an island in the middle of loch during a story, and shelter overnight in an abandoned castle where they share confidences and generally begin to fall in love. Richard is a fragile child and Linda is worried because Jack views him as a possession and she is afraid that he will try to take Richard from her in order to bully him into being more like Jack. And Meg, a local girl, is brokenhearted because she has been in love with Iain for years.
I'm pretty sure that Meg shows up in a later book that I've already read, either Katherine Wentworth or The Marriage of Katherine.
Anyway, once we hit the 75% mark, things get pretty crazy.
I really didn't like the ending at all - it was cheap and deeply unsatisfying. I wanted Jack and Linda to overcome this adversity on their own, and the deus ex machina removal of the problem rang really hollow to me.
There were a number of characters that I did really like, especially the two Hetherington-Smiths. They had both grown up in fairly impoverished circumstances, and Mr. Hetherington-Smith was a self-made millionaire who made his money in trade. He is constantly making gaffes and is worried about being the butt of the joke among the more "well-born" contemporaries when he has double the character of any of them. In addition, Mrs. Hetherington-Smith was a very likeable woman, who still feels a bit "fish out of water" in her current affluence, and who sort of wishes that she could just hang out with people she understands. She develops a close relationship with Linda and is a pretty awesome character over all.
Elements of the plot were definitely a departure from Stevenson books I've previously read, and I didn't really think it worked as a whole, although I generally enjoyed most of the book.
December 16, 2025
This was something else! I’d love to set Poirot or Miss Marple on this mystery. Would either be able to figure out the depth of the motive?
This is an intensely Scottish book. Most of it is set in the Highlands with a young clan chief called Iain MacAslan. Of course, it’s the 1930s so he’s not a clan chief like his forebears but there is still an intense clan loyalty that plays a part in the story. Iain has to rent his beloved house, Ardfalloch, to a new-money couple from the south because he’s short on cash and needs money to repair the house and his tenants’ houses. But for a Highlander to rent out his house, even just for the three months of the shooting season, is a big deal. It causes a stir.
For several chapters, DES takes us south to London to meet the new-money couple, Mr and Mrs Hetherington-Smith. Mrs H-S is a gem of a character. She and her husband, Arthur, have been up and down the ladder of wealth and success and she longs for the days of their poverty when she knew who she was and was genuinely able to know and care for her neighbors. She visits her old neighbors and sees that the wealth she now has puts up a barrier between them and she can no longer really know them or help them. It’s rather poignant. Fortunately, she happens to meet a young woman named Linda Medworth, who confides in her about her ruined marriage, her cruel husband, her pending divorce, and her tender young son, Richard. Linda and Richard join the H-S’s at Ardfalloch and they all get to know, slowly, Iain and his right-hand man and woman, Donald and Morag.
The first half of the story has quite a different feel from the second half. The first half is a typical “man with a big house and too little money” story. The second half focuses much more on Iain and Linda and how Linda’s marriage and divorce affect them both. It gets much more Romantic and gothic. The ending is quite something! I love Richard’s character. In contrast to his father, he’s a sensitive and creative little chap. Linda, Iain, Mrs H-S, and others are fiercely protective of him in the face of a horrible threat to his wellbeing. I love DES for writing a sensitive young male character and seeing that his sensitivity is something to be protected because it’s a beautiful part of him.
There are some parts of the story that felt unfinished to me. Margaret Finlay and her father weren’t developed well enough. I feel so sorry for Margaret’s unrequited love. 😭 I think Mrs H-S dropped out of the story too much in the second half too. She was deserving of her own novel! She reminded me so much of a character from O Douglas’s novel The Proper Place.
I’m not sure this would ever be a favorite DES but it was well worth a read. I’m certain to reread it in the future and shouldn’t have put it off for so long.
