This Door of the Seas

by Val McDermid

The Darien Venture was the singular event at the end of the seventeenth century that fundamentally altered Scotland's future.

It took place on the other side of the world, amid the jungle-coastline at the junction between the continents of North and South America. And most of us know next to nothing about it.

Now it's time to remedy that. Award-winning novelist Val McDermid and Geographer Royal for Scotland Jo Sharp unite in this revelatory novella to trace the story of Scotland's only trading colony, which turned from a dream of prosperity to a nightmare that bankrupted an already impoverished nation and propelled it towards political union with England.

Written as a series of letters home from expedition scientist Dr James Wallace to his wife Eliza and Sir Robert Sibbald, the first Geographer Royal, this epistolary tale offers a devastating account of the forces that doomed the endeavour and completely changed the history of the British Isles in the process.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 5, 2027

About the author

Val McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.

She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.

She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Katie Bogdan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

If there is one thing that I love reading about, it's niche historical events that I've never heard of before. This Door of the Seas promised to deliver a sharp look into the little-known Darien disaster that bankrupted Scotland and ultimately contributed to the country's unification with England. Told through letters from a fictional member of the party, the book promised "an immersive story of betrayal and injustice"; for me, this did not hit the mark.

Part of this reason that this did not succeed for me is that I think that the format in which these authors are trying to tell this story does not match the scale of what they are trying to achieve. It is clear that they want to educate people about this little-known event and how it completely changed the history of their country; a 100-page novella told from a single POV cannot give readers the breadth of information that they sorely need to contextualize this. Every letter felt like a paint-by-number of every colonial adventure story and neither author does a convincing job of giving the historical information necessary to connect the failure of Darien to the Scottish union with England. The saving grace of this book was that it was short enough to not completely offend me; if someone wants to write a non-fiction book about this, I would definitely prefer that!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Door of the Seas is the story of the ill-fated Scottish expedition to Panama to set up a trading colony with the ultimate intention of increasing the prosperity of impoverished Scotland. It is told through a series of letters from the on-board scientist Dr James Wallace, to his wife, his patron and a friend. I enjoyed the first-hand account, but I think it suffered from only having letters from Dr Wallace’s perspective. This limited the scope and resulted in me feeling distant from every other character.

There were also some sections around the 40% mark where Dr Wallace reported on the local flora and fauna. I feel like at times sections like this started reading more as non-fiction and felt a bit dry. I think some of this could have been cut in favour of more human-centric narratives, perhaps more on the indigenous peoples or the physical day-to-day demands of establishing the colony.

I appreciated the perspective from Dr Wallace, a Scot, on how he felt betrayed by the Scottish government and the King, but it did start to feel a bit repetitive towards the end. I also felt that the connection between the plight of the expedition and the later Acts of Union started to be made but naturally such a complex topic is hard to distill to fit in a novella. I therefore struggled to understand the political relationship between the two events with the information I was provided.

As an extra note, I found it really interesting how Dr Wallace seemingly accepted the enslavement of Black Africans and Indigenous Americans, but really drew the line at white indentured servants. With him perceiving them as people from civilised nations and therefore believing it was not appropriate to treat them on par with enslaved peoples. It provided a little snippet of the complex views on slavery during the period and it added some depth to Dr Wallace’s character which at times felt a bit one-dimensional.

Overall I think this is an interesting novella with an intriguing approach that brings to the forefront a niche historical event that is often forgotten about in favour of the more famous English North American colonies.

I received an eARC from NetGalley and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

[Sofie van de Vreede · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review: This Door of the Seas (ARC)

This is a historical novella based on the real-life Darien Scheme, Scotland's failed attempt in the late 1600s to establish a trading colony on the Isthmus of Panama.

At first I fell for the cover of this book. I usually try not to judge books by their cover, but this one instantly drew my attention. The concept of this book's storytelling has great potential: a collection of letters written by Dr. James Wallace, to his wife and colleagues back in Scotland. Wallace writes them during his expedition, setting sail in hopes to bring prosperity to their struggling nation. At the same time I think this method really needs to be mastered. In this case, the story could have gotten more depth with some dialogues and scenes.

Despite the creativity of the storyline, the letters didn't draw my attention as much as the cover did. I enjoyed the story, though it was easy to lose focus on some parts. The letters are a bit small, the lines are quite close to each other, and the pages barely have any margins. It feels as if they needed to get fewer pages in order to call it a novella, but I wouldn't mind a few more pages with a comfortable font. I took a lot of breaks while reading this one, simply because I needed to regain focus before I could continue.

My love for history is what kept me going to the end. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Wisegirl Wiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story checks so many boxes for me. Written by a highly skilled and successful pair of female authors. An adventurous protagonist whose tale is based on little known actual historic events. The risks he took to travel to and map uncharted lands. Avoiding the romance novel tone, but supporting strong communications between separated spouses at a key moment in their lifetime. Also, the format was so readable. The use of letter writing, like the recent popular novel The Correspondent, gives the story a good flow and makes for a positive reading experience. I also loved learning about the history behind the Scots' challenges they faced at home (his wife) and on the ship (the crew) that made every decision seem like a no win game as they wrestled with death at their door. So many things like broken leadership, fundraising, politics, holding the unique idea of a Panama passage before its time, the treachery of powerful enemies of the state, unfulfilled promises, mother nature, and the hand of fate, continuously failed to break this protagonist's spirit as others fell in anguish all around him. And, spoiler alert, though things did not end well historically, there was not a gut wrenching ending for the protagonist and his wife, as they found their way forward in a new life. Another check for me. It is evident that the bestselling author Val McDermid and her brilliantly chosen co-author Geographer Royal of Scotland Jo Sharp are well researched and well qualified in finally unveiling this tale after three centuries of waiting. Thank you ladies for writing this book and thank you Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for this ARC to be published 01-05-2027.