This is an intensely Scottish book. Most of it is set in the Highlands with a young clan chief called Iain MacAslan. Of course, it’s the 1930s so he’s not a clan chief like his forebears but there is still an intense clan loyalty that plays a part in the story. Iain has to rent his beloved house, Ardfalloch, to a new-money couple from the south because he’s short on cash and needs money to repair the house and his tenants’ houses. But for a Highlander to rent out his house, even just for the three months of the shooting season, is a big deal. It causes a stir.
For several chapters, DES takes us south to London to meet the new-money couple, Mr and Mrs Hetherington-Smith. Mrs H-S is a gem of a character. She and her husband, Arthur, have been up and down the ladder of wealth and success and she longs for the days of their poverty when she knew who she was and was genuinely able to know and care for her neighbors. She visits her old neighbors and sees that the wealth she now has puts up a barrier between them and she can no longer really know them or help them. It’s rather poignant. Fortunately, she happens to meet a young woman named Linda Medworth, who confides in her about her ruined marriage, her cruel husband, her pending divorce, and her tender young son, Richard. Linda and Richard join the H-S’s at Ardfalloch and they all get to know, slowly, Iain and his right-hand man and woman, Donald and Morag.
The first half of the story has quite a different feel from the second half. The first half is a typical “man with a big house and too little money” story. The second half focuses much more on Iain and Linda and how Linda’s marriage and divorce affect them both. It gets much more Romantic and gothic. The ending is quite something! I love Richard’s character. In contrast to his father, he’s a sensitive and creative little chap. Linda, Iain, Mrs H-S, and others are fiercely protective of him in the face of a horrible threat to his wellbeing. I love DES for writing a sensitive young male character and seeing that his sensitivity is something to be protected because it’s a beautiful part of him.
There are some parts of the story that felt unfinished to me. Margaret Finlay and her father weren’t developed well enough. I feel so sorry for Margaret’s unrequited love. 😭 I think Mrs H-S dropped out of the story too much in the second half too. She was deserving of her own novel! She reminded me so much of a character from O Douglas’s novel The Proper Place.
I’m not sure this would ever be a favorite DES but it was well worth a read. I’m certain to reread it in the future and shouldn’t have put it off for so long.
November 27, 2011
This book was a pretty enjoyable read, but towards the end it took an odd turn. Instead of facing out the difficulty, someone just decided to cut straight through the knot in a judgment call that left me scratching my head and uncomfortable with the whole thing. The main character is a good one, though, and there's wonderful atmosphere. The first D.E. Stevenson book I read was Bel Lamington, which I adored. I also liked its sequel, Fletchers End. But this one, not so much.
September 27, 2019
I can’t explain how the problem of this book is ultimately solved - spoilers - but it does raise questions about Stevenson’s attitude to crime and vengeance. Apart from that, a typical Scottish romance. Wonderful escapism.
January 31, 2025
There is a lot to like in this book despite the predictability of the plot and the ending was pretty obvious. But I really enjoyed the main story as well as the entire community and all the secondary characters.
A strong sense of place and some suspense along with the romance, reminds me a little of Mary Stewart's fiction.
My only real complaint is I wanted more of
I would have loved a sequel!
A strong sense of place and some suspense along with the romance, reminds me a little of Mary Stewart's fiction.
My only real complaint is I wanted more of
I would have loved a sequel!
May 8, 2021
Written in 1938, and set in Ardfalloch in the Scottish Highlands, MacAslan, master of the estate since his father, the auld laird, died when he was 18, is so strapped financially that he has let the estate for the three month hunting season to a rich London man. He could marry wealthy Meg, whom he’s know since childhood, but there is another woman, nameless, who haunts his dreams.
-Donald and Morag
-Lowland housekeeper Janet who cares for MacAslan’s senile mother
-Mr and Mrs Hetherington Smith
-Linda, son Richard, and bullying, philandering, race car driver, ex husband Jack Medworth
Meg/Margaret Findlay and her very wealthy father
A most unlikely hunting party is assembled at Ardfalloch, with MacAsland hiding out in a cottage by the loch while his factor Donald manages the hunting. MacAslan discovers the young divorcee under Mrs Hetherington Smith’s protection is the young woman he fell in love with in London years before. Her ex wants custody of their 6 yr old son to shape him up into a man.
Text is longer, more convoluted and contemplative than other of her books, but still interesting, with a mystery twist at the end.
-Donald and Morag
-Lowland housekeeper Janet who cares for MacAslan’s senile mother
-Mr and Mrs Hetherington Smith
-Linda, son Richard, and bullying, philandering, race car driver, ex husband Jack Medworth
Meg/Margaret Findlay and her very wealthy father
A most unlikely hunting party is assembled at Ardfalloch, with MacAsland hiding out in a cottage by the loch while his factor Donald manages the hunting. MacAslan discovers the young divorcee under Mrs Hetherington Smith’s protection is the young woman he fell in love with in London years before. Her ex wants custody of their 6 yr old son to shape him up into a man.
Text is longer, more convoluted and contemplative than other of her books, but still interesting, with a mystery twist at the end.
July 14, 2016
3.5 stars. There's lots to like about this book: the usual coziness and atmosphere found in Stevenson's books and I like learning about the Scottish traditions and mindset. But there's a rather unpleasant surprise at the end which slid a cloud over the sun and made me ask, Seriously, was that necessary?
March 15, 2019
Such an atmospheric and well-drawn beginning that I thought it would be a favorite, but by the end I had serious moral misgivings.
January 25, 2026
I’m still a little conflicted about the ending. Loved the story overall.
January 21, 2025
Re-read as audiobook.
March 29, 2022
I’ve heard Smouldering Fire described as “a Marmite book,” as in one either loves it or hates it. I’m more on the fence, but it is certainly has elements that differ from DES’s other books.
I listened on Audible (11.5 hours!) instead of reading, which may have made the book feel slower than it really is. Several obvious plot points were telegraphed so far ahead that the characters’ obliviousness became tedious. (Again, listening instead of reading may have exacerbated this.) The book was also very melodramatic in places. I’ve often wondered if the war shifted DES away from a gothic tendency to the frank and more “real” portrayals in her wonderful postwar books. (Happily she kept her enchantment with the Highlands and belief in fairies!)
The writing itself is lush and lovely—gorgeous descriptions of the natural world, as always. It was just the almost histrionic personal interactions that wore thin in places.
As most other reviewers have noted, there is also a moral choice in the book that — well I can’t even describe it without a spoiler. But it may make the book a “no” for some readers.
Certainly food for thought and discussion, though not in my DES top 10.
Book Bingo: Book Written from Multiple Perspectives square
I listened on Audible (11.5 hours!) instead of reading, which may have made the book feel slower than it really is. Several obvious plot points were telegraphed so far ahead that the characters’ obliviousness became tedious. (Again, listening instead of reading may have exacerbated this.) The book was also very melodramatic in places. I’ve often wondered if the war shifted DES away from a gothic tendency to the frank and more “real” portrayals in her wonderful postwar books. (Happily she kept her enchantment with the Highlands and belief in fairies!)
The writing itself is lush and lovely—gorgeous descriptions of the natural world, as always. It was just the almost histrionic personal interactions that wore thin in places.
As most other reviewers have noted, there is also a moral choice in the book that — well I can’t even describe it without a spoiler. But it may make the book a “no” for some readers.
Certainly food for thought and discussion, though not in my DES top 10.
Book Bingo: Book Written from Multiple Perspectives square
August 2, 2021
I never thought I'd give one of my very favorite authors two stars, but this was definitely the most stressful Stevenson novel I've read. The messy divorce as one of its main plot points and the ethically dubious conclusion left me dumbfounded and disappointed. Not the "comfort read" I was expecting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2022
The second read was much better. I’m bumping this up from 2 to 3.5 stars. I am SO happy that more of Stevenson’s books are being released on Kindle!
As an added pleasure, the delightful forward to this edition was written by Alexander McCall Smith.