[Chris Chanona · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the true history of Scots daring to voyage to South America in search of better lives. Known as the Darien Venture and told by Val McDermid and Scotland’s Geographer Royal, Jo Sharp. The research appears meticulous and it only lost a star because, for me, I don’t like epistolary tellings. It means there are only reported conversations which takes away a degree of liveliness which might be expected from this tale.

It is late 17th century, before the Union with the English. There are many pitfalls to be faced in trying to set up a Scots colony: shipwrecks, fever, loss of tools and resources, and the opposition of Spanish who have colonised before the Scots. But in Scotland these brave souls face starvation.

I was particularly taken by the account of the Union from the Scottish people’s point of view and learned some new things. I did not know the value of ‘Scotland’ was meticulously worked out to the nearest penny and paid in a form of reparation. The afterword was interesting and points to sources and truths.

I read an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers. Thank you.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epistolary novel based on the true story of the ill fated attempt to establish a trading community in Panama at the end of the 17th century is quite a departure from Val McDermid’s usual area of expertise. Working with Geographer Royal for Scotland Jo Sharp, she has created a fascinating piece of historical fiction which I found intriguing and educational. Told from the perspective of expedition scientist James Wallace, the story of the Darien Venture begins with widespread optimism that embraces not only the prospective settlers but also the many Scots back home who had invested in the hopes of establishing a lucrative trade route between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Through a combination of ill luck, hostile conditions, mismanagement and a lack of support from the English Crown, hope gives way to resilience and a determination to salvage something from the wreckage of a dream that indirectly contributes to the financially compromised Scots agreeing to the union with England. ‘This Door of the Seas’ is written with a lightness of touch and brevity that makes for a powerful reading experience.

[John MacLeod · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘This Door of the Seas’, by Val McDermid and Jo Sharp, is a fictional account of the ‘Darien Scheme’, which is an infamous episode in Scottish history.This expedition to establish a settlement in an area of modern day Panama was an undertaking that went horribly wrong and harmed the Scottish nation financially, undoubtedly leaving it at the behest of its neighbour and in an even weakened position than beforehand,leading towards further diminishment.
The correspondence that shapes the narrative herein details firsthand the catastrophic decision making and how woefully unprepared the colonists were for the elements and the general conditions that they encountered.
As an imagining of the travails suffered by the unfortunate souls on this journey of hope,this novel feels like it accurately depicts how an ambitious venture can turn into a horrendous folly. An intriguing and informative personal perspective in the epistolary story reveals the human cost of one of Scotland’s lowest points in the quest for new sources of wealth,territorial power and status.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic , for an Advance Readers Copy for review.

[Simon Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating account of an ill-fated attempt to found a Scottish colony, the aftermath of which resulted in the Union with England. Told in letter form this novella captures the deprivations, the climate and the Machiavellian politics which led to the death of a vision and of the many colonists who had left Scotland for the promise of a better life.
The letter format can make parts of the story feel repetitive - frequent expressions of love to his wife & repeated warnings not to join him.
However the underlying questioning of the wisdom of rulers whether kings or politicians and whether they have the best interests of working folk at heart remains a contemporary one. The novella also touches on the issues of slavery and indentured workers.
The book continues the series of Darkland Tales which explore through short fiction, key moments in Scottish history. This is a worthy edition to the canon.

[i · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Val McDermid, Jo Sharp, Grove Atlantic | Atlantic Monthly Press, and NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This Door of the Seas is part historical non-fiction and part historical fiction. Told in an epistolary format, James Wallace writes to his beloved wife Eliza, the aged botanist Dr Richard Sibbald, and William Patterson.

Over one thousand men in five ships set out to claim the land of Panama for Scotland in a desperate attempt to set up their own trading post and as a last stand against the political might of the English in the late 17th century. The infamous Darien scheme goes absolutely tits up and ends up in catastrophic disease (bad), heavy mortality (worse), and a political merger with England (horrifying).

This was a compelling read and an important historical event for anyone remotely British / Scottish!

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another piece of history I knew nothing about!
I admit I only picked it up because I like a McDermid book.
It has educated me on something I've never thought about.
Well written letters conveying every single emotion felt on the crossing and the journey onwards.
An enjoyable tale


Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoy these Darkland Tales, which are mostly telling me about bits of Scottish history I know nothing about. Really well written and a good read, despite knowing from the start it wasn't going to end well (the vague bit of awareness of the history I did have).

[Lottie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

I loved the adventure and atmosphere of this novel. It’s short, but it is definitely worth your attention. It’s broader themes of survival and colonialism were also quite interesting to me

[Jennybeast · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is a cool way to learn Scottish history — and I had no idea about the failed venture to Darien. I like the epistolary novel. I appreciate that they tried to be true to historical attitudes without being as excruciatingly and relentlessly racist throughout, but it’s definitely present and uncomfortable, as it should be. It’s not super fast paced or narratively riveting as many of McDermid’s works, but it feels like an accurate representation.

Advanced Readers Copy provided by edelweiss

[Lynn Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and brilliant read. The letters and notes of Dr. James Wallace read as if they could have been true, making you sometimes forget you’re reading historical fiction. You are transported to 1698 and taken along on the voyage to Caledonia. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about sea voyages.

Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.