As an added pleasure, the delightful forward to this edition was written by Alexander McCall Smith.
March 27, 2019
Is this an attempt at moral complexity? Does the end justify the means?
Stevenson has subverted her usual fairy tale style of writing to introduce some morally dubious elements to this story. The hero is presented as the perfect gentleman but stories of the warring clans and their violent past are used to suggest that brutality is part of the Highland character. He is revered like a prince by his servants and tenants, the true ideal of a Highland laird, so it’s hardly surprising that he arrogantly expects everything to fall in his favour. The great shock of this paragon of virtue deciding that the only way to get what he wants is to commit murder, with no regard to the life of the victim or the casual lawlessness of the act, essentially mars the novel, even though he does not ultimately commit the crime. That he thinks he can do so with no compunction suggests he is not a man who deserves a happy ending, yet Stevenson provides him with one. His fiancée’s objection to the plan is that he would be caught and hanged, not that the act itself is inherently repugnant. Does a man who would kill for love inspire greater love in return? do the two reprobates deserve each other? or is the whole marriage doomed because both parties are morally repellent? When trying to understand Stevenson’s moral view point, I felt very uncomfortable - I think she approves of her hero and the marriage, though its foundation is morally suspect. I am not sure I can agree with her here.
I can see why this book was abridged, and while I applaud the author for attempting to show that real life is more serious and more complex than her usual lightweight stories would suggest, I do think that this plot is too harsh, too grimly criminal in places to visit upon an unsuspecting audience expecting a gentle Scottish romance amongst the glens.
February 17, 2017
A Scottish Laird makes an inn of his castle in order to be able to afford to keep his family land. He is served and assisted by his loyal ghillie, whose family line have served the Laird's family for generations.
Among the groups of guests that stay in his castle, the Laird meets a woman and her young son who are hiding from her abusive ex-husband. The Laird and his lady guest become friends and fall in love, but circumstances complicate their path to romantic bliss.
Some reviewers express dismay at a twist in this tale of love and loyalty. In my opinion, that's what makes the book a genuine exploration of Scottish heritage and not just another pleasant romance novel. Though an avid fan, I've forgotten the story lines of several of Ms. Stevenson's books, but this one still tugs at me, years after I read it. I've been trying to find it for years.
Among the groups of guests that stay in his castle, the Laird meets a woman and her young son who are hiding from her abusive ex-husband. The Laird and his lady guest become friends and fall in love, but circumstances complicate their path to romantic bliss.
Some reviewers express dismay at a twist in this tale of love and loyalty. In my opinion, that's what makes the book a genuine exploration of Scottish heritage and not just another pleasant romance novel. Though an avid fan, I've forgotten the story lines of several of Ms. Stevenson's books, but this one still tugs at me, years after I read it. I've been trying to find it for years.
May 17, 2026
This book should never have been published. It should not even have been written by a 43-year-old. I might have excused it more had the author been 20.
Smouldering Fire came out in 1935 and is supposed to be set in the Highlands of Scotland in the ’30s, but its sensibilities are those of a much earlier era. The main character, Iain MacAslan (“the MacAslan” in Highlands lingo, meaning he’s a laird, with extensive property and tenants) is drawn as a stereotypical dream hero—if your ideal of a hero is a gentleman who wears his command of serfs like his skin. He is handsome, lean, fit, princely; and despite having run out of money, so that his tenants’ cottages are all crumbling and letting the rain in, they adore him, in an I’ll-give-up-food-to-cook-your-meals, I’ll-commit-murder-for-you-if-you-ask-and-even-if-you-don’t kind of way. Iain is supposed to be a “good” landlord because he chats up the tenants and feels bad that he can’t repair their roofs, but he takes their adoration for granted and even leverages it for his benefit. Everybody knows their place in his picturesque backwater. The whole book is a paean to supposedly benign feudalism.
The story opens when Iain has committed the grave offense of leasing out his 14-bedroom house for three months to a Londoner who wants to have shooting parties, in order to make ends meet, because apparently he is no businessman and even spurns business offers from a neighbor. (Iain insists that all the tenants keep the secret that he’s remaining in a cottage on the property and they’re happy to oblige; he’s the one who breaks the silence.) Mind you, he’s not upset about the shooting—he misses the chance to slaughter birds and deer himself—he just thinks the Londoners won’t know how to do it right. There are lots of descriptions of shooting birds and other manly sports, all described with reverence.
Our “hero” is single. We’re supposed to consider him ethical because he won’t settle for marrying his best female friend and neighbor, who could get him out of his money difficulties. The reason? He once briefly met a woman he describes as a “fairy girl” and can’t get her out of his head. Naturally, he meets her again; in fact, she’s one of the guests of the people renting his house. She is of course worthy of his idolatry and he goes all he-man when they’ve barely met, insisting that they will marry. (She finds his attitude irresistible; she is as complete a stereotype as he is.) Just one problem: she is divorced from a rotter and has several months to go before her divorce decree is final and she gets permanent custody of her son. You can probably see where this is going.
This whole story is gushingly romantic, and romanticizes many attitudes and mores we now find distasteful—and many people even in the 1930s found distasteful, including the house guest who has just returned from Germany and is in love with everything Teutonic (she is portrayed as a bore but not morally flawed). In a teenage author this drivel might have been tolerated, but in a middle-aged, experienced writer it is just embarrassing. (The 2 stars are for loving descriptions of the Highlands landscape.) Cringe.
There was one character I liked and who felt semi-“real”—the wife of the man leasing the house—but hers was a bit part, she existed mainly to offer opportunities to the lovers, so she couldn’t compensate for the overall impression.
Spoiler alert:
Smouldering Fire came out in 1935 and is supposed to be set in the Highlands of Scotland in the ’30s, but its sensibilities are those of a much earlier era. The main character, Iain MacAslan (“the MacAslan” in Highlands lingo, meaning he’s a laird, with extensive property and tenants) is drawn as a stereotypical dream hero—if your ideal of a hero is a gentleman who wears his command of serfs like his skin. He is handsome, lean, fit, princely; and despite having run out of money, so that his tenants’ cottages are all crumbling and letting the rain in, they adore him, in an I’ll-give-up-food-to-cook-your-meals, I’ll-commit-murder-for-you-if-you-ask-and-even-if-you-don’t kind of way. Iain is supposed to be a “good” landlord because he chats up the tenants and feels bad that he can’t repair their roofs, but he takes their adoration for granted and even leverages it for his benefit. Everybody knows their place in his picturesque backwater. The whole book is a paean to supposedly benign feudalism.
The story opens when Iain has committed the grave offense of leasing out his 14-bedroom house for three months to a Londoner who wants to have shooting parties, in order to make ends meet, because apparently he is no businessman and even spurns business offers from a neighbor. (Iain insists that all the tenants keep the secret that he’s remaining in a cottage on the property and they’re happy to oblige; he’s the one who breaks the silence.) Mind you, he’s not upset about the shooting—he misses the chance to slaughter birds and deer himself—he just thinks the Londoners won’t know how to do it right. There are lots of descriptions of shooting birds and other manly sports, all described with reverence.
Our “hero” is single. We’re supposed to consider him ethical because he won’t settle for marrying his best female friend and neighbor, who could get him out of his money difficulties. The reason? He once briefly met a woman he describes as a “fairy girl” and can’t get her out of his head. Naturally, he meets her again; in fact, she’s one of the guests of the people renting his house. She is of course worthy of his idolatry and he goes all he-man when they’ve barely met, insisting that they will marry. (She finds his attitude irresistible; she is as complete a stereotype as he is.) Just one problem: she is divorced from a rotter and has several months to go before her divorce decree is final and she gets permanent custody of her son. You can probably see where this is going.
This whole story is gushingly romantic, and romanticizes many attitudes and mores we now find distasteful—and many people even in the 1930s found distasteful, including the house guest who has just returned from Germany and is in love with everything Teutonic (she is portrayed as a bore but not morally flawed). In a teenage author this drivel might have been tolerated, but in a middle-aged, experienced writer it is just embarrassing. (The 2 stars are for loving descriptions of the Highlands landscape.) Cringe.
There was one character I liked and who felt semi-“real”—the wife of the man leasing the house—but hers was a bit part, she existed mainly to offer opportunities to the lovers, so she couldn’t compensate for the overall impression.
Spoiler alert:
April 7, 2026
4.5🌟 Surprisingly cozy for a D.E. Stevenson romance/murder mystery!
Sometimes, I don't enjoy novels from the point of view of a man. (Maybe it's because it's hard to put myself in his place? I'm not sure.) But, I was a little worried that this title might not be a favorite in the end. Thankfully, I was totally wrong!
After the first chapter where the reader gets to know Iain MacAslan, his loyal friend Donald (and his wife Morag) and the Scottish estate of Ardfalloch, I felt like I could really get into the story more.
WHAT I LOVED:
💚 Gorgeous descriptions of Ardfalloch and the surrounding highlands
💚 Helpful (though rough in manner) Janet (who also takes care of Iain's mother)
💚 Kind, down-to-earth and generous Mrs. Hetherington-Smith
💚 Gentle and brave Linda Medworth and her sweet son, Richard
💚 The strong connection and deep love between Linda, Richard and Iain
Following the events that occur between MacAslan and the temporary occupants of Ardfalloch was not only interesting, but also full of tension and mystery towards the end—the book was so hard to put down! It definitely had more of a gothic suspense feel than any other of DES's novels I've read so far. But, in the best way.
Smouldering Fire also make a beautiful movie. Perhaps something along the lines of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Overall, it was an incredibly enjoyable read. Now, I have to go back to Katherine's Marriage and The House of the Deer because I didn't even remember or connect MacAslan's character to this title. I read both of those books a long time ago, but I would definitely recommend that you read Smouldering Fire, then Katherine Wentworth and Katherine's Marriage and, finally, The House of the Deer. (Check out Susan Monahan's DES character comparison at: https://www.dalyght.ca/DEStevenson/de...)
I was very impressed with this DES novel!
Sometimes, I don't enjoy novels from the point of view of a man. (Maybe it's because it's hard to put myself in his place? I'm not sure.) But, I was a little worried that this title might not be a favorite in the end. Thankfully, I was totally wrong!
After the first chapter where the reader gets to know Iain MacAslan, his loyal friend Donald (and his wife Morag) and the Scottish estate of Ardfalloch, I felt like I could really get into the story more.
WHAT I LOVED:
💚 Gorgeous descriptions of Ardfalloch and the surrounding highlands
💚 Helpful (though rough in manner) Janet (who also takes care of Iain's mother)
💚 Kind, down-to-earth and generous Mrs. Hetherington-Smith
💚 Gentle and brave Linda Medworth and her sweet son, Richard
💚 The strong connection and deep love between Linda, Richard and Iain
Following the events that occur between MacAslan and the temporary occupants of Ardfalloch was not only interesting, but also full of tension and mystery towards the end—the book was so hard to put down! It definitely had more of a gothic suspense feel than any other of DES's novels I've read so far. But, in the best way.
Smouldering Fire also make a beautiful movie. Perhaps something along the lines of Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Overall, it was an incredibly enjoyable read. Now, I have to go back to Katherine's Marriage and The House of the Deer because I didn't even remember or connect MacAslan's character to this title. I read both of those books a long time ago, but I would definitely recommend that you read Smouldering Fire, then Katherine Wentworth and Katherine's Marriage and, finally, The House of the Deer. (Check out Susan Monahan's DES character comparison at: https://www.dalyght.ca/DEStevenson/de...)
I was very impressed with this DES novel!
February 18, 2023
I went into this book knowing that there would be a revelation at the end that was shocking. As a result, I wasn’t taken off guard by it, and my enjoyment of the rest of the book wasn’t spoiled.
Beautiful setting and an interesting perspective on the Scottish highlands and its people made for a gentle read. The aspect of the ending that doesn’t fit with D. E. Stevenson’s normal style made for a memorable read.
While I did really enjoy this book, I wouldn’t recommend it as a starting place for reading the author’s works.
***I read the Furrowed Middlebrow edition which is the first unabridged edition since the first U.K. and U.S. editions of the novel in 1935 and 1938 respectively. I don’t know if reading the abridged version would have affected my view of the story and it’s ending.***
Beautiful setting and an interesting perspective on the Scottish highlands and its people made for a gentle read. The aspect of the ending that doesn’t fit with D. E. Stevenson’s normal style made for a memorable read.
While I did really enjoy this book, I wouldn’t recommend it as a starting place for reading the author’s works.
***I read the Furrowed Middlebrow edition which is the first unabridged edition since the first U.K. and U.S. editions of the novel in 1935 and 1938 respectively. I don’t know if reading the abridged version would have affected my view of the story and it’s ending.***
June 2, 2025
The author is famous for her love of everything Scottish and she can write charming stories.
This time I perceived the atmosphere as Scottish fanaticism. I had had enough of this praising etc.
The plot was predictable (which in itself is not discrediting), and also boring. Often nothing happened, subsequent pages brought nothing.
The author did not discourage me, but it was definitely one of her weaker novels.
This time I perceived the atmosphere as Scottish fanaticism. I had had enough of this praising etc.
The plot was predictable (which in itself is not discrediting), and also boring. Often nothing happened, subsequent pages brought nothing.
The author did not discourage me, but it was definitely one of her weaker novels.
October 19, 2022
It was hard to sympathise with the characters or find any plausibility to the concluding events of this novel. A dud
June 30, 2010
I love the character of MacAslan--such a strong yet tender-hearted clan leader! The moral questions raised in this book still provoke quite a bit of thought....
March 3, 2020
i like anything des wrote. this was even better reading again afer having been to the uk because of knowing just where some things took place or being able to picture the place being described.
October 23, 2018
The ending was the oddest ending I’ve ever read. What the?!
April 13, 2019
Normally, D.E. Stevenson books are my comfort reads and this book had many of the same elements of her other books. I still enjoyed most of it but like many other reviewers, I was uncomfortable with the ending and at times, I was frustrated with the protagonist.
October 16, 2021
A favorite author, but this is not my favorite work. I picked up the hardcover edition at thrift store with high hopes and I will definitely be keeping my copy (Stevenson novels are not so easy to come by, after all) but I probably won't re-read any time soon (or ever).
The ending is...morally ambiguous at best. I know Stevenson was capable of resolving her plot / love triangle better than this. Maybe she just ran out of steam on the story. Mrs. Hetherington Smith was my favorite character, by far.
The ending is...morally ambiguous at best. I know Stevenson was capable of resolving her plot / love triangle better than this. Maybe she just ran out of steam on the story. Mrs. Hetherington Smith was my favorite character, by far.
Read
March 22, 2024Not my usual or preferred genre, but one of my mother's favorite authors. I'm reading through her collection.
November 10, 2022
I rather liked this one. She spent a good bit of time relaying the characters' inner thoughts, which felt like cinematic voiceovers. I found it effective somehow.
The narrator had a good voice, but he just didn't get the characters right. He made both Ian and Donald sound too old, and I didn't like how he did any of the women.
The narrator had a good voice, but he just didn't get the characters right. He made both Ian and Donald sound too old, and I didn't like how he did any of the women.
March 20, 2019
Nice romance/drama with great characters. I really enjoyed the Mrs. Smith subplot. But the “mystery” at the end is so obvious I cannot believe no one figures it out!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews